Master of Nine Stars

”Mmm...” In the early morning, Gao Lingwei let out a lazy hum, slowly turning her head and opening her drowsy eyes.

To her right was a bright window.

The winter sun outside was a bit dazzling. As it shone on her face, she squinted slightly.

’Where am I...?’

She took a sniff.

’The smell of disinfectant. A hospital?’

”Huh?” Gao Lingwei turned her head and saw Rong Taotao sitting in a chair to her left, slumped over the side of the bed.

He was holding her hand, his head turned to the side, resting on the back of her hand as he slept soundly.

Although her hand was a little numb, Gao Lingwei didn’t pull it away immediately. Instead, she recalled the events of last night.

New Year’s Eve, the night market street.

Behind her, the clamorous crowd, full of laughter and cheer.

Before her, a sharp dagger, plunging into her heart again and again...

Gao Lingwei bit her lip. She ran her right hand through her long hair and took a deep breath. Her once-hazy eyes now held a sharp glint.

’I’ll remember you. I’ll remember your eyes...’

As the thought crossed her mind, Gao Lingwei’s hand subconsciously tightened its grip.

A dull ache in his hand jolted Rong Taotao awake. He quickly raised his head, looked at Gao Lingwei, and said, ”You’re awake! Wait, I’ll go get a doctor.”

Rong Taotao scrambled to his feet, but Gao Lingwei didn’t let go of his hand.

”What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Rong Taotao turned back, his face etched with concern.

”I’m fine. I feel great,” Gao Lingwei said, her sharp gaze gradually softening. She looked gently at Rong Taotao and added apologetically, ”I’m sorry I left you to face them alone.”

”Uh?” Rong Taotao was stunned. ’Is that something a patient who just woke up from a coma should be saying?’

”Although... I lost control yesterday, just grabbing that female bandit’s head and smashing it randomly, now that I think about it, I vaguely remember you fighting in front of me.” Gao Lingwei pursed her lips and said softly, ”I should have been more help to you.”

”You were in terrible shape. You were ambushed. It was already incredible that you managed to break free from their control,” Rong Taotao said, sitting back down to comfort her.

”Mm,” Gao Lingwei replied with a faint, forced smile, her face still full of apology. ”Can I be discharged?”

Rong Taotao stood up again. ”I’ll go ask.”

”You can be discharged.” Yang Chunxi pushed the door open, carrying a meal. Rong Yang followed behind her.

”Chunxi.”

”How are you feeling?” Yang Chunxi walked to the bedside, handed the meal to Rong Taotao, and leaned down to carefully examine Gao Lingwei’s eyes.

”After a night’s rest, I’m much better.” Gao Lingwei pushed herself up, leaning against the headboard.

”Good. After we get back to school, I’ll apply for a forehead Soul Pearl for you. Your status is different from the other students now. It’s essential to arm your mind,” Yang Chunxi said softly.

Gao Lingwei looked down at the white fleece she was wearing and suddenly asked, ”Chunxi, where are my clothes?”

Yang Chunxi replied, ”That down jacket was covered in blood, so you couldn’t wear it. It was sent to the Soul Police last night.”

Gao Lingwei looked up at Yang Chunxi and asked softly, ”Can... can I get it back?”

”Well...” Yang Chunxi turned to look at Rong Taotao.

Rong Taotao, however, directly summoned his Cloud Dog and placed it in Gao Lingwei’s arms. ”We have to go to the Soul Police station in the next few days anyway. We can ask then if we can get it back.”

”WOOF WOOF~” The Cloud Dog wagged its little tail and bounced in her arms.

Gao Lingwei’s mood did indeed lift a little, but only a little. She gently stroked the cheerful puppy in her arms, nodded silently, and said no more.

Yang Chunxi, however, seemed to understand a girl’s heart better. She teased with a smile, ”Even though it was the first gift he ever gave you, it’s just a piece of clothing. Nothing worth keeping.”

”In the future, when he gives you a necklace or a ring for the first time, then you can treasure it.”

Gao Lingwei: ”...”

Rong Taotao looked at Gao Lingwei in surprise, scratching his head foolishly. After thinking for a long moment, he suddenly blurted out, ”Yeah, the first time doesn’t mean anything! The first Soul Pearl my brother gave me, that Thorny Frost Flower thing, I blew it up just like that. Didn’t even bat an eye.”

Yang Chunxi: ”...”

Rong Yang: ???

...

After completing the discharge procedures, Rong Taotao and the others returned to Gao Lingwei’s home.

Rong Yang was originally supposed to leave on the afternoon of the first day of the Lunar New Year. But because of what had happened, he made a special request to his unit and stayed behind temporarily.

On one hand, he was to cooperate with the Songbai Town Soul Police’s investigation. On the other, Rong Yang also planned to personally escort Rong Taotao back to Songjiang Soul Martial University after everything was settled.

Gao Lingwei needed to rest quietly, so she went back to the master bedroom.

Rong Taotao didn’t dare go in and disturb her. He just left the Cloud Dog with her. The little fellow was very well-behaved and wasn’t a nuisance.

If its master played with it, it would heal hearts with its adorable smile. And if Gao Lingwei didn’t play with it... well, that was fine. The Snowball Cat was there too.

However, the Snowball Cat seemed to be keenly aware that its master was in low spirits, and it stayed by Gao Lingwei’s side, obedient and quiet.

The Snowball Cat couldn’t quite understand human language yet. If... it could actually understand words like ”blew up a Soul Pet,” its mood would probably be even worse right now.

This New Year was certainly different for the family. For the entire day, they all stayed quietly at home, resting and recuperating.

At dinner, although Yang Chunxi had prepared a lavish meal, Gao Lingwei didn’t have much of an appetite. She only ate a few bites, but politely remained at the table, keeping everyone company.

Fortunately, Rong Taotao was more than up to the task. The concept of a ”poor appetite” simply didn’t exist for him. His presence was a blessing for any cook. He ate like a whirlwind, and if you didn’t stop him, he’d probably lick the plates clean...

”After you do the dishes, remember to text your teachers and wish them a Happy New Year,” Rong Yang reminded Rong Taotao, who had already started washing up. ”I hear Coach Si and Coach Xia have been looking out for you. A text won’t take much time.”

”Oh, okay.” Rong Taotao nodded. ’Geez... if my two coaches knew what happened last night on New Year’s Eve, they’d probably be the ones calling to check on me, right?’

As Rong Taotao grumbled to himself, he happened to overhear Yang Chunxi’s voice from the living room.

His sister-in-law’s voice wasn’t quiet, and it seemed intentionally aimed at a certain someone. ”Are you kidding? How could I let you sleep on the couch? We’ll continue to sleep in the master bedroom. Those two can sleep wherever they want...”

In the kitchen, Rong Taotao and Rong Yang looked at each other, speechless.

Rong Taotao asked cautiously, ”Where are you sleeping?”

Rong Yang just laughed. ”There’s no way I’m going into Gao Lingwei’s room. You want to camp out on the living room floor with me?”

Rong Taotao lowered his head and continued washing the dishes. ”What a coincidence. You can’t go in, but I can.”

Rong Yang: ”...”

Watching Rong Taotao wash the dishes, Rong Yang said, ”You always complain that we don’t see each other enough, that I don’t have time for you. Well, I’m giving you a chance now.”

Rong Taotao: ”Hey, it’s fine. We’re mentally linked now, we can chat in our heads. You go get the couch ready.”

”Hmph.” Rong Yang snorted and walked out. ”The beds are too soft anyway. I’m not used to them.”

Rong Taotao leaned to the side, watching Rong Yang outside the door. ”Just what you’d expect from a soldier. Such a tough guy, rawr~”

Rong Yang stopped in his tracks, suddenly turned around, and shut the kitchen door behind him.

Eating a lot meant a lot of plates and bowls. After finally finishing the dishes and wiping down the counter, Rong Taotao walked out of the kitchen and headed straight for Gao Lingwei’s smaller bedroom.

He casually picked up his phone, opened his chat app, and saw the lively scene in the Soul Class group chat.

Sun Xingyu was a real sweet-talker, wishing everyone a Happy New Year one by one and snatching up quite a few red envelopes.

As someone spending the holiday away from home, Rong Taotao was a prime target for Sun Xingyu’s @ mentions. However, she didn’t dare @ Gao Lingwei. After all, they weren’t that close, and Sun Xingyu held a certain reverence for her, so she wouldn’t be too presumptuous.

Rong Taotao thought for a moment and sent a message to the group: ”Happy New Year, everyone!”

Xing’Er: ”Whoa! He’s alive! How fun was New Year’s Eve in Songbai Town that you didn’t look at your phone all day? It’s already the evening of the first!”

Rong Taotao grimaced. ’Fun?’

’Holy crap, it was a blast, alright! Nearly got me killed!’

’I spent the first half of New Year’s Eve at the Soul Police station and the second half at the Second Hospital. What a packed night!’

’Gao Lingwei didn’t have such a packed night. She didn’t even stay up for the New Year’s countdown. She fell asleep early and slept straight through till morning...’

Mango: ”@Tao’Er, what’s up? You came to Songbai Town for the New Year?”

Tao’Er: ”Ah... I came on the 29th.”

Mango: ”Why didn’t you tell me? Where are you now? I’ll come find you!”

Tao’Er: ”At Da Wei’s place. Just finished dinner.”

Xing’Er: ”Woooow~!”

Little Pomegranate: ”Tsk tsk...”

Mango: ”Can I come find you?”

Banana: ”Go for it! Man up! Meet the parents! Haha!”

Xing’Er: ”Hey! Taotao, quick, check her Weibo! She just posted an update.”

Tao’Er: ”What could Da Wei post? She’s already asleep...”

Xing’Er: ”For real, just look!”

Mango: ”@Tao’Er, I’m! Coming! To! Find! You! Okay?”

Rong Taotao exited WeChat and curiously opened Weibo. He clicked on the only person he followed and, sure enough, he saw a new post!

To be precise, it was a single picture with no text.

And that picture was of a person’s silhouette.

Set against the backdrop of lanterns hanging by the street, amidst the bustling night market, in front of a barbecue stall filled with the smoky aroma of grilled food.

A young man in a white down jacket, with a head of soft, natural curls, wore a serious expression, his eyes fixed on the squid sizzling on the hot plate.

In just a few short minutes, Rong Taotao saw floods of comments pouring in.

A small portion of the comments were New Year’s greetings. The vast majority, however, were curses and flames!

”Ah!? Who is this? What does this mean? Is this... an official relationship announcement?”

”You haven’t posted on Weibo in half a year, and when you finally do, you don’t post a selfie but hit me with this bombshell!?”

”Who is this?”

”Impossible! Tell me who he is! Give me his address! I’m going to go kill him right now!!!”

”This is f*cking ridiculous! Look at that dopey, greedy face of his! My Goddess Wei would never fall for someone like that!”

Amidst the storm of wailing and dramatic comments, a familiar name caught Rong Taotao’s eye.

TimelyRainAfterDrought: ”Happiness belongs to others, joy belongs to others, best friends belong to others, even dogs belong to others... Heh, how wonderful~”