A Sudden Realization
Xia Yang woke up feeling warm and oddly comfortable, but the unfamiliar ceiling staring back at him immediately killed his peace. His body ached slightly from his earlier sprint, and his ankle still throbbed, reminding him of his earlier foolishness.
The couch beneath him was plush, and the room was dimly lit, yet filled with the unmistakable sounds of people moving around, setting up equipment, and talking in hushed voices.
Right. The variety show.
His mind caught up, and he sighed. It hadn't been a dream—he had really been tricked into this mess.
He pushed himself up lazily, rubbing his temple as he glanced around the massive villa. The place was bustling with the production crew adjusting lighting, setting up cameras, and preparing the first segment of whatever show they were filming.
Yet, despite all the movement, no one was really paying attention to him.
A perfect opportunity.
Xia Yang silently slipped away, wandering through the halls of the villa. The deeper he walked, the quieter it became. The chatter from the crew faded into the distance, and all that remained was the soft sound of his own footsteps against the smooth marble floor.
The place was massive, sleek, and elegant— a perfect blend of modern luxury and comfort. Yet, something about it felt… oddly familiar.
His fingers trailed along the walls as he passed by various rooms, each one more extravagant than the last. Then, at the end of the hall, he pushed open a door.
The master bedroom.
And the moment he stepped inside—he froze.
His face.
Photos of him—**or rather, this body's original owner—**were placed on the walls, on the nightstand, and even on the bookshelf. Some were framed, others were just casually clipped onto a board near the desk.
Xia Yang's heart skipped a beat.
His gaze darted across the room, taking in the details.
There was a sleek black desk covered in notebooks and papers, all neatly arranged. He stepped closer, hesitantly picking up one of the books and flipping through it.
The handwriting was neat and precise, but most of it was complete gibberish to him.
Diagrams. Complex sketches. Lines of code. Strange symbols and equations that seemed to detail intricate mechanics.
His brows furrowed. What… was all this?
The moment his fingers skimmed across the pages, a sharp, splitting pain suddenly stabbed through his head.
A rush of images flooded his mind.
—Blueprints, intricate and detailed.
—The sound of metallic whirring.
—Fingers typing rapidly on a keyboard.
—Machines coming to life, responding to his commands.
—The feeling of overwhelming satisfaction.
Xia Yang gasped, his grip tightening around the book.
The pain vanished as quickly as it came, but it left behind a single undeniable realization:
This villa… belonged to him.
Or at least, to the original owner of this body.
He swallowed hard, glancing around again with a new understanding. He wasn't just some random person living here—this place had been built for him.
But then—
"Master, welcome back."
A smooth, artificial voice rang through the room.
Xia Yang stiffened.
His head snapped up just in time to see several small robots rolling into the room, sleek and futuristic.
They stopped before him, their glowing sensors flickering as if scanning him.
What. The. Hell.
Xia Yang could only stare, utterly dumbfounded.
Did… he make these?