Little Pink Starfish

Perhaps even Hua Rongyue herself didn’t know why she reached out her hands at that moment. She had always been someone who disliked trouble, but in a moment of heat, she instinctively extended her arms.

The moment Li Jingyi fell into her grasp, she realized she’d taken on a burden—one she clearly couldn’t throw away anymore.

With one arm holding Li Jingyi, she used the other to fend off the two people in front of her.

It all happened in a flash. Hua Rongyue’s sudden outburst stunned everyone nearby, but she moved quickly. Holding Li Jingyi, she neatly knocked out the two attackers and slipped away through the back door.

This was Baicaotang (Hundred Herbs Hall), not a place where she or Yi Linglong needed to show off. Hua Rongyue acted with swift precision. Once she dealt with the two in the courtyard, she stood there in a daze for a while.

Crap. She had acted on impulse—how was she supposed to clean up this mess?

She turned to look at Li Jingyi, who seemed even more bewildered than she was. Staring at her blankly, Li Jingyi made Hua Rongyue’s chest rise and fall with anxiety. She had been panicking a little, but seeing Li Jingyi calmed her.

The girl clung tightly to her, soft and small in her arms.

At that moment, Hua Rongyue realized she couldn’t show even the slightest hint of fear—at least not in front of Li Jingyi. She had to stay composed.

…

Under the faint moonlight, Hua Rongyue finally made it back from her escape. She let out a long sigh.

Because of the special nature of her work with the Six Gates, her occasional abrupt disappearances were never questioned by Doctor Qi. In a way, it made things easier for her.

Although she didn’t often do this kind of thing, it didn’t mean she couldn’t. Tracking down bodyguards or erasing someone’s trace in Jiangnan—it was practically her specialty.

Though it was her first time actually executing it, everything went surprisingly smoothly. She still remembered telling those people in a cold voice, “Erase all traces of these people coming to Jiangnan.”

Of course, Hua Rongyue had one unwavering principle—no killing. Though those people couldn’t contact their families for now, their lives were safe.

She had run all day with Li Jingyi. While she could explain away the disappearance of people from Baicaotang to Doctor Qi, it would be odd to leave Li Jingyi behind alone, so she had no choice but to bring her along.

Li Jingyi had lain quietly in her arms for most of the day. Things had happened so fast she hadn’t even had a meal, only managing to eat a pastry Hua Rongyue bought on the way. Hua Rongyue had worried she might starve, but the girl hadn’t made a sound.

Seeing that everyone at Baicaotang was asleep, Hua Rongyue brought Li Jingyi into her own room. She boiled bathwater for her, then snuck into the kitchen to quietly make a bowl of noodles. Despite her fatigue, she still remembered to feed Li Jingyi.

After cooking, she tiptoed back into her room to find Li Jingyi sitting on the bed. Though the afternoon had been exhausting and intense, she now seemed oddly energized, perhaps because she had finally achieved something she had long dreamed of.

Lit only by a small candle, with moonlight filtering in, her eyes sparkled.

She was no longer wearing the heavy, elaborate jewelry. Fresh from a bath, she now wore a simple, plain outfit.

Without all that ornate finery, she looked like an ordinary, adorable little girl. She kept looking down at her new clothes, gently touching them with her tiny hands.

It was likely the first time in her life she had ever worn something so simple—cheaper than even one ribbon from her old dresses. But she clearly loved it.

Only a crazy person would make her wear her old outfit again. Hua Rongyue began to consider how to explain her presence. Perhaps she could say Li Jingyi was a visiting relative. No one at Baicaotang had seen her face before, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Besides, Hua Rongyue didn’t think the girl would stay long. Although she had escaped, the outside world wasn’t so easy to survive in. She had been raised in luxury, a life completely different from someone like Yi Linglong. Though she yearned for freedom, life outside had its own hardships.

Hua Rongyue had been thinking all afternoon. Maybe she could teach the girl some self-defense techniques to prevent her from getting bullied, like she had been in another timeline. Then, when the time was right, she’d send her back.

After all, those were her real parents. Differences aside, they were still family. And rebellious girls that age eventually miss home. Sooner or later, she’d probably beg to return.

Hua Rongyue handed her the noodles. The girl had been starving all day and should eat something. Hua Rongyue sat and watched her eat. Despite her hunger, Li Jingyi ate gracefully.

She took small bites, with not a hint of haste or mess. She didn’t say a word. Hua Rongyue considered saying something, but the girl was quiet as ever.

After she finished, Hua Rongyue wiped her face and prepared to have her wash up before bed. She’d need to come up with a lie to explain her sudden presence to Doctor Qi.

Suddenly, Li Jingyi asked, “Big Brother, are you a great hero?”

Hua Rongyue’s impressive skills had clearly left a deep impression.

“Huh?” Hua Rongyue paused. A great hero? That term meant something to her—“The greatest of heroes serve the country and its people.”

If being skilled in martial arts qualified one as a hero, she was one. But if a former assassin could never be one, then she definitely wasn’t.

“Maybe,” Hua Rongyue answered vaguely.

She lowered her head to help the girl undo her braids. Suddenly, she wondered whether her quiet nature made her bad company for a child. She could count on one hand how many things she’d said to the girl that night. Not because she disliked her—she just wasn’t talkative.

“I want to become a great hero!” the little girl said.

Hua Rongyue looked over at her.

In the candlelight, the child’s voice was firm, like a tiny flame.

Hua Rongyue looked for a while, then turned back and continued undoing her hair. “Learning martial arts is hard.”

“I’m not afraid,” Li Jingyi replied.

Hua Rongyue stared at the back of her head.

…Ah, great, she wasn’t good at dealing with determined kids.

She had only planned to teach her basic self-defense, but now the girl wanted to become a hero—that was way off script.

Li Jingyi, of course, didn’t see it that way. Perhaps in her young heart, “great hero” simply meant “freedom.”

As a child raised in a martial arts family, Li Jingyi had always been surrounded by tales of the jianghu. But elders never allowed girls to learn. Her brothers mastered the family style, but she and her sisters were confined to embroidery and housework.

She had once tried to learn in secret, only to be caught and confined for three days. Her younger sisters visited her and urged her not to train again.

But she couldn’t understand. Why could her brothers learn martial arts and be called heroes, while she and her sisters were forbidden?

One day, she asked her sister, who was timid but thoughtful. After pondering for a while, her sister said, “Maybe… if you could really become good at it, no one in the family would stop you.”

It was a casual comment, tinged with vague emotions, quickly forgotten by her sister—but not by Li Jingyi.

She truly believed that if she became a hero, she could be like her brothers.

Hua Rongyue thought back—Li family members used swords. Yi Linglong’s memories even included this little girl’s dream of becoming a swordswoman.

The sword—king of weapons—was held in highest regard by those in the martial world.

All weapons had their admirers, and there were no “useless” weapons, only unskilled users. But if one were to pick the most revered weapon in the jianghu, most would choose the sword. It carried an innate aura, yet was considered a gentleman’s weapon—rarely wielded by women.

If she were to train, why not choose the hardest path?

“I use a blade,” Hua Rongyue said, “but I can teach you the sword.”

Few skilled fighters in the martial world didn’t know how to use a sword, even if not masterfully. Yi Linglong herself started with the sword before switching to a more assassin-suited blade.

“I’ll find you a sword tomorrow,” Hua Rongyue said. “But I can only teach you the basics. Whether you succeed depends entirely on you.”

“If you can stick with it, you can become a swordswoman.”

Though Hua Rongyue doubted the girl could persist, she saw no reason to stop her if she wanted to try.

Maybe practicing swordsmanship would even hasten her homesickness… Hua Rongyue thought wryly.

Meanwhile, Li Jingyi had no idea what she was thinking.

She beamed and said, “Thank you, big brother!”