Chapter 1: Don’t Cross the Line

He Ting woke up to find himself sitting at the dining table, holding a ham and cheese toast in his hand, with a cup of hot milk placed before him.

The white toast had been pan-fried to a golden crisp, with savory ham and melted cheese sandwiched inside.

One bite delivered a perfect mix of crunch and tenderness.

The rich aroma of cheese spread through his mouth, leaving a sense of deep satisfaction.

Yet at this moment, he had no mind to enjoy the food, because he was busy receiving the original host’s memories from the system in his mind.

He Ting’s arrival in this world had been purely accidental.

Because of a mistake in the laboratory, he had been bound to a system called “Courting Death Means Certain Death.”

Only by completing tasks in various worlds and repairing the damage done to the experimental data could he break free from the system.

As he processed the host’s information, he took a small bite of the toast, chewing slowly.

A few crumbs clung to his soft pink lips, and unconsciously, he flicked out his tongue to sweep them into his mouth.

Gu Qiuhang came downstairs just in time to witness this scene.

The boy sat quietly at the table, no longer carrying his usual faint smile, but instead lightly furrowing his brows as if pondering something.

Morning sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating his jet-black hair and pale jade-like skin.

His face seemed almost translucent, faintly glowing.

Long eyelashes cast a dense shadow beneath his eyes, like deliberate shading in an ink painting.

His slender, fair fingers held the toast while he chewed slowly.

A tiny crumb lingered on his soft lips, only to be gently swept away by the tip of his rosy tongue into the warmth of his mouth.

It was hard to explain, but something felt different.

Gu Qiuhang paused, his gaze darkening briefly before returning to normal, unnoticed by anyone.

The boy had already greeted him as usual.

“Good morning, Young Master.”

He responded with a soft “Mm,” pulling out a chair and sitting across from him, eating while browsing financial news.

He Ting had already finished receiving the original host’s memories.

The body’s original owner was named Tang Xi, an abandoned infant adopted by Tang Wanli, the Gu family’s old steward.

When Tang Xi was three years old, Tang Wanli accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Gu to a banquet, where they unfortunately encountered a car accident.

Tang Wanli died on the spot, and Mrs. Gu later passed away despite medical efforts.

Only Mr. Gu Heng survived, though he was left with lasting health issues.

That year, Gu Qiuhang had just turned five.

From then on, Tang Xi was raised in the Gu household, growing up alongside Gu Qiuhang.

Although the servants addressed him as “Young Master Tang,” their attitude toward him was ambiguous.

Tang Xi himself understood clearly that he was merely the young master’s attendant and companion, not a true young master.

At first, things were good.

Tang Xi had lost his adoptive father, and Gu Qiuhang had lost his mother.

The two children would often cling to each other, crying and seeking warmth.

Back then, Tang Xi followed behind Gu Qiuhang like a little tail, calling him “brother” in a childish voice.

But two years later, Gu Heng brought the woman he had kept outside, along with his illegitimate son Gu Donghang, into the household.

The new Madam Gu ordered Tang Xi to address both Gu Qiuhang and Gu Donghang as “Young Masters.”

She also made an agreement with Mr. Gu that once Tang Xi turned eighteen, he would have to leave the Gu family.

Having lived under others’ roof since childhood, Tang Xi, though never lacking food or clothing, always felt insecure deep inside.

Now seventeen, he would turn eighteen in a year, and at that point, he would have no reason to remain in the Gu household.

Tang Xi did not want to leave.

He had long regarded the Gu family as his home.

Even if he lived cautiously and without much happiness, it was still his only home.

Moreover, he liked Gu Qiuhang.

He had liked him since childhood.

He even harbored the desperate hope that if he could be with Gu Qiuhang, he might never have to leave.

This thought excited him.

Though he did not dare to be obvious, his subtle attempts to seduce Gu Qiuhang never ceased.

Because of this, Gu Qiuhang, who had once been relatively kind to him, gradually grew distant.

Most of the time, he simply ignored Tang Xi’s existence.

Later, Gu Qiuhang fell in love with another boy and planned to make their relationship public once the other came of age.

When Tang Xi learned of this, he fell into panic and despair, which led to his reckless actions later on.

As for Gu Donghang, the second young master, he never regarded Tang Xi highly.

He despised Tang Xi for focusing all his attention on his elder brother and even more for his scheming attempts to stay in the Gu family.

On his eighteenth birthday, Tang Xi made preparations early, intending to offer himself to Gu Qiuhang.

Unfortunately, Gu Donghang, who had been keeping an eye on him, discovered it.

A conflict broke out, and Tang Xi was kicked down the stairs by Gu Donghang, becoming a vegetative patient.

He Ting pressed his lips together and asked the system, “So as long as I avoid becoming a vegetable, the mission counts as completed?”

The system replied, “Mm… probably?”

“Probably?”

“Cough, actually, we can’t determine mission success within the world. We only find out after exiting.”

“…”

“Cough, it’s clearly written in the mission manual. Didn’t you read it?”

He Ting replied guiltily, “…”

“What are you thinking about?”

A gentle yet cool male voice sounded.

He Ting looked up to see Gu Qiuhang watching him.

His face was so handsome it was almost sharp, with a faint coldness when he did not smile.

He Ting panicked slightly and lowered his head to take a sip of milk.

A white ring formed around his lips, and he subconsciously extended his tongue again.

Gu Qiuhang said nothing, only lowering his head again, though the tips of his ears had turned faintly pink.

He Ting quickly finished his breakfast and said softly, “I’ll head out first, Young Master.”

Normally, if Gu Qiuhang initiated conversation, Tang Xi would eagerly respond, clinging for more interaction.

But today, he seemed eager to avoid him.

Gu Qiuhang narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Let’s go together today.”

In the past, Tang Xi and Gu Qiuhang shared a car to school, while Gu Donghang rode separately.

But this year, Gu Qiuhang had entered university.

With an irregular schedule and responsibilities in the family business, they rarely traveled together anymore.

Tang Xi disliked riding with Gu Donghang, so for the past six months, he had mostly taken the bus.

“I…”

He Ting smiled, intending to refuse, but under Gu Qiuhang’s gaze, he faltered.

Swallowing his words, he nodded.

“Then I’ll go get my bag.”

Gu Qiuhang nodded, then suddenly said, “Come here first.”

He Ting obediently walked over.

“Young Master, is there something else?”

Gu Qiuhang’s gaze lingered on his face, momentarily lost in thought.

Feeling uncomfortable, He Ting bit his lip lightly.

White teeth pressed against soft pink lips, carrying a hint of youth and unease, making him appear as pure and delicate as fresh snow.

That sense of cleanliness and innocence made Gu Qiuhang pause, stirring something deep within him.

He even began to wonder if something was wrong with himself.

It was clearly the same face, yet the feeling it gave, and the way it felt to be around him, was entirely different from before.

It was subtle, indescribable.

Yet it brought an unexpected sense of ease and pleasure.

A strange emotion surged through Gu Qiuhang.

His mind heated up, and he suddenly felt a strong urge to bully the person in front of him.

He chuckled softly and reached out, brushing He Ting’s lip.

A small crumb stuck to his slender finger.

“You’re wasting food,” he said.

Just as He Ting was about to explain, Gu Qiuhang continued, “Lick it clean.”

“What?”

He Ting’s eyes widened in disbelief.

His slightly upturned eyes became round like a kitten’s, adorably stunned.

Even in an ordinary household, a few crumbs falling was normal, let alone here.

He pressed his lips together, wanting to refuse.

But recalling Tang Xi’s usual attitude toward Gu Qiuhang…

If it were the real Tang Xi, he would probably be overjoyed.

‘Would refusing seem strange?’

Hesitating, his eyes showed both reluctance and resistance.

“What? Not listening to your Young Master anymore?”

Gu Qiuhang raised a brow, his tone indifferent, expression unreadable.

His composure made He Ting feel that any improper thoughts would be an insult.

Resigned, He Ting extended his tongue and quickly licked Gu Qiuhang’s fingertip, sweeping the crumb into his mouth.

The soft, warm, slick touch of his tongue brushed over the finger, leaving a faint trace of moisture on his lips.

Gu Qiuhang’s gaze darkened.

He Ting, with flushed cheeks and puffed cheeks in quiet indignation, looked irresistibly adorable.

“System, are people in this world all this good at flirting?”

He Ting asked pitifully.

“I’ve never even been in a relationship. I can’t handle this.”

The system replied seriously, “Really? Not sure. My heart is pounding too.”

“You’ve never been in love either, have you?”

“Our systems don’t fall in love, but we do have a Love Encyclopedia.”

“…Our future looks bleak.”

“Tch…”

A mocking chuckle came from the doorway, breaking the silence.

Without looking, He Ting already knew who it was.

Gu Donghang’s voice sounded, lazy and teasing.

“Oh? Am I interrupting something?”

He looked at He Ting with a sneer.

“What? Did you succeed? How does my brother taste?”

He Ting pressed his lips together and walked past him without a word, heading upstairs.

They had disliked each other since childhood.

As for Gu Donghang, he always avoided him whenever possible.

“Donghang!”

Gu Qiuhang’s cool voice carried a faint warning.

Gu Donghang laughed.

“Come on, brother, just a joke. Why so serious?”

Gu Donghang lived in a smaller building on the west side of the estate.

Back then, when his mother Tong Yuemei entered the household, she had wanted to move into the main residence but was firmly refused by Gu Qiuhang.

Gu Qiuhang had always been intelligent and sensible, favored by Gu Heng.

Moreover, after losing his mother, and given Tong Yuemei’s position as a mistress with an illegitimate child, Gu Heng felt guilty.

So despite her tantrums, he ultimately sided with his eldest son.

Thus, the main residence was occupied by Gu Qiuhang and Tang Xi, while Tong Yuemei and her son lived in the west wing.

This arrangement had lasted over a decade.

Fortunately, it also spared Tang Xi from much mistreatment.

He Ting went upstairs and straight into the bathroom, turning on the tap and splashing cool water onto his face to calm the heat.

Only after the warmth faded did he look up.

A young face appeared in the mirror.

Fair skin, black hair, slightly flushed cheeks, and a pair of beautifully shaped eyes glistening faintly with moisture.

A classic beauty.

Yet the original host’s timidity and lack of confidence had diminished the charm of this face.

Thinking of Tang Xi’s past, He Ting sighed softly.

But recalling what had just happened, his heart began to race again.

“System, do you think he was messing with me? I’m already miserable enough, does he have to toy with me too?”

“At this stage, I cannot make a conclusion,” the system replied.

“…Alright.”

Gu Qiuhang’s attitude toward Tang Xi wasn’t particularly good, but it wasn’t bad either.

Even if he didn’t like him, he still protected him from others’ bullying.

It was just that he treated him too indifferently, so indifferent that he almost ignored his existence.

After falling for someone else, his reaction to Tang Xi’s advances became tinged with disgust.

Undeniably, Gu Qiuhang was the root of Tang Xi’s tragedy.

It was Tang Xi’s silent pursuit, secret love, and attempts at seduction that made Gu Donghang despise him even more.

And it was his attempt to offer himself that led to the conflict and his tragic end.

If there had been no emotional entanglement between them, if he had simply grown up quietly in the Gu family, perhaps everything would have been different.

Now that He Ting had the chance to start over for him, he would protect him properly.

Nothing was more important than loving oneself.

If one lost their dignity for the sake of another, it could hardly be called love.

He Ting roughly set a direction for himself.

He would play the role of a background character, a supporting “green leaf,” a cannon fodder.

Avoid the tragedy, and quietly prepare to leave the Gu family at eighteen.

After organizing his thoughts, the confusion and oppression he had initially felt faded, leaving his mind clear.

There was a knock at the door.

“I’m coming,” He Ting called out, drying his face, picking up his bag, and stepping out.

Gu Qiuhang was already waiting at the door.

Seeing him, he said, “Let’s go.”

That tall, straight figure walked ahead first.

He Ting pressed his lips together and followed behind with long strides.

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