Value

Yacheng, two days later, afternoon. In Lihua District, at the trendy seaside cafe and dessert parlor, Sea and Sky House. Beneath the blazing sun, an endless stream of visitors struck poses for photos along the outdoor sandy beach. Under the parasols, patrons enjoyed signature desserts and afternoon tea sets amidst a lively clamor. Yet inside the shop's meticulously prepared private booth, the atmosphere had ground to a halt amidst endless small talk. Or rather, it had turned thoroughly awkward. "The weather sure is nice today." "Yeah, sure is." "Hit any traffic on your way over?" "Nope, none at all." "You've lost weight recently!" "Just a little." "Your skin looks amazing too!" "...Huahua." Across the table, the woman dressed in a tube skirt and blouse let out a sigh. Her hair was pinned up neatly behind her head, her makeup subtle, her expression forever gentle and genial. She gave off an innate warmth that made people instinctively want to open up and pour their troubles out to her. Ye Zhi pushed her coffee to the side and said solemnly, "I skipped an appointment with a fat cat today just to see you. You said you had an important matter to consult me on in person, so out with it already." "Al... alright..." Tong Hua hemmed and hawed for a long time. Ye Zhi's gaze inconspicuously drifted down to her hands. Tong Hua twisted her fingers, knuckles pressing against each other, alternating between clasping and fidgeting—anxiety, bewilderment. She was still hesitating, debating whether to tell her. She ventured, "So, I have a friend..." "Right, you have a friend." Ye Zhi understood immediately. Pushing up her non-prescription glasses, she crossed her legs and sat up straight. The way her fingers held her spoon shifted subtly, as if grasping a pen. The look behind her clear lenses grew deeply perceptive. Tong Hua stared in shock. "What's that look for? Why are you profiling me already?!" *Tch...* The perception of the Aether path really was obnoxious. Ye Zhi offered a genial smile. "Sorry, occupational hazard. Please, do go on. This friend of yours..." "I really do have a friend!" Tong Hua clenched her fist. "A guy! Someone who has absolutely nothing to do with me!" Ye Zhi's expression shifted slightly. Her upright posture leaned in a fraction, and in her eyes gleamed the spark of gossip that those of the Aether path knew all too well. "Is he...?" Tong Hua snapped, "No, he is not!" "Fine, fine. Look at you getting all defensive again. I haven't even said anything." Ye Zhi waved a hand dismissively. Under Tong Hua's glaring gaze, she finally dropped her psychological-consultation posture and sighed helplessly. "Just give me a brief rundown of the situation, then." This was the nuisance of being a Celestial Chosen of the Heart Pivot. On normal days, one had to keep a low profile. If exposed, people inevitably treated you with wariness and repulsion. And whenever you finally managed to make a few good friends, you always ended up having to help them resolve agonizing questions like, *Does he/she love me?* What was worse, whenever they went through a breakup, you were the first person they dragged into their mess... Ye Zhi sighed. She was used to it. Who told her to have so few friends in the first place? Her right fingernail absently scraped against a notepad as she casually listened to Tong Hua's description. "Twenties... Tianmen University... promising academic future... craftsman... bizarre... always clicking his tongue at me just like you..." Omitting identifying particulars and fielding a few clarifying questions from Ye Zhi along the way, Tong Hua talked for a good while before finally lifting her teacup and exhaling a long breath. "In short, that's pretty much it." "I have one more question." Ye Zhi looked up, curious. "Have the Tong family's standards for taking in a matrilocal son-in-law gotten this high nowadays?" "I told you, it's not like that!" "Alright, alright, I get the general picture." Ye Zhi sighed. "So what exactly do you want to ask?" "I want to know if this friend of mine... *cough*..." Tong Hua instinctively lowered her voice, asking with genuine concern, "If he keeps going on like this, could something go wrong with his mind?" Ye Zhi froze for a moment, not quite catching on. "I'm more curious why such a thought would even occur to you." Tong Hua flushed with embarrassment and quickly waved her hands in defense. "I know it's not nice to speculate like that, but aren't I just asking out of... concern? We're friends, after all, aren't we?" "No, what I mean is, why did it only occur to you to seek a doctor *now*?" Ye Zhi asked in complete bafflement, "What's wrong with him? You should be asking what *isn't* wrong with him!" With that, she picked up the notepad in her hand, displaying the fingernail scratches etched across it. "Severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, paranoia, morbid suspicion, extreme mysophobia, post-traumatic stress disorder. "While some specifics would require an in-person diagnosis, if you ask me to guess, he also has at least moderate anxiety, interpersonal hypersensitivity... and self-destructive tendencies." Having rattled off that long list, Ye Zhi had to pause for breath, letting out a heavy sigh. "Granted, almost everyone alive in this world has a few quirks or issues, but people with a list of symptoms this rich who haven't been locked up in a psychiatric ward are truly rare." How should she put it...? He sounded like the young lady in a red dress inside a haunted mansion, or the friendly passerby offering to share a meal in a desolate no-man's-land, or the kind young man in a ski mask helping an old lady cross the street right after leaving a bank. On the surface, everything looked fine, but beneath it, every single thing was off! It possessed the terrifying beauty of a dialogue tree where picking the wrong choice meant an instant game over. But so what? Sure, he had plenty of issues, but as long as he was functioning fine, that meant there was no problem. Besides, as every programmer knew: if the code runs, don't f***ing touch it. Ye Zhi didn't feel there was any place she was needed here at all. The very first lesson any Celestial Chosen of the Heart Pivot had to learn was never to stick their nose into other people's business and never to go looking for trouble. Otherwise, trouble would surely come looking for you, and it would only snowball. Wasn't he getting along just fine right now? If he wasn't crazy, he was fine; even if he was crazy, he was still fine. Plenty of people looked perfectly fine on the outside when, in reality, they had been stark raving mad for years. For the sake of their friendship, she earnestly advised, "Give it up. He won't like you... In fact, if not for the fact that he's already tied to you, he would definitely choose to stay as far away from you as possible." "When did I ever say I liked him?!" Tong Hua flared with indignation. Then, growing even angrier, she slammed her hand on the table. "Besides, I'm the eldest young miss of the Tong family! What's wrong with me?!" Ye Zhi shook her head. "To him, practically everything is wrong." Personality, capabilities, family background... Indecisive, overly sentimental, gossipy, equipped with an Eye of Aether that couldn't stop looking around and always managed to see things it shouldn't, not to mention a family network so tangled it would make anyone's head spin. "If he only treats you as a tool—er, a friend—the two of you will get along splendidly. He might even make a great friend. No matter how reluctant he might feel on the inside, if something happens to you, he won't just stand by and watch." Ye Zhi stated with absolute certainty, "However, if he detects even the faintest possibility that your relationship might shift, he will maintain a respectful distance without a second thought." Tong Hua was stunned. "Is he really that extreme?" Ye Zhi gave a helpless sigh. "...Setting aside your connection to the Aether for a moment." She pointed at the naive young miss across from her. "The Tong family itself is a massive tempest. Sometimes, a mere sigh from them can blow away everything caught in its path. "Do you really think a person like that would jump into a pit when he has nothing better to do? "He won't risk having his plans disrupted to meddle in meaningless complications. Your wealth, your power, your status—to him, they hold zero value." "..." Tong Hua's expression shifted slightly. Surprisingly, instead of the embarrassment and anger Ye Zhi had expected, it looked as though she had just recalled something. Her eyes lit up, and she leaned in close, whispering, "What if... it's someone from the House of An?" "That would be even worse!" Ye Zhi rolled her eyes. "Unless he took the wrong medicine, he would never reciprocate. In fact, he might well go out of his way to avoid them entirely!" Paranoia, OCD, interpersonal hypersensitivity... So many issues were merely outward symptoms. The root of it all lay in a deep-seated desire for control. Not control over others, but control over himself! "You might think he shows signs of obsessive-compulsive behavior or perfectionism when it comes to details, but in reality, all of it stems from an instinctual craving to control his own life. "Only when living within the life he has chosen for himself can he feel comfortable and at peace." She held up her coffee spoon and said bluntly, "In other words, a person like that will never permit anything or anyone to arbitrarily dictate and influence his life, or to disrupt his plans—regardless of whether that change is good or bad." If such a factor appeared, he would eliminate or isolate it. If it was a malicious intrusion, it would trigger the most direct stress response... Understand, evaluate, probe, and finally, mercilessly eradicate! "You'd better pray he has no interest in you. If a person like that ever sought power and influence, he would probably have started laying the groundwork seven or eight years in advance. Meeting you would be nothing more than a single step in his plan. "He would meticulously and carefully steer the entire scheme, ultimately exploiting every available resource to achieve his objective." Ye Zhi narrowed her eyes, the smile fading from her face. "Haven't you ever considered that your excessive concern for him might also be the result of his deliberate induction?" "..." Tong Hua's face twitched. Granted, she had grown up in pampered luxury and had never suffered hardship. Backed by the steady leadership of her eldest uncle, the head of the main branch, her household was peaceful and free of cutthroat feuds. Still, that didn't mean she was some simpleton waiting to be used by anyone who pleased. Celestial Chosen of the Heart Pivot always seemed to be like this. They had witnessed too many sickening things, to the point where they never hesitated to interpret others through the darkest possible lens. It was just like how those of the Aether path stubbornly believed whatever they saw, convinced that what met their eyes was the entirety of the truth. The pot calling the kettle black—neither was any better than the other. Yet as his friend—or at least, as someone who considered herself his friend—she felt compelled to argue on his behalf. "Is it possible that he really doesn't have an ulterior motive?" "Then wouldn't that make you even more pathetic?" Ye Zhi's expression turned to one of pity—throwing herself at him without getting anything in return, and perhaps even getting strung along and used for free. Tong Hua had already sunk halfway into the sofa, yet upon hearing that, she still tried to muster a stubborn retort. "Even if that guy has a mountain of flaws, deep down, he's still a decent person with principles and a bottom line. "He isn't as awful as you make him out to be... is he?" Ye Zhi fell silent for a long time. "Perhaps... that's the worst part of it all." If he were just a self-serving villain, it would actually be better. At most, he would concoct some wicked scheme to control others and satisfy himself. Ultimately, amid indulgence and gluttony, his condition might actually improve. If he truly was as Tong Hua described, then that was genuinely the absolute worst. Worst for himself, and worst for everyone else. When circumstances turned grim, the mediocre would accept reality, enduring their powerlessness. The wicked would find ways to blend in, seizing benefits and indulging their greed. The kind-hearted would restrain themselves, resisting temptation and evil. But a person like him would not. If his principles and bottom lines would not permit him to bend and become as wretched as an ant, then he would tear the entire board apart, making an enemy of everyone. Unless either reality or he himself was completely destroyed. He was an engine of boundless power, fueled by agony and indignation, running without pause. The moment he chose a direction and resolved to set out, he would charge straight ahead with unrelenting ferocity, smashing every obstacle before him to pieces, crushing them into mud, and burning them to ashes. "Of course, everything I've said is pure speculation." Ye Zhi waved her hand dismissively. "No matter how skilled a Heart Pivot might be, reaching a proper diagnosis requires seeing the patient in person. With an intermediary between us, it's ultimately looking at flowers through fog—there's no telling what's real and what's false. "Though, I imagine he wouldn't want to see me anyway. "So, please, don't ever introduce us. "If you cherish this friendship, don't meddle or interfere on your own initiative like you used to, unless he asks for it himself." She paused, then added a final reminder: "If you're truly grateful to me, please don't call me crying when you find out you've been strung along and used for free. Oh, and if you discover he doesn't even care enough to take advantage of you, don't call me then either." Tong Hua was enraged, outraged, and thoroughly incensed. "Why am I destined to get used for free?!" "..." Ye Zhi smiled, lifted her coffee cup, and said nothing. She simply produced her compact mirror, opened it, and set it before Tong Hua—inviting her to admire that foolish face of hers, growing sillier by the second from fretting over gains and losses. Tong Hua fell silent. As if her bones had been pulled out, she slumped over the table, unable to lift herself back up. "...I really don't get it after all." She let out a helpless sigh. "Keeping your nerves wound that tight every single day, feeling like something's chasing right behind your heels... over time, something's bound to snap, right? "Why does he have to be like that...?" "Who knows?" Ye Zhi lowered her gaze. For a long while, she watched the glittering ripples and shifting reflections outside the window. "If you ask me... maybe, just maybe, it's guilt?" It didn't stem from any established theory, nor was it objective in the least. It was more like an intuitive presumption, or perhaps the instinct of the Heart Pivot. Her finger reached out. Toward the scratch-covered notepad. With effortless ease, through the middle of those dense scratches, she poked a gaping hole. As if it had always been there from the start. Only, no one had noticed. That was where the root of everything lay. Perhaps he had encountered something, and lost something—something far more important than his own life, more important than himself. It had been seized from him, destroyed, scooped hollow. Leaving behind only an irremediable void. Like an inescapable curse that brought only pain and torment, yet also like a miraculous anomaly that drove him forward. From that day onward, every single day he lived had to hold value. Every day when the sun rose and he opened his eyes, he heard a voice echoing from the depths of his soul, telling him: *You must not let your life go to waste.* "Must be exhausting," Ye Zhi murmured with a soft sigh. *Thump!* A dull sound suddenly came from outside the window. On an elevated platform not far off, a mischievous young boy took a running leap, plunging straight into the seawater like a miniature depth charge and sending a giant splash into the air. He thrashed about gleefully, yelling and waving, beckoning the hesitant little girl still on the platform to jump down too. "Lao San, hurry up! Hurry!" Then, another older girl flared with rage, abandoning all grace and decorum as she stood with hands on her hips, pointing down at the boy. "Lao Yao, get your butt back up here!" "Blehh, make me, make me!" The mischievous boy splashed a wave of water with a swing of his arm, cackling with laughter. The furious older sister promptly gathered her skirt and waded into the water after him. With a single punch, he was thoroughly disciplined and burst into tears. "Mom! Lu Ling's picking on me!" "You still dare to complain?! You're asking for a beating!" "Oh, it's fine. He's already in his swim trunks, what's the harm in swimming a bit?" The mother watching the fun from under a nearby parasol laughed, offering gentle advice. "Xiao Ling, you go play for a while too." *Thump!* From the high platform, the hesitant little girl actually leaped down as well, giggling alongside Lao Yao as they splashed water at their elder sister. "Big Brother, come on!" "Coming, coming!" A dark-skinned young man stripped off his Hawaiian shirt in three quick motions. Under his sister's numb gaze, he too scrambled up the platform. "Let me show everyone a cannonball!" *BOOM!!!* Just like that, he dove headfirst into water that barely reached his waist. His two legs stuck out above the surface, twitching twice, yet he was completely unharmed! Then he scrambled up with a roar of laughter, grabbing a bucket to join the water fight. Mainly teaming up with the younger siblings to pick on their second sister... Drenched from head to toe, Lu Ling was furious. When she turned her head, she finally spotted her savior. "Second Brother! Do something about them!" "On my way! On my way!" An excited shout rang out. A young man bearing gruesome scars waved his hand, hoisting a Gatling-style contraption fashioned from a car's high-pressure wash gun. Cackling like a fiend, he charged over at full tilt: "Anyone not wearing swimwear must DIE!!" Yet as he sprinted past the dessert shop, he seemed to catch sight of someone behind the window. He paused for a moment, poked his head over, and gave a wave. Then, unable to wait another second, he plunged straight into the sea. *Hunting time!!!* Inside the booth, Ye Zhi stared blankly at his retreating back, then turned her head to look at Tong Hua, who had gone completely numb. "...You know him?" "Yeah, I do." Tong Hua let out a sigh of complicated resignation. "That's the guy you just said must have it so exhausting." "..." And with that, Ye Zhi went numb too. After a long silence, however, she suddenly heard Tong Hua let out a soft chuckle. Resting her chin in her hand, Tong Hua gazed out at the beach through the window. "Isn't this pretty nice, though?" In the water fight, they mainly picked on Erniu. Later, everyone teamed up to gang up on Lu Feng, and once the water gun ran out of battery, Lu Feng rallied everyone for a counterattack. In diving, they competed over who could make the biggest splash; Lu Feng won decisively, mostly because his head was the hardest. In playing with sand, they built a little castle for Lao Yao, a little swan for Lao San, a bust for Lu Ling, and a grave for Lu Feng—by which they meant everyone burying him together, leaving only his silly head sticking out. They bought milk tea and passed it around to share. They ate fruit—peaches, apples, and watermelon sliced and packed from home—and snatched grapes from Lao Yao, which tasted especially sweet. When the children were worn out, Ji Jue scooped them up one in each arm, hoisted them onto his shoulders, and charged across the shallows and sand at the direction of Lao San and Lao Yao. "Second Brother, I want ice cream!" "Sure, sure, ice cream it is!" Ji Jue readily agreed, looking at the animal-shaped ice cream in the freezer. "How about the kitty one?" "Yay!" "Me too, me too!" Lao San raised her hand. "I want the little shark!" And so, the kitty ice cream fought the little shark. The kitty lost its head, and the little shark was decapitated too. The sea breeze swept in from the distant horizon, echoing across the shore. Before they knew it, the dazzling sun sank gradually toward the west. Across the emerald sky spread a smear of orange-red, and ten thousand points of gold danced among the shimmering waves, like countless leaping fish. The sunset was beautiful. That was the greatest worth of all.