Peninsula: I'm being supported by a top idol.

An apartment in Seoul.

The sky was already beginning to lighten.

The morning light shone through the window, trying to dispel the darkness in the room, but failed to illuminate the figure curled up at the head of the bed.

Liu Zhimin did not sleep all night.

Her delicate face was filled with exhaustion and fear. Every time she closed her eyes, the image of Cui Shi'an being hit and sent flying would uncontrollably appear in her mind.

And those pupils, which gradually lost their luster after landing.

Each memory felt like a cold hand gripping her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Guilt, lingering fear, and an indescribable shock washed over her already fragile nerves like a tidal wave.

Liu Zhimin subconsciously touched her right arm, where the force of Cui Shi'an pushing her away still seemed to remain.

In addition, she was tightly clutching a cold, hard, angular object in her right palm.

She didn't know what it was, but when Cui Shi'an was lifted into the ambulance, she saw it fall from his palm and instinctively picked it up, wanting to keep it safe for him.

But at this moment, this piece of metal, whose origins are unknown, has become her only solace, as if by holding onto this thing that belongs to him, she can grasp a sliver of uncertain hope related to him.

But why would he risk his own safety to save himself?

Did he recognize her idol, and that's why he stepped forward?

Or was the boy just naturally kind?

Surely not? How can someone be considered kind if they've never even met or learned anything about another person and yet they so readily conclude in public that that person has character flaws?

Various thoughts intertwined in her chaotic mind, leaving her feeling utterly confused.

Just then, the screen of the cell phone lying beside me lit up, breaking the deathly silence of dawn with a rapid ringing.

Like a drowning person grasping at a straw, Liu Zhimin practically lunged forward to grab the phone, his voice trembling as he pressed the answer button, his own voice choked with sobs and anxiety he himself was unaware of:

"Hey? Attorney Kim? How is that person...?...Is he alright?"

"Yes, don't worry, Mr. Cui is fine now."

"Really??" In an instant, Liu Zhimin's hair stood on end, and his voice changed with surprise:

"Are you really alright? What did the doctor say? Are you still in the hospital?"

"It's really all over now... Wait... I think I saw him..." Attorney Kim said, then suddenly fell silent.

"Huh?" Liu Zhimin immediately tensed up again: "What if I see him??"

There was still no sound on the other end of the phone.

Liu Zhimin refused to give up and continued to call out:

"Attorney Kim?? Are you still there??"

"Uh...yes..." Attorney Kim's tone held a hint of unease. "He just jumped over the roof of my car..."

"Huh??" Liu Zhimin looked puzzled, completely unaware of what the other person was talking about.

Even Attorney Kim herself couldn't explain it clearly.

He was driving away from the hospital when Cui Shi'an ran up from behind, annoyed that he was blocking the way, and jumped over the roof of his car before disappearing into the night…

"How...how could this be...he's not..." Liu Zhimin swore that she had personally heard the paramedics say that Cui Shi'an's ribs were shattered and his internal organs were injured, and that he was probably beyond saving.

"Maybe the doctor misdiagnosed him..." Attorney Jin felt that this was the only explanation that made sense at the moment. Otherwise, how could a body that was clearly on the verge of death start jumping around again?

"That's great!" Liu Zhimin breathed a sigh of relief. After a night of worry, he could finally relax.

"Do you have his contact information? I'd like to thank him in person."

"It's best not to. The company's message is that you don't need to get involved in this matter anymore. Besides, Choi Si-an doesn't know that you are Karina, the leader of the aespa group. Right now, try not to cause any unnecessary trouble."

"But..." Liu Zhimin felt that this was inappropriate. No matter what, the other party was her savior. Even if the other party was not injured, she should still express her gratitude.

"No buts," Attorney Kim calmly advised.

"You already have enough negative rumors about you. There's no need to make headlines with pointless incidents. Just stay quiet. Besides, that Choi Si-an isn't someone to be trifled with either."

"How could he..."

"He doubled the original reward of fifty million. If you go to him without permission, be careful that he doesn't extort you."

"I see..." Liu Zhimin calmed down upon hearing this.

"But don't worry too much, he has already signed a confidentiality agreement and won't tell anyone about this."

At the same time, Cui Shi'an, having shaken off the doctor's entanglement, walked side by side with the young girl messenger towards the school.

Do you know who the person I saved was?

"I don't know," the girl replied succinctly, as if answering something trivial.

"You don't know?" Cui Shi'an asked, a hint of resentment in his voice. "Didn't you say I'd fallen for her twice?"

That's right.

"Then how about..."

"I only sensed the presence of the same soul within you; I didn't say I knew her identity."

"I thought the messenger of hell was..." Cui Shi'an's words carried a hint of casualness that even he himself was unaware of, perhaps stemming from their shared "spoils":

"By the way, aren't you a member of the group Kara...?"

"ah."

The young messenger suddenly stopped, her voice not loud, but like a line of ice cutting through the air.

Cui Shi'an turned around subconsciously.

Just as he turned his head—

call--!

A sudden gust of wind arose from nowhere, whipping up dust and fallen leaves that lashed against his face, making it almost impossible for him to open his eyes.

Amidst the whistling wind, Cui Shi'an barely managed to open his eyes a crack, and then witnessed a scene that caused his heart to stop—

Suddenly, the girl in the black dress was seen floating half a meter off the ground, her long, jet-black hair flying wildly in the turbulent air currents, like a blooming, dark, enchanting lotus.

Her once delicate and fair face was now shrouded in an inhuman coldness.

Those deep eyes turned a dark red, like congealed blood, devoid of any emotion, only displaying an indifference as if looking down upon ants.

She looked down at him from her high position, the air around her distorted by the invisible pressure, the sky seemed to darken as well, and there was a faint rumble of thunder rolling in the depths of the clouds.

"You." Her voice, devoid of any mockery or human emotion, became ethereal and icy, piercing directly through the gale and striking his soul:

"Seems a bit too cocky, doesn't it?"

The overwhelming sense of oppression, like a tangible mountain, pressed heavily on Cui Shi'an's heart, making it instantly difficult for him to breathe.

That was an absolute difference in the level of life, a terror from the depths of the soul.

Cui Shi'an had no doubt that if the other party had a single thought, his newly salvaged, no longer "normal" life could be immediately lost again.

All the hope and the slightest relaxation vanished in an instant.

"I...I'm sorry!" He immediately lowered his head, his voice trembling uncontrollably, decisively admitting defeat.

"I misspoke! Please forgive me, Your Excellency!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the suffocating sense of oppression receded as quickly as the tide.

The gale suddenly stopped, the flying hair fell smoothly, the blood-red pupils returned to a deep black, and the faint thunder in the sky also disappeared without a trace.

The young messenger landed lightly back on the ground, as if the scene that had just resembled the descent of gods and demons had never happened.

She remained as languid as ever, even lightly adjusting her skirt as if she had simply brushed off a speck of dust.

"Remember your situation," she said casually, as if it had been nothing more than a minor warning.

"And remember, don't make assumptions about my identity."

Cui Shi'an broke out in a cold sweat and quickly replied, "Yes..."

The girl glanced at him, a hint of triumphant mockery in her eyes, which quickly vanished, and her tone returned to its bright and lively manner:

"In short, from today onwards, you are absolutely not allowed to leave the North City District, and it's best if you don't even leave An'yan Cave."

"Huh?" Cui Shi'an opened his mouth in confusion. "We can't leave the North District? Why is that?"

Have you seen the drama "Goblin" starring Gong Yoo?

"Yes, I've seen a little bit of it before," Cui Shi'an replied respectfully.

"In the eyes of the other messengers of hell, you are just another overlooked one, an evil spirit. If they find out, you're finished, understand?"