The Silent Stalker and a Sudden Revelation

As soon as Shi Ji returned to the Shi residence, a mountain of paperwork nearly buried him alive.

Staring at the dense rows of characters on his computer screen made his head throb. He typed absentmindedly, but after half an hour, he found himself staring at a document filled with black text, his fingertips hovering over the keys, unable to press down.

“Um… Mr. Shi, President Lin’s side has already started pressing for a response. Regarding the last meeting…” The secretary standing nearby spoke up. She trailed off when she saw Shi Ji wasn’t reacting. Frowning slightly, she called out again, “Mr. Shi?”

Shi Ji finally snapped back to reality. He took a deep breath, scanned the electronic files briefly, and shut his laptop.

“Speak,” he said, his thin lips moving curtly.

The secretary looked at him with concern. After a moment of hesitation, she asked cautiously, “You seem… a bit out of it lately?”

She had wanted to ask for a while. Compared to before, the man in front of her seemed like a completely different person in terms of behavior and style. Fearing a misunderstanding, she quickly added, “If you’re tired, please tell me. I can help push back some unnecessary appointments.”

The moment the secretary spoke her first sentence, a System Warning blared in Shi Ji’s mind: Detected risk of Character Replacement awareness. Shi Ji’s heart tightened. He thought quickly and replied, “You know about the documents that vanished into thin air. President Yan sent me some news recently. I’ve spent a lot of energy trying to resolve that matter.”

To dispel her doubts, Shi Ji was forced to bring up Yan Guangsheng, who hadn’t been mentioned in a while.

The secretary nodded in realization. “I see. You’ve truly been working hard.”

As soon as she spoke, the system warning vanished.

Shi Ji breathed a secret sigh of relief and changed the subject. “How has Li Chen been lately?”

“Li… Young Master Li?” The secretary stumbled over the title. “He—he should be doing well at school.”

Shi Ji let out a dissatisfied “tsk.”

“Didn’t I arrange for people to keep an eye on the school? Give me a detailed report.”

He folded his hands on the desk and leaned back into his chair. The secretary looked at him in confusion; she had never known her boss to care so much about the foster brother living in their home.

A bodyguard had reported Li Chen’s status that morning, but she hadn’t listened closely, only remembering the gist.

“Well… Young Master Li hasn’t really run into any trouble at school,” she began hesitantly. “Except for these past few days, a group of people seems to have sought him out. We aren’t sure who they are, but they’re always asking about him at the school gate. However—”

Before she could finish, Shi Ji stood up so abruptly that his chair rolled back and slammed into the filing cabinet with a loud crash.

The noise startled the secretary, her mouth falling open in surprise.

Shi Ji grabbed his coat from the rack and threw a quick command over his shoulder: “We’re going to the 11th High School now,” before rushing out of the office.

The black car sped down the road and soon pulled up at the school gates. The driver hopped out to open the door for Shi Ji, shielding his head with a hand as he stepped out.

“Sir, shall I go in and inform the principal to welcome you?” the driver asked softly.

Shi Ji shook his head and started walking toward the other side of the campus.

The school was surrounded by a low wall, and the right side faced the sports field. Shi Ji stopped and saw Class 3-2 in the middle of a PE lesson. The scorching sun beat down on the teenagers, and the wind carried a stinging heat. He didn’t even have to look—he spotted Li Chen in the front row immediately.

The youth was wearing the school’s summer short-sleeved shirt; white fabric with a light blue collar. His slender, toned arms were visible beneath the sleeves.

With his back to Shi Ji, Li Chen caught a basketball passed to him by a classmate. He dribbled quickly toward the hoop and leaped. The hot wind lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing a glimpse of his lean waist. With a sharp thud, he sank a perfect three-pointer.

The field went silent for a few seconds before erupting into cheers. Several boys ran over, throwing their arms around Li Chen’s shoulders and excitedly mimicking his perfect form.

The vibrant youthful energy affected Shi Ji as he watched from afar. Seeing the faint smile on Li Chen’s lips, his racing heart finally settled back into place.

It seemed the secretary was right—Li Chen was doing well. He wasn’t being bullied, he wasn’t fighting, and he might have even made friends.

However… Shi Ji’s expression darkened as he remembered the group of people asking about Li Chen. He waved his driver over.

“Keep a close watch. If anyone asks for Li Chen’s name, tell me immediately.”

The driver frowned, confused, but didn’t dare ask. “Yes, sir.”

Over the next few days, Shi Ji secretly went to the school gates every day to watch. If he was lucky, he’d see Li Chen leaving class; most of the time, he didn’t see him at all.

Even so, he went back tirelessly. Even the servants at home began to whisper: Since when did Mr. Shi care so much about Li Chen?

When the secretary mentioned this to him, Shi Ji sneered. “People are brazenly digging for information on Li Chen. Since he lives in the Shi house, this is a threat to our family. Instead of catching them, you’re questioning me?” He tapped his pen on the desk, his eyes narrowing. “Next time, why don’t you just kick me out of the house instead?”

His sharp gaze made the secretary bow her head in fear, her voice trembling. “What should we do, Mr. Shi?”

Shi Ji blinked slowly and put down his pen. “Anyone who discusses this behind my back can pack their bags and leave.”

The secretary scurried to follow his orders. Seeing him stand up to adjust his suit, she helped him into his coat. “Is the master going to the school again?”

Shi Ji gave a curt “mm” and adjusted his watch.

The temperature had dropped recently; early autumn had arrived. The leaves in the courtyard were turning yellow, drifting to the ground in the breeze.

Just as he was about to leave the office, Shi Ji paused. “Bring some extra clothes for me.” He thought for a moment. “The warm kind.”

He remembered that Li Chen had only brought a few short-sleeved shirts to school. His only thick clothing was the autumn school uniform.

The secretary blinked in confusion but nodded, promising to have the servants bring out some winter gear.

Shi Ji stepped toward the door, but before he could leave, a loud, harsh scolding erupted from downstairs—

“Is the Shi house a place where people like you can just walk in?!” “Get out!!”

The shrill voice rang through the house. Shi Ji froze, frowning at the secretary, who looked equally confused. He looked over the railing to see a male servant holding a mop, standing aggressively with one hand on his hip, glaring at someone at the door.

Acting like a loyal watchdog, the servant shoved the visitor’s shoulder. “Get lost! Before I make you!” He swung the mop through the air. The other person was forced to step back.

In those few steps, Shi Ji finally saw who it was.

Li Chen was wearing an oversized white t-shirt, carrying a backpack, and dragging a suitcase. He dodged the mop and reached out, grabbing the handle with one hand. The mop was dripping with dirty water, which splashed onto his arm.

He looked up coldly at the servant. The man was momentarily stunned by the sudden resistance, his small eyes widening in shock.

“Move,” Li Chen said, his grip tightening until the veins on his hand bulged.

The servant swallowed hard. For a split second, he didn’t see the “worthless brat” he usually bullied—he saw a cold-faced Shi Ji.

That resemblance made him dither for a second, giving Li Chen the chance to strike back. Li Chen yanked the mop handle hard. The servant lost his balance and fell face-first onto the floor.

Li Chen glanced down at the pathetic man, then calmly rolled his suitcase past him. The wheels clicked over the stone floor, kicking up small pebbles that hit the servant’s face as if on purpose.

He walked into the foyer and looked up, meeting Shi Ji’s eyes.

They stared at each other for a silent second before looking away. Li Chen carried his suitcase upstairs while Shi Ji looked at the servant on the floor. “What kind of behavior is this in my house? Butler, take him away for punishment!”

Butler Wang scurried out and dragged the man away.

Once the living room was empty, Shi Ji dismissed his secretary and quietly went upstairs. He walked straight into the bedroom where Li Chen was waiting. Shi Ji looked him up and down before closing the door.

“What are you doing back?”

Li Chen raised an eyebrow. “I applied for commuter status. I’m not staying at the dorm anymore.”

Shi Ji was taken aback. “Why?”

Li Chen’s lashes fluttered. He let go of his suitcase and stepped closer to Shi Ji.

“Don’t you want me to?” He tilted his head, looking troubled. “But why does Brother run to my school every single day to watch me?”

“Isn’t it because you missed me?”

His blunt words made Shi Ji’s face go pale.

Li Chen knew… how did he know?!

Shi Ji’s pupils contracted, his brow furrowing deeply. “When did you find out?”

I thought I hid so well.

As confusion clouded Shi Ji’s face, Li Chen suddenly leaned in, his beautiful face inches from Shi Ji’s. His blue eyes shimmered with an unreadable smile, his nose brushing against Shi Ji’s neck.

He looked down at Shi Ji’s tightly buttoned collar and the dark red tie. Li Chen knew exactly how smooth the skin beneath that fabric was. It made his canines itch with the urge to bite.

He hated those clothes. He wanted to rip the collar open and see Shi Ji’s collarbones rising and falling with his ragged breath. The gland at the back of Li Chen’s neck pulsed with heat.

Shi Ji stiffened as the boy moved closer. He swallowed nervously. As his Adam’s apple bobbed, Li Chen smiled and let his finger slide down Shi Ji’s spine. Shi Ji shivered.

“Don’t you know, Brother?” Li Chen laughed softly.

“You have a scent that only I can smell.” “So no matter where you are, I can find you.”

The words were thick with ambiguity. Li Chen’s hot breath flushed Shi Ji’s ear. Shi Ji’s hand crumpled his expensive suit jacket into visible wrinkles.

Shi Ji quickly covered one ear and backed away, his chest heaving. In his eyes, Li Chen looked incredibly cunning.

No… if you’re back, what happens to the plot? What about the romance?!

Shi Ji’s thoughts crumbled like sand. He stood frozen, as if someone had hit the pause button on his life.

Li Chen frowned and leaned in again, studying the man’s dazed expression. “You…”

“Go back,” Shi Ji said suddenly.

Li Chen didn’t react at first.

“I said, go back.”

The four words hit Li Chen like a physical blow. The smile vanished from his eyes. “You want to kick me out that badly?”

“Then why did you go to the school every day?!” His emotions flared, his hands trembling.

“I go where I want,” Shi Ji said coldly. “Did you think I was there for you?”

“Don’t be naive, Li Chen. To me, you are…” Shi Ji’s Adam’s apple moved. He looked away, unable to meet the boy’s eyes.

“…nothing.”

His voice wavered on the last word. Li Chen stopped talking. He bit his lip, breathing heavily. After a long silence, Shi Ji looked back, only to see the rims of Li Chen’s eyes turning red.

The youth’s eyes were filled with moisture. He couldn’t understand what Shi Ji was doing. His brain hurt from the contradictions. He wanted to cut open Shi Ji’s heart to see which words were real.

“Stop lying,” Li Chen rasped. “I saw the people you stationed at the gate. They were there all day watching for people asking about me. I don’t believe you’d do that for ‘nothing.'”

[WARNING! Major plot character is sensing a Character Replacement risk. Risk Level 1—]

“My intuition tells me you aren’t really—”

The system warning screamed. Shi Ji’s heart sank. He lunged forward and covered Li Chen’s mouth with his hand.

Li Chen’s words were muffled. He frowned, trying to pull Shi Ji’s hand away.

“Don’t say it.” Shi Ji’s palm was damp with cold sweat. He didn’t know what the punishment would be if the rule was fully triggered.

Li Chen was confused, but when he met Shi Ji’s eyes, his resistance vanished. The man’s dark eyes seemed to be… pleading with him.

Li Chen reached into his bag, pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, and scribbled a line. He turned the paper toward Shi Ji.

Shi Ji’s pupils dilated. The paper read:

Are you being controlled?