115

Recapping the previous events, Ye Yin's fear that humanity might be wiped out in the second season stemmed entirely from how brutal the first season’s plot had been. The original author’s stepmother character was so ruthless that people died as swiftly as cutting chives—whole groups falling at once. The destruction of a massive base was described in just a few lines, with victims thrown into the water, unable to utter a sound. Readers mostly focused on the heroine’s glamorous life and steamy scenes, paying little attention to the nameless cannon fodder who barely left an impression and whose deaths barely elicited a sigh.

Ye Yin had been no different. But when the fictional world in the story became her own reality, her self-centered attitude gradually shifted. Ultimately, she embraced a classic American hero’s path of defying destiny. Though she still refused to admit her true stance, her actions and the butterfly effects they spawned clearly marked her as a sort of bug fix in this world—an undeniable fact.

With the cold wave resolved and the food crisis momentarily eased, the pointless skirmishes among factions at the end of the world fighting over resources or territory had dwindled to a third of what they were in the original story. Among the remaining challenges, two were paramount: the corpse kings and the mastermind behind the scenes. Both were formidable problems.

“So soon, heading to the third base again?” Ye Hua asked. “Isn’t your brother-in-law coming along?”

“Just call him Brother Zhuo,” Ye Yin said, a bit annoyed recalling how she had been fooled twice in a row. “Our vanguard army still has to meet the cleanup legion from the capital base. They provided supplies, so we need a sincere representative. At first, I was worried he’d get the short end of the stick, but now I think I was just overthinking it.”

“Won’t you be lonely after splitting up?” Ye Hua grinned mischievously.

“Not really, we’ve always been like this,” Ye Yin paused, then added, “Besides, it’s not like it’s a permanent farewell.”

“That’s good,” Ye Hua said as she carefully wrapped up some baked cakes she had made, planning to send them along. “I always thought you were too free-spirited and unsettled. When you get to a certain age, it’s best to have a place to call home.”

Ye Yin chuckled. “You’re still so young, why do you sound like one of those neighborhood committee aunties worried about leftover women?”

“I just don’t want you to be too tired,” Ye Hua said, patting the bundle with a satisfied smile. “Brother Zhuo is very reliable, so I begrudgingly approved him stealing you away from me.”

“Don’t judge people by appearances,” Ye Yin said. “Distance breeds misconceptions. You don’t know—he’s the quiet type who hides his mischievous side. Several times when I was bullied, those ungrateful guys actually defended him… How did I ever fall for him?”

“But you seem happy every day now, don’t you?” Ye Hua smiled. “You complain all the time, but whenever you talk about Brother Zhuo, there’s a smile on your lips.”

“You dare tease your big sister? I’ll tickle you!”

As they playfully wrestled, someone knocked on the door.

“It must be Brother Zhuo. You two keep chatting; Cui Cui and I will go buy groceries. After dinner, we’ll head to the third base.”

“Okay, go ahead.”

When the door opened, it was indeed Zhuo Chenglan. After exchanging a few words with Ye Hua, Ye Hua went downstairs, and he entered the room, sitting beside Ye Yin.

“Is the person your family has been secretly supporting planning to retake control of the capital base?” Ye Yin lay sideways on the sofa, resting her head on Zhuo Chenglan’s lap, asking curiously.

“He hasn’t lost power, just keeps a low profile,” Zhuo Chenglan stroked her hair. “The situation was complicated before, with ever-shifting dynamics, so he couldn’t act rashly and has been biding his time. Now that the two bases have allied and my father has made his stance clear, unrest will probably erupt there soon.”

“I always suspected something was off with Golden Fatty,” Ye Yin sneered. “Turns out he really colluded with some extremists in the Psychic Association. Why didn’t Ye Yu just tear him apart back then and finish him off?”

“Speaking of Ye Yu, you’d better watch her closely,” Zhuo Chenglan said calmly. “Her rapid rise is worth noting.”

Ye Yin was silent for a moment. “I understand.”

“Do whatever you want, just go for it,” Zhuo Chenglan seemed to hear her thoughts. “I will always support you.”

“Mm.” Ye Yin smiled. “A bit sleepy. I’ll rest for a while. Wake me when it’s time to eat.”

“Sleep well.” Zhuo Chenglan gently brushed aside the bangs covering her eyes. “I’ll keep watch.”

Ye Yin closed her eyes with peace of mind. Their fingers intertwined, as if they would never part.

When Ye Yin arrived at the third base and leisurely stepped through the gates of Spring Snow, a loud, piercing shout nearly burst her eardrums.

“The deputy manager is back!!”

The whole of Spring Snow was thrown into an uproar. The noisy music abruptly stopped. New and old members scattered about swarmed over, and some even ran to notify those absent...

When did I become so popular?

“What’s going on this time?” Ye Yin asked Akashi. “Where’s the manager?”

“He went out on some business but will be back soon.” Akashi’s focus was clearly elsewhere. He pushed Ye Yin down into a chair and said, “You finally came back, stay a few days longer. Don’t vanish again.”

Ye Yin smiled. “I’m not running off anymore recently. But why are you all looking at me like that?”

“Deputy manager, deputy manager, isn’t it true you’ve hidden your talents too well?”

“Huh?”

“You quietly built a large base and even arranged a marriage alliance with the first base. So you’ve been playing the fool all along!”

Ye Yin scratched the back of her head. “Heh, I’ve had no chance to say otherwise.”

“Honestly, what’s your next move? Conquer the world and rule the Earth?” Akashi exaggeratedly bowed as if worshipping her. “If so, let me hitch my wagon to your star early. We’ll relax under your big tree and walk with confidence!”

Ye Yin couldn’t help but laugh and lightly punched Akashi. “Cut the nonsense. How’s Spring Snow doing lately?”

“Pretty good. Look, these are the newcomers—each one quite talented.”

“Deputy manager, hello! I’m a newly joined pyrokinetic. I’ve heard so much about you from the seniors, I admire you so much! Who says girls can’t bring honor to their families?”

No, she didn’t have that idea yet...

“Deputy manager, do you have a boyfriend? Want to consider me? I’m very open to May-December romances!”

No, she already had a man...

Just as Ye Yin was overwhelmed and amused by the crowd of new recruits, Zhiqiu returned. After clearing his throat a few times, Akashi and the others gradually left in small groups, leaving only the two of them in the bar.

Zhiqiu remained as he always was—gentle and quiet, like a faint dawn in the darkness. Ye Yin approached, intending to hug him only to be gently patted on the head. Suddenly noticing her engagement ring, she instead extended her hand. “Long time no see.”

Zhiqiu grasped her hand, his gaze falling on the ring. “So the engagement is real?”

“Yeah.” Ye Yin blushed. “It just happened all muddled up.”

“Ah, there’s a kind of lonely feeling of a younger sister you’ve watched grow up being taken away,” Zhiqiu smiled. “But still, congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Ye Yin scratched her head and couldn’t help but ask, “By the way, what about the person you were waiting for?”

Zhiqiu shook his head, hung his coat on a hanger, and said, “If you’re not in a hurry, let’s have some tea.”

His tea-making was as graceful and composed as ever. Ye Yin was so absorbed watching him she momentarily forgot her purpose. When he gently placed the cup in front of her, she regained her composure and adopted a serious expression.

“No major incidents recently, right?” Ye Yin cautiously asked.

“Smooth sailing,” Zhiqiu said. “Commander Ye has been much more restrained lately, hasn’t offended anyone.”

“That’s good.” Ye Yin asked, “There’s something I want to ask you. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, ask away.”

“Do you have any close associates in the Association?”

“Though I’m a natural psychic, I joined the Association relatively late, around the same time as you,” Zhiqiu said. “And because my psychic type is quite unique, I don’t interact much with others, so I can’t say I have any close friends there.”

“I see.” Ye Yin hesitated for a long time, then cautiously asked, “What do you think of the Association’s recent actions?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“Just casually asking, haha.” Ye Yin suddenly felt nervous. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Actually, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Huh?”

“Did you ever confront the Association on behalf of the Zhuo family?”

“Yeah, I guess so…”

“Don’t do that anymore,” Zhiqiu said. “Although the Association isn’t so powerful as to crush anyone who opposes it, you are a psychic too. There might be times you’ll need their help. It’s best to leave some room in public and not burn bridges completely.”

“Really?” Ye Yin felt a bit heavyhearted, her smile forced. “So you mean if I ever have a conflict with the Association, you’d definitely side with them?”

Zhiqiu smiled and patted her head. “I’ll do my best to mediate between you.”

“And if that conflict can’t be resolved?”

“What’s wrong?” Zhiqiu frowned slightly. “Did something happen?”

Ye Yin bit her lip. “I’ve been uneasy about the Association’s recent behavior—it feels somewhat anti-human.”

“Psychics are still human, aren’t they?”

“It’s hard to explain right now,” Ye Yin said. “You’re my friend. I really don’t want a day to come when we stand opposed.”

Zhiqiu was silent.

He lowered his eyes to think, then finally looked up with a smile. “Don’t worry, that will never happen.”