Volume Two: The Youth of a Thousand Faces, Truth Amidst Falsehood Chapter Ninety: Shangguan Jade Butterfly’s Decision

Shangguan Yudie was in turmoil, uncertain of where to go from here. The boy she’d always treated as a half-brother, her childhood companion, and the mysterious writer she had admired for so long—when these two identities merged into one, she was thrown into confusion. She no longer knew how to face him, or even what feelings she should hold in her heart.

For the first time, she regretted having such a unique ability. If she hadn’t uncovered Huo Ye’s secret, if she could have simply continued her fantasies, or perhaps remained naive and carefree because she’d never sensed him with her telepathy, maybe then she would have fallen for Ye ge naturally. Either way, she would not be facing the quandary she was in now.

She began to question herself: did she like him, or not? The answer was yes.

But then, who did she like? Was it the author Night Rain, or was it Ye ge?

She didn’t know.

At that moment, her crystal-brain suddenly chimed. Her first thought was Huo Ye—could it be Ye ge, concerned and calling her? With a heart full of unease, she glanced at the caller ID. Unexpectedly, it was her father, Shangguan Hong.

A wave of disappointment washed over her, but she still answered. “Hello, Father, it’s me.”

“Xiaoyu, have you been well lately?” Shangguan Hong asked, following his usual pattern of concern.

“I’m alright,” Yudie replied, though she longed to say that she was far from well. She didn’t even know if she was about to be exposed, and she was utterly tangled inside. No one else’s experience could help her; whose secret crush ever turned out to be their childhood friend? She knew Ye ge could be mischievous, but how had he managed to create such chaos in the most important matters of her life?

Shangguan Hong, of course, had no idea of the storm in his daughter’s heart. He continued, “Well, you’re grown up now, and I shouldn’t interfere too much in your life, but as your father I have to ask...”

“Father, I can’t read your mind across the net. Please just say what you want to say,” Yudie cut in.

“Oh.” Shangguan Hong gave a sheepish cough and muttered under his breath, “She’s talking more these days—has something happened to her?” Though the words were soft, Yudie caught them. She thought, I’ve certainly been through a shock—a big one!

“I wanted to ask if you have a boyfriend at school,” her father asked.

The word “boyfriend” instantly conjured Huo Ye’s image in her mind, and she grew so flustered her hands trembled. “N-no,” she stammered.

“I see.” Shangguan Hong seemed relieved, but then went on, “Then is there a boy you like?”

Sitting on her bed, hugging her knees, Yudie hesitated for a long while before murmuring, almost inaudibly, “Mmm.”

Much to her surprise, her father immediately pressed, “Who is it?”

“I can’t say.” How could she explain, when she herself didn’t know if she liked Huo Ye or Night Rain? How could she tell her father?

“I see. Alright, I understand. Daughter, if you ever need—”

“Father, can you just tell me what’s on your mind? If not, I’ll have to come back and use my ability on you,” Yudie said, feeling exasperated. Why couldn’t her father just leave her alone to be anxious for a while? Why all these roundabout questions?

“Nothing, really, just a father’s concern,” Shangguan Hong replied awkwardly, then added a few more inconsequential remarks before ending the call.

Yudie was bewildered. So her father had called just to check on her love life? How oddly appropriate.

After the call, Shangguan Hong was still full of worry. He said to his sister, Shangguan Jing, “This is going to be tricky. Xiaoyu says she likes someone.”

Shangguan Jing thought for a while and replied, “Let’s just gather the elders of both families together. For matters like this, it’s best talked over face to face.”

“You’re right. But you know our father, stubborn as anything. He insisted on dragging Ye along with Eddie, not caring about Ye’s feelings. Who knows if he’s recovered from the shadows of two years ago. What we’re doing now… I can’t help but feel sorry for him.”

“We all know what Dad’s like. He’d rather break through a wall than turn aside. Whether Ye can inherit the divine weapon our father forged will depend on fate.”

“I hope so. He’s an outstanding young man—the best I’ve ever seen. Even Eddie might have been outshone by him back in the day.”

“Each new wave surpasses the last. It’s a good thing.”

———

Yudie still hadn’t figured out what to do, but she knew she couldn’t run forever. Living under the same roof, there would always be interactions. After years of friendship interwoven with sudden, overwhelming feelings, even if things were awkward now, she’d eventually get used to it. Whether their relationship would end up as love or friendship—she’d let time answer that question.

She went to the club and happened to overhear a group of people chatting.

“Enthusiasm is a flame you can’t bear to extinguish. I’m the worst at dealing with other people’s enthusiasm,” she heard Huo Ye say from inside the conference room. Suddenly, something clicked for her. “So that’s why Ye ge wears a mask—because he can’t handle too much enthusiasm. Maybe he also wears the anti-telepathy mask to keep me from reading his mind, so… he doesn’t actually like me.”

Her guess was half right. She’d gotten his disguise correct, but she was wrong about the rest. Huo Ye had, in fact, considered giving their relationship a chance. He just wasn’t sure whether Yudie liked Night Rain or Huo Ye himself. Even Yudie, after learning the truth, hadn’t sorted out her feelings; she’d decided to let time be the judge.

Huo Ye was serious about feelings. If Yudie only liked the dreamlike persona, and not the real him, he would never choose to be with her. What would it mean if, after time passed, they reverted to nothing but friends?

Yudie told herself she was ready. When she saw Ye ge, she would act normal—completely normal!

There was a knock at the door. Everyone inside turned to look.

Huo Ye tensed. Could it be that junior again? Yudie sensed his nerves and felt a pang of insecurity, but she pushed open the door and entered the conference room.

As soon as Huo Ye saw it was Yudie, he visibly relaxed. “Oh, it’s Xiaoyu. Are you feeling better now?”

Huo Ye was in good spirits—Yudie could sense it. That made her happy, too. She smiled sweetly and nodded, then went to her seat.

Huo Ye explained the current situation to her, then addressed everyone, “Since we’ve already agreed to the test, we can’t turn her away just because of me. When this…” Huo Ye glanced at the applicant’s name, “…when Luo Jiajia arrives, one of us will face her in VRF battle. She doesn’t have to win—if we all pass her, she’s in. How does that sound?”

Leilimi spoke up, “Isn’t a unanimous vote a bit too strict, boss?”

Huo Ye shot him a look. Leilimi hadn’t been this eager before—could Ke Zhen’s hypnosis really be working? No, it had to be his imagination; nothing works that fast.

He answered, “Maybe it is a bit much, but the club just started. We don’t have time to train potential members from scratch, so we need those who already have some skills. Plus, with everyone involved, we can get a full picture of what kind of person she is. Of course, since it’s an all-pass requirement, don’t set your standards too high—just use your own judgment.”

Everyone nodded.

A few minutes later, the elevator doors opened on the Starlight floor. Jiang Feng, the most sociable among them, naturally took on the role of club ambassador, leading Luo Jiajia to the lounge where the others waited.

When Luo Jiajia arrived, Huo Ye stood to welcome her as president. “Welcome to Starlight, Luo Jiajia.”

“Ah! It’s Senior Huo in person!” Jiajia exclaimed with excitement. She looked every inch a sweet, well-behaved girl, with barely-there makeup, lively twin ponytails, and a single simple hairpin as her only accessory.

Faced with this, Huo Ye was momentarily at a loss, so he got straight to the point. “Senior Jiang should have explained our club’s test to you.”

“Yes! It sounds difficult, but I’m ready for the challenge!” Jiajia replied energetically.

“Good. Then pick a member to compete against,” Huo Ye said.

“Hmm… Everyone looks so amazing, I don’t know who to choose. Is there anyone who’d like to volunteer to battle me?” Jiajia left the choice in the hands of Starlight.

Huo Ye was about to turn and ask when, unexpectedly, someone already had her hand raised—the very person least likely to volunteer in such situations, the one who usually shied away from social interaction: Shangguan Yudie.