The Frail Young Master Is Being Forced to Solve Cases Again

Lu Ting’an, a popular internet streamer, is murdered during a fan meeting after intervening in an assault. He transmigrates into the body of a sickly, wealthy young master in 1990s Hong Kong, a character from a crime thriller novel he read in high school. In the original story, this Lu Ting’an was a minor victim of a serial killer, dismembered and left as an unsolved mystery. The new owner of the body retains the streamer’s modern knowledge and calm demeanor but finds himself trapped in a frail physique plagued by terrifying nightly nightmares involving ghosts.

A Daoist master visits Lu Ting’an’s home and diagnoses him with a fatal destiny due to his extreme Yin energy, predicting he will suffer a gruesome death within two years unless he surrounds himself with people of strong Yang energy. Lu Ting’an’s father, desperate to save his son, uses his connections to secure a position for him in the Logistics Department of the police station, believing the upright nature of the officers will protect him. Lu Ting’an accepts this arrangement, seeing it as an opportunity to gather information about this new world and potentially alter his doomed fate.

On his first day, Lu Ting’an is thrust into a murder investigation alongside Gu Yingzhou, the brilliant captain of Major Crimes Unit 1, and his hot-tempered cousin Fu Yirong. They respond to the discovery of a headless female corpse in a public toilet in Pingnan Ridge. The victim is identified as Zhou Wanxi, a famous singer at the Baihui Club. Lu Ting’an experiences a jarring connection when he recognizes Zhou Wanxi from his nightmares; she appeared in his dream just the night before, strangling and pleading for help before her death.

At the crime scene, Lu Ting’an observes details that the seasoned officers overlook. He correctly deduces that the killer is male, physically strong, and likely a necrophile who assaulted the body after death. He also determines that the decapitation occurred post-mortem to hide the victim’s identity, while the actual cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation. His accurate analysis shocks Fu Yirong and earns the wary attention of Gu Yingzhou, who remains distant and professional despite Lu Ting’an’s past reputation as a harasser.

The investigation leads the team to the Baihui Club, where they learn that Zhou Wanxi had a strained relationship with her colleague Jiang Caiting and was involved with a man named Hu Zounan, the son of a pharmaceutical tycoon. Lu Ting’an’s nightmares intensify, shifting from spectral visions to graphic depictions of the murder, including a terrifying toad-headed monster that seems to represent the killer’s psyche. He begins to suspect that Gu Yingzhou’s presence somehow stabilizes his dreams, offering a fragile protection against the supernatural attacks.

As the case progresses, Lu Ting’an navigates the hostile environment of the police station, where he is despised by colleagues who view him as a useless nepotism hire. He forms an uneasy alliance with Ah Hai, a timid logistics officer who serves as his guide. Meanwhile, the victim’s brother and sister-in-law arrive at the station, with the brother displaying nervous behavior and wearing the same type of rain boots found at the crime scene. Lu Ting’an’s keen observation identifies Zhou Daqing as a person of interest, linking him to the physical evidence left behind.

The narrative weaves together the procedural aspects of the murder investigation with the supernatural horror of Lu Ting’an’s cursed existence. As he delves deeper into the case, the line between his nightmares and reality blurs. The serial killer who murdered the original Lu Ting’an in the novel’s timeline remains at large, and the current investigation into Zhou Wanxi’s death may be the first step toward uncovering the larger conspiracy that threatens his life. Lu Ting’an must rely on his wits and the reluctant cooperation of Gu Yingzhou to survive the calamity that awaits him.