The dark muzzle of the gun made Ye Tianxie narrow his eyes, but instead of fear, his smile grew even brighter. Taking a step forward, he lazily said, “You’d better put that gun down. I don’t particularly like people pointing guns at me. Otherwise… the consequences might be more than you can afford.”

  “Hah, idiot.” The man in black holding the gun sneered as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke. Their leader said coldly, “Enough talk. Finish him.”

  Bang!

  By the 23rd century, silencers had been perfected to near-flawlessness. The bullet left the barrel with nothing more than a faint, barely audible sound.

  Ten steps. Ye Tianxie was no more than ten steps away from them. The instant the gun fired, the bullet had already struck him squarely in the forehead. His steps came to a halt.

  “Ugh… ugh…” The young girl, overwhelmed with despair, shut her eyes tightly, not daring to witness the horrifying scene of this man, who had suddenly appeared, collapsing in a spray of blood. But then, a soft ding reached her ears—the sound of metal falling onto a hard surface.

  Silence.

  The surroundings fell eerily quiet, as if they had suddenly become a ghostly abyss. A faint breeze swept through the sweltering summer night, but instead of bringing relief, it sent an unnatural chill down the spines of the four men in black, as though it carried with it the cold breath of hell itself.

  There was no blood.

  In the shrinking pupils of the four men, they could see the bullet—having struck Ye Tianxie’s forehead—falling harmlessly to the ground with a crisp, almost taunting sound. Their minds went blank.

  What… did they just witness?

  An illusion? Or were their eyes playing tricks on them?

  The young girl finally summoned the courage to open her eyes. Looking at Ye Tianxie—completely unharmed, without a single wound—her eyes filled with disbelief.

  Ye Tianxie raised a hand and lightly pressed the spot where the bullet had struck. Slowly, a grin spread across his lips—a grin that, in the eyes of the four men in black, looked like that of a demon straight from the depths of hell. He hadn’t been hurt, but he still felt a slight sting. Thinking back, he couldn’t even remember the last time someone had dared to point a gun at him… or when that person had met their end.

  With a loud clatter, the silver handgun fell to the ground. The man who had been holding it trembled violently, his hands shaking uncontrollably. At such close range, this man had blocked a bullet with his bare body—no, with his head. The sheer impossibility of it, the nightmarish horror, shattered his mental defenses completely.

  “An… Esper!” the leader stammered, his face turning pale as he instinctively stepped back. Espers… a realm beyond their reach, beyond what mere mortals could ever hope to contend with. His foot had barely touched the ground when a dark shadow flashed before him, carrying with it a bone-chilling wind. A sharp, searing pain erupted from his chest—his heart. As his consciousness faded, he heard that terrifying man whisper in his ear:

  “Sorry to disappoint you. I’m not.”

  The four men in black collapsed almost simultaneously. If anyone had been watching, they wouldn’t have been able to see what had happened—only that, in the blink of an eye, they had all dropped to the ground like puppets with their strings cut.

  Ye Tianxie clapped his hands together and sighed with mock pity. “I was only planning to leave you as four brain-dead fools… but since you were so eager to die, I might as well grant your wish.”

  Raising an eyebrow, Ye Tianxie turned his gaze to the girl, who was still staring at him in a daze. He walked over, lifted her up, snapped the ropes binding her wrists, and removed the tape covering her mouth. Under the faint light, a delicate and slightly stunned face came into view. Her long, silky hair fell over her shoulders, her elegant features radiating a mesmerizing beauty. Despite her pale complexion, an air of noble grace lingered around her—she was clearly no ordinary girl.

  “All right, you can go home now.” Ye Tianxie supported her gently.

  Yet, even after a long pause, she remained silent. Half-leaning against him, her tear-filled eyes shimmered like starlit dewdrops. Her lips, pale from fear, trembled lightly, her breathing soft and uneven. She had yet to fully recover from the shock.

  The girl was slender and tall, only half a head shorter than Ye Tianxie. As she leaned closer, she caught the unmistakable scent of him—warm, distinctly masculine. In her daze, she forgot her situation entirely, not even realizing she was leaning against a man’s chest. She simply gazed at him… as if trapped in a dream.

  A dangerous, electrifying sensation spread from her waist. The warmth of his large, calloused hand pressing against her sent a flush rising up her neck. Her fair skin turned a soft pink as she suddenly snapped back to her senses. Like a startled rabbit, she leapt away, eyes wide with alarm.

  Ye Tianxie turned his back to her, his voice cool and indifferent. “Goodbye, beautiful lady. Be more careful next time. It’s best not to wander alone at night.”

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  She stood frozen as his words replayed in her mind. She had nearly been kidnapped. Then, he had appeared… then he had stopped a bullet with his head… and then, in the blink of an eye, those men had all collapsed. Her mind finally pieced together everything that had happened.

  By the time she snapped out of her daze, Ye Tianxie was already far ahead.

  “Wait! What’s your name!?” she shouted, leaning against a car for support, her voice urgent.

  Ye Tianxie didn’t stop walking. His voice floated back lazily, “Lei Feng.”

  “Lei Feng? Lei Feng… your lollipop fell.”

  Ye Tianxie stumbled.

  If there had been a sewer grate nearby, he would have gladly lifted it and crawled inside. His pace quickened, and in an instant, he had disappeared into the night.

  Such a heroic rescue. Such a towering, godlike image.

  Ruined. All because of a single lollipop.

  “Hey! Don’t just leave like that—” The girl’s voice rang out again, but he was already gone. She watched his retreating figure disappear into the distance, her gaze flickering in confusion.

  That back… why did it seem so familiar?

  “Miss! Miss!”

  Hurried footsteps approached. Soon, five middle-aged men in black suits rushed over, panting heavily. Seeing the black van and the four motionless bodies on the ground, their expressions changed drastically. “Miss, are you all right? These men…”

  “I’m fine! I mean—I’m not fine!” She stomped her foot angrily, her voice making the men lower their heads in guilt. “I was almost kidnapped! If it weren’t for someone saving me, I’d already be—ugh!”

  “Our deepest apologies, Miss. It was our negligence. Before, it was always Master Feng protecting you, and this time, without him, we instinctively chased after the attackers… we failed you. When we return, we will accept any punishment. But Miss, these men…?”

  One of them knelt down and checked for a pulse. Moments later, he stood up, his face grim. “All dead.”

  “Dead?”

  “Dead!?” The girl gasped, stepping back in shock. Her hands flew to her mouth. That man… the one who blocked a bullet, the one who took them all down in an instant… Was he an Esper, just like her father had warned her about?

  As she tried to process it all, another memory surfaced—the earlier incident in the day. The moment she thought about it, the two figures in her mind merged into one.

  The clothes… the shoes…

  “AHHH!” She pointed forward, her voice trembling with realization.

  “He’s the pervert who groped me this morning!!!”

  “…Lei Feng, your lollipop fell.”

  Back home, after closing the door, Ye Tianxie recalled the words called out from behind him. At that moment, he felt an overwhelming urge to just drop dead.

  "Oh la la! Master, you're back! Did you buy lollipops? Did you?" As soon as she saw Ye Tianxie, Guoguo, who had already explored every corner of his home, flew over in excitement, her voice full of urgency.

  Lollipops… Ye Tianxie’s face darkened. With a defeated sigh, he collapsed onto the sofa and muttered weakly, "No… And from now on, don't ever mention lollipops again!"

  Guoguo’s excited expression vanished instantly. She blinked, and in the next second, her face was filled with deep grievance.

  “Wuu… Master, you promised me… You promised to buy me lollipops… You can’t go back on your word… How could you lie to the cutest, most obedient Guoguo…”

  At that moment, Guoguo looked as pitiful as could be—her soft pink cheeks flushed, her tiny hands twisting the hem of her dress anxiously, her big, glistening eyes filled with unshed tears, like a misty rain over a deep blue mountain lake. Her little mouth pouted as if she were about to burst into tears any second, as though she had suffered the greatest injustice in the world.

  Guoguo’s pitiful act was an ultimate weapon capable of breaking through any defense. At the very least, Ye Tianxie’s defenses crumbled instantly. He hurriedly took a lollipop out of his pocket and placed it in front of her.

  “Relax, I was just messing with you. Look—I got you a lollipop.”

  The speed at which Guoguo’s expression changed was nothing short of miraculous. The moment she saw the lollipop, her previous grievance vanished without a trace. Her teary eyes sparkled with excitement as she floated up, grabbed the large lollipop with both hands, and let out a cheerful exclamation.

  “Wow! So this is a lollipop? It’s so pretty!”

  “…Yes.” Ye Tianxie regretted not buying a watermelon instead—then he could have seriously told her that was a lollipop.

  “Waaah… Oh la la! Master is the best! The absolute best!” Guoguo cheered joyfully, clutching the lollipop as she flitted around in the air, her little hands eagerly fiddling with it. In no time, she had figured out how to unwrap the transparent packaging all on her own. She leaned in and took a sniff—the fruity aroma made her close her eyes in delight, a look of pure bliss appearing on her face. Then, carefully, she stuck out her little pink tongue and gave it a gentle lick.

  “Wah! So sweet! It’s really delicious!” Guoguo’s eyes shone even brighter as she let out a string of delighted exclamations. Holding the lollipop in both hands, she kept licking it, her tiny tongue moving rhythmically… The sight made Ye Tianxie space out for a moment.

  After casually grabbing something to eat for dinner, Ye Tianxie glanced at the clock—it was already 9:30 PM. His daily meals had no set schedule; he ate purely to fill his stomach, and more often than not, he had no idea what he had just eaten, nor did he care about the taste.

  As for Guoguo’s dinner… If she even needed dinner, it was the lollipop she was holding. Even after a long time, she had only managed to eat half of it.

  Ye Tianxie stood up and said, “Guoguo, I’m going to take a shower. Stay here, watch TV, eat your candy, and don’t run around.”

  “Got it, Master! Guoguo is the best-behaved!” Guoguo obediently continued licking her lollipop, her starry eyes fixed excitedly on the TV screen.

  Inside the bathroom, reclining lazily in the cool water, Ye Tianxie finally had a moment of peace to reflect on everything that had happened after entering the world of Destiny today. The appearance of the Eternal Moment of Fate, the appearance of Guoguo… and how she had also shown up in his real life. It all felt so surreal, as if he were caught in an illusion too strange to accept.

  Lowering his head, he lifted the black pendant resting on his chest—this item, named Eternal Moment of Fate. Closing his eyes, a celestial figure, haunting and unforgettable, surfaced in his mind. This pendant was the only thing she had left behind when she departed all those years ago. He had never once taken it off, not even while bathing.

  Perhaps he could gradually find some answers from Guoguo, who was mysterious in every possible way. But first, he had to slowly win over this little one… like buying her candy—that would be step one.

  Thinking of Guoguo holding the lollipop with such joy, Ye Tianxie couldn’t help but smile.

  The cool water lowered his body temperature, washing away the lingering heat of the summer night. Ye Tianxie let out a long, relaxed sigh, pushing aside his thoughts as he closed his eyes, enjoying the refreshing sensation of being submerged in water. He felt so comfortable that he almost wanted to drift off to sleep right then and there.

  “Eeeh! So Master is taking a bath… Oh la la! I love baths the most! I wanna take one too!”