Little Pink Starfish

Motive

Hua Rongyue lay in a pool of blood in the alley. She had thought she could at least escape, but hadn’t expected to be beaten so badly she couldn’t even lift a hand to fight back.

Footsteps echoed nearby. Lin Qiya’s sweet and syrupy voice floated from somewhere close.

“Little brother, come out~ Let me have a good look at you…”

If I go out, I’ll die!

Determined not to leave her hiding place even if it meant death, Hua Rongyue heard those footsteps draw closer, and her heart sank into despair.

—She was too strong. They weren’t even on the same level.

At first, Hua Rongyue had relied on her six months of experience in Tianyi Tower, thinking she’d at least be able to flee. But Lin Qiya had slapped her once—and she immediately spat blood, unable to move.

Too powerful.

Hua Rongyue thought, Maybe I should just reveal my identity… At least if I get tortured, that’s better than being beaten to death, right?

“Little brother, so you were here.” Lin Qiya’s voice came from the end of the alley. Hua Rongyue felt a wave of hopelessness. She’d been found.

“Let me see your face.” Lin Qiya stood before her, grabbing her by the hair and lifting her head.

“I didn’t expect you to know martial arts.” Lin Qiya sounded intrigued. “And you even managed to run this far—not bad. Since you entertained me, maybe I’ll give you a quicker death.”

Hua Rongyue’s vision started to blur.

Am I really going to die here today? she thought. I didn’t expect it to end like this.

If Lin Qiya killed her, Yan Sheng would probably find out…

If he knew, would he tighten security? Maybe then Lin Qiya would die even earlier than Yi Linglong had in the past. Yan Sheng was trustworthy—he’d think of something.

But still… I’m not willing… not at all.

She wasn’t ready to die.

She did not want to die here!

In the midst of the haze, Hua Rongyue suddenly heard a crisp laugh—eerily familiar.

But this time, the voice wasn’t coming from near her ear… it was closer.

…It seemed to be coming from her own mouth.

Her vision gradually cleared. She wondered how she could be making such a sound. Then she realized—she was no longer lying in the corner. She was standing up.

Even now, with everything happening, she felt a strange sense of disbelief.

With injuries like hers, standing should’ve been impossible—yet she rose effortlessly, her movements smooth and natural. She could still feel the pain, but it was as if through a fog—not quite real, not quite hers.

A hot current surged up from within her.

Hua Rongyue slowly stood, eyes locking onto Lin Qiya. The voice that came from her lips was hers—but somehow, it wasn’t.

“Who exactly were you saying you’d grant a quick death to?”

…

“Anyone here? Did they all run off?”

An hour later, a group of constables arrived in the alley, scribbling notes and questioning possible witnesses.

“No one usually comes to this street,” said an elderly man. “We only came after hearing the noise.”

“What kind of noise?” asked one constable.

“Two screams—a woman’s voice,” said another. “I thought something had happened, so I rushed over. But by then, everyone was gone.”

“Already empty by the time you got here?” The constable looked at the massive bloodstain on the ground and sighed. “Looks like another one of those crazies… But where did they go? Taken away?”

“Should we search?”

“Not yet,” the lead constable replied. “Lord Yan told us not to act rashly in these cases. Let’s report back first.” He knew if it really was one of those people, even if they caught up, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

In a nearby alley, Hua Rongyue gasped for breath, clutching her chest as blood dripped uncontrollably from the corner of her mouth.

She wiped it away, closed her eyes, and listened. Only after confirming the constables had left did she slowly stand.

Lin Qiya had fled.

Hua Rongyue looked at the blood staining her clothes and sighed. Guess I can’t wear this outfit anymore.

She didn’t dare step out—afraid someone would see her.

—She was even more afraid that if she looked into the pond nearby, she’d see her eyes glowing blood-red.

She waited with her eyes closed, heart pounding. Time ticked by. Eventually, she realized she couldn’t wait any longer—Doctor Qi would start wondering what was taking so long.

The herbs she had picked up were still tied around her waist.

Taking deep breaths to calm herself, she finally approached the pond, heart racing. She took a sharp breath and looked at her reflection—

Still pitch-black eyes.

Ah!

Relief washed over her.

Wait, what? Her eyes… are still black?

But Lin Qiya had said, “You… your eyes are red!”

Even though she’d been in a daze, Hua Rongyue clearly remembered that line. She’d been terrified.

She didn’t quite feel possessed—but she also didn’t feel entirely herself in that moment. Considering the severity of her injuries, she should’ve been unable to sit up, let alone stand and smile so calmly… with such an unnatural smile.

When she heard Lin Qiya say that about her eyes, her heart dropped like a stone.

She remembered thinking that compared to Yi Linglong, her tolerance was pitiful. He’d at least lasted a few days before cracking—she barely lasted ten minutes.

Maybe Lin Qiya had just seen wrong.

But now came the serious problem—Lin Qiya had seen her face.

Whether or not she recognized her identity, she would now believe Hua Rongyue was someone who had gone mad—and she might tell others.

Hua Rongyue had only been at Hundred Herbs Clinic for less than three months.

She took a deep breath, suddenly understanding the ruthless logic behind the phrase “eliminate the root.” She’d never killed anyone—but now she understood the feeling.

Stay calm. No matter what, don’t go down that path.

Ending up in this world was already bad enough—if she lost her last shred of humanity, wouldn’t that be even worse?

But when exactly had Lin Qiya died in Yi Linglong’s memories?

Hua Rongyue quietly returned to the clinic, avoiding the main entrance. Her clothes were covered in blood, so she climbed in through the back.

The yard was empty. She grabbed some herbs from a drying basket—these days of helping Doctor Qi had allowed her to memorize a few prescriptions.

Chai Hu, Dang Gui, Hong Hua, Da Huang…

She wasn’t sure if she picked the right combination. But she didn’t dare tell Doctor Qi. Her chest still throbbed from Lin Qiya’s blow—it was really something.

She didn’t even dare boil the herbs or use any of the prepared medicine. Instead, she just chewed and swallowed them raw, hoping they’d do something. Afterward, she felt slightly more at ease… but also very sleepy.

If she had a room, she could nap. But she lived in a cabinet now—she couldn’t crawl in for a nap in broad daylight. She waited until the Six Gates guard dozed off, then pulled out a fresh set of clothes and changed, slumping in the front hall, dozing off alone.

By then, it was dusk. Golden sunlight streamed in, warm and hazy. Hua Rongyue wasn’t sure how long she’d half-dozed like that before she suddenly heard someone calling her name.

“Hua Rongyue looks kind of out of it today,” said Yan Sheng.

“No idea. Want me to wake him up?” asked Doctor Qi.

“…Forget it,” Yan Sheng said. “Let him sleep.”

“Oh? Change of heart?” Doctor Qi teased. “Weren’t you trying to recruit Rongyue into Six Gates just the other day?”

“I thought it over,” Yan Sheng chuckled. “I don’t think he’s the right fit for Six Gates.”

“It’s exhausting work.”

Hua Rongyue heard every word—but didn’t move. She thought, Yan Sheng’s already given up on recruiting me? That was fast…

Wait.

She suddenly bolted upright.

Yan Sheng… is investigating Lin Qiya’s case, right?
If she joined Six Gates, she could work on the case too—and get firsthand info on Lin Qiya…

Suddenly, she felt revived.

“What’s wrong?” Yan Sheng saw her suddenly sit up. “Did we wake you? Sorry if we were too loud.”

“No,” Hua Rongyue shook her head. After a few seconds of thought, she turned to him. “Lord Yan, I’ve been thinking… does Six Gates still need people?”

Yan Sheng was visibly stunned.

“If you do… I’d like to know if I’m qualified.”

She didn’t even know why she made that decision. Maybe she didn’t want Doctor Qi to one day hear someone say, “Hua Rongyue is a madman.” If she left now, maybe nothing would happen—but at this moment, she didn’t want to leave.

“Whoa, don’t rush it. Think it over some more,” Yan Sheng said, startled by her sudden change of heart.

“No, I’ve made up my mind,” Hua Rongyue replied.

She thought—if Lin Qiya spread her appearance, there’d be no way to stop it. But then again, this vast jianghu—no matter where she ran, it would be the same. People everywhere. Life everywhere. With her current identity, where could she possibly hide?

Best just to take things one step at a time.
After all, hadn’t she been walking the razor’s edge all along?

Hua Rongyue thought, Things have come to this point. There’s no other way.

If Lin Qiya wants to speak—let her.
If she wants to come—bring it on.