The moment they walked out of the station, they saw the peerless beauty who so often appeared in legends. She wore nothing more than jeans and a white T-shirt, leaning forward with both elbows braced on the railing as she smoked. Smoke spilled from her lips and dispersed into the air. Completely indifferent to the gazes directed at her, she did not show even the faintest smile when she saw Ke Bu and the others. She merely tossed away her cigarette butt. “What? So none of you died along the way? Then can someone briefly explain why you’re late?”
The unrivaled sycophant Zhang Luo immediately put on a humble expression. “We’ve been wronged—terribly wronged! It’s all because Ke Bu overslept. We had no choice but to take a later train.”
Lan Yin glanced at Ke Bu, making him tremble uncontrollably. Although he had met Lan Yin several times already, his deep-rooted fear of her had never diminished. It was not difficult to see her shadow in Zhi Li.
She walked directly up to Zhi Li and looked him over, then removed his baseball cap and threw it away. “Why are you wearing this thing? It brings back unpleasant memories.” After saying that, she embraced Zhi Li and was just about to press her delicate lips to the side of his face when Zhi Li blocked her with one hand. “Let go. If you keep this up, I’m calling the police on you for molesting your own son.”
“Tch~~ The older you get, the less adorable you become. If I’d known, I would’ve fed you more growth inhibitors when you were little.”
“Likewise. If I’d known, I would’ve made you apply more incest inhibitors when I was little.”
Yinguo Town had changed enormously during the summer. It was packed with people, and colorful swim rings floated across the sea. Children’s laughter and shouts rang out without pause. The beach was lined with all kinds of shops and food stalls, while parasols and ice cream dotted this small world. Only the ancient villa standing atop the hillside seemed out of place, like a monster lurking among the mountains, ready to leap out and devour the crowd at any moment.
Ke Bu stood outside Lan Yin’s shop. It had been beautifully decorated and was built entirely from bamboo, with a fresh, distinctive style. Its roof was covered in flower petals of every color and variety, enough to make anyone gasp after a single glance. Never mind Gong Zhu and Zhou Xin He—even Ke Bu, who normally paid no attention to such things, was momentarily stunned. Dora leaped out from inside wearing a pale-yellow dress. She still had that innocent face. After shoving everyone around her aside, she wrapped her arms tightly around Zhi Li. “Brother Zhi Li, Dora missed you so much. I counted every second while waiting for you to come.” Dora raised her head with a smile, her small white canine teeth making her appear even more adorable and innocent. Then she looked coldly at Ke Bu and the others. “What? So this trash came along too.”
Su You Yan set down her luggage. “I advise you to let go. You’re going to hug him into a dark transformation.”
Dora glared viciously at Su You Yan but still released Zhi Li.
The shop’s sign displayed only a simple letter: M. Ke Bu found it puzzling. Neither Lan nor Zhi began with an M. Could it stand for Meili, meaning beauty? Or perhaps magic? Zhou Xin He had been so excited about Lan Yin hiring her as the chef that she had barely slept properly for several nights. Now she seemed as though she had been injected with chicken blood. “Lan Yin, when can we start?”
“Now. Go change.”
“Now?” Ke Bu had not managed to correct his bad habit of talking back.
“What? You still want to rest?”
“Your Highness, you misunderstood my tone.” Ke Bu pretentiously clapped his hands and put on an eager expression. “Ah~~ Now?”
Lan Yin looked at Ke Bu, then at Zhi Li. With heartfelt gravity, she placed her slender fingers on Zhi Li’s shoulder and patted it. “Pay more attention to your taste in people next time.”
“You have a point.”
“You actually agreed with her!!” Ke Bu shouted.
Lan Yin quickly assigned everyone’s duties. Ke Bu would handle the register. Gong Zhu would stand outside and attract customers because his looks could seduce both men and women. Zhang Luo would be responsible for the shop’s sound system and equipment. Chu Hao Yu and Ying Xiu Jie would serve the food. The remaining three—Dora, Su You Yan, and Zhi Li—would greet customers and take orders. Lan Yin snapped her fingers. “Go change.” After saying that, she yawned and prepared to leave, only for Zhi Li to grab her.
“You’re trying to leave?”
“Daytime is when I sleep.”
“Starting now, move that to nighttime. Go change immediately.”
“You must be joking. You expect me to do work meant for servants?” Lan Yin’s lipstick had surely been refined from venom. Otherwise, how could she casually say something vicious enough to strike down everyone nearby?
“Stop talking nonsense. Decide for yourself whether you’re changing clothes or buying a train ticket home.”
“You’re threatening me.”
“I’m threatening you.”
In the end, Lan Yin reluctantly entered the women’s changing room. Each position had a different uniform. Once everyone had changed, the shop’s overall quality rose another level thanks to their superior appearances. When Zhi Li emerged, Ke Bu stared blankly with his mouth slightly open. Zhi Li had never worn clothes like these before. He looked as though he had just stepped out of a comic, bringing all the sunlight, purity, cleanliness, and elegance of that world with him.
The moment the shop opened, a tide of customers surged inside. It was not only the women who were secretly delighted, but the men as well. The place seemed like a business established for the benefit of the entire beach at Yinguo Town. Su You Yan stood before two male customers and merely read her book without saying a word. The two boys spoke timidly yet excitedly. “Um, we’d like to order.” Su You Yan lifted her eyelids, glanced at them, threw the order pad onto their table, and returned to her book. What kind of arrangement was this?!! Did Lan Yin even want to run a business? Looking at Lan Yin, Ke Bu saw her smoking with her backside propped against a dining table. “Try ordering something cheap.” After saying that, she blew smoke directly into the male customer’s face. Ke Bu could no longer describe the collapse taking place inside him. Then he looked at Dora, who was furtively adding something unknown to a dish. Although Ke Bu could not identify the substance, he could recognize the darkness on Dora’s face. Meanwhile, Zhi Li, who was responsible for the female customers, stood expressionlessly while the girls chattered, pushing and squeezing one another.
Zhi Li spoke impatiently. “Are you eating or not? If not, hurry up and get out.”
Ke Bu understood. He finally understood. That M stood for masochist!!! Even after being treated that way, every customer still looked utterly satisfied. What was wrong with this world? Were they all masochists?
By evening, everyone was finally freed from their work. Ke Bu was organizing the money while thinking about only one thing: how much could he steal without being discovered? Barely two minutes passed before he raised his head and found that not even half a ghost remained inside the little building. Those animals had actually left him alone to clean up. Furious, Ke Bu decided to increase the amount he planned to steal.
He forcefully pulled his phone from his bag and skillfully dialed a number. A gentle ringtone sounded above his head. Confused, Ke Bu looked up but saw only the ceiling.
“Zhi Li?” Ke Bu called tentatively, his voice echoing through the empty building, answered only by the sound of the waves. He tilted his head back and searched around. “Zhi Li, you didn’t hang yourself up there, did you? Are you there?”
A square panel in the roof slid open, and Zhi Li’s face appeared above. “Do you want me to take you to the underworld with me?”
“How did you get up there?!! I want to come up too.”
“Then jump.”
“How could I possibly jump that high!!”
“Useless. There’s a ladder in the kitchen.”
“You used the ladder too!! Who made a hole in the roof?”
“Yin had it installed especially so she could smoke up here.”
Ke Bu carefully climbed up from the kitchen. The moment his head emerged, the sea breeze tossed his hair into chaos and blurred his vision.
Zhi Li sat among the flower petals with his legs bent, his sleeves rolled up and both hands resting on his knees, his gaze following the waves across the sea. The evening sky looked as though ink had been spilled across it. Blue, red, orange, and white intertwined beautifully as it pressed down upon the ocean, upon Zhi Li and Ke Bu. Everything was stained by it—the reflection on the sea, Zhi Li, and Ke Bu’s pupils—all dyed in the colors of the sky. The sea breeze swept toward them with its salty scent, slipping through their hair and beneath the edges of their clothes.
Ke Bu looked at Zhi Li’s profile, supported his leaning body with his left hand, moved closer, and planted a quick kiss on Zhi Li’s cheek. Zhi Li turned his head. “What are you doing?”
“I suddenly wanted to kiss you. Suppressing this kind of urge is like holding in your urine—it’s bad for the kidneys.”
“Please conduct yourself properly, sir.”
Although he had been scolded, laughter uncontrollably spilled from the corners of Ke Bu’s mouth. Even his radiant smile seemed dyed by the sky. Zhi Li reached out and vigorously tousled Ke Bu’s hair. “Are you an idiot?” Zhi Li’s face, Zhi Li’s voice, Zhi Li’s entire being—gentle and captivating, indistinct yet clear. Ke Bu’s heart suddenly stopped, then abruptly accelerated. He lunged forward and clung to Zhi Li. “What am I supposed to do? I love you. I really love you. I love you so much. You deal with it. I’ve squeezed every bit of love in my body into juice and given it all to you. What are you going to repay me with?” Like a shameless rogue, Ke Bu continuously rubbed his face against Zhi Li’s neck.
“Hey.”
“What?” Ke Bu raised his head. Zhi Li leaned over and kissed him, consuming and swallowing Ke Bu’s lips. Ke Bu let out a soft moan, his heart darting wildly in every direction.
Fine. This is fair. I give you love, and you repay me with kisses.
And so, the two of them dyed the world, coloring it in brilliant shades that belonged only to love.
Futile Devices Scans 
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