Bored, I teased lightly. Then I stepped into the room and pulled open all the curtains behind me. Inside, at least a dozen pieces of equipment filled the space—each incredibly expensive. Even... hanging right in the center was a sandbag.

I walked over to the sandbag and touched it. It felt incredibly soft yet heavy. Suddenly, itching to test my skills, I clenched my fist and slammed it into the sandbag!

Boom!!!

A loud bang echoed. To my disbelief, my punch—thrown with ninety percent strength—nearly sent the sandbag flying. I stepped aside to dodge its swing back. Subconsciously, I stared at my fist. Even I wondered how those slender fingers could unleash such power.

But... it was real. The sandbag still swaying side to side proved it wasn’t a hallucination.

“What... what exactly has happened to me?”

Feeling lost, I dazedly walked to the door. I reached for the doorknob, gently turned it—no resistance—and opened it.

But... just as I spaced out, a pair of eyes gave me a full-body shiver!!

“Who!!”

Subconsciously, I raised my combat knife. Ahead, in a shadowy corner not far off, those eyes stared. I stood in sunlight, unable to make out what lurked there. Yet I clearly felt them—reflecting a faint glow as they watched me.

‘Is it a Zombie?! A human?? Or a monster?!’

Countless thoughts flooded my mind in an instant. But after seven or eight seconds of stillness, that thing remained motionless.

Gradually, as time passed, I calmed down. Staring at the corner, my eyes adjusted to the dark. And when I finally saw it... I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

It was a mannequin, sitting on a wall cabinet. Its almost human-like eyes stared right at me—by sheer coincidence—at about 167 cm high. It had truly scared me into thinking it was real.

I let out a huge sigh of relief. Just as I was about to step forward, a man’s voice suddenly came from my left.

“Hello.”

...If that voice hadn’t been far enough away, the moment he spoke, I’d have stabbed him with my knife! For an instant, my heart stopped. This guy almost scared me to death!!

But... there was actually a living person here?!

I leaned out to look left. Along the spiral staircase, a man slowly descended. He had messy short hair. Though his face was pale, he was clearly alive. His looks were decent. He wore casual home clothes and slippers.

“Are you a survivor?”

The man walked down the stairs and looked at me. I nodded, glancing around silently. The villa owner was actually home—and I’d broken in. It felt like a thief caught red-handed. How awkward.

“Are you military?”

He slowly approached. I got a clear look at his face—he was quite handsome, with thin lips and a high nose bridge. Though he seemed a bit malnourished, his spirit was strong. His eyes scanned me up and down, like I was a lifeline.

I shook my head. “No.”

His head drooped instantly. His eyes lost their shine. But when he looked up again, for some reason, his gaze felt repulsive... Was it just my imagination?

“A girl like you actually survived out there...” he said, surprised. He waved for me to follow upstairs. “Close the door behind you. Don’t let those things in.”

I casually shut the training room door. Darkness swallowed the room again. But with light seeping through curtain gaps, I could see his figure clearly. He was a pretty boy, but not tall—probably maxing out at 170 cm.

This made me suspicious. But after thinking, I felt I might be overthinking it. I pushed the thought aside and followed him upstairs.

As I climbed, I noticed his pants were too long, his top slightly oversized. ‘Does he like loose clothes? Even the cuffs were stepped on...’

Lost in thought, I reached the second floor. A strange smell made me frown.

“Sorry, the house is humble. Don’t laugh,” he said, glancing at me as if pondering. After hesitating, he walked to the balcony and pulled open the curtains.

Sunlight blinded me instantly. I shut my eyes, adjusted, then opened them. He’d walked to the sofa and sat down.

“Sit.”

“Uh... okay.”

I felt lost. His reactions were too strange. But... what exactly was wrong?

He stared at me, thinking. Suddenly, he pointed. “Wait a sec. I’ll get something.” Before I could react, he hurried to a nearby room. In no time, he returned, holding a wooden box.

Thud.

He placed a rectangular wooden box before me.

“What is this...?” I asked, looking up.

He smiled. “Nothing much. Just red wine. To celebrate—I haven’t seen a living soul in a month.”

He walked to a cabinet, opened a drawer, and rummaged while muttering, “Strange... I remember the corkscrew was here...”

Watching his back, I spotted something on the adjacent cabinet. I pointed. “Isn’t that it?”

He turned, followed my finger. On the wall-mounted cabinet sat a metal wine corkscrew.

“So it’s here...” He reached for it. But his height fell short—the cabinet was nearly 180 cm high. He stretched, struggling. Finally, he jumped up, grabbed it, blew off the dust, and walked back.

All along, I’d observed him. Doubts piled up, making me hesitate.

“Um... Liu Lin... is she home?”