[Proud, dignified police inspector top × Wounded, brilliant tech nerd bottom]
In the New Era, human genes can be rewritten by injecting special serums.
Some people awaken special abilities and become "gifted ones," while others mutate beyond recovery and turn into mindless monsters.
The Special Mutation Regulation Bureau, or SMRB, handles all cases involving out-of-control mutations.
Shen Yao, the youngest newly graduated technical analyst, is paired with Lu Guangcha, the cold-faced captain of the Criminal Investigation Unit, on his very first day at the bureau.
In the eyes of outsiders, they are a perfectly matched powerhouse duo, but the two of them are constantly at odds.
Lu Guangcha is rigid and strict, unwilling to overlook even the slightest fault. He recognizes Shen Yao's exceptional talent for analyzing mutation profiles, but keeps catching him rushing off after work to juggle several part-time jobs.
In his view, a high-risk public service job demands total commitment. Taking on extra work for money is mercenary and shortsighted, putting the cart before the horse.
At first, Shen Yao tries to explain, but every time he is firmly shut down. Eventually, he simply clams up and refuses to say another word.
Then, during a mission, Lu Guangcha notices fresh bruises on Shen Yao and coldly rebukes him in front of everyone: "Go back. You're off this operation."
After that, he watches as new and old injuries pile up on the young man's body. Unable to suppress his doubts, he obtains Shen Yao's complete file and finally glimpses the wreckage of a life hidden behind all that pretense.
His deranged father could snap and become violent at any moment. Shen Yao's entire paycheck went to plugging the holes at home, and those back-to-back part-time jobs were the only money he had to keep himself alive.
The condescending severity and arrogance Lu Guangcha had shown before crumbled in an instant, leaving behind a heavy sense of guilt.
He promptly corners Shen Yao outside his shabby rental, takes him and his bedding home, and even calls in favors to have Shen Yao's father admitted to a care facility with round-the-clock supervision.
The entire SMRB is left dumbfounded.
Last week, Inspector Lu was tearing into Shen Yao until he could barely hold his head up. Now he's stocking the fridge with Shen Yao's favorite snacks and waiting with a hot meal for him to get off work.
Even the bureau's patrol dog knows that Shen Yao is under Inspector Lu's protection.
Through one strange and perilous mutation case after another, the two men who have survived blood and tears steady each other's lives as they teeter on the edge of collapse.
Lu Guangcha runs his fingers over the old, faint scars on Shen Yao's body and lowers his voice:
"Here, and here. They don't hurt anymore. They'll never hurt again."
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Content warnings and reading guide
★ One-on-one pairing, both characters have only ever been with each other, happy ending
★ The writing is so-so, the logic is good-for-nothing, and I write whatever I feel like. The main goal is to have fun shipping the couple.
Theme: Love and peace
