Little Pink Starfish

The moment Wu Ci saw the figure darting out, he got excited and followed close behind.

He thought it was Xiao Han — just assumed so without thinking. The figure moved fast and fluidly, which only solidified the idea. Wu Ci eagerly gave chase, wanting to see how “Xiao Han” drew his blade.

But the person ahead wasn’t Xiao Han — it was Hua Rongyue, who’d been resting in the main hall and had sprung up the moment she sensed movement outside.

She instinctively rushed out, just as she had a few nights ago.

After a few steps, she noticed someone was following her. She was momentarily curious, but didn’t have time to look back — she didn’t want to lose the figure ahead.

Three shadows leapt across the rooftops in an elegant rhythm — one after another, fluid and coordinated.

Luckily, not many people were awake to see them. Otherwise, anyone witnessing this scene would have been stunned.

Catching a petty thief wasn’t hard for Hua Rongyue. Though the figure might not even be a thief — perhaps just someone trying to blend into the chaos. But he’d been unlucky enough to get caught by her.

She handled it cleanly. After a few hundred meters, she landed a kick to the back and brought him down. Without letting him see her face, she tied him up tightly with her trusty rope — always close at hand these days.

Someone like this didn’t deserve to see her face. If every low-level crook got to see her, what was the point of maintaining her secret identity?

Once the guy was bound, she’d report him to the constables in the morning. If nothing else came up, she’d go back to sleep.

Then came the matter of the person behind her.

Turning around, Hua Rongyue felt quite self-assured. Who’s following me? A passerby coming to help? Or… this thief’s partner?

These days, team crimes were all the rage, it seemed. That was fine. If it was an accomplice, she’d just tie them together and leave them to shiver on the rooftop overnight — a little bonding time.

With that thought, she casually turned her head… and then snapped it back.

— What the hell? It’s Wu Ci?!

Wait — how did he get here? Where had he even been?

Hua Rongyue froze. She probably looked stunned, though it lasted only a second.

She was torn.

— Based on how she felt right now, she ought to tear off her mask and boldly declare, “It’s me! I’m Yi Linglong!”

But that would be totally out of character… Yi Linglong would never reveal her identity in such a naïve, brainless way.

Besides, if it were that easy to reveal, wouldn’t Wu Ci suspect it was a trap and just run?

So… should she run now?

But that would mean failing her mission with the Six Gates, going against her own goals.

Given how clueless Wu Ci was during the day, it might take him a hundred years to figure out her real identity. This moment might be her only chance.

Wait, why was she getting stuck in this weird internal debate again? She IS Yi Linglong! Why did she keep falling into these psychological traps?

Wu Ci was getting closer. She didn’t have much time to think.

Stay calm. Instead of overanalyzing, use the simplest logic.

Hua Rongyue took a deep breath, forcing herself to discard all distractions — if she weren’t working for the Six Gates, and truly wanted to hide her identity, what would she do right now?

…Run. She’d run. Because she’d truly be afraid of being discovered.

So she took off, using lightness skill faster than when she’d chased the thief. Just as Wu Ci was about to catch up, she leapt from the rooftop and disappeared from his sight before he could react.

He was so close, but in a flash, the figure in front vanished with inhuman speed, leaving him stunned.

Under the moonlight, he couldn’t make out much — not even the figure’s clothing. All he could see was a fluid, decisive movement, and that slightly oversized cloak flapping as they fled.

When Wu Ci reached the scene, he found the thief already tied up. Everything had been dealt with swiftly and cleanly — clearly the work of a pro.

If only Hua Rongyue had thrown a sachet or something to distract him — she might’ve gotten away even more cleanly.

Wu Ci looked down at the thief, who was clearly still in shock. The guy had barely started his crime before being attacked by someone mysterious — and never even saw a face.

“Did you see what that person looked like?” Wu Ci asked.

The thief was terrified. “No… no, I didn’t!”

Wu Ci sighed, hoisted the guy down from the rooftop, and returned to the inn.

Meanwhile, Hua Rongyue slipped back into Baicaotang, folded up the cloak she’d worn, and put it away.

She wondered if Wu Ci would suspect her after tonight, then quickly dismissed the idea — wishful thinking. That guy was slow to catch on. If he couldn’t recognize her in daylight, how could he do it under dim moonlight?

She even imagined he might go question Xiao Han tomorrow. Mistaking her for Xiao Han wouldn’t be a stretch — from behind, they weren’t easy to tell apart. Wu Ci wouldn’t just ask Xiao Han if he’d gone out either.

Ah, whatever. What’s the point of overthinking?

Sleep. She rolled over in bed. The most important thing wasn’t whether Wu Ci figured out her identity — it was whether he had gone mad.

As for her identity… let fate decide.

Even if he mistook Xiao Han for Yi Linglong and spread that rumor, it wouldn’t change much. The word would still be “Yi Linglong is in Baicaotang,” just as planned.

…

The next morning, Hua Rongyue woke up feeling surprisingly well-rested.

Then she remembered — she’d left the thief on the rooftop. Probably spent the whole night being buffeted by the wind.

Well, good. Let him get some fresh air and perspective under the moonlight. Once he’s in prison, he won’t get views like that again.

She got up and began her morning routine.

— Recently, the fake red mole at the corner of her eye had started darkening. But instead of looking red, it looked more like a black mole.

She suspected the Six Gates’ formula was flawed. Proper dye shouldn’t take this long to show color.

But since Jiang Lianhuan’s mole had turned bright red, hers probably would too. It was just a matter of time.

As she tidied up the house and prepared to open the shop, she heard someone shouting in the street:

“We caught a thief last night! Anyone wanna come take a look?”

There weren’t many people up yet, but the curious few had already stepped outside. A couple others peeked through half-open doors.

Word of a thief’s arrest had everyone’s curiosity piqued. Hua Rongyue had caught many before, but always quietly turned them in. No big scenes, so the neighbors never noticed.

Now everyone craned their necks to see.

Hua Rongyue took one glance and knew — that was the thief she caught last night. He was being escorted to the magistrate by two patrolling officers. As they passed Baicaotang, she was outside airing bedding.

They brushed past each other — she standing calm, him unaware.

Two people who’d just fought the night before now crossed paths like strangers.

Plain and simple — that’s real life.

Hua Rongyue finished cleaning, then looked up — across the street, a window at the inn opened.

She spotted Wu Ci immediately. He wasn’t wearing his hat and hadn’t washed up yet. His hair was loose around his shoulders, and his face looked clean, even a bit gentle.

She instinctively glanced at the corner of his eye.

— Clear. Nothing there.

Wu Ci looked down and saw Hua Rongyue, quietly hanging laundry. Her face was still Yi Linglong’s, but appearance only went so far — temperament mattered more.

She looked grounded. Calm. Wu Ci recognized her, paused, and gave a small nod in greeting.

Hua Rongyue saw that clean skin under his eye and let out a sigh of relief in her heart.

She smiled back — a genuine smile — and turned to go back into Baicaotang.

Wu Ci hasn’t gone mad yet.

That made things easier. No need to worry too much. It was time to report to the Six Gates.

As for her identity — let it go. She’d made peace with it. You couldn’t force these things. Once she accepted that, she felt much lighter.

Wu Ci stood at the window, dazed. He stared at Hua Rongyue’s back and felt a strange tug at his heart.

That smile just now — it had touched something deep inside him, though he couldn’t explain why.

He hadn’t thought much of Hua Rongyue before, but now…

Now, he wouldn’t forget her.
That person just now… why were they smiling at me like that?