When He Ying stepped into the Shu family's old house for the third time, Li Yuheng circled around her, marveling at her.
She had shaved her short hair into an almost buzz cut, wore a baggy work jacket and worn-out jeans, and her face was covered in something that made her skin look dull and rough.
If you don't look closely, he appears to be a quiet and reserved young man.
Shu Bai was preparing magical artifacts in the quiet room when he saw her disguise and was somewhat shocked: "...You really went all out with this disguise."
He Ying touched her prickly stubble, her tone flat: "It's alright. I recently found a new job, so this is convenient."
Li Yuheng floated to Shu Bai's side, nudged him lightly with his elbow, and chuckled in his mind: "That kid surnamed Zhou is quite powerful, he managed to force such a ruthless person to change his ways."
Shu Bai gestured to He Ying to lie down on the cushion: "Lie down. Today is the last time. The process will be a little more intense than the previous two times. After it's over, your color perception will be completely stripped away."
He Ying lay down as instructed, closed her eyes, and breathed steadily, as if what was about to happen was not a "fading" that would reverse fate, but an ordinary rest.
This time, Li Yuheng didn't cause any trouble; he simply stood by with his arms crossed, observing.
He watched as a faint light, more intense than ever before, gathered at the tip of Shu Bai's fingertips. The light, like a living thing, slowly seeped into He Ying's eyes.
He Ying's body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, but she kept her lips tightly pressed together and remained silent.
The treatment lasted for nearly an hour.
By the end, a thin layer of sweat had appeared on his pale forehead.
He Ying slowly opened her eyes, her pupils a silent gray-white, devoid of any other color.
She sat up, stretched her neck, and a look of relief appeared on her usually cold and hard face.
"Thank you, Master Shubai." She nodded solemnly to Shubai, her voice still hoarse, but slightly relieved.
"It's my duty." Shu Bai handed over warm water and pills. "Take this to consolidate your recovery."
He Ying took it and swallowed it decisively.
She stood up, straightened her mismatched men's clothing, thanked him again, paid the bill, and turned to walk towards the door. Her back view was resolute, without the slightest trace of lingering affection.
After He Ying left, the quiet room fell silent.
Li Yuheng floated to the altar and casually picked up a newly opened bag of potato chips.
"This girl is ruthless." He swallowed a potato chip and commented, "She even gave up her hair to avoid that sniper. But then again, that Zhou kid is really something, managing to push the sniper to this point."
"By the way, believe it or not, Zhou Che is probably squatting in some corner right now, just waiting for her to come out."
As soon as Li Yuheng finished speaking, a commotion was faintly heard outside the old house, mixed with a few familiar shouts.
"...Ms. He! You're out! And you have a new hairstyle! You look so handsome!"
Li Yuheng and Shu Bai exchanged a glance.
…
Outside the old house courtyard wall.
He Ying, wearing a hat, stopped in her tracks and looked at Zhou Che, who was standing under a tree not far away, holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a megaphone he had somehow acquired in the other. Her brows furrowed.
Zhou Che cleared his throat and spoke passionately into the loudspeaker: "Ms. He! Your new look... is truly unique and extraordinary! It's full of power and an untamed spirit! It perfectly matches the image of you in my dreams!"
He Ying suddenly felt a slight itch between her fingers, and missed the sensation of pulling the trigger.
This time, she didn't ignore him. Instead, she walked over, grabbed Zhou Che by the collar, and dragged him into the alley.
He Ying's tone was undisguisedly sarcastic, "Just because of that 'color shot' in the scope? Do you know what I used to do? The person you like is an executioner who almost killed you."
Snipers, they do what they're paid to do.
The number of people who have died by her gun over the years is probably more than Zhou Che has ever seen in his entire life.
“I know. I’ve looked into you. ‘Nighthawk,’ 98% mission completion rate, a legend in the industry. As for killing… who doesn’t have a past? My dad’s a cop, and I even dreamed of being a bandit when I was a kid, but I didn’t make it. Don’t worry, I like you not because of ‘sexual assault’.”
Zhou Che patted his chest, his tone filled with pride: "Besides, I'm very rich, extremely rich, and I'm also love-obsessed. If you date me, my money is your money."
He Ying: "..."
She loosened her grip on Zhou Che's collar: "I'm a lesbian."
Should we give up now?
Don't look for her anymore.
This person was probably assassinated because he was too annoying.
"I can undergo gender reassignment surgery. I've loved wearing women's clothing since I was a child."
"..."
Li Yuheng laughed so hard on the wall that he almost became visible, patting Shu Bai's head.
But he was stopped by a sharp look after only two pats.
In the alley, Zhou Che saw He Ying's silence and assumed she was wavering, so he quickly pressed his advantage.
He pointed to his baby face: "Ms. He, look at my appearance. I'm very cute. When I wear women's clothes, you can't tell I'm a man at all. You can rest assured about that."
He Ying stared at Zhou Che's baby face, which was full of sincerity and roguishness, for a full three seconds.
Then, without saying a word, she turned and left.
His steps were quick and hurried, carrying a resolute determination to shake off all the sounds behind him.
She shouldn't have stopped today. She shouldn't have said a single word to him.
Zhou Che called out from behind her, "Ms. He! I'll come to see you in women's clothing tomorrow."
He Ying started running.
…
A few days later, one afternoon, Shu Bai was organizing ancient books in his quiet room when Li Yuheng rolled around on the soft cushion he had just laid out, making a mess of it.
"How boring—" Li Yuheng drawled, "Xiao Shubai, shall we go out for a walk? Let's find some fun."
"Fun will come to you on its own."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the doorbell rang at the old house.
Li Yuheng sprang to the air with a somersault: "Let's go, let's go!"
It was Zhou Che who arrived.
This time, he didn't climb over the wall, nor did he bring gold bars or jewels. Instead, he stood obediently at the door, carrying large and small bags of gifts, with a fawning smile on his face.
"Master Shubai! Brother Gui! Good afternoon! Here's a little local specialty from my hometown, just a small token of my appreciation!"
Shu Bai looked at the pile of things in his hands and didn't take them: "What are you doing here again?"
"I'm here with a legitimate request! I also want my skin cleansed!"
Li Yuheng: "What are you doing getting involved? Weren't you enjoying that 'destined color'?"
Zhou Che's face fell, and he sighed, "Brother Gui, you don't know. Ever since I met He Ying, my world is colorful, but my heart is black and white! She ignores me, so what's the point of this color? I might as well let it fade away, maybe then I can still have something in common with her."
Shu Bai: "...'Pure color' is not a child's play."
"I'm serious!" Zhou Che's eyes were earnest. "Master Shu Bai, please help me this once! The price is negotiable! My dad made some money in the stock market again recently!"
Li Yuheng fanned the flames from the side: "Go ahead and take it, we're just killing time anyway. This kid's got money, might as well make some."
Shu Bai stepped aside: "Come in."
…
In the evening, Shu Bai and Li Yuheng were drinking tea in the courtyard.
Li Yuheng stared at Shu Bai for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Little Shu Bai, you never seem to have asked me why I woke up at this particular time?"
Shu Bai blew away the tea foam, took a sip, and said, "When the time comes, you'll naturally wake up. Why ask so many questions?"
"Aren't you curious? Maybe I woke up because of you?"
Shu Bai put down her teacup, looked up at him, and said, "You're quite good at picking your moments."
Li Yuheng: "...Can't you cooperate a little and show some flattery?"
"I was shocked. My heart was churning, but I didn't show it."
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