Little Pink Starfish

Yuan Yuanyuan’s intelligence suddenly kicked in as she realized something was off.

At that moment, the boss lady glanced at the comic and sighed, “You’re not planning to go have a look?”

“Have a look at what?” Yuan Yuanyuan asked, puzzled.

“Go see the Li Family Head’s daughter,” said the boss lady.

“That little girl? Why would I go see her?” Yuan Yuanyuan recalled. “She’s got a bad temper and is kind of spoiled…”

“I was just speaking casually,” the boss lady said, “but you really have met her? Then all the more reason you should go. Right now, everyone outside is saying that [Faning will also go there]. If Faning is going, how could you not?”

“Why should I go just because he’s going?” Yuan Yuanyuan replied. “What does his going have to do with me?”

Though she said that, Yuan Yuanyuan later thought about it, and deep down, she did have a slight urge to stir up some trouble.

It wasn’t really to see Faning or that girl, but more because she just felt like—back then, the Li Family Head treated Sister Seventeen so badly, maybe she ought to go cause some drama now.

Yuan Yuanyuan wavered between wanting to go and thinking this method was too petty. She couldn’t resort to such low tactics just yet, so the angel and devil in her heart wrestled for a long while—ultimately, she still couldn’t come up with a decent approach.

Well, if she couldn’t think of one, so be it. Yuan Yuanyuan gave up.

She figured these things should just be left to fate. No need to obsess over it. Even if she decided to go in the end, it wouldn’t necessarily be to cause trouble. At worst, she’d say a few words of blessing to that little girl—it wouldn’t be a waste of those bland, uneventful times they once shared.

Yuan Yuanyuan began to consider whether she should ask for that little knife back from the girl. Apparently, it had been her favorite back in the day, even though she didn’t use it anymore—a dagger was more practical now.

【Faning will definitely go. Back then, he and that girl in white were so well-matched. If he didn’t go now, it wouldn’t fit his male lead image.】

【Yeah, I think so too. But honestly, if Jiuqiu doesn’t draw Faning going to her, I wouldn’t be surprised either. After all, Faning used to have so many in his harem. Now it’s like watching someone destroy couples with a club—there’s not one left.】

【Back then, Faning and the Red-Clothed Woman were such a good match. They practically matched me into submission, and now the official narrative keeps destroying pairs. The CP community is freezing over.】

【Yeah, even if you don’t match them together, at least give her someone. Now the Red-Clothed Woman is still lying there recovering from her injuries. No word at all. I’m starting to worry she’s going to be benched until the comic ends.】

【Hey, don’t you think it’s strange how badly the Red-Clothed Woman got injured? Back when we saw the combat power rankings, didn’t the big shots on the forum swear up and down that she should be on par with the Li Family Head?】

【That? The forum expert already got slapped in the face. He’s come out and apologized, said the power chart wasn’t accurate.】

【He didn’t need to be that wrong though. I thought the rankings were pretty solid. Aside from the Red-Clothed Woman, the rest are basically spot-on.】

【Then why is she so weak now? It’s like she barely exchanged moves with the Li Family Head before collapsing.】

【I don’t think it’s that she’s weak. I think the Li Family Head has gotten stronger. Didn’t the comic say he used some kind of demon magic to power up…? His info has been updated across the board.】

MDZZ, Gao Ling silently cursed while reading the comic. It wasn’t that, okay? It was because of the gu. Without the gu, the Red-Clothed Woman would absolutely be badass.

Just think back to when she fought that old man who stormed in. That was her in full force. And even then, she’d already been hit once with the gu. After some recovery time, she still returned to form.

But now, this was the second time. So who knows how well she’ll recover—it might leave lasting effects. Gao Ling worried while reminding people in the group chat: whatever you do, don’t go out at night.

Back then she’d just casually gone to a comic convention and nearly got hacked. No matter how popular the Li Family Head is online, he’s still a terrifying freak, okay? Who knows what he’ll do next?

While everyone had their own mixed feelings, the Li Family Head’s daughter’s wedding finally arrived. Apparently, it wasn’t a wedding yet—just an engagement.

That morning, Yuan Yuanyuan got up, looked at the clock, and a thought flashed through her mind: Should I go or not?

That thought stayed in her head for less than five seconds before Yuan Yuanyuan made her decision.

Yep.

Then she rolled her eyes and went right back to sleep.

…

At the same time, the Li residence was bustling. Many people had gathered there, each with their own thoughts.

Say what you will about him, his reputation now was no small matter… and it couldn’t be. After all, he had returned to peak form, and no one could beat him. Although people believed the Li Family Head’s recovery was linked to the disappearances and deaths of various demons, no one had direct evidence.

Even the humans didn’t dare make much noise about it. The demons’ combat ability now was on a completely different level from a hundred years ago—and let’s not forget, it was the Li Family Head who had killed Yuan.

Powerful people these days were most terrifying when they acted silently and struck only when it mattered.

That was exactly the kind of person the Li Family Head was. So no matter what anyone thought, everyone treated him with respect on the surface.

The Li Family Head wore a faint smile as he greeted each guest. Everyone present knew full well that something big might go down today—or maybe nothing at all.

Those who came today were all strong. No one brought any family members—they all knew today could be a battleground. No one was stupid.

Yet as the wedding progressed into the middle stages, still nothing had happened. Guests began to feel a bit baffled.

“Weren’t we told… something would happen? Why hasn’t anything happened?” In the spacious hall, murmurs like this could be heard.

“Maybe… they never came?”

Whispers like these echoed throughout the venue. The Li Family Head’s expression didn’t change at all, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

The bride sat quietly in her chair, her hair done up elaborately. Since this was only an engagement, not a wedding, she wasn’t wearing a red veil.

She maintained a cold, aloof expression as she looked out at the guests. People were used to her rebellious nature, so no one found her demeanor particularly strange.

But everyone had seen her interactions with Faning in the comic, so now, looking at the mild-mannered groom sitting beside her, they couldn’t help but feel… like he’d been cuckolded.

Of course, he was marrying into her family, so maybe it wasn’t all that surprising.

“Everyone,” the Li Family Head suddenly stood and said, “please raise your glasses.”

The guests below all lifted their wine cups.

Since no trouble had broken out yet, the atmosphere of the wedding began to warm up. It no longer felt like a knife fight was about to erupt at any moment. Slowly, the volume of conversations increased, and laughter began to spread.

The Li Family Head drank a cup of wine. The guests all drank along with him.

Just as everyone drained their glasses, someone in the crowd suddenly stood up and began walking toward the back of the hall.

If it had been an ordinary guest, the scene wouldn’t have become so awkward.

But the person who stood up was the bride herself, dressed in full red wedding attire. She got up calmly with that cool, detached look on her face and walked off toward the rear.

A few people who had just put down their cups noticed the departing bride and didn’t dare say a word.

In fact, it wasn’t just those few—pretty much everyone had noticed… they were just all pretending not to see it.

So now, even though no one had come to crash the event, the bride leaving was enough to qualify as a legendary moment.

“Keep drinking,” the Li Family Head suddenly said. He didn’t even look in the direction his daughter had gone. The guests all shivered inwardly, thinking: What the hell is this? If we’d known, we wouldn’t have come.

The Li Family Head’s daughter walked toward the back. The entire Li estate was a complex of interconnected small buildings. She walked along the corridor, her footsteps sounding “da, da” on the floor.

She wandered aimlessly through the buildings, until she suddenly paused before a screen.

It seemed like something had just flickered behind it.

“Who’s there?” she suddenly said. The slender figure behind the screen stiffened. She narrowed her eyes for a moment and asked hesitantly, “…Yuan?”

…

One second, two seconds…

A head slowly peeked out from behind the screen.

Faning, eyes dead like a fish’s, stared at the girl and suddenly felt like his whole world was falling apart.

Holy crap—why, at a time like this, would she call out the name “Yuan”? It completely overturned everything he thought he knew. It was not what was supposed to happen.