Little Pink Starfish

A Madman’s Way of Thinking

Hua Rongyue had no idea what was happening back at Baicao Hall.

Ever since she’d had her little moment of clarity, she’d become quite Zen about everything—mentally filtering Jiang Lianhuan right out of her vision.

Jiang Lianhuan, on the other hand, was quite curious about her. He seemed to want to talk to her ever since he realized she was the apprentice from Baicao Hall. But every time he approached, Shen Qinglan would smoothly change the topic.

Hua Rongyue was actually relieved she didn’t have to talk to Jiang Lianhuan. She had no idea how she was supposed to interact with him anyway.

What puzzled her more was the weird chemistry between Shen Qinglan and Jiang Lianhuan. Every time they met, sparks flew—and not the romantic kind. According to Yi Linglong’s memories, the two had no past connection at all. So what were they guarding against so hard? The reason, like a speck of dust buried deep in sand, was impossible to trace.

Shen Qinglan didn’t give her time to think it through. She pulled Hua Rongyue aside and started chatting away.

Truth be told, Hua Rongyue found talking to girls much easier than talking to guys.

“I really didn’t expect you to be Yi Linglong,” Shen Qinglan said. “Did you used to work in the Six Gates?”

“No,” Hua Rongyue shook her head.

“Then how’d you get in? What did you do before this?”

“Lord Yan brought me in,” Hua Rongyue replied. “I was working as an apprentice at a medical clinic.”

“Have you ever been to a flower house?” the sultry lady beside them asked suddenly.

“…No,” Hua Rongyue replied, blushing.

She had wanted to go—after all, she’d transmigrated and all—but she only ever circled the entrance and never dared step in.

The three women burst into laughter at her expression.

“I really don’t get how you ended up here. You don’t look like you belong,” Shen Qinglan said. “Honestly, even other divisions of Six Gates don’t suit you.”

Hua Rongyue blinked, hearing that line again. Yan Sheng had said something similar. This was the second time.

She looked up and said sincerely, “I actually think I’m quite suited for this.”

…No one seemed to believe her.

Oddly enough, though, the atmosphere now felt unexpectedly warm and friendly—much better than she’d imagined it would be. She wasn’t sure what she’d said to make that happen, but her three new female colleagues clearly had a good impression of her.

“Oh right—Rongyue, did you know Jiang Lianhuan before?” Shen Qinglan asked after a pause.

“Jiang Lianhuan?” Hua Rongyue thought for a moment. “We might’ve met once. He came to our clinic to buy medicine.”

“I see.” Shen Qinglan nodded, as if something clicked for her. “Try to keep your distance from him when you work together.”

“Why?” Hua Rongyue finally got the chance to ask the question that had been burning in her mind.

“Do you know why Six Gates recruited him?” Shen Qinglan’s voice dropped. Hua Rongyue noticed her lips didn’t move—she was using a secret sound-transmission technique.

She shook her head.

She hadn’t planned on asking, but Shen Qinglan offering the information was a pleasant surprise.

To Hua Rongyue, Jiang Lianhuan always seemed like a bona fide madman. Yi Linglong knew it. How could the Six Gates not? The man didn’t even try to hide it in his past life. So why on earth did they trust him?

“Listen to me,” Shen Qinglan hesitated, then said, “Keep away from him. He’s insane.”

…Yeah, obviously, Hua Rongyue thought. What’s new?

“He killed his best friend.”

What?!

---

The moment Shen Qinglan said those words—

—Hua Rongyue’s vision changed completely.

Her pupils contracted. She was dragged, as if by force, into a vivid hallucination.

Wait… this place is…

Hua Rongyue didn’t even know when the illusion started. It just crept in silently.

In the vision, she saw Jiang Lianhuan standing across a river from Yi Linglong.

He wore white robes, with a single red earring—just like in all the memories from Yi Linglong’s past life.

A breeze blew through a cave. The blood on the ground hadn’t dried yet.

This illusion came faster, more real than before. Hua Rongyue could even smell the faint metallic tang of blood.

Yi Linglong and Jiang Lianhuan’s story was… complicated. So complicated, Hua Rongyue didn’t even know where to begin.

One thing always confused her: why did Jiang Lianhuan, who hated people who lost control of themselves, suddenly rescue Yi Linglong when the entire Jianghu turned on her, and stay by her side until the end?

That contradiction defined Jiang Lianhuan. Yi Linglong never understood him in life, and Hua Rongyue still didn’t get him now.

He was unpredictable—doing whatever he pleased, whenever he pleased. That kind of madness was the scariest kind. Yi Linglong had feared it; Hua Rongyue feared it too.

“Are you faking dead?” Jiang Lianhuan said in the vision.

Hua Rongyue couldn’t tell if Yi Linglong’s blurred vision was from dying… or from tears. But one thing was certain—she wasn’t pretending. She was genuinely dying.

She’d gone through these memories before. Yi Linglong hadn’t said a word after being taken away. She’d simply laid on the ground in silence, waiting for death.

Jiang Lianhuan approached her, step by step, speaking as he walked, “If you’re going to fake it, at least be convincing. If I find out you’re lying, you’re done for.”

Hua Rongyue’s vision tilted. Jiang Lianhuan came closer, the light fading.

She thought, You always played Yi Linglong like a fiddle. Guess this time she fooled you.

Yi Linglong really did die. No tricks. Bet you didn’t see that coming.

…Would Jiang Lianhuan finally be scared when he saw her dead?

---

In the next instant, the illusion shattered. Hua Rongyue snapped back to reality.

Wait—what just happened?

The sudden switch left her dazed. Barely a moment had passed outside. Shen Qinglan hadn’t even finished her sentence.

She peeked at Jiang Lianhuan—he hadn’t turned around. She exhaled quietly, drenched in cold sweat. Her expression had slipped for a second.

She quickly composed herself and focused on Shen Qinglan’s next words.

“That friend of his… they grew up together. But later, he lost control and went mad. So Jiang Lianhuan killed him with his own hands.”

The memories and Shen’s voice twisted together, forming a dizzying whirlpool of contradictions.

Madness… a qi deviation? And then… he killed him?

In ancient China, loyalty and righteousness were everything. Killing your own sworn brother was a huge taboo, a sin of the highest order.

Shen Qinglan clearly despised people who could kill their friends. But Six Gates probably saw Jiang Lianhuan’s ruthlessness as a strength. They needed someone that decisive—hence his recruitment into “Mu.” Yi Linglong, however, never had any memory of this incident.

“Someone who can kill their childhood friend… can do anything. That’s why I’m telling you to stay away,” Shen Qinglan finished.

Hua Rongyue was shaken. She’d never imagined that Jiang Lianhuan harbored such a deep hatred for those who lost control of themselves.

—Maybe that’s why he made Yi Linglong suffer so badly in her past life.

He delighted in tormenting those who’d gone mad. Unlike Lin Qiya, who simply wanted to kill them, Jiang Lianhuan treated them like toys—before killing them.

He clearly had issues. If he wasn’t already insane, he was halfway there.

Hua Rongyue still couldn’t grasp what kind of mind he had. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that a madman’s brain simply couldn’t be understood by a normal person.

Maybe only a god could read his mind, she thought, lamenting her STEM background and her utter lack of psychology training.

Shen Qinglan fell silent, and Hua Rongyue sat alone, processing everything.

That’s when Yan Sheng burst in.

“Baicao Hall’s in trouble.”

“Huh? What happened?” Hua Rongyue stood up instantly.

Forget Jiang Lianhuan—Baicao Hall mattered much more right now. She hadn’t even exchanged many words with him anyway.

“Come with me. I’ll explain on the way.” Yan Sheng scanned the room—and his eyes stopped on Jiang Lianhuan.

“Jiang Lianhuan, you’re coming too.”

Everyone looked up at him.

Jiang Lianhuan rose.

Hua Rongyue gave everyone an apologetic smile. Even though they now knew she was playing Yi Linglong, her gentle demeanor had left a strong impression. Many remembered what Yan Sheng had said earlier: “Rongyue is a serious and kind person.”

It was a strange pairing. A person like that shouldn’t be cast as Yi Linglong. Some began to question whether Yi Linglong was as powerful as rumored. Yan Sheng had his doubts too—he’d heard that one of the intruders at Baicao Hall had succumbed to qi deviation. Those people were terrifying. He wasn’t sure Hua Rongyue could handle it alone, so he brought along Jiang Lianhuan, who happened to know Doctor Qi.

As Jiang Lianhuan walked over, Hua Rongyue remembered the first time Yi Linglong had met him.

Back then, Jiang Lianhuan was a dashing gentleman, and Yi Linglong hadn’t yet seen through him.

Hua Rongyue still remembered the very first thing he said:

“Young warrior, could you use a drinking companion?”