Little Pink Starfish

Less than ten minutes after the swordsman left, Hua Rongyue felt that “she” was finally beginning to quiet down.

Her eyes gradually faded back to black. She stood for a moment, covering them with her hand.

Yan Sheng came over, his voice full of admiration. “Today really was thanks to you. Otherwise, we’d have had a hard time explaining things. Mr. Rongyue, you truly are an impressive person.”

As he finished speaking, he saw Hua Rongyue slowly raise her head. Her eyes, which had just returned to black, held a faint, ambiguous look—neither joyful nor annoyed.

After a pause, she looked at him blankly and said, “…Huh?”

…

“Let’s sit down and talk first,” Li Zixin interjected. He ignored the dazed look in Hua Rongyue’s eyes and suggested they find a quiet place to speak properly.

Yan Sheng, who was already familiar with the layout of the Baicao Hall, calmly led Li Zixin into the room where Hua Rongyue used to live. Hua Rongyue followed them in, still looking confused. She watched the two men naturally pull up chairs or sit on the edge of the bed. After a moment’s hesitation, she quietly dragged over a small stool and sat down as well.

Although Hua Rongyue’s mind was now clear, she had fully prepared herself to be interrogated after coming back to her senses.

So what was this situation now?

Was this… some kind of Six Doors’ psychological tactic?

Now that she was lucid, she clearly remembered how unhinged she must’ve looked just moments before. She had no idea what kind of wild scenarios Yan Sheng and Li Zixin might’ve imagined. All she could think was—uh-oh, this might’ve gotten way out of hand.

She sat on the stool with uneasy posture, both hands obediently on her knees like a primary school student.

Li Zixin found her appearance strangely amusing.

—The contrast was just too jarring. And it happened so quickly. It felt like he had just gone bungee-jumping and was still reeling.

Just a while ago, Hua Rongyue had erupted with stunning intensity, visible even from the window. And now, the same person, in the same clothes and face, sat quietly like a humble village girl, nervously touching her nose and head.

Yep, there she goes again.

Whenever Hua Rongyue got nervous, she would unconsciously touch her nose or head. She had even made fun of Wu Wangyan for the same habit before—without realizing she did it too.

Just ten minutes ago, this was clearly not the person he saw. But here she was. Same face, same outfit.

Li Zixin glanced at Hua Rongyue, then at the window, then back at Hua Rongyue…

His expressions shifted like a kaleidoscope.

Meanwhile, Hua Rongyue was busy reviewing her recent behavior in her mind. She convinced herself that maybe she could pass it all off as some kind of “medicinal effect.” Just as she nervously prepared to speak, Yan Sheng suddenly said, “Mr. Rongyue, you’re truly remarkable.”

Hua Rongyue: “…?”

“You deciding to join Six Doors was the best thing that could’ve happened.”

Hua Rongyue: “…!”

Yan Sheng bowed deeply toward Hua Rongyue, his manner extremely respectful.

Hua Rongyue was startled. Not because of what he said, but because his attitude was so formal, so sincerely heartfelt, that she was completely thrown off—especially after what she had just done.

She had no idea what Yan Sheng meant and even wondered if he was being sarcastic. But he seemed so earnest, she couldn’t just accept it with a clueless look.

So she quickly said, “No, no, Lord Yan, you’re giving me too much credit… I really didn’t do anything… You being this formal, I… uh…”

She trailed off, flustered. Then, unsure what to do, she awkwardly returned the bow.

“I used to think you were just kind and diligent,” Yan Sheng continued, “but I didn’t expect your skills to be this formidable—and your adaptability, too. Even if you hadn’t joined Six Doors, I’m sure you’d have made a name for yourself in the Jianghu.”

“No, no, that’s not true… That’s exactly why I did join Six Doors. I don’t think I’m suited for the Jianghu,” Hua Rongyue replied quickly.

“Since you joined, we’ve put a lot on your shoulders. You’ve smoothed over many situations, especially today—you handled it beautifully. I could never have done what you did.”

“No, I’ve been lucky to have you looking out for me, Lord Yan.”

“No, it’s all thanks to you…”

“No, really—”

Li Zixin stood silently behind them, watching their exchange. He suddenly felt like the third wheel—a fluorescent, blinking third wheel.

As Yan Sheng finally released Hua Rongyue from the wave of praise, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her roommate inside must’ve faded away entirely now—seems even she couldn’t handle this atmosphere.

“But… joining Six Doors like this—are you really okay with it?” Yan Sheng suddenly asked, his expression serious. “I wasn’t joking earlier. With your ability, you could’ve made your own name in the Jianghu. But once you joined Six Doors, especially under the identity of ‘Yi Linglong,’ it’s going to be almost impossible to re-enter the Jianghu as Hua Rongyue again.”

“Ah…” Hua Rongyue finally realized what he had been feeling so guilty about earlier.

She scratched her head. “It’s fine, really. I’m honestly not that concerned about it… Really.”

“If, one day, things settle down within Six Doors, maybe I can help put in a request to transfer you to a more visible position,” Yan Sheng said suddenly.

He had been thinking about this all along, lost in his thoughts. He felt it was unfair for someone like Hua Rongyue to live her entire life in someone else’s shadow.

If possible, he hoped more people could come to know the name “Hua Rongyue”—not just Yi Linglong. Yi Linglong was undoubtedly a legendary figure, but Hua Rongyue was equally exceptional.

—Calm and composed. Quiet, but dependable. Perhaps a little stubborn, but reassuringly reliable.

Hua Rongyue, on the other hand, was imagining a different scenario—if she was publicly reassigned and accidentally ran into her old Tianyi Tower colleagues… That would be quite the scene. Sure, she was technically working for Six Doors now, but the thin veil of secrecy still offered some cover. Entering the Jianghu again as “Hua Rongyue”? That’d be a spectacular disaster.

Still, even if the idea was wildly impractical, she was deeply touched by Yan Sheng’s sincerity. He really was the most dependable man she’d encountered since arriving in this world.

Compared to the eccentric and overly futuristic Jiang Lianhuan, the innocent (but secretly scheming) Dr. Qi, or the chaotic wildcard Xiao Han, Yan Sheng truly embodied the image of a dependable, traditional man.

No wonder he had eventually become the Head of Six Doors in Yi Linglong’s memories. That wasn’t a position just anyone could reach. Despite his fearsome reputation in her memories, he clearly had a warmer side when dealing with allies.

Thinking of this, Hua Rongyue was struck by an unexpected emotion. Yi Linglong, her inner “roommate,” couldn’t be considered fully alive anymore—but Hua Rongyue had brought her along to witness many experiences she never had in her lifetime.

Yi Linglong had been obsessive and eccentric. She had her own charm, yes—but that personality had also made her miss out on a lot.

Perhaps if she had experienced more moments like this… she wouldn’t have ended up the way she did?

“By the way, do you know who that man was today?” Yan Sheng suddenly asked.

“Who?” Hua Rongyue asked. She had been meaning to bring that up herself. The swordsman had clearly been a prodigy—still young, yet already so skilled. And yet Yi Linglong’s memories contained nothing about him. She had started to wonder if a genius like that had popped up out of nowhere.

“I can’t go into too much detail,” Yan Sheng said, “but just know—he’s a member of the royal family.”

“A royal?” Hua Rongyue was genuinely shocked—not because of his identity, but because… how could someone from the royal family dress so poorly?

“Though he’s a prince, he’s completely devoted to the sword,” Yan Sheng explained with a sigh. “The Empress Dowager dotes on him, so he’s been allowed to live as he pleases.”

No wonder… That explained how he knew about Yi Linglong’s connection to Six Doors, and why Yan Sheng was treating him with such caution. Hua Rongyue thought to herself—Yi Linglong’s memories had never mentioned a prince like that.

Seems like the current royal family had quite a few… unique personalities. One she knew chased his childhood dream of crossdressing, and now this one was obsessed with swords.

“You might’ve actually helped calm him down for a few days,” Yan Sheng said with a smile. “Or… maybe made him even more interested in you.”

With that, he stood to leave. Hua Rongyue also rose to see him off. As she did, she noticed Li Zixin standing silently by the window, back turned.

She blinked. “Hey… why are you staring out the window like that?”

Li Zixin turned around and said quietly, “I… It’s nothing. Don’t mind me. I don’t exist.”

“What kind of silly talk is that?” Hua Rongyue chuckled. “You’re clearly standing right here.”

“I’ll be off now too,” Li Zixin said, pushing the door open and walking out after Yan Sheng—without looking back.

For some reason, his retreating figure looked… lonely.