In the quiet room of the Shu family's old house, the fragrance of sandalwood wafts through the air.
Shu Bai looked at the client who had come to her door on his own initiative, sitting upright but with his fingertips trembling slightly.
He Ying.
Codenamed "Nighthawk," he was once one of the organization's top snipers.
Her resume is clean and concise, having completed dozens of extremely difficult tasks.
At this moment, she was wearing the most ordinary gray tracksuit, her face was pale, and her eyes held a fear that she tried her best to suppress but still occasionally revealed.
Her world collapsed completely three months ago in an unexpected sexual assault.
“Mr. Shu,” He Ying began, her voice hoarse yet still maintaining a certain rigid calm, “my situation should be clearly stated in the documents. I only need a black, white, and gray visual style. The current colors… are too noisy.”
She used the word "noisy".
Sparse and blank understanding.
For snipers who rely on absolute focus and precise calculations, excessively vibrant colors are not a blessing, but rather noise from information overload, a deadly distraction.
"Who is the target of your sexual assault?" Shu Bai asked.
This is a routine inquiry regarding the details of the "fading" technique.
He Ying was silent for a few seconds, her jawline tightening: "...Mission objective."
Shu Bai paused slightly in his writing.
Li Yuheng, who had been lazily floating beside the offering table playing with the flame of the eternal lamp, also floated closer upon hearing this, his red phantom circling around He Ying with great interest.
"Wow? This plot is pretty exciting. The destined person is the target to be eliminated? This 'color attack' is really something."
Shu Bai ignored him and continued to ask He Ying, "And then?"
"Mission failed," He Ying said succinctly. "I missed the optimal sniping opportunity. The target has escaped."
The information briefly describes what happened next: He Ying was suspended from her duties for investigation due to a major mistake, and the target that suddenly became colorful in her scope had long since disappeared.
Ironically, medical tests confirmed that the momentary "sexual assault" was real.
The destined color descended mockingly the moment she pulled the trigger.
From then on, her world became a noisy, colorful hell that she could not bear.
“I understand.” Shu Bai put down his pen. “The ‘fading’ technique can help you temporarily block out most color perception and simulate black and white vision.”
But this goes against nature and comes at a price. Your visual sharpness and motion capture ability may permanently decrease.
“I know,” He Ying said without hesitation. “What I need is a world where I can regain control and find peace. I’m willing to pay the price.”
Her eyes were resolute, the decisiveness of a top sniper, even in the most desperate moments of her life.
Li Yuheng stroked his chin and commented, "She has guts. But this girl probably has a lot of pent-up anger inside; it's not just about 'fading away'."
Shu Bai naturally noticed the undercurrent beneath He Ying's calm exterior.
“The process may be a little uncomfortable, so you need to completely relax.” Shu Bai gestured for He Ying to lie down on the prepared soft mat.
He washed his hands, lit a specially made calming incense, and gathered a faint light at his fingertips, preparing to begin drawing runes that would temporarily shield his colors.
Li Yuheng suddenly moved closer to He Ying, curiously examining her tightly closed eyes.
“Hey, Xiao Shubai,” he turned to look at Shubai, “Tell me, when she saw that guy turn into color in the scope, what was her first reaction? Was it ‘Wow, that’s beautiful’ or ‘Holy crap, what the hell is this?’”
"...Li Yuheng, be quiet. Don't disturb my work."
"I call this understanding the disease from its source, which helps with treatment."
Li Yuheng then turned to He Ying, and although he knew she couldn't hear, he still analyzed to himself, "I guess it's the latter. After all, it's quite scary to suddenly see a rainbow in front of you while you're aiming."
He Ying's brows furrowed unconsciously, as if she could feel the disturbance even in her sleep.
Shu Bai finished the last rune and lightly touched He Ying's brow with his fingertip.
A soft halo of light seeped in, and He Ying's body relaxed slightly.
"Okay. The first 'fading' effect will last for twelve hours. You will feel that the color saturation is greatly reduced, approaching black and white."
He Ying opened her eyes, and the world indeed appeared gray in her eyes, with most of the glaring colors disappearing.
She let out a long sigh of relief, as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
"Thank you." She stood up, regaining some of her usual composure. "The reward..."
"Follow the rules." Shu Bai handed her a list. "The next treatment is in three days."
He Ying nodded, turned around and left briskly. Her back was still upright, but she looked less tense than before.
Li Yuheng floated to the doorway, watching He Ying's departing figure, and stroked his chin: "I bet she hasn't given up on finding that target."
Shu Bai tidied up the utensils: "That's her business."
"Aren't you curious? A destined person, and under those circumstances... how much psychological trauma must that cause?"
"Curiosity is bad for your health." Shu Bai looked up at him. "Especially for someone like you... a god, you should pay more attention to your health."
"Who are you calling old... This is maturity! It's depth! It's a unique charm that comes with time!"
"Yes, the sedimentation is quite unique." Shu Bai nodded. "So unique that you even have to gossip about the young girl when she's getting treatment."
"I'm just concerned about my clients' mental health! Besides, I'm calling it maintaining a curiosity about the world, staying forever young, and always having tears in my eyes, you know?"
"I understand, I understand."
Li Yuheng: "...Shu Bai, I've noticed that you're increasingly disregarding me, your guardian angel!"
"Just keep it to yourself; it's easy to get a grain of sand in your eye."
Li Yuheng stared at Shu Bai for a few seconds, then suddenly clapped his hands as if he had just realized something, and a very bright smile appeared on his face.
"Oh—I understand!"
He reached out and vigorously ruffled his sparse, gray hair, messing up his meticulously styled hair.
"Xiao Shubai, tell me, were you jealous just now?"
Shu Bai, tidying her disheveled hair, paused upon hearing this, looked up at him, and asked, "...Jealous? Jealous of what?"
"Still pretending? Because I glanced at that client a couple of times earlier? Hmm?"
Li Yuheng shook his head and said in an exaggerated tone, "Oh my, I never expected this! Our usually aloof and business-oriented Xiao Shubai has such little thoughts~"
Shu Bai watched him talk to himself expressionlessly, and only after he finished did she slowly say, "Li Yuheng, touch your left cheek."
Li Yuheng subconsciously touched his left cheek: "What?"
"Let me touch your right cheek again."
Li Yuheng touched his right cheek again, puzzled: "So?"
Shu Bai sighed: "I was just showing you how thick-skinned you really are. Jealous? I was just annoyed that you talk too much and are interfering with my work."
Li Yuheng: "...Tch, you're just saying one thing and meaning another."
It's normal for a leading man to feel a little insecure because of his irresistible charm; there's nothing shameful about admitting it.
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