Little Pink Starfish

Anime conventions—be it in big cities or small counties—were pretty common these days. The only differences were in size and sponsors: some had backing from major national anime brands, others were run by obscure little publishers from some village nearby.

Yuan Yuanyuan had once been quite into conventions. Whether it was dropping a few dozen yuan on a lucky bag filled with ¥5 merch, or drinking a fluorescent-colored soda mixed from Sprite and food dye… Life was just a bit too mundane. Getting to a place where everyone wore “weird costumes” was a kind of relief from that.

But over time… her interest had waned. Not because cons became less fun, but because now, even without going to a con, she could wear bizarre outfits all day long if she wanted to. It all depended on her mood.

She muted the buzzing QQ chat group that was noisily discussing the upcoming convention, not wanting her phone to interrupt what was, in her mind, about to be a very serious negotiation.

Her head ached.

Even though she’d made up her mind to sign the agreement… she hadn’t made that clear in her messages. She’d kept her responses vague and ambiguous, playing it cool—like she hadn’t quite decided yet.

After all, right now she was a “sensitive figure.” Better not to look too eager. If the other party was smart, maybe they’d even come knocking a few more times. Three visits to the cottage before hiring the sage, right? Ancient etiquette. If she agreed on the third try, she wouldn’t look desperate.

Yuan Yuanyuan was counting on the white-robed woman to pick up on her subtle messaging… Truthfully, Yuan didn’t want to be targeted by those outer-circle demons. If C City could give her a safe hiding spot, she’d be more than grateful.

Back in her fearless days, she might’ve turned down the deal without thinking. But after all this time, she’d grown… seasoned. If there was one thing she’d learned from her months in the demon world, it was that working alone sucks. Teams were better.

Wasn’t there a certain someone who used to wander the outside world alone, living like a tragic, ragged vagabond? Once they got to C City, life instantly improved.

Two minutes after her message, a white-robed woman showed up. That was fast. Yuan suspected she’d been waiting nearby all along.

“Have you decided?” the woman asked. “Are you prepared to sign your name?”

She wasn’t alone. Two little demons followed behind her, each with a traditional high bun tied neatly on their heads.

It was 4:30 a.m. The sun hadn’t risen. The area was completely dark. Yuan Yuanyuan stood under a busted streetlamp, leaning silently against it.

Then the white-robed woman arrived—and the whole space lit up.

The two demon attendants flanked her: one held a small tray, the other carried a glowing lantern casting soft blue light. In the deep night, the scene was eerie… yet oddly beautiful.

The woman’s makeup was detailed, more like something out of an ancient scroll than any modern style. With the surrounding mist and light, there was only one way to describe her—a ghostly beauty at midnight.

Yuan Yuanyuan nearly forgot what she’d meant to say.

Holy crap… couldn’t you start with some small talk? This vibe is intense, lady.

Dressed in black, standing under a dead streetlamp… she probably looked like some movie villain. If she’d been smoking a cigarette, the look would’ve been complete.

While she was thinking of how to smooth the conversation, the woman spoke again:

“…Or perhaps, my lady, you do not intend to accept our offer?”

---

“Why do you think I’d accept it?” the man in black under the broken streetlamp replied.

He was dressed entirely in black. His face was the only bit of color—pale as jade under the flickering blue flame.

The woman took a breath and gestured behind her. The tray-holding little demon quickly stepped forward.

The white-robed woman accepted the tray and held it up with both hands. “Please take a look.”

The black-clad figure—known only as “Yuan”—lifted his gaze. He took the item from the tray. His brows furrowed slightly, long lashes casting shadows on his pale skin.

“This is… the current contract system of C City,” the woman explained. “We weren’t sure what category to place you in. Normally, names are registered under a major demon. But we felt that wasn’t appropriate for someone like you.”

“So we’ve…” She took a breath. “This document lists all of C City’s ancestral families. For those not registered elsewhere, we’ve created a new category. We hope you’ll…”

Yuan took the scroll—it was made of silk, clearly old.

Despite C City’s chaotic reputation, it still had deep-rooted noble demon clans. This was a record of them.

Some were powerful, others not so much—but each had a legacy stretching back decades or centuries. Even those with limited power were embedded into the city’s fabric. C City’s infrastructure couldn’t run without them.

The white-robed woman had spent a long time discussing this move with others before deciding to bring the scroll today. She believed the offer was good enough to sway a legendary demon like Yuan.

He flipped through the scroll silently… until he paused.

The woman tensed. He saw it.

After a moment, he spoke softly, “What does this mean?”

His voice remained flat—no emotion. The woman hadn’t expected to read anything from his expression anyway. He was, after all, a world-class spy.

But his voice… was something else. Deep, magnetic—even though he spoke in such a light tone, it had presence. She’d read in a forgotten tome that Yuan’s voice could perfectly imitate a woman’s, down to the softest detail. It was said he sang better than even the most famous opera singers.

He’d once used that voice, dressed in red, to infiltrate the exorcists.

“As you can see,” the woman said, bowing slightly, “We’ve added a new line. We won’t register you under any demon lord. Instead, we’ve opened a brand-new family line—for you. From now on, you will be… one of C City’s noble clans.”

She kept her gaze low, not daring to look up.

This whole move was risky. She had no idea how Yuan would react to the past. The silence stretched… until it became almost unbearable.

“…Fine. I’ll sign.”

The woman’s head snapped up. His voice was soft—yet somehow decisive.

---

Yuan Yuanyuan stared at the scroll, momentarily stunned.

She’d just spotted a very familiar name.

—Li Siqun.

Wait… Siqun has a last name? Li Siqun?!

This might’ve been the most irrelevant detail to focus on, but that was her immediate reaction. She hadn’t expected to see his name here at all—and now, her arms were covered in goosebumps.

His name was listed under a “Li” family branch.

It stood out for one very specific reason—it had been crossed out.

On the outside, Yuan remained calm. But inside? Absolute chaos.

They crossed his name out? What the hell is this, the Black family tree from Harry Potter?!

And what the hell did soft little Siqun do to deserve that? He’s the most low-key guy I’ve ever met!

She scanned the scroll, didn’t see Lizi’s name (thankfully), then flipped quickly to the final page. There it was.

Exactly what the woman had wanted her to see.

A newly carved-out line:

[Blood Jade Demon Army]

…

Those four characters, sitting beside all the other old noble families, looked like a joke.

Because beneath them… there was nothing.

Not a single name. Not a single detail.

Compared to the other families—some sprawling over multiple pages—this one looked utterly desolate.

Even though it now had a new name—[Yuan]—it still looked pitiful.

Back home, lying on her bed, Yuan Yuanyuan stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Only one word came to mind:

A one-person noble family.

Why’d they have to write it like that…?

She wasn’t even the real Yi Qi (One-Seven), and just seeing it made her chest tight.

That bleak, empty space was indescribable—especially when placed next to the overflowing family trees around it.

If the real One-Seven had seen this… man. It would’ve hurt.

It’s even worse this way… That’s why I agreed to sign. I don’t even know what could top this level of tragedy.

She wondered how the other families were reacting to this sudden addition.

Rolling around on her bed, a thought suddenly struck her—Hey, wait. Noble clans are responsible for certain territories in C City. I wonder what I just signed up for.

Also… Siqun. Li Siqun…

That name. So country bumpkin.

The “Li” was fine, but “Siqun”? It sounded like something out of a rural soap opera. Like Liu Cuihua or Niu Wanxia.

But… maybe it was cute?

A little dorky, a little adorable.

If I didn’t know him personally… that name would be such a joke. But with that face? He gets a pass.

Yuan flipped over and fell asleep.

Forget it. Prying into someone’s past? Not worth it. Maybe there’s a reason it’s all hush-hush.

Outside, the sun rose on a new day.

At a local newsstand, the latest issue of Dream Comic had just hit the shelves. On the cover, the man in white glowed beneath the morning sun.

A passing schoolgirl caught sight of it and froze. Then she hurried over.

“Whoa? He’s on the cover today?” she picked up the comic. “Did Qi Qiu finally give my husb— I mean, my favorite character—a name?!”