Little Pink Starfish

Hua Rongyue glanced at Wu Ci — since he arrived, he still hadn’t taken off his white bamboo hat.

She thought to herself, Bro, why are you covering yourself so tightly? It’s not like Yi Linglong hasn’t seen you before — she even knows when you’ll die.

Wu Ci… wasn’t a bad guy, really. Compared to the other “madmen” of the martial world, he could almost be called pure-hearted. But he was stubborn. Really stubborn.

He went mad over a woman.

— In the martial world, love is never in short supply.

There are only a few like Ximen Chuixue, who loved their sword more than their wife. Most young men and women end up falling in love once or twice. The hot-blooded young heroes of the martial world? Even more so.

But Wu Ci’s love story was the type destined to end in tragedy.

He fell for a woman — who didn’t love him back. Because someone younger, richer, and more famous than him also loved her.

That young man would later have a brush with Yi Linglong as well. His name was Liu Ziyi, who would go on to become one of the top young sword masters — you could even call him a mini-Ximen Chuixue in his own right.

Against a guy like that, of course Wu Ci lost.

For a while, he became a complete loser. It almost broke him. But deep down, he truly let go of the woman.

Or so he thought.

Maybe there’s a shared affliction among those who study the sword — Liu Ziyi didn’t treat his beautiful bride very well. Outwardly, they were a perfect couple, but only they knew how cold things really were.

One day, Wu Ci ran into the woman again. She was frail and thin. He was heartbroken and asked what had happened. She told him everything — how she’d been neglected, how Liu Ziyi treated her badly.

That was when Wu Ci snapped. The woman I’ve always loved is being treated like this? What’s wrong with you, Liu Ziyi?!

He thought about it day and night — during meals, while sleeping — until he drove himself insane. Once mad, he even felt kind of free. Everyone knew madmen were stronger than sane people.

So off he went to find Liu Ziyi. As you can imagine, it didn’t go well. Wu Ci was talented, sure — but compared to true prodigies of the martial world, he didn’t stand a chance.

In his past life, Wu Ci died a tragic, unjust death, and his reputation wasn’t great. When he went to challenge Liu Ziyi, he didn’t even bother to hide himself — just walked up with glowing red eyes. Reckless. In the end, everyone knew him as a madman.

So how did Yi Linglong first meet Wu Ci?

Simple — Wu Ci was a hardcore fan of Yi Linglong.

…

Now, Hua Rongyue was pouring tea for Wu Ci, watching this man dressed all in white, with a heroic aura, and recalling the time he stupidly showed up at someone’s door with a sword in hand.

“Excuse me, may I ask when the others will return?” Wu Ci asked, still acting mysterious, keeping his hat on.

Why are you pretending? she thought.

This kid was still adorably dumb. Yi Linglong was right in front of him, yet he had already ruled her out. As Hua Rongyue poured tea, she replied casually, “Soon. They’ll be back tonight.”

She kept eyeing his hat — trying to see if there was a red teardrop-shaped birthmark at the corner of his eye. Was he really on the brink?

Although Yi Linglong and Wu Ci were technically friends, she never got too involved in his affairs.

First, their identities were very different. Second, Yi Linglong just wasn’t one to care deeply about others. Even for someone considered a “close friend,” they barely exchanged pleasantries when they met.

Yi Linglong was aloof by nature — raised in Tianyi Tower, cold to the bone. Very different from normal people.

By modern standards, Hua Rongyue figured Yi Linglong probably had some degree of personality disorder.

“Where are you from? What illness brings you here? Would you like me to take a look?” Hua Rongyue asked as Wu Ci sat drinking tea.

Wu Ci froze. He wasn’t sick — he came here looking for someone. But saying that outright would be awkward. So after a moment, he forced out a response, “I… have a bit of a sore throat lately.”

“A sore throat? I’ll get some medicine for that right now.” Hua Rongyue, feeling mischievous, turned to go fetch some.

Wu Ci panicked and quickly stopped her, trying desperately to wave her back.

While they were talking, Dr. Qi returned, followed by Xiao Han and Wan Fulián. It was Xiao Han’s first house call, and his mood clearly wasn’t great.

They hadn’t even gotten in the door before he started grumbling.

“Tsk, that family was way too arrogant! What kind of attitude was that?” Xiao Han huffed.

Wow, Hua Rongyue thought. The golden retriever is complaining about patient attitudes now?

She looked at Xiao Han and figured the real issue was probably that he hadn’t experienced the realities of house calls.

He was used to riding out in style, treated like a young master wherever he went. But now he had to leave through a side door and sneak back in quietly after seeing patients — that probably didn’t match his expectations.

“You’re treating them, not paying for a visit. What kind of attitude do you expect them to have?” Dr. Qi chuckled. “Of course, with your family background, you’re used to doctors making house calls. But today, you got a real taste of what it’s like to be on the other side.”

Xiao Han still looked disgruntled.

“Then go back. No one forced you to come in the first place,” Wan Fulián said lightly.

— This time, Xiao Han fell silent.

No matter how she pressed him, he said nothing.

Finally, cornered, he muttered two words: “Not going.”

From the moment Xiao Han entered, Wu Ci had been staring at him without blinking. Hua Rongyue followed his gaze, looked at Xiao Han, and thought, Oh no…

At that moment, Dr. Qi noticed Wu Ci and asked, “Are you here for treatment? Give me a moment to wash my hands.”

But Wu Ci ignored him. In a flash, he stood up and marched straight to Xiao Han.

Xiao Han was startled by this sudden approach. He almost flinched. “You — what are you doing?”

“Excuse me… Do you practice martial arts?” Wu Ci’s voice was excited, though still somewhat restrained.

Xiao Han, confused by the question, blinked. Though usually quite boastful, he was a bit caught off guard. “Yeah…”

Even though Wu Ci still wore his hat, Hua Rongyue could see from behind him that unmistakable golden glow of “happiness.”

In that moment, Wu Ci decided Xiao Han must be Yi Linglong in disguise.

He looked Xiao Han up and down — the more he looked, the more convinced he became.

The thick brows, the big nose, the wide mouth.

Previously mentioned, Xiao Han wasn’t the brightest, but he had the classic “dominant CEO” appearance. His clothes were expensive but understated — anyone who knew their stuff could tell at a glance.

Standing next to Hua Rongyue, most people would assume he was the martial artist.

And those things he’d said to Wan Fulián earlier — if left unexplained — could easily be misunderstood. After all, how would anyone know the place she told him to “go back to” was his father’s security agency?

Left behind, Hua Rongyue sat alone in the back, poured herself a cup of tea, and drank it all in one go.

Lord Yan, she thought. Forgive me. I think I’ve embarrassed you.

I… probably won’t hit my quota this month.

…

That night, Wu Ci stayed at the inn next to Baicaotang. After he left, Xiao Han whispered to the others, “That guy’s weird. Doesn’t seem like a good person.”

“Was he here looking for you?” Dr. Qi asked.

“No idea,” Xiao Han said, confused. “I don’t think I’ve made any enemies in the martial world… Maybe it’s my dad? Nah… can’t be…”

Hua Rongyue, meanwhile, was reflecting on her appearance. I can convincingly pretend not to be Yi Linglong… but pretending to be her? That’s where I fail. No — wait — I don’t even need to pretend! Why do I always fall into this trap?

Outside, light rain began to fall. Dr. Qi asked, “Are you sleeping in the main hall again tonight?”

Hua Rongyue thought of Wu Ci across the street. Then she thought of Wu Wangyan from a few days ago. She nodded, “Yeah, I’ll sleep in the hall.”

Dr. Qi and the others went off to rest. Hua Rongyue stayed behind to keep watch. She made up a bed in the cabinet inside the hall, lay down, and listened to the sound of rain outside.

Meanwhile, in the inn, Wu Ci had just settled in. The innkeeper’s wife brought him hot water. He took it and casually asked about Baicaotang.

She was a talkative woman and chatted with him for a while.

At first, Wu Ci asked about Xiao Han. But the locals didn’t know much about him — he’d only appeared after Hua Rongyue arrived.

All they knew was that he seemed rich, a bit hot-headed, and always hung around Wan Fulián. Not much else.

The more Wu Ci heard, the more confused he became.

Could it be… Yi Linglong retired from the martial world because of this “Miss Lian”?

— Oh my god, what a dramatic twist!

But as a true fan, he was determined to protect his idol’s secrets at all costs.

Wu Ci’s conviction was unwavering.

However, the innkeeper’s wife didn’t like talking about Xiao Han. He wasn’t very friendly to locals. She preferred chatting about the kind and approachable folks at Baicaotang.

Like Wan Fulián.

And — Hua Rongyue.

“Rongyue is really such a good person,” the woman said. “Since he arrived, our street has been cleaner. He sweeps it every week, speaks nicely, has a good temper. Last time, when Granny Liu had a sudden illness, he carried her out himself. He can even cook…”

Hua Rongyue?

Wu Ci instantly knew who she meant — that handsome young man he’d seen at Baicaotang’s door.

The innkeeper clearly admired Hua Rongyue, praising him nonstop. But Wu Ci wasn’t that interested.

He opened the window, hoping to listen to the rain — and suddenly saw a figure flash across the rooftop across the street.

Huh? What’s going on?

He stood up to check — but saw someone from Baicaotang had already rushed out first.