“Um… it’s complicated, but you could say there’s some progress,” Yi Shiyue explained hesitantly.
She still had not truly processed the events of the previous night. Such a sensitive and complex matter was difficult to put into words.
“Yo, why haven’t you two eaten yet? What are you chatting about?”
Ye Xingyao pushed the door open and entered the house. Seeing the two most important girls in his life huddled together, whispering about something, he felt a spark of curiosity.
“Nothing, it’s nothing! The rice is just finished. I’ll go serve it!” Yi Shiyue looked flustered and hurried away from the living room as if she were escaping.
“Hee-hee, Brother shouldn’t pry into the delicate secrets of us young girls~”
Ye Xingling tilted her head up like a kitten, looking smugly at Ye Xingyao, who had just closed the door.
The latter responded with a look that was a mix of confusion and a hint of disdain.
‘I probably should protect her little secrets if you were only talking about Yi Shiyue, but as for you…’
“Hey, hey, Brother, what’s with that look? Regardless, your sister is still a one-in-a-million beauty!”
“Hard to say.”
“…Brother, if you keep this up, I’m going to cry!”
“Are you serious?”
Ye Xingyao looked at Ye Xingling, who was sprawling on the sofa, with suspicion. Why did he feel like he could always see a playful grin hiding behind her heartbroken expression?
“Fine, stop messing around. The food is out. Take your cake and go eat.”
Ye Xingyao waved her off and walked to the kitchen to help Yi Shiyue tidy up the utensils and bowls.
‘Sigh, how much longer can this peaceful life last?’
Ye Xingyao looked at the two girls who were already eating behind him.
Back when Ye Xingling was in seventh grade and he had just started high school, their parents disappeared. It was while cleaning his parents’ room that he learned of secrets untouchable by ordinary people.
A single language, some magic stones, and a small price to pay could allow an ordinary person to use all kinds of magic. At that time, it was a complete subversion of his understanding of reality.
It was like a lamp being lit for him in the middle of a vast, desperate night. Although it did not illuminate the place where his parents were, it gave him the ability to protect the people around him.
Relying on the clues left in his parents’ notebooks, Ye Xingyao found Hong Yeqiu. After becoming the “mysterious and somewhat impressive young girl” in her words, he accepted her help and became a monster hunter directly under her, using the codename “Yexin.”
“Xingyao? What are you thinking about? Come eat. If you don’t come soon, Xingling is going to finish your cake, too.”
“Ugh, Sister Shiyue doesn’t love me anymore… You’re even protecting Brother’s cake. Sigh, now that you have a brother, you don’t want me…”
“That’s, that’s not true…”
Hearing Yi Shiyue call him to eat and hearing Ye Xingling’s awkward, spoiled whining, Ye Xingyao finally returned to reality. After giving a response, he put the kitchen utensils back where they belonged and turned toward the dining table.
“How is it?”
Ye Xingyao picked up a piece of dried tofu and put it in his mouth. Yi Shiyue’s face turned slightly red as she asked with anticipation.
“Tsk, Brother, why haven’t you married Sister Shiyue yet?”
“It’s delicious. Shiyue’s cooking is much better than mine.”
He smiled and responded to Yi Shiyue’s expectation while simultaneously reaching out to flick his sister’s forehead as a response to her teasing.
“It’s… it’s still too early… Xingyao and I just started our sophomore year.”
Yi Shiyue gave the younger sister a proper answer on Ye Xingyao’s behalf.
However, there was half a sentence she didn’t say. She could only smile bitterly and think to herself.
‘Xingyao… is very strong, and I’m a moon elf who isn’t welcomed by the Human Alliance. It seems this peaceful life is destined to change.’
“Ayy~ Sister Shiyue is in a daze watching Brother eat~!”
An ill-timed voice piped up.
“Mm…”
Yi Shiyue hurried to lower her head and took two quick bites of rice, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Unfortunately, the two patches of crimson on her fair cheeks could not be hidden at all.
She finished her meal quickly and put her dishes in the sink. As she prepared to turn and leave, she hesitated and said to Ye Xingyao, “Xingyao, when you’re done eating, can you come over to my place for a moment?”
Before Ye Xingyao could swallow the food in his mouth to respond, Ye Xingling was already making an “Ooh—!” sound of teasing.
“Sure.”
Glaring at his foolish sister, Ye Xingyao agreed.
***
As it turned out, after Yi Shiyue went back, Ye Xingyao had to soothe the curious Ye Xingling for quite a while. Only after repeatedly promising that things between him and Yi Shiyue were perfectly innocent, and that his money truly came from a legitimate source, was he able to walk out the door under her slightly disappointed gaze.
Wait until the sound of the door opening and closing came from the opposite apartment, Ye Xingling finally turned her gaze to the cake her brother brought… or rather, the packaging.
‘Curtain Call Hotel… Are you serious?’
Could that be a place an ordinary person can afford? And he could even bring a strawberry cake back?
Ever since she became the magical girl “Frost Flower,” some of the secrets of Satellite City had become open to her, including the “Curtain Call Hotel.”
It was said that the owner of the Curtain Call Hotel was an Esper with an ability related to money. This single hotel wasn’t even considered his main property; it was merely a place to provide convenience for his business partners in Satellite City — the high-ranking officials and prestigious families of the human side.
‘Brother… are you still my brother?’
Or rather, that “boss” her brother kept talking about… what exactly was his goal?
Ye Xingling hesitantly took out her phone, switched accounts, and clicked on the avatar for her senior, “Qila.” She typed a line of text, then deleted it character by character.
After all, he was her biological brother…
***
Yi Shiyue’s bedroom.
A bed, a set of desks and chairs, a bookshelf, and a wardrobe formed the foundation of the girl’s room.
The lighting was on the warmer side, adding a bit of a gentle atmosphere to the simple room. Although it was simple, if one looked closely, they could find small trinkets the girl used to decorate. They didn’t look expensive at all — many were just little things commonly found at street stalls.
At this moment, the owner of the room and her childhood friend were facing each other from a distance.
“Um… you’re using **Soundproofing Magic** here, right?”
After surveying Yi Shiyue’s room and making eye contact with her for a while, Ye Xingyao finally started the conversation.
“Yes, I activated the **Magic Circle** in the room after you arrived.”
“That’s good. Let me report my situation first… The Human Alliance and the Hunter Alliance won’t be coming after us for the time being.”
“Oh, right. Let me introduce my other side. I am a **Midnight-level Hunter** of the Hunter Alliance. I have a one-way connection with an **Honorary Hunter**, and I’m currently working for her. That’s how I get the money to support my sister.”