Little Pink Starfish

“Is it that guy up front?”

“That’s him. What do you think of his looks?”

“…Holy sh*t!”

Yuan Yuanyuan’s expression could only be described as ultimate face acting. She stared at the person sitting across from her and thought: Holy crap, isn’t that… him?!

…

The man wore old-fashioned white robes, the kind that looked straight out of a film set.

Yuan Yuanyuan couldn’t place the exact era of the clothes, but many demons had lived for centuries. So it wasn’t strange that a demon from a prestigious family would dress like this.

A pale, jade-like face, soft red lips, sharp brows and bright eyes — if she didn’t already know he was a demon, Yuan Yuanyuan would’ve assumed he was the male lead of some xianxia drama.

He stood quietly, sunlight filtering through the curtains onto his face, making him look like he stepped right out of an ancient painting.

Even without speaking, this man radiated nobility. Yuan Yuanyuan suddenly felt as if she had time-traveled…

White as snow, as if a celestial being enduring mortal trials — ready to rise with the wind at any moment.

That face — it looked like it was carved out of a manga… no, it was more accurate to say the manga face looked like it was carved from his.

“Well?” Li Zi Jie leaned in and whispered, “Have you seen him in the comic? How is he drawn?”

“…Not much, actually. He’s only appeared a couple times,” Yuan Yuanyuan replied. To be exact, only in the first two issues, and even then, just briefly.

He had only ever shown up for background moments, not as any important character — but because he was drawn so beautifully, Yuan Yuanyuan had noticed him.

Ji Qiu’s manga was like art — even the smallest background characters were carefully rendered.

Those side characters, when combined, created a stunning world.

This man’s role in the manga had been that of a noble son… Yuan Yuanyuan had even daydreamed about him for a bit. But seeing the real person now stirred an inexplicable sense of excitement in her.

Still… he’d only shown up twice in passing, and his family was already coming after Ji Qiu?

Yep… must be nice to be a powerful demon.

Yuan Yuanyuan thought, Honestly, if you guys hadn’t made a fuss, Ji Qiu probably wouldn’t bother with a background character. That’s still better than me — stuck in the story and unable to escape.

Maybe powerful families had their own rules — maybe they felt it was humiliating to have their family members drawn into a human manga…

“All right, done staring? Let’s head back to the kitchen,” said Li Zi Jie. “Stay longer and someone might show up.”

Yuan Yuanyuan gave one last glance before turning to follow.

They walked down corridor after corridor, the walls carved with intricate patterns. It was her first time seeing the front of the place.

So… this is what it looks like out here.

She looked up. Soft silk had been turned into draped curtains, and walking beneath them felt like passing through shimmering veils.

Rare antiques were placed casually around. The air was filled with the faint scent of alcohol and incense.

They walked carefully — up stairs, down stairs. Countless stunning women flitted through the halls, each one like a blossoming flower. Compared to them, Yuan Yuanyuan was completely unremarkable.

The whole building seemed bathed in a watery mist of blue and lavender — a dreamlike, surreal world.

Demonic aura filled the space, making Yuan Yuanyuan feel slightly dizzy just walking through.

Eventually, she and Li Zi Jie returned to the kitchen. The moment they opened the back door, they went from a world of indulgence and decadence to a quiet, orderly kitchen. Clean shelves, sparkling utensils, and neatly washed flasks lined the counters.

“Back to work,” said Li Zi Jie, pulling out another set of sake flasks. This set was decorated with a seductive, bare-backed woman — a massive tail faintly visible behind her.

“…Got it,” Yuan Yuanyuan took the flasks and began warming the sake with practiced ease, though her mind was buzzing.

…

The next day, Yuan Yuanyuan approached Li Zi Jie and asked for a day off.

“You want a day off? Sure,” Li Zi Jie said. “What’s going on?”

“Uh… I’ve just been feeling off lately. Thought I’d go check if something’s wrong with me,” Yuan Yuanyuan replied.

“Something wrong? Where?”

“Uh…”

“Fine, you don’t want to say, I won’t press. I’ll ask my brother to cover for you. But next time, no more requests.”

“Thanks, Li Zi Jie! I’m forever indebted to your kindness,” Yuan Yuanyuan instantly switched to bootlicker mode.

Back home, she locked the door, turned off the lights, picked out a plain shirt, changed clothes, then transformed — standing in front of the mirror.

She was preparing to find that man and ask him a few questions.

“Did Ji Qiu find you too?”
“Why didn’t Ji Qiu conceal your identity? Why did he draw you exactly as you are? Is your case the exception… or is mine? Or are we both exceptions?”
“Have you… found Ji Qiu yet?”

In her normal form, Yuan Yuanyuan would never dare approach a demon like him. They weren’t even in the same league. Honestly, she wouldn’t have dreamed of meeting someone like that.

But now, she had to try.

Because he was the only confirmed character who’d appeared in the manga — someone who might understand her situation.

She probably couldn’t meet him as herself, but in another identity… maybe it’d be easy.

“They’re here looking for someone. They won’t leave until they find them.”
“Who?”
“The man in black.”

Yuan Yuanyuan finally put on a cap, checked herself in the mirror one last time, and quietly headed out.

She didn’t know exactly where he’d be, but she did know that during the day, he always appeared in the bar where she worked.

Taking the narrow path, she made her way to the bar. When Sister Xue brought her here the first time, she had entered through the back. Now, standing at the front entrance dressed in all black, Yuan Yuanyuan felt… strangely out of place.

The bar was on the same pedestrian street as her home — next to KTVs, motels, and internet cafés. Right across from her apartment.

It wasn’t the only bar in the area. They all opened at night and closed in the morning. Which is probably why Yuan Yuanyuan had no idea this was a bar for demons — not until Sister Xue brought her in.

She reached the door but was stopped by security. “Excuse me, may I ask who you are…?”

“Uh…” Yuan Yuanyuan glanced at the building layout — she’d memorized it the other night. If needed, escape would be easy.

She raised her face, revealing a set of elaborate demon markings.

“Oh, pardon us! Please come in,” the guards immediately stepped aside.

Yuan Yuanyuan walked in stiffly, trying to look calm.

…Before coming, she’d worried about revealing her identity, so she had used a rusty red lipstick to draw a bunch of bizarre markings on her face to mimic demon patterns.

She’d based them on a demon she remembered, one with the weirdest markings she’d ever seen — they looked vaguely like Peking opera face paint. She always thought that demon was kind of pitiful, but now she was using that exact look.

She wasn’t too worried about the big-shot recognizing her — he was the one she wanted to meet. But the real issue was the bar’s owner still had a bounty out on the “man in black”… and this bar was his turf. If they caught her here, well — good luck to her.

She hoped… maybe she could ask the man to meet her elsewhere and have a proper talk.

If not, no problem — she could always flee. Drop the transformation, sneak into the kitchen, scrub some cups. No one would recognize her.

Cough cough.

…If Yuan Yuanyuan had any better options, she definitely wouldn’t be doing something this risky.

She took a deep breath, pushed open the glass door, and stepped inside. The moment the door closed behind her, a strange mix of demonic energy and perfume overwhelmed her senses, making her dizzy.

Inside and outside were two different worlds.

Outside: neon lights, city noise.

Inside: silence, like an eternal dream.

Pale purples and sky blues surrounded her. It felt strangely peaceful… yet wildly decadent.

The carpet was soft and plush beneath her feet. The hallway ahead was empty, but girlish laughter echoed from rooms on both sides.

Paintings hung on the walls — landscapes, noblewomen — each one like a portal to an ancient era.

She slowly walked toward the corridor’s end. There, in the finest room, the guests were gathered.

“Is this your first time here?” a soft voice asked. Yuan Yuanyuan turned. A woman in lavender stood at a doorway, smiling like a flower. Faint red demon markings trailed from her brows.

Yuan Yuanyuan glanced at her and turned away.

She listened carefully — from the corridor’s end came moaning voices.

“What a tender little girl…”

“Sixteen-year-olds… the meat is so delicate. Would you like a taste?”

“Be good, now. Today’s guest is very important.”

“Sir, would you like a bite?” the lavender woman beside her asked, leaning against the curtain with a sultry smile.

“Sixteen-year-olds are rare these days. Most are reserved for VIPs, but if this is your first time, the VIP probably won’t mind sharing. If you like…” she trailed off, licking her blood-red lips.

She looked at the man in black standing across from her. His demon markings were bizarre — irregular and almost comical.

But drawn over that face, they created an odd harmony. At first glance, it looked strange… but somehow, the longer she looked, the more it seemed beautiful.

Maybe he’s so ugly he’s cute? The woman in lavender chuckled softly.

She watched him. He was still staring at her, expressionless, silent for a long time.

“Sir?” she asked, puzzled.

“Heh.” The man suddenly let out a light laugh.

From beneath the markings, the lower half of his face revealed a stunning smile. His thin lips curved into a crescent moon, the red color glowing vividly.

For a moment, his smile held an indescribable allure…

More enchanting, even, than the demon woman standing across from him.