In the brightly lit conference room, a group of people sat around a table, in the middle of a meeting.

The leader, wearing half-rimmed glasses, spoke animatedly at the front, while Bai Yuze sat in an inconspicuous corner, staring blankly, or perhaps not even blankly—in his line of sight, it was as if he were somewhere entirely different.

He wasn't in the same world as everyone else.

Instead, he saw a cavern filled with purple-brown mounds of flesh, where glowing creatures loomed above, low-level beasts of the Abyss, clinging to the fleshy ceiling.

They arched and undulated, drawing sustenance from the fleshy walls. A faint green glow emanated from their bodies, illuminating the dark, damp cave. A rancid, decaying stench filled his nostrils.

Several beasts stood in the center of the cave, organized by rank, seemingly gathered to discuss something.

Bai Yuze stood among them, close enough to clearly smell the stench radiating from their bodies.

The leading beast was several times larger than the others, with two or three spines jutting from the back of its head. Its skin was a deep green, limbs thick and powerful. It stood at the highest point, roaring furiously...

Bai Yuze rested his chin on his hand, his gaze distant, watching the strange landscape of this place through the dim light filtering from above.

The cold, dark light caressed his cheek, a little chilly.

A light noise broke the spell—it was the leader, reaching the climax of his speech.

The damp, dim cavern vanished, replaced by the bright and tidy conference room, the terrifying beasts turning back into ordinary people, and the stench disappearing without a trace.

Everyone sat on either side of the conference table, while the leader, now in his suit and tie, stood at the front, pointing out various issues from the month.

However, this normal scene lasted only a few minutes before his vision started to shift again, and the rotten stench once again invaded his nostrils, making his expression subtly complex.

Half an hour passed, and the sound of chairs moving brought him back to focus. He followed the group out of the meeting room, wandering the hallway like a soulless shell.

Ah, another blissfully lazy day.

No girlfriend, no family, no money, and a messed-up mind.

But whatever, I just need to make one casual move to show life what a failure I truly am.

Life's been bad all along; why bother trying?

"Mr. Bai, are you feeling unwell?"

Bai Yuze steadied himself, smoothing out his anxiety and fear. His face, a bit stiff, broke into a polite smile as he looked toward the female figure beside him, and he responded with a smile.

"I'm quite healthy, thank you for asking, Ms. Hoshino."

As he turned back, he saw her as a creature that perfectly fit his… peculiar tastes.

The creature's body had graceful, flowing curves, her skin an elegant gray-white, gleaming and smooth. Her eyes, deep as an endless lake, shimmered with an eerie blue glow, as if peering directly into his soul.

Delicate, slender antennae sprouted from her head, swaying gently, exuding a strange and alluring fragrance.

Her limbs were long and powerful, her fingertips ending in sharp claws.

A pair of massive wings extended from her back, with feathers of pristine white, radiating a strange beauty.

She was both mysterious and enchanting, quite unlike the other dreadful creatures, her presence both awe-inspiring and oddly alluring.

After a moment, his vision returned to normal, and the female creature beside him morphed back into a gentle, cute human woman.

For some reason, whenever this female colleague was around, his headaches seemed to lessen.

Her name was Hoshino Seri, a teacher from Tokyo, East Xia. Like him, she worked at Yeqiu City's First High School, and their desks were adjacent in the same office.

Ms. Hoshino was very gentle by nature, an excellent math and psychology teacher, though a bit introverted and not one to initiate conversations with strangers.

Over recent months, though, he'd vaguely sensed that they both shared an appreciation for anime and otaku culture, so they'd grown relatively close.

"Usually, when Mr. Bai is in meetings, he tends to zone out, but these past few weeks, you seem… a little different."

Ms. Hoshino looked at him closely, her eyes serious.

"Really? Has my slacking been that obvious? I'll try harder to change next time."

She sighed, looking at his evasive expression. "If Mr. Bai has any psychological needs, you can come to me for help, you know."

"Really?"

Bai Yuze suddenly stopped, his gaze full of hope as he looked at Hoshino Seri, causing her to pause in surprise before she nodded seriously.

"If it's within my power, I'll do my best to help."

"No, you've already done enough. Just seeing your pure and innocent smile every morning fills me with hope and motivation for a new day!"

Bai Yuze smiled faintly, as if trying to make himself appear more convincing.

"Mr. Bai, that line was too smooth—were you a playboy in the past?"

The young Ms. Hoshino, evidently unused to compliments, blushed slightly, her gaze falling briefly on the cartoon piglet in his hand. A few simple lines had captured the caricature's emotion perfectly, almost identical to the expressions the leader had shown during his speech.

It was a shame, though—

He crumpled up the sketch and tossed it into the trash.

"Nope. It's just that every time I leave home, my bratty little sister doesn't exactly send me off with a smile."

"So…" Bai Yuze paused, shifting his gaze to Hoshino's cute face, a slight smile curving his lips.

"That's why I look forward to seeing Ms. Hoshino's smile, to heal the clouds of gloom my sister's cold indifference casts over my heart."

At these words, Hoshino Seri's gaze toward him grew deeper, curious, slightly disdainful, understanding… and then, finally, a little embarrassed.

Seeing her expression change, Bai Yuze quickly realized—

Her thoughts were starting to wander somewhere weird. He had to stop this line of thinking right now, or he'd soon earn himself a label as a creepy sister-obsessed guy.

"Ms. Hoshino, please don't look at me like that. Yes, I've watched a few anime with sibling themes, but I swear on the Luo River, I'm not into that kind of thing!"

Seeing his earnest gaze,

Hoshino Seri nodded thoughtfully, seeming to believe him, though the doubt in her eyes hadn't quite disappeared.

"Alright then. Could I make a small request? Would you share your sister's contact information with me? As teachers, we have a duty to ensure the mental health of our young people, after all."

The two of them, in their conversation, had unknowingly arrived at their first-floor office from the second-floor meeting room.

Setting down her books, Hoshino Seri said,

"I appreciate it, Ms. Hoshino." Bai Yuze quickly jotted down his sister's contact and handed it to her, relieved.

Just as he was about to leave, Hoshino Seri called him back.

He turned around.

Ms. Hoshino puffed her cheeks, staring at him with a slight hint of grievance in her tone.

"Mr. Bai, I know the origins of the 'Luo River vow,' you know. Don't try to fool me like that~"

"Uh…"

Bai Yuze coughed, a little awkward. If he'd known, he would've gone with the Yellow River or the Yangtze.

Curse that story—people like him had tainted the Luo River enough.

Looking into Hoshino's eyes,

They were filled with laughter and warmth, a beauty that could make one forget all worries, at least temporarily.

He didn't know why,

But every conversation with Ms. Hoshino brought a lot of pressure.

Today, though, he had no choice. She seemed to have noticed his unusual state, and he could only bring out the "sister shield" to keep her probing at bay for now.