It had been more than three years since He Zhihan had last seen the sun rise.
The thought should have been depressing.
In a way, it was.
During his years in the mental asylum, the staff had occasionally let him outside. He’d made sure of it.
After enough relentless persuasion and a few incidents involving irritated psychiatrists, they’d learned that denying him a sunrise was far more trouble than simply letting him have one.
Prison was different, though. There were no quiet morning walks while waiting for the horizon to brighten.
The sun had existed only as a distant memory.
And Zhihan liked sunlight. Not because of hope or for grand new beginnings. He wasn’t sentimental enough for that shit.
He simply thought it was beautiful.
There was a strange comfort in watching darkness slowly surrender to light.
And now, high above the dense forest canopy, he was finally seeing it again.
Zhihan sat comfortably on a thick oak branch, his booted legs swinging over the edge as he stared toward the east.
A sliver of gold cut through the black treeline.
He watched as the sun climbed into the sky, spilling warm, liquid light across the treetops.
Zhihan tracked it until the last shadow dissolved into the morning glow.
Only then did he move.
He pushed off the branch, dropping effortlessly from limb to limb before landing lightly on the damp earth.
Ji Changsheng was already standing beneath the tree... Right in front of him.
"I did it." Zhihan straightened, his tongue briefly flicking over his lip as he caught his breath. A dark grin spread across his face. "I saw the sunrise."
Ji Changsheng stared at him. His expression remained completely blank.
Sometimes, Zhihan thought the man’s face was carved from stone. It was fucking irritating.
He wanted to see it break. He wanted to force more expressions out of him. A lot more.
"Why does the sunrise excite you?" Ji Changsheng asked softly, a trace of genuine curiosity in his deep voice.
He Zhihan tilted his head.
No one had ever asked him that before. Find the original chapter at g.com.
"My mother told me I was born at sunrise," he said casually. "So, whenever the sun comes up, it reminds me of her."
Without waiting for a response, he walked past Ji Changsheng as though he hadn’t just handed over a piece of his past.
He strode toward the ash-covered campfire and tried summoning his System panel.
Nothing.
Zhihan’s dark eyes narrowed. So cutting his access was the consequence for leveling the motel.
He clicked his tongue, kicking loose dirt over the dead embers.
This was bad, very bad. No System access meant no points and no points meant no gear, no supplies, and no way out.
When he turned around, Ji Changsheng was already standing right beside him.
Up close, Zhihan couldn’t help taking him in.
The perfect posture, the immaculate clothes, not a single thread out of place.
Beneath all that fabric was undoubtedly a flawless body.
Annoying as hell.
Zhihan dragged his eyes back up to his face.
"I’ve received my mission reward," Ji Changsheng said calmly, those mismatched amber and jade eyes locking onto his. "Have you?"
He Zhihan sucked his teeth in sharp annoyance and looked away. "No."
He crossed his arms tightly over his chest, scowling. "I can’t access my System."
Then, turning on his heel, he stomped past Ji Changsheng, raised a furious hand toward the canopy, and flipped off the heavens.
"You damned gods! Give me back my System, you petty fucks!"
He hoisted his second hand, flipping them off twice for good measure.
"You morons are acting like this is the first time you’ve ever seen a man blow up a fucking motel!"
Another pair of middle fingers cut through the morning air.
"Fucking assholes!"
Behind him, Ji Changsheng simply stood motionless, staring.
His usually immaculate, carved-from-marble composure had shifted into utter disbelief.
Zhihan finally seemed to run out of steam, letting out a long, heavy exhale as he turned around.
Ji Changsheng was still watching him, his mismatched amber and jade eyes wide.
Zhihan quickly closed the distance between them, stepping into his space fast and sharp.
Yet Ji Changsheng didn’t retreat a single inch.
"Can I see your panel?"
"I highly doubt that," Ji Changsheng replied calmly.
Zhihan scoffed. He bit down hard on his lower lip before shoving both hands into the pockets of his dark trousers.
"The Witnesses probably want my head on a stake because I leveled their trap." His expression darkened, shadows veiling his eyes. "I don’t know what the fuck is happening in this Scenario anymore."
"Do you not have a Witness granting you Blessings?" Ji Changsheng asked gently.
"No." Zhihan shrugged, turning slightly to run his hand through his loose dark hair.
"I don’t need their blessings." He glanced back over his shoulder. "Raw-dogging this shit is way more entertaining anyway."
A faint, subtle crease appeared between Ji Changsheng’s brows.
"I love the unexpected." Zhihan stretched out his arms. "...But I fucking hate authority."
Ji Changsheng studied the sharp edge in Zhihan’s eyes for a quiet second before giving a slow nod. "I can help you."
Zhihan turned his entire body to face him, his guard rising. "What’s the catch?"
Ji Changsheng met his suspicious gaze head-on. "No cursing."
Zhihan looked at him like he’d completely lost his mind. "Eh? Why is that even... are you fucking serious?"
Ji Changsheng casually walked past him, their shoulders brushing lightly. "No cursing, Zhihan."
Zhihan’s brows pressed together. He spun around, falling into step right behind him.
"Hey! Don’t go using my first name like we’re close."
Ji Changsheng kept a smooth, rhythmic pace ahead.
"We aren’t shit!"
"No cursing."
This time, a tinge of unmistakable amusement danced beneath Ji Changsheng’s voice.
Zhihan threw his head back and groaned dramatically to the sky. "Fineeee."