Two Unpopular People

No matter what yesterday held, today is a new day.

Early the next morning, Samuel departed. His exit was swift and decisive, yet he left happy. This was clear to Jiang Yunshu as she saw him off, and equally clear to Ran Jiu and Meng Shan, who were secretly observing from a distance.

Before leaving, Samuel promised repeatedly that he would return to this city in the future. Yunshu was delighted; to her, it meant a reunion with a friend. Ran Jiu and Meng Shan, however, were less than thrilled. They knew Samuel’s identity was anything but simple, and his frequent presence in the city would inevitably invite trouble. More importantly, they weren’t exactly eager to witness a future where Samuel might actually pursue Yunshu.

Regardless, Samuel was gone. His time with Yunshu was like a brief interlude in the grander score of life. To some, it might just be a pleasant melody; to others, it was a symphony that could move a soul for a lifetime. But whether an interlude or a symphony, once the music ends, life must resume its original tempo.

Under Ran Jiu’s tutelage, the “Three Little Ones” began developing new abilities and refining the applications of their existing ones. During these sessions, Ran Jiu practiced her newly acquired ability—merging her needles—in secret, away from the students.

Why hide it? She wanted a trump card of her own, and frankly, practicing alongside the kids felt awkward. Teaching them was one thing, but training with them felt strange.

As for Meng Shan, aside from handling daily paperwork with Ran Jiu’s help, he became a whirlwind of activity. He used legitimate methods to make money, questionable methods to gather intel, and strictly illegal methods to acquire weaponry.

He understood perfectly that choosing to keep Ran Jiu here was both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity: Ran Jiu would lead the three girls to heights far beyond what he could achieve. The challenge: her immense power and global reputation would inevitably draw crises of equal magnitude. Cheng Ya was proof of that—if Ran Jiu hadn’t been here, Cheng Ya might never have set foot in this city.

Meng Shan had to be ready. Not every problem could be solved by Ran Jiu; some burdens he had to shoulder himself.

Everyone had their part to play, and time blurred past. A week vanished, and Yi Fuling’s birthday arrived.

On that day, Fuling’s friends gathered at her home, bringing gifts and blessings. The house was filled with laughter and chatter until the doorbell rang, shifting the atmosphere instantly.

Fuling hurried to the door.

“Xiao Yi, Happy Birthday! Thinking back on this past half-year, this is actually the first time I’ve been to your house.”

“It’s my first time too, so I brought a gift. I hope you like it.”

“Happy Birthday, Xiao Yi.”

Standing outside were Ran Jiu and her companions.

“You’re all here! Come in, quick,” Fuling said with a bright smile. “What took you so long? It’s almost noon.”

“Ran into some trouble, took a bit of time to settle it. Look, I brought you a gift.” Ran Jiu brushed off the question with a breezy tone, hoisting a large, heavy gift box for Fuling to see.

It was Fuling’s birthday; Ran Jiu couldn’t exactly tell her that they had been delayed by a monster attack an hour ago. Ran Jiu had used the monster as a live test for Bai He’an and Jiang Yunshu’s week of training before clinicaly finishing it off herself. Even so, it had pushed their arrival close to midday.

“Ran Jiu’s right, just a minor thing. Don’t worry about it.” As she spoke, Jiang Yunshu had already led Bai He’an into the house, enthusiastically greeting classmates who were already seated. Judging by the warm responses, Yunshu had many friends here.

Bai He’an, by contrast, was more reserved. Known as “cool and distant” at school and not one for small talk, she had few friends; only Yunshu and Fuling could truly be called her confidantes.

However, the moment Meng Shan and Ran Jiu entered the room, the cheerful atmosphere vanished. The students looked at these two strangers with wary, wide-eyed caution.

One was tall and heavily muscled; even through a loose T-shirt and gym pants, his powerful silhouette was unmistakable. The other had a piercing gaze and a fit, curvaceous figure, dressed in sharp office attire that made her look less like a corporate drone and more like high-level management. Both stood with an air of imposing authority.

The common trait between these two strangers was a crushing, oppressive aura. Just by standing still, they made the students feel inexplicably small. A few of the more “knowledgeable” students, having heard rumors at school about these two, mistakenly assumed they were high-ranking underworld figures.

Seeing these “unfriendly” guests, Fuling’s father—the only other adult present—stepped forward and asked respectfully, “May I ask who you are? What brings you here?”

Before they could answer, Fuling interjected, “Dad, this is Meng Shan and Liang Meijiu. They’re my friends, and they’re really, really good people.”

“I see… Xiao Yi’s friends.” Her father didn’t look reassured; if anything, the suspicion in his eyes deepened.

Fuling’s mother then asked, “So, Xiao Yi, when exactly did you become friends with them? You should have told us.”

“It’s been about half a year,” Fuling answered without thinking. “As for why I didn’t tell you… well, I forgot.”

This answer clearly did nothing to lower the mother’s guard. She turned to Meijiu and Meng Shan, her tone sharpened: “Today is Yi Fuling’s birthday. Please state your intentions.”

Detecting the hostility in her mother’s voice, Fuling tried to explain, “No, Mom, they’re good people, they aren’t—”

Meng Shan cut her off. “Xiao Yi, there’s no need to explain. Madam, we are only here to deliver gifts for Xiao Yi’s birthday. We’ll be leaving shortly after.”

“Right, just dropping off some gifts.” Ran Jiu placed the massive box on the dining table. “I cooked everything in here myself; the taste is quite decent. I finished them recently, so they should still be warm.”

Meng Shan handed a small, exquisite box to Fuling. “Yes, Fuling is right. We’re just here for the gifts. This is a jade ring; I think you’ll like it.”

No matter how thick-skinned they were, Meng Shan and Ran Jiu could tell that their continued presence would only dampen the mood of the party.

Hearing Meng Shan’s words, Fuling looked dazed. “Eh? Big Brother, you’re leaving already?”

“Yeah,” Yunshu added, “it’s way too early! At least stay for lunch.”

“No need.” Ran Jiu waved a hand. “We have other matters to attend to. We won’t be staying for lunch.”

“But…”

Fuling wanted to say more, but Bai He’an interrupted her. “Alright, Xiao Yi. Brother Shan and Sister Ran might really have urgent business. Don’t make a scene.” Having stayed quiet until now, she had read the room and understood Meng Shan and Ran Jiu’s intentions. “They have their reasons for saying this; we don’t need to overthink it.”

“Xiao An is right. We really do have urgent business that needs immediate attention.” A faint, forced smile appeared on Ran Jiu’s face. “Anyway, today is Xiao Yi’s birthday—it’s a day for happiness. Everyone here, please enjoy yourselves. And, Xiao Yi, Happy Birthday.”

“Happy Birthday, Xiao Yi. Like Ah Jiu said, we have to go.”

Leaving their blessings behind, Meng Shan and Ran Jiu departed Fuling’s home without another word.

Only after they had driven a significant distance did Ran Jiu speak. “Yi Fuling has very good parents, doesn’t she?”

“Yeah. At least they’re brave enough to step forward when they perceive danger. That’s good enough.” Meng Shan drove with a steady hand. “The only downside is that they identified us as the danger.”

Ran Jiu gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Can you blame them? Just look at us—we don’t exactly look like ‘friendly’ characters. Besides, we aren’t exactly ‘good people’ either.”

It was a truth they both knew in their bones. Two people whose hands were stained with blood could hardly expect to be anything but outcasts in a normal world. They were well-used to such treatment.

After a silence, Meng Shan said, “It’s only natural. If it were my daughter’s birthday and two strangers who clearly looked ‘off’ showed up, I wouldn’t give them a warm welcome either.”

“True. I’d react the same way. Well, since we just finished fighting that monster, we have plenty of paperwork to do. Let’s spend the afternoon finishing it all.”

Having said that, Ran Jiu shifted the topic. “So, where are we having lunch? Just so you know, I’m not cooking today.”

Meng Shan answered jokingly, “How about that ‘Couple’s Hotpot’?”

“Sure,” Ran Jiu replied instantly.

“…I was kidding.”

“I’m serious. That set meal really is a bargain.”

“Fine, then. Since you’ve said so, let’s go. We’ll pretend to be a couple and eat the Couple’s Set.”

“…When you put it like that, I feel like you’re taking advantage of me.”