Little Pink Starfish

Yuan Yuanyuan glanced at the coat rack behind her. The helper uniform she’d taken out earlier had already been neatly rehung. She’d even taken the time to carefully fold the edges back into the shape they were in before, just to avoid being found out.

After she finished, she sniffed herself to check for any suspicious odors.

All she could smell was a bit of powdery makeup scent left from earlier.

She slipped into her jeans and white shirt, which she had just retrieved from the back kitchen. The whole reason she’d gone out was to see where that protagonist had run off to and to check if anything serious had gone down.

He was probably here about the recent smuggling activities. Yuan Yuanyuan was worried he’d get into trouble. Though their previous two encounters hadn’t exactly been pleasant, she figured if he was in danger, she wouldn’t mind giving him a hand.

But after circling the place, she still hadn’t found him.

“What the heck…” Yuan Yuanyuan muttered as she tugged on her clothes and sat on the bed, thinking hard. Where the hell could that protagonist have gone? There’s only one building, and all the private rooms are occupied. Where could he be hiding?

She’d walked from the ground floor all the way to the top, checking all the quiet corners. Still nothing. Finally, she thought, Whatever. He’s the main character. Luck’s on his side. He probably won’t die.

With that in mind, she clapped the dust off her pants, folded the bedding, and left the room.

Since the protagonist had escaped wearing her outfit, there was no way she’d be left out of this mess. It was a sensitive time, but she still wanted to see what was going on outside.

With no internet and all alone, Yuan Yuanyuan was getting restless. She stepped outside, carefully closing the door behind her.

It was 1 a.m. now, and she could immediately feel the tension in the tavern.

---

【What’s with that cliffhanger… What happens next??】

【The boss is here too… Is he also here to slay demons? But isn’t it kinda weird for a big-shot demon to show up and start slaying other demons?】

【When’s the next update?】

【Monday. Two days from now. Guess we’re stuck in a 2-day wait loop now. Be glad today’s not Monday, or we’d be waiting four days.】

【What’s up with the black-clothed guy suddenly taking over the scene? I thought Fa Ning was going to flirt with the red-robed lady and have a little fugitive romance moment or something…】

【Makes sense. Fa Ning’s clearly stuck. If someone doesn’t come save him, Ji Qiu probably has no way to continue the plot.】

【I’m loving this “secretly saving the MC” vibe from the black-clothed guy. Totally into it.】

---

When Yuan Yuanyuan entered the kitchen, she was thinking about finding Si Qun to tell him she was heading out early. But the moment she stepped in, something felt off.

She frowned and scanned the kitchen but didn’t see Si Qun anywhere. As she turned to check outside, her eyes landed on a tightly shut cabinet.

This cabinet usually held freshly washed cups. Since they were often taken in and out, the cabinet was normally left open during work hours and only closed when the shift ended.

She reached out and tugged the door.

It didn’t budge.

Standing there, Yuan Yuanyuan didn’t know whether to keep holding on or let go.

The atmosphere was suddenly… very awkward.

“Were you looking for me?” a voice called from the doorway.

She turned around—Si Qun.

Seriously? Of all times, why now? Couldn’t you have waited a minute?

She hesitated for three seconds and finally let go of the cabinet. Maybe I’ll just pretend I didn’t see anything. He probably snuck in when I left the door unlocked earlier.

But just as her hand left the cabinet door, it creaked open slightly.

Footsteps approached from the doorway. Si Qun, not hearing a response, had begun walking toward her.

Yuan Yuanyuan was focused on how to explain herself, not realizing that the cabinet door—previously sealed tight—had been pushed open.

Suddenly, a shadow lunged out, reaching straight for her throat.

Her eyes widened in shock. For a split second, she almost released her red vine. She ducked instinctively, preparing to dodge.

Then—WHAM!

A flash of white streaked overhead. The sound of crashing ceramics followed.

A white figure had appeared, raising a leg mid-air and delivering a clean, vicious kick to the attacker.

Yuan Yuanyuan heard the wind rip through the air, followed by a desperate cry.

“Don’t kick! Stop, wait—wait up!”

“Bro! Bro, I wasn’t trying to kill her! I just wanted her to take me outta here…”

Still stunned, Yuan Yuanyuan watched Si Qun—who usually came across like a soft, timid little helper—fighting like an absolute beast. She barely recognized him.

She could only stare, dazed, as he chased the intruder around.

He still wore that faded shirt and pants, but now? Now he was like someone else entirely.

Yuan Yuanyuan had seen boys fight before—some girls even liked that bad-boy energy in high school. Though usually dumb, some of them really did give off that raw, adrenaline-fueled edge.

Demons had their own way of fighting, but Si Qun was clearly not a spellcaster type—he was a straight-up brawler, just like her. Every punch landed with a satisfying crack. Even watching from the sidelines, she winced in sympathy.

He was ruthless and experienced, fists flying like a pro.

The poor attacker was yelping, crawling under tables and cabinets. The kitchen was full of breakables, so Si Qun sometimes held back. But once his target stopped moving, the beatdown resumed.

Eventually, the guy wriggled free and fled. Si Qun didn’t chase, turning instead to look nervously at Yuan Yuanyuan.

“Y-you okay?”

Yuan Yuanyuan stared blankly at the delicate-faced helper who had just bodied what was supposedly the Taoist world’s most promising prodigy… like he was swatting a fly.

Was this still the same guy who got bossed around by her and his sister all day, who flinched when kicked and blushed when spoken to?

Now he was calmly dusting off his hands after beating that dude within an inch of his life.

Si Qun still looked harmless… until you looked closely. His slightly drooping bangs now obscured part of his face, making him look faintly menacing.

Still, he had those peach blossom eyes—soft and watery, like a romance novel lead.

At first, Yuan Yuanyuan had assumed he was a player, with eyes like that.

Later she realized—if he ever visited a psych clinic, his diagnosis would probably be: “gynophobia,” “social anxiety,” and “general human-phobia.”

She pointed to his face. Si Qun didn’t get it.

She walked over, touched his cheek, and wiped off a smear of red—likely the blood of the guy he’d just demolished.

It was just a little, so she cleaned it with her hand.

The moment she pulled her hand away, Si Qun’s face changed dramatically.

She wasn’t sure why at first, but his delicate features drained of color instantly. His peach blossom eyes welled up, turning red as if he were drunk.

Just like one of those soft, delicate uke characters in a yaoi manga…

Yuan Yuanyuan stared. He was even prettier than the illustrations.

Before she could get a better look, Si Qun whimpered.

“B-blood…”

The first half was a terrified shout from deep in his chest—the second half softened into a whisper.

Thunk.

Yuan Yuanyuan looked down at Si Qun’s crumpled figure.

He’d fainted right at her feet—his head resting squarely on her sneaker. It hurt like hell.

……

Oh. He’s afraid of blood.