Two emotionally constipated leads, mistrust breeding suspicion until a rift forms—it's a classic trope in so many youth romance dramas.
To Silver Wolf, it seemed that Bai Heng and Firefly in the simulation were just about to hit that very point.
But what she didn't expect was… this trope—
Never actually happened!
Instead, even after noticing Firefly's unusual behavior, Bai Heng's attitude toward her hadn't changed one bit.
His gaze still lingered whenever the girl smiled; his own smile still bloomed whenever she was happy.
Hidden secrets? Unexplained oddities?
It was as if Bai Heng simply didn't care—or perhaps, he genuinely wasn't bothered by any of it.
And so, their sweet moments continued. Somewhere between a professional working relationship and the easy joy of friendship, their mutual affection kept soaring.
Every viewer in the livestream could see it—whether it was Bai Heng toward Firefly, or Firefly toward Bai Heng.
Their favorability had already skyrocketed to a terrifying 80!
To illustrate just how significant that was, the system even provided a helpful explanation next to the number:
[80: (More than friends, but not quite lovers. You may feel something deeper than ordinary friendship, but whether it's romantic love… even you aren't entirely sure.)]
[(Note: At 90 or above, your feelings can be confirmed as: Romantic Love.)]
Watching this, Silver Wolf could only grit her teeth.
Why? One saying summed it up perfectly:
You don't want to see your homie suffer, but you also don't want to see your homie drive a Ferrari either!
As a comrade, she'd be outraged if Firefly got hurt or deceived. But if you're gonna parade your happiness in front of her every day and shove all that lovey-dovey stuff in her face? Well then, sorry—Silver Wolf could only say:
"You really deserve to die!"
Grinding her teeth in frustration, Silver Wolf kept watching as the livestream showed Bai Heng and Firefly's beautiful moments continuing.
But today, Firefly ran into a bit of trouble.
[Perhaps realizing her cover as an Iris Family apprentice performer had too many holes, Firefly had managed—through some means—to actually get a job as one.]
[The catch was, she now had to dedicate part of her time to the Iris Family.]
[Today was one of those days. After finishing her daily tasks, she hummed a cheerful little tune, eager to head to their usual meeting spot.]
[Somewhere along the way, seeing you had become the moment Firefly looked forward to most each day. Whenever that time came, the weariness from work would mysteriously fade away. Today was no different.]
[Perhaps too excited about the meeting ahead, she didn't notice the person coming her way. A weight slammed into her shoulder, sending her tumbling to the ground.]
[Before she could even get up to apologize, sharp, vulgar, and piercing curses were already ringing in her ears.]
"Dammit! This is the costume I'm wearing for tonight's performance! Did your eyes get filled with soda-pop mixed with soy sauce? How could you not see me!"
The speaker was a tall woman with heavy makeup.
Mal Bicanan, a well-known performer in the Iris Family. She had exceptional talent and a stunning appearance—rumor had it every one of her performances brought in substantial revenue for the Iris Family.
What didn't match her looks was her utterly vile personality.
"Honestly, why would a lowly, ugly apprentice like you even be here! Handing out flyers about my performances on the streets is the only value you lot have—are you trying to lose even that? Disgusting! Absolutely intolerable!"
The woman's tirade didn't stop. If this had happened while Firefly was in her other identity, blazing flames might have shut the woman up before she could utter another word. But that clearly wasn't an option now.
Right now, Firefly was an apprentice performer. All she could do was lower her head and repeat, "I'm sorry," again and again as the words echoed around her.
Even the audience outside the screen found it hard to bear.
--+--
Silver Wolf: 「Hah—? Disgusting? I've heard you don't need background to be a performer, but I didn't know you could do without eyes!」
Stelle: 「@Firefly, go all out! Burn the whole sea down!」
Kiana: 「Even for an insult… this is going way too far.」
Kafka: 「I'd say it's fairly normal. The privileged often grow arrogant—too comfortable an environment breeds a twisted personality. This lady is clearly a case in point.」
Stelle: 「Ooh—! Mom Kafka's wisdom drop is here!」
--+--
The livestream chat was filled with disdain for that female performer.
In their eyes, while Firefly had indeed been at fault for bumping into her, that was no reason to endure such a stream of filthy language.
Just then, a warm, elegant male voice drifted over, accompanied by the crisp, unhurried sound of footsteps—unexpected and sudden.
"'Disgusting'? How surprising. While self-awareness is a virtue, madam, for an Iris Family performer to describe herself that way… isn't it a bit unseemly?"
Under Firefly's stunned gaze, Bai Heng's figure gradually came into view at the top of the staircase.
As always, even with his charm restrained by the Tear of Stars, his features remained as refined and scholarly as Firefly remembered. But today, she sensed something different about him.
There was a clear shift in his demeanor.
If he usually came across as a polite, courteous scholar, now he carried himself like nobility—graceful and poised.
His words, his bearing, even the faint smile on his lips—all exuded an air of elegance.
And because of that, the moment he appeared, the performer felt an inexplicable pressure.
"You—you must have misheard! When I said 'disgusting'… I meant her, not me!" Pointing at Firefly, the woman tried to correct Bai Heng's assumption.
Hearing this, Bai Heng slightly furrowed his brow, a look of confusion crossing his face.
"Is that so… How strange. As one of the Star Children, blessed by the Aeon Idrila the Beauty, I should possess the simplest ability to distinguish beauty from ugliness."
"In my eyes, this apprentice performer is not only lovely and pure-hearted, but her soul shines like a dazzling gemstone—utterly captivating."
As he spoke, Bai Heng's elegant demeanor took on a dreamy quality, his words ringing with utmost sincerity.
While Firefly stood bewildered and at a loss, Bai Heng knelt on one knee, gently took her hand, and pressed a sincere kiss to it—a chivalrous kiss-on-hand gesture.
Afterward, his gaze slowly turned toward the female performer.
"In contrast, Miss Performer, your soul reeks of rot and decay, and your visage is like fading yellow sand. Truly…"
"Disgusting."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.