Little Pink Starfish

Yuan Yuanyuan squinted her eyes slightly, but since she hadn’t fully woken up, her reactions were half a beat slower.

Overall, she appeared quite calm, with no trace of surprise on her face. Her expression system hadn’t caught up yet, and by the time she realized she should look surprised, it felt a bit inappropriate to do so.

The person behind her also wore an indifferent expression. However, his words suggested he wasn’t as composed as he appeared.

“Got you,” he said.

In truth, the two had met not long ago. Yet, seeing each other in this manner felt like something from a past life.

In any case, it felt like a very long time ago.

Perhaps because so much time had passed, the atmosphere in the room took on a dramatic quality. Neither spoke; they simply stood there quietly, as if waiting for this strange tension to dissipate, or perhaps to savor it.

Yuan Yuanyuan looked up at him. The head of the Li family stood behind him, holding her hand, seemingly without much force.

However, only Yuan Yuanyuan herself knew how much strength he was actually using.

In the middle of the night like this, it seemed sleep was out of the question. Yuan Yuanyuan wondered how he had managed to sneak past the proprietress, then suddenly remembered—the proprietress had already left.

Ah… what an unpleasant realization.

But thinking back, what exactly had happened to prompt the head of the Li family to come here?

Yuan Yuanyuan now suspected that the proprietress’s sudden departure was also orchestrated by the Li family head. Although she had no evidence, his timing was too perfect, as if he had planned it precisely.

Could it be that he had planted spies within the tavern?

After much contemplation, this was the only explanation that satisfied Yuan Yuanyuan. She herself had inadvertently served as a spy for the Mask Organization before; it wasn’t particularly difficult, quite effortless, in fact.

Of course, this might also be because the Blood Jade Demon Art was exceptionally suited for espionage. Benefiting from predecessors’ efforts, Yuan Yuanyuan had reaped the rewards of Seventeen’s legacy.

So many years had passed; it was entirely possible that the Li family head had developed some unique methods of his own. After all, he had lived for so many years and had similar experiences, so it was natural for Yuan Yuanyuan to consider this possibility first.

But now, discussing these matters seemed unnecessary.

The Li family head had already approached. In an instant, Yuan Yuanyuan’s mind raced through numerous thoughts: how to continue running the tavern afterward, how to settle the innocent little demons, and whether the proprietress would beat her to death upon returning to find the place robbed… she considered it all.

All of this hinged on her surviving this ordeal, at the very least, not dying at the hands of the Li family head.

Back when he was still an old man, Yuan Yuanyuan hadn’t feared him much. But now that he had entered his prime, even Fa Ning had been defeated by him last time. Therefore, Yuan Yuanyuan didn’t know who would have the upper hand if they fought now.

“Last time you saw me, what did you say?” Unexpectedly, the Li family head didn’t attack Yuan Yuanyuan immediately but instead asked her a question, as if engaging in small talk.

Last time? Yuan Yuanyuan recalled in her mind.

He was likely referring to the time he challenged her in the comic. Back then, Yuan Yuanyuan had asked if he had mistaken her for Yuan and took the opportunity to mock him, saying he still couldn’t let go of Yuan even after so long.

Now, recalling those words felt like a slap in the face… of course, it was her own face being slapped.

Yuan Yuanyuan wasn’t too surprised that he brought up this matter, given his petty nature. Besides, her previous remarks had indeed been provoking, a momentary lapse leading to a barrage of nonsense, and now he was bringing up old grievances.

Now that her true face had been discovered, Yuan Yuanyuan no longer used that deliberately high-pitched voice. Her voice, after so long, returned to that of Yuan.

“How did you find me?” Yuan Yuanyuan asked.

As she had previously complained, the Li family head seemed to have an inexplicable obsession with Yuan. With such a prime opportunity for a sneak attack, most people would have acted immediately, but the Li family head, like a villain in a comic, began to chat.

Of course, this approach by the Li family head was quite to Yuan Yuanyuan’s liking. Ji Qiu would probably appreciate it too—this was the first time she’d seen such a cooperative villain.

“I’ve been watching you for a long time,” the Li family head said. “Didn’t you notice? No wonder… your survival actually surprised me. Who is the proprietress here? What’s your relationship with her? She even agreed to hide you here; it seems your relationship is quite special.”

Oh my, you’re even jealous… no, no! Yuan in this kind of relationship shouted inwardly.

Yuan Yuanyuan now felt she was bound to lose. She had no weapons at hand; they were all on the bed—after all, a patient shouldn’t carry too many lethal weapons.

The Li family head seemed to have just noticed Yuan Yuanyuan’s “patient attire.” He circled around her, as if observing or admiring, and said, “Last time, you pretended nothing was wrong, so you could escape right under my nose.”

“…” Yuan Yuanyuan felt uneasy under his scrutiny. She focused on finding a way to obtain a weapon while keeping one ear on the Li family head’s words.

“How did it feel last time? Not pleasant, right?” the Li family head said. “You even leaned in to inhale for so long. I wonder what state your internal organs are in now—have they turned into a pool of blood? You seem to have difficulty standing. Since I entered the room, you haven’t moved.”

Yuan Yuanyuan indeed hadn’t moved all this time.

“If you’re willing to return to the well now, I might let you live a bit longer,” the Li family head said softly.

“Return to the well?” Even while distractedly searching for a weapon, Yuan Yuanyuan couldn’t help but laugh at this statement.

“Yes, go back to the well,” the Li family head’s expression was extremely cold. “I should have sent you back to the well long ago. Back when you went to the northwest, you should have jumped in before those seven demons. Maybe then, we wouldn’t have needed to use them to fill the well. You’re much more useful than they are.”

“You were involved in that incident too?” Yuan Yuanyuan asked.

“Of course,” the Li family head said. “Otherwise, how do you think you ended up watching it all? I was expecting some reaction from you… it’s a pity. You could have saved those seven demons’ lives.”

…Save those seven demons for what? So your people could ambush her? Yuan Yuanyuan screamed inwardly.

After so long, Yuan Yuanyuan finally realized that the incident in the northwest, far from C City, which seemed unrelated to the Li family head on the surface, had actually been orchestrated by him from afar. At the time, Yuan Yuanyuan had nearly become a scapegoat.

Yuan Yuanyuan recalled the scene back then. She remembered feeling uncomfortable but didn’t think much of it. After all, she wasn’t the real Yuan, so even if she felt uneasy, she wouldn’t have taken action. But if it had been the real Seventeen, who knows what he would have done.

Judging by the Li family head’s words, he might have had a backup plan waiting for Seventeen. If Seventeen had made a move, his people would have had a reason to act.

Yuan Yuanyuan’s thoughts raced, and suddenly she spotted something—a smoking pipe. Although weapons were placed a bit far away, the smoking pipe was on the nearby table.

She had used this pipe in fights before. Although it looked slender and ornate, the material was excellent. Last time, it held up well in a clash. As long as she avoided the mouthpiece, the rest could serve as a makeshift cudgel…

When dealing with powerful demons, weapons were crucial, especially for someone like Yuan Yuanyuan, who couldn’t engage in close combat. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to defend herself.

She eyed the smoking pipe, planning how to get to it. Just as she began to strategize, the Li family head seemed to have finished speaking.

In comics, everyone knows that when a villain finishes talking, it’s time to abandon flashbacks and start real combat. Yuan Yuanyuan’s heart pounded with anxiety. Usually, in such scenarios, the villain gets countered, but who knew what would happen in reality? What if she was the one defeated?

Time was too tight. Yuan Yuanyuan had no time to plan carefully. She had to take a chance. Suddenly, she sprang up, attempting to grab the smoking pipe from the table.

The Li family head didn’t turn around; he just stood there quietly. Yet, the air behind him suddenly erupted with a scorching gale.

“Damn!” Yuan Yuanyuan cursed inwardly as she fell straight from the air.

As she descended, she quickly removed her outer garment, completely disregarding the risk of being exposed. After all, this wasn’t her true form, so she felt no pressure.

Just as she took off her clothes, a small flame had already climbed up, burning the garment to ashes within seconds.

The Li family head turned to look at Yuan Yuanyuan’s upper body, still covered in bruises, and smiled meaningfully.

Now, Yuan Yuanyuan’s upper body was bare, revealing the injuries from last time that hadn’t healed. Many areas were heavily bruised, with the most severe near her collarbone, where a hollow, dark spot was visible, just like the one that appeared after returning from the comic convention.

What are you laughing at! It’s not like I picked at it myself! Yuan Yuanyuan screamed internally.

As she was shouting inwardly, a shadow suddenly appeared by the open window.

A thin, paper-like shadow floated in silently.