And the protagonist of this comic is also one of the test subjects from back then. Specifically, she's the little girl from the opening scene who escaped while pulling her younger brother along.
After many years had passed, that little girl had now become an old woman, quietly managing her bookstore and peacefully enjoying the final years of her life.
But one day, her younger brother who had been living abroad for years suddenly fled back to the country and brought her terrible news—
A group of people were quietly capturing test subjects for research!
With the development of modern technology and the physical decline of the test subjects, they could no longer face high-tech thermal weapons as calmly as they once could. It seemed that aside from escaping, there was no other option.
Currently, most test subjects who had gone overseas had already been captured and became research subjects for those people. Only a small number who remained in the country had managed to escape this fate.
However, according to reliable information, a group of assassins had already entered the country, attempting to capture them and take them abroad.
To avoid continuing to be treated as research subjects, the female lead decisively formed an alliance with the few remaining companions in the country to investigate this matter, while also resisting capture by those people.
The story unfolds from this point.
Xiao He quickly flipped through the first volume, gaining a general understanding of the plot and worldbuilding.
However, the first volume only covered the female lead forming an alliance with several companions and how they worked together in their elderly bodies to kill the assassins sent to capture them. The antagonist mentioned by Zhuang Hongyi had not yet made an appearance.
After reading it, Xiao He felt the storyline was indeed quite interesting.
The fight scenes were thrilling and exhilarating, the character movements during combat were clean and crisp, and the panel layouts never left readers confused or overwhelmed. The overall character relationships and story progression were very clear. By the end of this volume, the female lead's group had discovered a way to restore their special abilities and youthful appearances. It seemed that once they regained their "youthful forms" in later stages, there would likely be even more stylish and impressive fight scenes.
As for character development, Xiao He found the few characters introduced so far quite memorable. Although the comic primarily followed the female lead's perspective, the other characters also received substantial screen time. It was essentially an ensemble cast where each character got their own memorable highlights. If adapted for screen, these standout moments might even rival the protagonist's impact.
Regarding the title "Yu Ye," Xiao He developed a rough hypothesis after reading the first volume.
"Yu" originally meant "corner," which could extend to mean "remote place" or "marginal area," while "Ye" typically served as a modal particle without specific meaning. Combining these with the story's context, it might refer to hidden people or events—specifically the "test subjects" in the plot and their individual stories.
Of course, there was also the possibility that the comic author simply wanted a sophisticated-sounding title to enhance the work's prestige.
Overall, it was quite good.
The fight scenes were intense and exciting, the actions were ruthless, and although the antagonist's identity remained unknown, given how many people the protagonist team had already killed, the villain surely wouldn't be any less formidable. Xiao He was already looking forward to it.
"I hope the role Xiao He will play is this Yin Qi," Zhuang Hongyi said seriously. "I think although the first half might present a special challenge for Xiao He, the overall temperament in the latter half fits him quite well."
Xiao He: Hmm... Hmm? Wait, who is he talking about?
Unsure if he'd flipped through the pages too quickly and missed the name, Xiao He opened the book again for a second look...
In the comic, the young man had a bright, sunny smile, with the artist deliberately drawing stars in both eyes to express his admiration and dependence on his sister. Even wearing a simple white short-sleeved shirt couldn't conceal his vibrant student aura. Like a little sun, he radiated positivity and optimism, shining on everyone around him.
His name was Yin Qi, the female lead's biological younger brother!
He was the one who brought the firsthand news to the female lead, allowing her and the other test subjects to prepare in advance. He also helped the group eliminate the assassins sent to capture them!
He was the youngest test subject in the team—optimistic, cheerful, and essentially the comic relief in the early storyline. He served as everyone's mood-lifter, always brimming with enthusiasm and vitality.
Based on the current plot development, Yin Qi was clearly positioned as a future core member of the protagonist team!
And now you're telling me this is the antagonist?
Xiao He: ...
He felt that sudden, unprepared helplessness of being unexpectedly spoiled.
"Yu" originally meant "corner," which could extend to mean "remote place" or "marginal area," while "Ye" typically served as a modal particle without specific meaning. Combining these with the story's context, it might refer to hidden people or events—specifically the "test subjects" in the plot and their individual stories.
This completely unexpected spoiler just hit me right in the face!
Yet Xiao He could only... maintain his smile.
Zhuang Hongyi glanced at Xiao He and continued, "Mainly, this meeting brought me some pleasant surprises. Previously, I felt Xiao He's aura was too strong, only suitable for playing purely villainous roles. But seeing him in person now, it's not that extreme—he can definitely try more diverse character types."
Xiao He: Ah, wonderful! Finally someone says I don't seem like a bad person...
But the problem is... this Yin Qi character is completely different from my original image!
"Thank you for your guidance, Director Zhuang. I'll work hard," Xiao He politely nodded in gratitude.
Liu Rulan said with a smile, "Director Zhuang is absolutely right. I've been troubled by this issue too! I also want to thank Director Zhuang for giving us this opportunity to break through fixed images and try new roles."
"No problem," Zhuang Hongyi waved his hand. "You can head back now. I'll inform the production team later. Make sure to study the role carefully, especially the character's personality in the early stages."
"Understood, thank you, Director Zhuang."
Xiao He and Liu Rulan stood up together, bid farewell to Zhuang Hongyi, then returned to their hotel via the arranged car.
During the ride, Xiao He let out a long sigh.
Liu Rulan turned to look at him. "What's wrong? Is this role putting pressure on you?"
Xiao He smiled bitterly. "A little."
Especially after receiving Director Zhuang's sharp critique, he was now somewhat worried about his future performance with the production team.
Actually, Xiao He was naturally a rather quiet person. The roles he'd played so far were mostly fierce, evil, and cold—fitting well with his criminal aura. Half relying on acting according to his nature and half on learned acting techniques, he had already surpassed many actors of the younger generation.
But this time, he was suddenly jumping to a character completely different from himself—one where he couldn't rely on his criminal aura to cover acting deficiencies. This instantly made Xiao He anxious.
Could he really do this? Would there be no problems? Was he truly capable of handling this role?
If he had to rely purely on acting skills, could he perform well?
"This is also a kind of challenge," Liu Rulan noticed Xiao He's anxiety and proactively comforted him. "Besides, your acting skills have been improving rapidly. Your acting teacher often praises you to me."
Since acquiring Psychological Suggestion, Xiao He usually completely restrained his criminal aura and practiced pure acting skills with his acting teacher.
But it was also from that point onward that Xiao He received increasingly frequent criticism. Sometimes the teacher would spend two or three days refining his performance for a single role.
Xiao He didn't feel he had made much progress. What the teacher told Liu Rulan was probably quite diplomatic.
Seeing Xiao He still looking deeply troubled, Liu Rulan leaned back with some helplessness.
A few days ago, Xiao He's acting teacher had mentioned to Liu Rulan that since Xiao He learned to restrain his cold, fierce aura, his acting skills had skyrocketed. He could now master even relatively complex character portrayals in just two or three days—essentially a performance genius who had been delayed by his studies.
The teacher also said he needed to be even stricter, quickly pushing this young man to polish his foundational skills thoroughly so he could take on more diverse roles with different personalities in the future.
Looking at the situation now, it seemed the strictness might have gone too far...
This kid had zero confidence in himself!