My Boyfriend is the Heartthrob, and I’m Just a Passerby.

Though it’s summer, the temperature of the artificial lake is much colder than expected. Even just standing on the edge, the icy chill rises from the soles of one’s shoes.

The depth of the lake also poses a risk of drowning.

Upon hearing the demand, the rich heir’s face went pale.

Is it possible to refuse?

This is an unreasonable request.

However, contrary to his slight physical tremor, his mind was boiling like lava, with no thoughts of resistance. He instinctively turned his head and noticed the girl beside him, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, and suddenly realized.

Right.

It wasn’t specified that he had to go himself.

“Go get it.”

He ordered, his voice cutting sharply through the air.

The girl, caught by the wrist, looked up in panic, meeting an impatient gaze.

“But… but…”

“Hurry up and get it!” he urged, then sneered, “Aren’t you the one who said you wanted to stay by my side? Is this your attitude? I’ve always said, for someone like you to be my girlfriend is already quite something. Or do you want to break up?”

“No, no…”

“Then go get it now.”

His cold stare and domineering attitude were filled with contempt, as if he saw her as nothing more than dirt to be pressed into the ground.

The girl shivered.

With no time to think, long-standing fears pushed her into action, moving toward the artificial lake.

Her eyes were swollen and dry.

Years of mental strain had sapped her strength to resist.

“She’s really going.”

“So pathetic, actually willing to do this.”

“I’ve never seen such a cheap person. Is it because of money?”

Whispers echoed from all sides.

Though most people initially felt sympathy, seeing her compliant actions now turned their gaze to disdain.

No, no.

I don’t want to go.

Under the fabric, her wrist was covered with fresh scars. Itching from the damp summer breeze made her want to scratch desperately. One hand clutched the other arm, long nails scraping. “Swish, swish,” the sound of her steps matched the scratching.

However—

“Splash.”

Her bleeding wrist was grabbed.

Her steps had to stop.

Then, a voice came from behind her.

“If you don’t want to go, then don’t.”

She suddenly widened her eyes, following the voice. She turned around instinctively, meeting a pair of eyes watching her.

Ye Jishu had grabbed her wrist.

But after briefly looking at her, he ignored her and turned his expressionless gaze to the rich heir.

“Get down there.”

…What?

“Or I’ll throw you in.”

Hearing such direct words, the rich heir was momentarily stunned, and then his face flushed red with embarrassment or rising anger. He raged, “What did you say? Who do you think you are, ordering me around?”

Ye Jishu’s expression remained unchanged as he stepped forward.

Without wasting words, he reached out, grabbed the rich heir’s collar, and dragged him toward the artificial lake.

“What are you doing—do you know who I am?!”

Yet the rich heir’s struggles were futile.

It was like hitting cotton with a fist.

Crazy, he’s completely crazy!

If thrown indirectly, it would definitely cause a serious incident—

Seeing the lake water getting closer, the rich heir panicked, trying to struggle but losing strength. Surrounded by onlookers, he anxiously shouted, “If anything happens to me, I won’t let you off!”

Despairingly, even though he shouted, Ye Jishu’s steps showed no sign of stopping.

Who on earth is this guy?!

No matter how he racked his brains, he couldn’t match the person holding his collar to anyone he knew.

In his frantic peripheral vision, he noticed that Yan Mei, not far away, had stopped playing on his phone and was staring intently at the commotion.

Wait—

Who could make Yan Mei react like this?

His mind was blank, unable to make the connection.

However, the cold lake water touching his back brought him back to his senses, and his shoes frantically scraped at the shore.

He waved his hands in a panic.

“I’m sorry, I know I was wrong! I won’t do this again!”

“Mm.”

Ye Jishu released his grip.

The rich heir, frightened and trembling, slid to the ground like a ragdoll, gasping for breath, still shaken, staring wide-eyed at the person who had done all this.

He had no impression of this person at all.

Is he really from our school? This makes no sense!

However, Ye Jishu’s calm gaze made him feel a deep-rooted fear, killing any urge for revenge.

On the contrary, the collarbone area where Ye Jishu had grabbed felt chilling and tingling.

The weight on his shoulders seemed to lighten.

“Gulp.”

He swallowed hard, feeling a strange sensation rising in his chest.

Suddenly, Yan Mei turned his head and looked at him expressionlessly.

The heat was immediately doused with a bucket of cold water, completely extinguishing it.

The person seemed to mouth something silently to him…

Time passed—how long, he wasn’t sure.

Eventually, as the onlookers had dispersed and even the girl had left in a daze, he remained slumped in place.

A sudden unfamiliar voice came from above.

“Are you Chen Heming?”

A figure stood behind him, dressed in a special uniform, speaking very politely, “Do you have some time right now? You’re involved in a recent case related to a suicide, and we need your cooperation for an investigation—”

Before the sentence was fully finished, the person in front of him shakily stood up.

The sudden movement made the stranger momentarily stunned.

“I need to… I need to get the toy back…”

He moved towards the artificial lake.

Despite the piercing cold of the lake water, he showed no sign of fear.

In just a few breaths, his body quickly sank into the water.

Even though he was stepping on soft silt and could potentially sink further, he continued to move forward slowly.

His hands were moving in the air as if still searching.

As he was about to be submerged—

“Stop!”

The person behind him quickly reached out, grabbing his wrist and pulling him back from the brink of drowning, throwing him onto the shore.

What… what’s happening?!

Due to the intense movement, a pure black identification card fell from the uniformed young man’s pocket, reflecting golden lettering.

[Infection Management Bureau]

—Lin Lin.

The young man hurriedly bent down to pick up his work ID from the ground.

Then, he looked around to ensure no one was watching and let out a long sigh of relief.

He couldn’t let ordinary people see this.

This card represented something from a forbidden realm.

It indicated a world that ordinary people should not glimpse.

In this world, there are various [Sources of Infection].

Any extreme emotion—whether love, hatred, or jealousy…

If it is gathered onto a person or an object, it is likely to become a [Source of Infection].

A [Source of Infection] disrupts normal people’s sanity, making everything around them, even the environment, go mad.

Corpses resurrect.

Human bodies twist into monsters.

Flowers, plants, and trees dance at night.

The existence of a [Source of Infection] could trigger any abnormal, unsolvable, eerie events. It could be said to be a moving disaster.

The [Infection Management Bureau] is an institution dedicated to handling such eerie occurrences.

Lin Lin is a member of this organization.

He appeared here because the bureau observed a potential for [Chen Heming] to become a [Source of Infection].

This rich heir’s long-term manipulation of others’ emotions and creation of depressive moods, repeatedly evading punishment, had accumulated various extreme emotions from different people. Within the next three days, the probability of him transforming was already as high as 70%.

Therefore.

Lin Lin needed to take him to the bureau under some pretext to contain him before it caused irreversible consequences.

Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and immediately looked at the person he had saved.

What was that situation just now? He hadn’t even asked anything yet.

Since there was a potential for becoming a [Source of Infection], this person didn’t seem to be someone with a very poor mental quality.

Just one look.

As soon as he saw clearly, Lin Lin stood still, breath halting abruptly.

The person in front of him looked horrific.

Black, viscous fluid flowed from his nose, ears, and even his eyeballs.

Yet his mouth was still mumbling incoherently, his face twisted in pain and moaning.

His body occasionally convulsed, and his dilated pupils were filled with terror.

Lin Lin approached, bent down, and held his breath, trying to hear what he was mumbling.

“I… I need to get the toy back…”

…

The dining location was a high-end restaurant.

Unlike Ye Jishu, who needed to work part-time, Yan Mei seemed to come from a well-off family.

Though his background isn’t detailed in the plot, he must be well-off, considering his access to future high-profile characters.

He wore casual outerwear.

In contrast, the other’s attire was more suitable for this place.

The waitstaff frequently cast surreptitious glances at the pair, believing they were discreet.

The two ate in silence.

However, when the steak was served, Yan Mei naturally cut it and fed it to Ye Jishu.

“…”

Ye Jishu hesitated for a moment but eventually ate it.

The subtle, awkward tension between them seemed to dissipate somewhat.

It wasn’t until they left the restaurant and waited for a ride that Ye Jishu looked at Yan Mei and spoke.

“Don’t do things like this again.”

It was just a cheap toy worth less than ten dollars.

It was easily found in arcade claw machines or could be bought online in bulk.

There was no need to get so upset over it.

“It’s different.”

Yan Mei’s face turned cold as he said cruelly, “When other people die, it’s just death. But the gift you gave me must be retrieved.”

“…”

So it’s the purple octopus toy you’re upset about, not lives?

“The lake is too dangerous.”

But Yan Mei remained stern.

Even when he extended his hand, the other didn’t take it, instead staring intently at his face.

“Do you think I’m making a big deal out of nothing? Do you think I shouldn’t value your gift so much? Or do you think…”

“No.”

The words immediately stopped.

But Yan Mei continued to look at him.

Ye Jishu had to rephrase.

“If something happens… so many people are watching. You might get expelled.”

“I don’t want you to get expelled.”

Hearing his final sentence unexpectedly, Yan Mei’s Adam’s apple moved slightly.

His body trembled, seemingly struggling, wanting to maintain his anger, but he quickly gave in, showing a smile that dispelled the gloomy atmosphere between them.

“Alright.”

Yan Mei hugged him from behind.

Yan Mei lowered his head, repeatedly rubbed his nose against Ye Jishu’s earlobe and neck, then leaned on his shoulder.

“I’ll listen to you.”

Maintaining this close contact, Ye Jishu couldn’t see Yan Mei’s shifting gaze, only hearing a very obedient voice whispering in his ear, “Sorry. I won’t… do this in front of everyone again.”