Little Pink Starfish

【After Si Qun said that, he lowered his head and resumed whatever he’d been doing, not caring at all about what kind of expression Fa Ning had on his face.】

【Fa Ning suddenly felt like the bone in his hand had grown incredibly heavy. Before, when he didn’t know what it was made of, he’d never felt this way. But now, no matter how he held it, it gave him the chills.】

Yuan Yuanyuan rubbed the goosebumps on her arm. Honestly? She felt the same way…

Carrying the bone of someone you know around on your person is very different from carrying some stranger’s remains. The realization that the whistle was made from Seventeen’s bone left her with an unsettling sense of regret.

If I’d known, I would’ve taken a few selfies with the thing before handing it over. Maybe posted it on my Moments feed or something… Now that it was out of her hands, getting it back would be hard.

The comic switched back to the scene between Yuan Yingli and the red-clothed woman. After a while, Yuan Yingli said, “I understand,” then got up and left.

And suddenly, Yuan Yuanyuan understood why he had shown up so suddenly that day, said only a few words, then left just as abruptly. He must’ve figured it out already! She and Fa Ning had both been clueless—dull to the point of tragedy. Neither of them realized what was really happening.

Maybe Yuan Yingli had already sensed something the moment he received the whistle. Yuan Yuanyuan remembered him staring at it for a long time.

And me? I had it for ages and never noticed anything… She was suddenly filled with a weird sense of failure.

Back in the comic, Fa Ning wandered off after his meeting with Si Qun, looking completely out of it, like his entire worldview had collapsed. Yuan Yuanyuan thought he probably felt the same way she did—more than shock, it was defeat. Later, he met up with Yuan Yingli again, and they both shared what they’d found out—turns out, Yuan Yingli had been right all along.

【“If you already knew, why didn’t you tell me earlier!” Fa Ning yelled. Yuan Yingli slapped him across the face. “And what good would that have done?”】

【“But there’s something I don’t get,” Fa Ning said. “Before, when we didn’t know what the whistle was, I didn’t think much of it. But now that I know it’s made from Yuan’s bone… why was it with the red-clothed woman?”】

【“Because those two weren’t just regular acquaintances. What’s the point of asking?” Yuan Yingli replied.】

【“No, it’s just… I get this weird feeling about her,” Fa Ning said. “Don’t you think there’s something… off?”】

Yuan Yuanyuan stared at her phone. Ah… oops. I take that back. Fa Ning may be a dummy like me, but he’s got protagonist instincts and a terrifying sense of intuition. That alone is enough to crush me.

They really figured it out. Somehow, just like that, they’d sniffed out that there was something fishy about the red-clothed woman… Even if they hadn’t pinned down what it was, Yuan Yuanyuan still felt a little uneasy.

Are things gonna get more awkward now? This was like getting caught badmouthing someone behind their back—while the whole thing was live-streamed. Brutal.

And little did she know, Fa Ning and Yuan Yingli were sitting on the other side also looking awkward, staring at the latest comic update and exchanging a long, silent look.

Only they weren’t embarrassed for the same reason she was.

Their concern was why this specific conversation had suddenly been depicted in the comic.

They’d badmouthed plenty of things before—especially the red-clothed woman—but never once had it been drawn. That was why they’d gotten bolder over time, trash-talking her with increasing enthusiasm.

It wasn’t just Yuan Yuanyuan who had analyzed the artist Ji Qiu’s habits. Fa Ning had too. In fact, being the main character, he might’ve studied them even more deeply.

As he stared at the newest issue, he started to feel something wasn’t right.

“What’s wrong?” Yuan Yingli asked.

“Well,” Fa Ning said seriously, “We’ve said tons of dumb stuff before, right? None of it ever got drawn into the comic. You know what that means? It means anything that might affect the real world—like plans, strategies, or sensitive intel—Ji Qiu usually either skips or delays drawing it.”

“Right, that makes sense,” Yuan Yingli nodded.

“So don’t you think it’s weird that this part got drawn?” Fa Ning asked. “Doesn’t it feel like a hint?”

“Just say what you want to say,” Yuan Yingli said, exasperated. “You haven’t even read that many comics. How can you analyze it like this?”

“I’m telling you—Ji Qiu never draws useless content. So this either means the scene was interesting in and of itself… or it’s setting up something important,” Fa Ning said.

“Judging by your tone, you think it’s the second one,” Yuan Yingli replied. “Yeah, now that you mention it, it is weird. Why show this and nothing else?”

“So this basically confirms it, doesn’t it?” Fa Ning said. “Why else would he draw it?”

“That’s a bit of a reach, no? Maybe Ji Qiu just randomly picked it,” Yuan Yingli said.

“No way,” Fa Ning shook his head. “I’ve survived this long thanks to reading into these patterns. Even an idiot would’ve figured it out by now.”

He stood up. “Think about it—we’ve never seen the red-clothed woman’s face. The comic never draws it. And weirdly, no one seems to care.”

“…What are you planning?” Yuan Yingli asked.

“I’m gonna try,” Fa Ning said, leaning in like he was planning a heist. “Next time I see her… I’ll try to sneak a peek behind that curtain.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Yuan Yingli silently stood up and walked away.

“Hey, hey! Wait—what’s with that reaction?” Fa Ning called after him.

“Ah… good luck,” Yuan Yingli said cryptically.

Fa Ning instantly deflated. “Don’t be like that. Can’t you at least give me some encouragement?”

“You may have read more comics than me,” Yuan Yingli said, “but even I’ve figured out one thing—some secrets shouldn’t be uncovered. Otherwise, the comic’ll just draw your terrified face and add a big ol’ ‘Aaaaah!’ caption… way too tragic.”

Fa Ning slumped in his seat.

“…But maybe it’s worth trying,” Yuan Yingli added, turning back. “It might be dangerous for me, but not for you. We talked about this before—until the story ends, Ji Qiu probably won’t kill off the main cast.”

“…Hey?” Fa Ning called after him, but Yuan Yingli was already gone. Left alone, he sat there thinking hard.

So the next day, he went back to the tavern alone. The red curtains had already been taken down. He’d felt a little regretful about it—they were beautiful, after all. But now he was a bit relieved. Without those curtains, maybe it would be easier to get a look at her face.

After all, there was a big difference between one curtain and a dozen of them.

He sat down, feeling nervous.

Yuan Yuanyuan, meanwhile, sat at her usual spot like always. She showed up every day like clockwork—not entirely her decision. It was the boss lady who insisted. Yuan Yuanyuan didn’t fully understand why, but she was told to be there regularly—mostly so other demons could see her.

Demons came and went often, so she had to sit upright, always ready for someone to barge in.

She was zoning out, wondering what to eat that night. Would Fat Cat act up again? Was someone about to assign her another major task?

Please no more tasks… She had a feeling by now—if someone gave her a task, it was never a small one. Given a choice between risky assignments and slacking off, she’d much rather keep being a salted fish.

She glanced at Fa Ning and wondered what he was here for this time.

Usually, if he came alone, it was to say something important. If he came with Yuan Yingli, the latter would do most of the talking. But this time, Fa Ning was just repeating stuff he’d already said in earlier visits. Yuan Yuanyuan found it odd but didn’t think much of it.

Fa Ning kept talking while slowly inching closer to the curtain, adjusting his posture to one that would make it easier to reach out.

“…Actually, I came here today because I wanted to…” he said, then suddenly reached out and gently touched the curtain.

His movement was subtle—if you weren’t paying attention, you might miss it.

But from behind the curtain, a hand snapped out and grabbed his.

Both of them jumped in shock. Fa Ning hadn’t expected such speed. Yuan Yuanyuan, caught off guard, only then realized what he was trying to do.

Already?! You’re acting on it this fast?! Just one issue after getting curious and now you’re already lifting the curtain?

Fa Ning’s heart was pounding. He seriously thought he might die—or at least get thrown out of the tavern horizontally. Now it all depended on whether she would go easy on him… and whether Ji Qiu would save his butt.

He tried to get a better look while he still had the chance. But all he saw behind the curtain was a vague silhouette.

Panicked, Fa Ning looked down—and suddenly noticed the wrist that was grabbing his hand.

He froze.

This feeling of familiarity… where had he felt it before?