[: Good, good, good, the black-bellied Little Blue Bird uses her persona to reject him while giving him a way out.]
[: I feel like A-Xin has changed quite a bit since the last incident.]
[: Her personality is quite strong; she’s grown a lot while moving past it.]
"Aha, I see. Then there really is no way around it," Kim Jung-han said, taking the path the girl had offered him to save face.
He had enough social awareness to maintain his popularity. While it was a pity he couldn’t get closer to this beautiful girl to create some buzz, he could see that the energy she carried was far from simple. In the future, she might climb to heights where he would have to look up to her.
His relationships with any trending female star were always brief and superficial—just enough to generate topics without causing too much trouble for either side.
Tang Xin turned to see Amy, who was standing with her hands on her hips, showing her small canine teeth as she looked at her.
"What is it, Amy?"
"A-Xin, you’ve become different from before."
Tang Xin didn't say anything.
After the last incident, she had gone to find Ai and the other former members of the Gloomy Girls Band to ask them about the video.
She made every one of them swear to the Stars that the leak had nothing to do with them. The answer she received was that the person filming on-site was indeed not a member of the band at the time.
At that moment, she cast her gaze toward the distant director's team. The blonde girl was laughing and chatting with those beside her, nodding a greeting when she noticed Tang Xin looking.
After leaving the band, she had received an email inviting her for an interview.
She couldn't forget it; it was as if the other party knew everything about her current situation. Recalling the details of that interview now, it felt as though it had been tailor-made specifically for her.
The memory of dancing with Xu Xiaoyou at the ball was still vivid.
It was precisely because she cared about the other girl and cherished their past beautiful memories that she resisted the girl’s current actions and felt angry. She wished the girl would have consulted her, even just a mention, asking if she was willing.
If the other girl really just saw her as a money-making tool, she could have numbed her nerves and convinced herself to endure it. Even if she had no free time at all, like a canary in a cage, such days would end once the contract expired.
Tang Xin didn't let her thoughts go any deeper, nor did she want to dwell on the memories that brought her pain.
She sighed softly and, under Amy's gentle nudging, went to the hotel restaurant for dinner.
After dinner, the members of the Paranormal Explorers briefly planned their route. They split into two teams, taking two different roads in Jeeps toward Mermaid Town. It was a journey of over ten kilometers, and they expected to arrive before seven in the evening.
Before departure, Tang Xin saw Xu Xiaoyou walking toward her. The latter smiled and reached out for a big hug:
"I thought you’d be too stubborn to come."
Tang Xin sidestepped to dodge her, shot Xu Xiaoyou a glare, and stepped on the girl's toe with the tip of her shoe. Then, with a flick of her long hair, she brushed past Xu Xiaoyou.
Xu Xiaoyou watched Tang Xin’s back and raised an eyebrow. Amy walked past her and lowered her voice:
"Wait until the day A-Xin actually finds out you did all those things! We'll see what you do then!"
"Which things?" Xu Xiaoyou asked.
Amy stared intently into Xu Xiaoyou's eyes. Seeing the other’s face full of innocence, she hesitated, then finally let out a huff.
"You're too much."
Xu Xiaoyou looked down at her expensive outfit, her eyes reflecting shifting thoughts, until someone patted her shoulder.
"Dazing off, President Xu?"
"Let’s go, get in the car."
"Yeah, I'll be there in a second."
Xu Xiaoyou replied casually, though her mind began to race. Had Tang Xin really guessed something? If that were the case, she couldn't just stand by and watch their relationship deteriorate; otherwise, wouldn't all her efforts be in vain?
Though, judging by Tang Xin's personality, even if she did have a falling out with her, she would still fulfill her duties as an artist.
"An incurable egoist."
This phrase suddenly echoed in Xu Xiaoyou's ear. She looked around, only to realize it was the whisper of the Heart of Desire.
Since her last meeting with Anya, a faint connection had formed between her Gaze of Spiritual Vision and the other's Heart of Desire.
Xu Xiaoyou stood there, feeling a bit lonely.
"Am I really that selfish?"
Should she find a time to confess everything to the girl, or use a safer method...
Xu Xiaoyou looked at her right hand. Faintly manifested dye floated into the air. A slight sting in her forehead made her support it with her hand. Now wasn't the time to think about this; she had to figure out how to deal with Anya first.
After all, she was her character card; she couldn't just leave her to be besieged by the people from Section 6.
In the deepening dusk, torrential rain poured like ink through the mountain valley. The palm forest below swayed in the howling wind like undulating waves. Occasionally, a sharp bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the entire mist-shrouded valley.
On the rugged, winding mountain road, a Jeep drove forward. Raindrops danced as they slapped against the windows, gathering into small streams. The wipers moved with a rhythmic creak-creak, and the radio broadcast echoed inside the car.
The male voice on the talk show was humorous and mature, but the atmosphere inside the car had fallen into a heavy silence.
Noticing that the blue-haired girl beside her wasn't in a good mood, Amy's eyes darted around. She pushed a large teddy bear she was holding toward Tang Xin.
"Stop thinking about that person."
Tang Xin took the plushie, held it in her arms, and leaned against the side.
"How did you know I was thinking about her?"
"Has no one told you that your thoughts are written all over your face?" Amy's lip twitched slightly.
"Yeah."
Recalling the blonde girl's appearance, Tang Xin knit her brows slightly. In frustration, she reached out and pinched the teddy bear's face hard twice, imagining the plushie as Xu Xiaoyou. Using it as an outlet for her anger, she eventually grabbed the bear's neck and shook it vigorously.
Amy watched, feeling a bit alarmed.
After venting for a bit, Tang Xin looked at the bear's squashed face and its resentful, black-bead eyes—it looked somewhat comical—and she couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
"Although it’s a bit wicked to drive a wedge between two people behind their backs," Amy said, "I still really want to remind you, A-Xin..."
"They all treat me like a weak, ignorant little white flower, as if I'm a fool." Tang Xin’s long hair fell over her face, masking half of it.
"Some things are so obvious even a fool could see them."
"Honestly."
Tang Xin’s gaze lingered on the text message the girl had sent her via the communication curtain shortly after she got into the car.
[: To my dearest Little Blue Bird, I’ve deeply realized that my thoughts strayed off track. From now on, I will try my best to consult with you before any important matters. I swear it to the Stars.]
"This Pomelo Pest has absolutely no sincerity," Amy complained. "I'm literally crying—she even remembered to add the words 'try my best' while swearing to the Stars. Her attention to detail is terrifying."
"Thinking about all this makes me feel so petty," Tang Xin said softly.
Finally, adopting an 'out of sight, out of mind' attitude, she swiped the chat page away.
"Don't think about it anymore, A-Xin. Have some candy and cheer up." Amy fished a few pieces of candy out of her pocket and waved them.
Tang Xin glanced at them and picked a pomelo-flavored one. She tore the wrapper open fiercely before popping it into her mouth. The sweetness of the candy seeped into her heart, and the girl's expression softened slightly.
Right then, a piercing horn blared, and the Jeep came to a halt.
"Mr. Driver, what's wrong?" Amy asked.
Neither girl noticed that the pinhole camera in the corner of the seat lit up with a red light; the live stream view was now focused on them.
The driver swallowed and said, "I don't know. Look ahead—is there something there?"
The engine stalled, and an eerie silence fell over the valley, save for the howling wind and the sound of heavy raindrops hammering the windows.
Amy and Tang Xin looked closely, and their pupils narrowed.
In the distant bushes, a white figure swayed—it looked like a woman with disheveled hair, standing with her back to them.
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