Little Pink Starfish

Yuan’s voice came through the phone—low, magnetic, and steady.

For the girl sitting beside Gao Ling, this was the first time she’d ever heard Yuan’s real voice. When reading the manga, she would always imagine how he might sound, but none of those imagined voices had ever matched this well. This voice—it was as if she had heard it countless times already. It felt familiar, uncannily so, like it had already settled deep in her bones.

Before hearing him speak, she’d never expected anyone’s voice to fit Yuan so perfectly.

It was… exactly like him.

Gao Ling wasn’t caught up in the same haze. She just didn’t know what to say in that moment.

Though they had talked in private before, speculating for a long time that Yuan probably didn’t have much time left, hearing him say it aloud still left a strange, unspoken heaviness in her heart.

“How about we make a deal,” Yuan’s voice continued. “Since I’m going to die anyway, how about you stop bothering me? Once I’m dead, you won’t have anything to worry about.”

“And before you die?” the other demon asked. “Have you already made your move?”

“I haven’t been out in a while,” Yuan said. “Why don’t you tell me what you’ve learned?”

“We’ve identified one masked member,” the man said slowly. “Hu Liuniang of Qingyu Mountain.”

There was a long silence. Yuan didn’t respond.

“So heartless toward your own allies, Yuan-daren,” the demon said. “Or should I say… your subordinates?”

“What the hell is this guy even saying…” Gao Ling muttered. “Jesus, how long are they going to grill a sick man? If you’ve got the guts, go pick on a healthy demon! I’m about to grab my forty-meter sword and—”

“Wake up, you don’t have a forty-meter sword,” the girl beside her said, patting her on the shoulder. “Sounds like this guy suspects Yuan is the leader of the masked group?”

“He’s not,” Gao Ling snapped. “I know he’s not. Don’t worry, let’s keep listening.”

By now, the group chat knew Gao Ling and her friend had reached a safe location. Everyone was messaging frantically, asking for updates. Gao Ling told them to go home in case a fight broke out, but many refused. They believed with more people around, Yuan might hold back, so the danger wasn’t that great.

Yuan rarely had actual kill scenes in the manga.

But his voice now… that eerie calmness wasn’t a good sign.

“I warned you last time,” he said. “If you keep pushing, next time, you’ll be the one who dies.”

Then, suddenly, a loud screech pierced through the headphones.

It was a jarring noise—like nails on glass. Gao Ling and her friend both flinched hard, clutching their ears.

The group chat froze for a moment before exploding:

【WTF?!】
【What was that?!】

Anyone wearing headphones got hit the hardest. Those without fared a bit better.

Quickly, everyone realized it was a burst of demon energy that had disrupted the signal. They could no longer eavesdrop, so they messaged the people still at the plaza for an update.

【Still here…】 someone replied weakly.

【What does “still here” mean?!】
【Yuan got up and walked off. That clingy guy? He’s on his knees. Yuan left him on the bench.】
【……】
【Can we get a pic?】
【Signal’s trash, one bar at most. My screen’s full of static.】

Gao Ling was dying to run back. They waited anxiously until the signal finally recovered enough for sound to come through—but even then, they could barely make out anything.

Apparently, for about ten minutes during the worst of the interference, everyone at the plaza had completely lost contact.

Then a message came through:

【We’re safe now. Yuan has left.】

【He left? What about the other demon?】

【Still sitting there. Not moving.】

Bit by bit, people pieced together what had happened. Yuan had done something—no one was sure what—and the other guy had dropped to his knees. Quietly. Yuan caught him like in a hug, then gently rotated their positions, placing him on the bench before walking away.

He vanished as quickly as he came. The burst of demon energy disappeared too. The other demon, likely knocked out, remained limp on the bench.

【Yuan is insane!! Who dares say he’s weak now? Number one in Yaoji, hands down!】
【One move. One freaking move and that guy went down. Can you believe it? I can’t.】
【Unreal… I feel dazed.】
【He was so calm. We didn’t even feel anything. And then—bam. No warning.】

Gao Ling grabbed her friend. “We’re going back. Hurry!”

The girl hesitated for a second, then grabbed her purse and followed. As they rushed out, someone in the group messaged:

【Boss! He’s out cold. Not moving. Should we take this chance to beat him up?】

【Don’t!】 Gao Ling broke into a cold sweat. 【Do. Not. Touch. Him. That’s a big demon—we’re not suicidal, are we?】

【Then can we… check on the unconscious stranger?】

【Fine! Just act normal.】

By the time they arrived, they found most of the people from the shops had drifted back to the plaza, subtly circling the unconscious demon. A guy waved from a distance, “Boss, he’s not moving!”

Gao Ling was drenched in sweat. She was about to tell everyone to disperse and go retrieve her phone when the man on the bench suddenly stirred.

He opened his eyes and froze as he saw the crowd around him. His face turned defensive.

A bold onlooker waved casually. “Sir, you fainted just now. Do you need an ambulance?”

…was that even a real technique?

Everyone quickly switched to concerned expressions. The man seemed to realize what was going on and asked, “I fainted?”

The voice they’d heard through the eavesdropping wasn’t just anyone—he was a major character in the manga. This was their first time seeing him in person, and he was… different. Gao Ling couldn’t quite describe the feeling.

The man left in the end. No one dared stop him. They just watched as he walked away.

So much had happened that day, Gao Ling went home in a daze. Even then, the group chat never stopped. Everyone was still processing what they’d seen. It felt like a door to another world had opened.

【So Yuan might really be the head of that organization? But why? What’s his motive? I don’t get it.】
【We don’t know anything for sure yet. Let’s wait.】
【Poor Yuan. Can someone clear this up soon? I’m dying here! It hurts!】
【Yeah, it’s like my heart’s being crushed. I’ve never felt like this reading the manga before. This time it really hurts.】
【Calm down. Even if you’re not calm, what can you do? You’re not a demon. You can’t fight.】
【If they animate this scene… which part do you think they’ll show?】
【No idea… Ji Qiu never seems too kind to Yuan.】

Gao Ling sighed and got into bed. It had been too much. Just as she lay down, she heard the girl next to her make a call.

“Boss, will you come with me to get my phone tomorrow?”

“You didn’t grab it after he left?” Gao Ling asked.

“I was afraid he might come back. Didn’t dare. Figured I’d get it early in the morning. He shouldn’t come back twice, right?”

“Fine. I’ll go with you. But the garbage trucks come early. We’ll need to wake up at five.”

“I know, and I left the call running too. My data bill’s going to be insane.”

“You could’ve just used mine,” Gao Ling said.

“Too late now. Might as well keep listening—maybe I’ll hear if someone picks it up.”

“No one’s gonna pick it up. That area’s practically deserted.” Still, Gao Ling turned on the call. They listened for a while… and both their expressions changed.

“Did you… hear that?”

“Someone’s walking… footsteps are close…” Gao Ling said. “Why would anyone be there this late? Even dogs wouldn’t go.”

Then the footsteps stopped.

Both of them flinched. Their hearts raced.

Someone was standing nearby.

Too close.

Gao Ling was terrified she’d hear the trash bin being moved. But instead, all they heard was…

A long sigh.

“Is he gone?” a man’s voice said. “Hopefully he won’t keep rushing toward death like that.”

His voice was low, calm, emotionless—but it struck Gao Ling hard.

For a second, she froze.

Outside, cars still passed. The glow of headlights streamed across the floor and disappeared into the night.

Sitting on her bed, Gao Ling could picture the plaza perfectly. As if she were right there.

She realized something.

She had just, by accident, heard another side of Yuan—a side that would probably never be shown in Yaoji.

The joy and sorrow in the manga came from real events. But sometimes, someone’s truest self could never be captured in panels.

At least, not yet.

But what she heard now… that was him.

Gao Ling sat up straight, her breath suddenly light.

“If he keeps running toward death like this, what then…” Yuan’s voice came through.

Soft and gentle.

So different from how he usually sounded.

But maybe, just maybe… this was his real voice.

“I really don’t want to die with someone else by my side.”