“You two are eating pretty early today.”
Li Yedao and Kafka had barely exchanged a few words when a cool voice came from the entrance.
Jingliu was back.
Her white hair shimmered faintly silver beneath the entryway lights, making it difficult to look away.
She glanced at the two people sitting rather close together at the dining table, and one eyebrow rose ever so slightly.
“Little guy, you should be more careful.
Don’t let some wicked woman fool you so easily.”
Kafka set down her bowl and chopsticks, narrowing her eyes.
“Jingliu, are you implying that Yedao doesn’t even possess basic judgment?”
“And don’t casually interfere in other people’s private affairs.”
“I never said anything like that.”
Jingliu waved a hand, looking perfectly innocent.
“Though judging by how strongly you reacted…
did I hit a nerve?”
Here we go again…
Li Yedao sighed.
He poked at the half-eaten chicken leg left in his bowl with his chopsticks.
The two of them had completely killed his appetite.
Ever since he moved into this villa, Kafka and Jingliu hadn’t gone a single day without clashing.
From something as important as his career choices to something as trivial as what Li Yedao should eat that day—somehow, they could turn absolutely anything into a competition.
“Can’t you two just get along?”
He attempted to mediate.
“Learn from Acheron.
She’s nice and quiet.”
The moment he finished speaking, the front door opened again.
Acheron stood at the entrance with a convenience-store bag in hand, expressionless.
She had arrived just in time to hear her own name.
Kafka and Jingliu both fell silent for a moment.
Naturally, Li Yedao did too.
What kind of timing is this?
Jingliu narrowed her eyes, the corner of her mouth curling into a dangerous smile.
“So, you like Acheron that much?”
Acheron’s gaze quietly settled on Li Yedao.
Something difficult to describe seemed to appear within those unfathomably deep eyes.
A chill ran down Li Yedao’s back.
Wait, what?
How did the gun suddenly get turned on me?!
Where are my teammates?!
Someone save me!
He shot Kafka a pleading look.
Kafka merely lifted her soup bowl, took an elegant sip, and gave him a gentle smile.
She clearly had no intention whatsoever of helping him.
“Uh…
actually, I just remembered I haven’t finished today’s outline yet.
I’m going back to my room to write.”
Li Yedao put down his chopsticks and bolted back to his room at a speed that could only be described as fleeing for his life.
Click.
The sound of the lock snapping shut was crisp and decisive.
Acheron withdrew her gaze and calmly carried her bag toward her own room.
“I’ll be going back too.”
That left only two people in the living room.
The air almost seemed to crackle with faint static electricity.
Kafka folded her arms and leaned back in her chair.
“Isn’t the Xianzhou busy lately?
Why do you keep coming home every day?”
“Obviously, I’m coming back to check on the little guy.”
Jingliu smiled without the slightest attempt to hide her intentions before abruptly changing the subject.
“He’s innocent and naive.
How could I possibly rest easy if some scheming purple-haired woman tricked him into running away with her?”
“Oh, right.
He’s an author signed under your company now, isn’t he?
Aren’t you worried people will gossip if you stay too close to him?”
“A superior and subordinate naturally need to maintain appropriate boundaries.”
Kafka stood up unhurriedly, picked up the dishes, and headed toward the kitchen.
“But I’m not his superior.”
“I’m Kafka.”
“And Kafka being close to Li Yedao…
what exactly is wrong with that?”
Jingliu let out a cold laugh but didn’t reply.
She turned around and returned to her room.
Standing beside the sink, Kafka heard the bedroom door close behind her and gave a quiet snort.
…
…
Back in his room, Li Yedao had already thrown the whole incident out of his mind.
Phone in hand, he was enthusiastically shitposting in the contracted-authors group chat.
Luolan: I said Eden is the prettiest!
Are you people deaf?!
Duan: Feels like…
she doesn’t even compare to a single hair on Robin’s head.
Bread: I support Lord Luolan!
I’ve been a loyal Lord Luolan fan for ten years!
Jinliu: Luolan-gege is bullying the newcomers again.
Molong: This is not bullying.
Luolan: He is not a newcomer.
Li Yedao was switching apps to hunt for a reaction image when the distinctive notification tone he had set for special contacts suddenly rang out.
His fingers moved almost on instinct.
He immediately exited the group chat.
A red notification dot was sitting over Silver Wolf’s profile picture.
Silver Wolf: Holy crap!
The opening of your new book is actually pretty damn good.
That whole “python and sparrow devouring the dragon” line genuinely got me.
Silver Wolf: What’s the title?
Li Yedao: Yuan Zun.
Well?
Cool, right?
Silver Wolf: Tch, look at you showing off.
Get online already and play a few rounds with me!
Li Yedao: I don’t play with noobs.
After the message was sent, the other side went silent for two seconds.
Then his screen began exploding with notifications.
Silver Wolf: NOOB?!
Silver Wolf: Voice Message — 60 seconds
Silver Wolf: Voice Message — 60 seconds
Silver Wolf: Voice Message — 37 seconds
Silver Wolf is requesting a video call…
Li Yedao’s shoulders shook with laughter.
He rejected the call without hesitation.
Lies don’t hurt people.
The truth is the sharpest blade.
Tell Silver Wolf that she’s bad at programming, and she’ll just sneer at you.
But tell her she sucks at games?
Now that gets results.
You’ll get to witness a calm, collected tech geek transform on the spot into a furious little pufferfish, red from head to toe.
“Stay mad.”
Li Yedao stuffed his phone beneath his pillow, switched off the lights, and closed his eyes.
…
…
Stellaron Hunter Network Headquarters.
A petite figure rolled furiously back and forth across the floor, both arms flailing wildly against the carpet.
“AAAAARGH!
I’M SO MAD!
LI YEDAO, JUST YOU WAIT!
I, SILVER WOLF, WILL NEVER LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIIIIS!!!”
Firefly crouched beside her, watching her colleague roll around on the floor.
The corner of her mouth twitched, but she still reached out a helping hand.
“Silver Wolf…
are you okay?”
“He called me a noob!”
Silver Wolf sprang upright in one motion and grabbed Firefly by the shoulders, shaking her violently.
“You tell me!
Isn’t Li Yedao going way too far?!
My skills are obviously amazing!”
Firefly hesitated.
Then she spoke quietly.
“But…
when you play against Yedao, haven’t you lost every single match?”
Silver Wolf’s hands froze in midair.
“Whose side are you on?!”
Her face turned visibly red at astonishing speed.
“You’re supposed to support me unconditionally!
Not help him analyze my losing record!”
Halfway through her rant, she suddenly narrowed her eyes suspiciously and leaned closer to Firefly.
“Wait a second.”
“I heard you like that guy…”
“That isn’t actually true, is it?”
“Eh?!”
Firefly’s entire body stiffened.
She frantically waved both hands.
“N-No, that’s not it…
I just…”
Her voice grew quieter and quieter.
In the end, she simply buried her face between her knees.
Even the tips of her ears had turned so red they looked ready to bleed.
Silver Wolf stared at her.
She felt as though an arrow had just pierced straight through her heart.
Firefly.
You betrayed me too?
Kafka, Firefly…
Fine.
Very well!
You’re all about to lose the best teammate you’ve ever had!
Silver Wolf stopped complaining.
Silently, she picked up her phone and resumed her argument with Li Yedao.
Only this time, the force behind her typing was noticeably weaker.
She had to grit her teeth for several seconds before sending each message.
…
…
Schicksal Tech.
As usual, Durandal came over to inspect Kiana’s workstation.
Instead, she found a dejected white-haired girl sprawled across the desk like a kitten that had been left out in the rain.
“Kiana?”
“Big Sis…”
Kiana lifted her head.
Her eyes were red, and there were still traces of tears at their corners that she hadn’t wiped away.
She sniffled, her voice muffled.
“This job…
doesn’t seem as great as I thought it was.”
“I want to go home.”
Durandal’s heart skipped a beat.
As a fellow working woman—even if she technically worked for her own family—she knew all too well what this particular sign meant.
Once someone started questioning whether their job had any meaning…
Resignation usually wasn’t far behind.
Kiana quitting wasn’t a problem in itself.
The Kaslana family certainly wasn’t short on money.
The real question was—
Why had she suddenly started thinking this way?
“What happened?”
Durandal hurried forward and pulled the white-haired girl into her arms, lowering her voice to an exceptionally gentle tone.
“Tell your big sister what happened.
I’ll help you figure something out.”
“Old Li…
Old Li quit.”
Kiana buried her face against her sister’s shoulder, her voice breaking between words.
“I won’t get to see him anymore…”
Durandal froze.
How had Li Yedao managed to resign in the time it took her to go eat a meal?
More importantly…
Wasn’t he one of her subordinates?
How had he resigned without her even knowing about it?
She frowned, took out her phone, and called a name in her contacts that she hadn’t spoken to in quite some time.
“Hello?”
Several seconds later, the call connected.
Otto’s usual composed voice came from the other end.
“Chairman Otto, is it true that Li Yedao resigned?”
Beside her, Kiana quietly perked up her ears.
“That’s right.
He came straight to me to handle it, so I had Human Resources process his resignation.”
Otto sounded perfectly relaxed.
“What?
That kid didn’t tell you?”
“I thought the two of you were pretty close.
I see you talking together all the time.”
Durandal fell silent for several seconds.
“I understand.”
The call ended.
She stood there motionlessly, slowly lowering her hand.
For a moment, she had no idea what to say.
And just like that—
The number of heartbroken people went from one to two.
join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I’m a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 230)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
Yu-Gi-Oh!
— Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl 355
“Is this chat group even serious?” (Completed)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal!
(Completed)
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa (Completed)
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 265
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 377
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (Completed.)
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume5/8
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 135
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 170
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 135
Supernatural Multiverse 210
My Harem Is Indescribable 120
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 120
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 130
Still playing traditional Honk 105
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 120
What Should I Do After Switchi 85
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Transmigrated as Sukuna 165
Checking In in Demon Slayer 105
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 120
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 115
My Best Friend Into a Slime?
90
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel (Completed)
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero?
105
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 115
Why did they assign me to Uma 100
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 110
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 160
Honkai’s Otherworld?
Wait—Who Are You People?!
150
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 75
The Uma Musume Who Became 80
I’m Definitely Not the King of 160
After Maxing Out Every Class 170
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 150
I, the Elden Sword Saint 80
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 115
No One Knows Pokémon Better 75
From Trilobites to Titans 70
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 130
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 150
An Anime Heroine Darkened 70
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 100
Honkai: The Fire Devil 145
Honkai Transformation Cards Volume3/15
Age of Heroes, I’m Just a Back 120
Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 100
At age 8, she co-starred with 80
Honkai: Schicksal Media 105
An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 85
Chainsaw Man, but I’m Aatrox 75
Honkai Apocrypha: Are the Valk 60
Morgan Shirou’s Journey in Dan 43
DanMachi: Get to Work, Dimensi 95
Honkai: Star Rail—Kiana Cried!
63
Sakiko Togawa: A Blood-Soaked Cards Volume2/32
Detective Conan: My Whole 65
Honkai: Star Rail:Reincarnated 92
In the Nasuverse, but I Practice Scientific Cultivation 53
Honkai: Starting Out as a God of Luoxing 65
join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178) Zenless Zone Zero: I’m a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 230)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 ) Yu-Gi-Oh!
— Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl 355 “Is this chat group even serious?” (Completed) I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal!
(Completed) Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77 From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa (Completed) Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 265 From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20 Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 377 Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (Completed.) I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume5/8 The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 135 Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67 Uma Musume: From Beginner 170 Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85 Uma Musume: I Want All 120 I Can Copy Unique Skills 135 Supernatural Multiverse 210 My Harem Is Indescribable 120 Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 120 Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 130 Still playing traditional Honk 105 The Most Filial Son Under Heav 120 What Should I Do After Switchi 85 Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80 Transmigrated as Sukuna 165 Checking In in Demon Slayer 105 The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 120 I Refuse to Become a Heroic 115 My Best Friend Into a Slime?
90 A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel (Completed) What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero?
105 Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 115 Why did they assign me to Uma 100 DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 110 The Gacha Merchant Who Started 160 Honkai’s Otherworld?
Wait—Who Are You People?!
150 Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 75 The Uma Musume Who Became 80 I’m Definitely Not the King of 160 After Maxing Out Every Class 170 Honkai: World Modulation Mode 150 I, the Elden Sword Saint 80 Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 115 No One Knows Pokémon Better 75 From Trilobites to Titans 70 Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 130 DanMachi: My Party Members Are 150 An Anime Heroine Darkened 70 Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 100 Honkai: The Fire Devil 145 Honkai Transformation Cards Volume3/15 Age of Heroes, I’m Just a Back 120 Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 100 At age 8, she co-starred with 80 Honkai: Schicksal Media 105 An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 85 Chainsaw Man, but I’m Aatrox 75 Honkai Apocrypha: Are the Valk 60 Morgan Shirou’s Journey in Dan 43 DanMachi: Get to Work, Dimensi 95 Honkai: Star Rail—Kiana Cried!
63 Sakiko Togawa: A Blood-Soaked Cards Volume2/32 Detective Conan: My Whole 65 Honkai: Star Rail:Reincarnated 92 In the Nasuverse, but I Practice Scientific Cultivation 53 Honkai: Starting Out as a God of Luoxing 65 Honkai: I Really Never Intended to Start a Harem!