"Do I look like a drinker to you?" Chaithanya asked, a wronged expression on his face.
"Yup, you look exactly like one," Xiuying replied without turning around, walking toward the main hall.
"Sigh…" Chaithanya exhaled in exasperation, his face full of helplessness. He muttered inwardly, "It was him who's the alcoholic, okay? I've never even smelled alcohol in either of my lives."
He closed the door to his room and entered the bathroom. A few minutes later, the sound of running water filled the room. When he finally stepped out, he was wiping his body with a soft cotton towel. He loved this luxurious life—after all, even the bathroom in his bedroom was as big as his entire house in his previous life.
After dressing neatly, he stepped out of the room and headed toward the main hall.
Xiuying, who was reading the newspaper, put it down when she heard footsteps approaching. She slowly raised her head to look at Junhao and said sternly, "I arranged the show recording for today. Don't mess it up again."
Chaithanya looked at her speechlessly, muttering inwardly, "Isn't she just my secretary? Why is she bossing me around now?"
He shook his head and said, "Alright, I'll attend the show," then quickly changed the subject. "But even though I asked you to build the gym, I still don't have a proper coach."
"Alright, I'll arrange a few coaches for you immediately," Xiuying replied. She took out her phone, called the social media agency under their company, and instructed them to post a recruitment ad for gym coaches across all their platforms.
---
Meanwhile…
Deep underground, there existed a hidden city—an ancient kingdom called Xuanye. The people there were cursed to be undead. Exposure to sunlight or direct contact with oxygen would kill them; inhaling oxygen acted as a slow poison, inevitably leading to death.
Because they were undead, their fertility rate was extremely low—only one pregnancy occurred every hundred years. As a result, their total population had dwindled to just a few thousand. But once every century, a girl would be born with immunity to both sunlight and oxygen. These rare women were sent to the surface to study human technology and bring that knowledge back to improve life underground.
The undead sustained themselves by feeding on nocturnal creatures, exotic mushrooms, and various plants that grew in the depths. A strict law forbade any undead from stepping onto the surface. But one defiant soul broke this law—he ventured aboveground, discovered a forbidden scripture, and gained immense power by consuming the dead. When he returned, he slaughtered the royal family and crowned himself king of the undead.
Despite his overwhelming strength, the oxygen and ultraviolet rays had poisoned and damaged his body. To heal himself and become even stronger, he needed to consummate with a woman born immune to sunlight and oxygen. One such woman existed—a princess of the royal bloodline—hidden away after the fall of her family.
The self-proclaimed king began searching for her, determined to claim her for himself.
"Father, I don't want to marry that bastard!" cried a young girl with a childlike appearance, her face twisted in frustration.
"Ruolan, we've discussed this as a family," said a pale middle-aged man with crimson sclera and white irises, gently stroking his daughter's head. "You must leave the underground."
Ruolan gripped his hand tightly, shaking her head stubbornly. "Father, I'm not going anywhere without you and Mother!"
"Ruolan, I know you're only sixty and still a child," her mother said softly, tears streaming down her face as she held her daughter's hand. "But you must grow up early… live your life without us."
Ruolan's eyes burned with tears as she hugged her mother. "Mother…" The two embraced tightly, while her father stood silently, his expression heavy.
A faint commotion echoed from the entrance of their hideout. Her mother quickly pushed Ruolan away, wiping her tears. "They've found us. Don't worry about us—just run! Run as fast as you can and don't look back until you reach the surface. Once you do, live freely however you wish." Her father nodded. "Your mother and I will be happy as long as you're safe and living your life."
Ruolan nodded firmly, then bolted toward the second exit. The noise behind her grew louder as she ran. She clenched her fists in frustration, cursing herself for being weak—unable to protect her family.
But it wasn't long before the undead lackeys of the usurper caught her trail.
"There she is! Catch her! The boss promised a noble title to whoever brings her back!" one of the undead shouted.
"She's mine!" another undead screamed maniacally.
"Mine, my ass—you'll be dead if the boss hears that!" snapped a third undead, kicking the loud one in anger.
After hours of running, Ruolan's body was exhausted. Just as despair began to creep in, she felt a cool breeze from ahead. Fresh air. Hope. Her fatigue melted away, and she sprinted faster toward it.
"I'm finally here!" she whispered in relief as she spotted a small hole—just large enough for one person to crawl through. Her small, slim frame allowed her to slip inside easily.
Shlurp—grrch…
She dragged herself through mud and jagged rocks. Her skin tore and bruised, but she didn't care—she was undead; pain meant little to her.
After an hour of crawling, she finally emerged, her body caked in dirt. Behind her, the masked undead—wearing oxygen filters—followed closely. To her dismay, it was still night. Dawn was hours away.
With despair and annoyance written across her face, she heard the enemies closing in from behind. Panicking, she started running again. Up ahead, she spotted a paved road—completely different from the muddy, rocky ground she'd been running on. A vehicle was approaching. Since she was near a curve, the truck would have to slow down for a few seconds—just enough time for her to jump onto it.
She had learned much about human technology while living underground. Although the truck she remembered and the one before her looked different, their structure was similar enough. Without hesitation, she leaped like a rabbit onto the truck and clung tightly to it. Her small, slender frame made barely a sound as she landed.
Rrrrroooaaarrr… Vrooooom… Grrrmmm—thud, thud, thud…
Despite the danger, she felt an unexpected thrill as she held on, the truck speeding down the road at full force.