Lu Siyan blinked groggily, feeling the weight of the day press into his eyelids. His alarm blared like a vengeful demon. His hand swung out, aiming to crush the sound, but in his half-sleep state, his fingers landed awkwardly on the ring of the clock, causing it to spin around, creating a chaotic screech. With an exaggerated *thunk*, he managed to stop it by tapping the white arm of the clock.

"Stop… please…" he muttered to no one in particular, his eyes still half-shut.

Slowly, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, his feet meeting the cold floor with a muffled slap. He groaned, realizing he'd probably knocked something over while crashing into the bed last night—again. Stretching out, he shuffled toward the door, his movements sluggish but determined. His hand reached for the doorknob, pushing with all his sleepy might. But the door refused to budge.

Wait… wrong side, *he* thought in sudden realization.

A defeated sigh escaped his lips as he circled around and tried again, this time with success. The door creaked open, and the chaotic room greeted him. Clothes were scattered across the floor like a poorly executed laundry day, a bag left open, and papers—a crime scene of disorganization.

He stood there for a moment, staring at it, as if it was the source of all his problems. With an exaggerated sigh, he muttered, "Well, here goes…"

He started picking up clothes, piling them into some semblance of order. Shirts folded, socks tucked away, but the more he tidied, the more the mess seemed to reproduce, as if mocking him.

Finally, he left the room, shaking his head, deciding that he would deal with the rest later. He walked toward the bathroom, where his usual morning routine awaited. He stood in front of the mirror for a second, eyeing himself with a certain vague fondness.

*Not bad*, he thought, running his hand through his messy hair. His reflection was of a man who could be considered above average—if only the sleep in his eyes didn't lower his score by a couple of points.

Stepping into the bathroom, Lu Siyan proceeded with his hygiene routine. The toothpaste was first, but when he squeezed the tube, he realized... *It's finished.*

He applied pressure with determination, muttering under his breath, "Guess I'm buying toothpaste today. Great. Perfect start."

With a resigned grunt, he tossed the empty tube into the bathroom wastebasket with an impressive level of aim, even though it was full. It landed, but somehow it felt symbolic. Like everything was in a constant state of falling short.

He went through the rest of his usual hygiene, brushing and scrubbing, occasionally pausing to glance at his reflection in the mirror. He thought about the things he'd read on the internet: *"People who think they're good-looking… usually aren't."*

His mood sank a little. *Great, so I'm not good-looking? Really?*

He forced himself to shake it off, grinning at himself in the mirror. "Yeah, who am I kidding?"

It didn't help that the shower was ice-cold. As the water hit his body, he immediately regretted the decision.

"Why didn't I fix this heater already?" he muttered, teeth chattering as he reluctantly continued washing himself. He picked up the soap, which, for some reason, had a frosty touch—probably because he'd bought it during the summer, assuming it would stay cool for months.

"Why did I do this to myself?" he grumbled as he scrubbed, as if the soap had conspired against him.

Eventually, he finished up, his teeth audibly clattering as he reached for a towel. It was only when he noticed it wasn't a particularly large towel that he muttered, "Of course. Can't have everything."

Wrapping it around his waist, he shuffled back to his room, cursing quietly to himself about forgetting the *other* towels in the bathroom.

"Why is it always the little things?" he muttered as he dressed in his casual clothes, a bit of relief flooding over him as he finally pulled on a fresh shirt.

---

In the kitchen, he was already thinking about food. The rumbling in his stomach served as a constant reminder of his neglect. But when he opened the fridge to prepare his breakfast, things got worse.

The gas stove refused to turn on.

"Why does this always happen?" he groaned.

He jiggled the knob again, but it only confirmed what he already knew: the gas was empty. He slammed a fist into the counter, frustrated. "Of course, of course... Why didn't I just get a gas connection?"

With a deep sigh, he grabbed his bicycle keys, heading out the door. *This is fine. Totally fine. Just another morning in the life of Lu Siyan.*

The bike ride to get a refill wasn't much better. As he struggled to keep his balance, trying not to look too awkward while securing the gas cylinder on the back of his bike, he couldn't help but think about how messy his life had become. Cycling out of the alleyway, he passed the elderly ladies chatting about nothing in particular and the joggers in the nearby park.

There were even some kids, their energy apparent as they ran circles around their parents, completely carefree. Ah, to be young again, he thought, or at least not have this endless pile of chores awaiting him.

But then, his eyes caught a couple walking hand in hand, clearly embarrassed by something. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. *How cute,* he thought, almost feeling nostalgic. But then—*wait. Hold on.*

The man's face went pale as his eyes met Lu Siyan's, mouth agape. "Lu Siyan? What are you doing here?!"

Lu Siyan blinked lazily and raised an eyebrow. "I should be asking you that," he said nonchalantly. "What's going on here? I thought you said you didn't want a girlfriend?"

The couple froze, and the man quickly stepped in front of the woman, his chest puffed up in defense. "She's my fiancée! We got engaged, alright?"

Lu Siyan glanced at the woman. She was shy, delicate. "Well, I never thought you'd land a swan when you're... well, a toad," he mused aloud, then turned his attention back to the man. "Sorry for the awkwardness. But you're right. I should've asked how this all went down. So... how'd you meet?"

The woman blushed, muttering, "Thanks, I guess…" while the man awkwardly explained their family-arranged meeting, a dinner date that blossomed into love over time. Lu Siyan nodded, barely containing a grin. *Former introvert and current... introvert? What a pair.*

The man, realizing Lu Siyan wasn't about to take the hint, added, "Anyway, why are you here?"

Lu Siyan glanced down at the gas cylinder on his bike. "I need to refill this. Sorry to cut the convo short, but I've got work to do." He began pedaling away, waving lazily. "Goodbye, sister-in-law!" he called back, watching as the couple looked at each other, their conversation now entirely focused on him.

A shiver ran down the man's spine. He heard his fiancée murmur, "You were talking about me in front of your friend? You're in trouble tonight."

"Please, no! I'll take care of everything! Just don't cook tonight!" he begged.

The woman simply responded with a teasing, "Hmm," before continuing on their way, leaving Lu Siyan to cycle away with a small smile on his face.

---

*"Right, now time to get this gas refill done…"* Lu Siyan muttered to himself, finally gaining some sense of direction after the strange encounter.

As he cycled past the empty street, the wind became cooler. The serenity of the scene was broken only by the faint *ding ding* of his bicycle bell, a far cry from the chaotic mess that had been his morning.

But then, just as he was about to turn into the gas station, a sudden *flash* of words filled his vision.

---

**Text on Screen**: *"Task: Rescue the old man at the bus station. You have two choices: Act now or ignore."*

---

His mind reeled. What was this? What was going on?

"Seriously?" he muttered, trying to shake the feeling that something *big* was about to happen.