Chapter 17

"Today was lucky—I met Miss Yang Yi! After seeing her in person, I’ve decided: she’s my new idol!" Chris posted.

"Is this real? Or is it a photoshopped image?" This was the most-liked comment.

"I saw the gossip news a few days ago saying the Goddess of Humanity’s phone wallpaper was Chris—I thought it was just a dumb joke! But it’s actually true!"

"I don’t know who to envy more right now!"

"This is so weird! Two people who have nothing to do with each other took a photo together—and somehow, they look oddly harmonious. How?"

"Why can he take a photo with this superheroine who saved Jin Shan City? How did they even end up together? Where was this?"

"Holy crap, don’t you watch the news? It was the banquet held yesterday at the five-star Lishton Hotel in Jin Shan City! As for why Chris was there—he donated five million Kā yuan to Jin Shan City’s post-disaster relief fund! He was invited by the organizers!"

"Wow, this superheroine looks almost as good as a star when she’s dressed up—why did her UN meeting photos look so dusty and messy?"

"That’s thanks to your Arcadian and British ancestral filters, of course! Can’t stand that our Xia nation’s top superhero is the strongest in the world, so you deliberately smear her image!"

A message clearly posted by someone from Xia Nation made Yang Yi smile knowingly.

"Her blue dress is so beautiful! It looks elegant and refined, perfect for formal occasions—what brand is it?"

"Is it the dress? It’s Miss Superhero’s aura that makes it look that way!"

"Don’t even think about it—I checked. It’s LILAN’s new haute couture this year!"

"Mutants, get out of our society!"

An unwelcome comment appeared in Yang Yi’s view. She raised an eyebrow slightly and kept scrolling.

"Are you crazy? Everyone has mutant genes—even you might become one of the mutants you’re talking about someday!"

"Yeah, my brother was just a keyboard warrior who sat at home picking his toes, constantly online ranting that Awakened Ones were freaks—basically walking around armed and dangerous, a threat to social stability. Now he’s awakened his own powers and is jumping for joy… Honestly, I’m jealous."

Yang Yi was enjoying reading the comments when her personal blog suddenly received a private message—from Chris.

"I just noticed you logged into your personal blog! 😊"

Yang Yi smiled faintly. Her personal blog had a feature: if you marked someone as a special follow, it would automatically notify you when they came online.

Yang Yi typed: "Why do you say that after meeting me in person, I became your idol?"

"Because you faced something you yourself feared—for people you didn’t even know. That’s truly brave."

For the first time, Yang Yi felt how wonderful it was to be praised.

"Aren’t you asleep yet? It’s past three a.m. over there, right?"

"Had a nightmare. Couldn’t sleep." Yang Yi replied casually.

"When I was a kid and had nightmares, my mom would let me eat an ice cream, and then my dreams turned sweet! 😊 You should try it."

What a cutie! Yang Yi licked her lips and headed downstairs to buy ice cream.

She threw on a pair of athletic shorts and a T-shirt, grabbed her phone, and shuffled downstairs in slippers.

"I’m heading downstairs to buy ice cream now—hope it works. 🐶"

"What was your nightmare? Sometimes saying it out loud breaks its power. I can help you carry some of it. 💪"

Just three floors down—Yang Yi was too lazy to wait for the elevator, so she took the stairs instead. Motion-sensor lights flickered on one by one with her steps, flooding the corridor with bright white light.

"I dreamed of many monsters." Yang Yi thought for a moment and replied.

"Those are just cabbages! Green leafy cabbages! I’m going to eat a ton of cabbages tonight to avenge you! 🍽️ 🥬"

Yang Yi laughed as she remembered yesterday’s conversation about cabbages and monsters, then walked into the 24-hour supermarket. The night clerk was a young guy. Though dressed casually, he clearly had military training—he stood as straight as a spear even when alone.

Seeing Yang Yi arrive at this hour, the clerk was startled. He had been quietly organizing shelves, but now he stepped behind the counter and stood even straighter.

Every item was arranged with obsessive neatness—even the ice cream in the freezer looked like they were lined up for inspection. She picked up a strawberry-chocolate ice cream, added some daily necessities, and walked to the counter to pay.

The clerk carefully noted the brand of ice cream she took, rang her up, and as Yang Yi turned to leave, he suddenly called out in a strong, clear voice: "Safe travels!" Yang Yi jumped. She turned back—he stood tall and rigid, as if bidding farewell to a high-ranking inspector.

Sighing, Yang Yi nodded silently and left the supermarket, its oppressive atmosphere still clinging to her.

————

New City, Arcadia.

Chris sat in his private dressing room, waiting for his next scene. The next scene involved his character rescuing others after a fierce battle, so the makeup artist had given him a battle-damaged look.

Chris glanced at his phone, smiling sometimes, frowning others. His personal assistant, Gitty, stared in astonishment.

Suddenly, he turned to Gitty and said: "I want cabbage for dinner." He paused, then a faint smile broke through: "A lot of cabbage."

"You never eat this. Why the sudden change?" Gitty asked. She’d worked with Chris for two years; their relationship went beyond employer and employee—they often joked around.

Arcadia rarely ate cabbage; it was only sold in Asian communities. Westerners generally disliked its thick stalks, preferring cabbage.

"No reason. Just felt like trying it." Chris shrugged.

"Alright then." Gitty was still puzzled, but her employer occasionally had sudden whims—her job was to fulfill them. "Your next scene starts in five minutes."

Suddenly, Chris’s phone buzzed. He was already holding it—he immediately swiped open the screen.

"Already eating. Works great." Attached was a photo of a strawberry ice cream.

Chris couldn’t help smiling. He studied every detail of the photo: her fingers were slender, her nail tips rounded and neatly trimmed, no trace of manicure.

In her hand was a pink torch ice cream, half-eaten, speckled with red strawberry bits, with clear tooth marks along the edge.

In the blurred background, a sliver of pale leg appeared, below it a gray sofa—she was clearly lounging comfortably, texting him from the couch.

"Good child, hope you have a sweet dream tonight. 😊"

He’d just sent it when he froze—wanted to retract it, but it was too late. The message had already delivered.

He’d known her less than two days—would calling her “good child” sound flippant or too intimate? If she’d already seen it, would retracting it look suspicious? Chris rubbed his temples.

"We should go," Gitty reminded him.

Chris set aside his doubt, stood, and headed to the set. He was always professional.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed again. He lowered it, then immediately swiped it open again.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Filming. Heading to set now." He stood, typing as he walked.

This time, she replied quickly: "Really? Still that same show? I want to see your current look! 💘🐱"

Her tone was eager, and those two emojis were playful, almost mischievous.

Chris stopped walking. A smile curled his lips. A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. Unconsciously, he licked his lower lip.

"Chris?" Gitty watched him freeze, glanced at her watch, and urged: "Time’s up."

Chris said nothing. He scanned for a less cluttered background, took several selfies, then picked the one he liked best and sent it.

"Off to film. Sweet dreams. 😊"

Yang Yi, eating ice cream, heard the message alert. She switched from her novel app to messages—and saw the photo she’d been waiting for.

Against a lush green backdrop, Chris wore a suit stained with dirt and blood. His dark brown hair, usually perfectly styled, had a few strands fallen loose from exertion, naturally draping near his temples—effortlessly stylish.

Dust and faint scratches marked his face, but they didn’t make him look disheveled—they added a battle-worn beauty. His eyes smiled at the camera, deep-set and blue, curved like twin pools of cold sapphire. When he looked at you like that, you felt utterly seen—and your heart pounded wildly.

Yang Yi went giddy. "Oh my god, he’s so damn hot! Tell me, isn’t he?"

"Hmph. I don’t share your taste," came the voice, long silent. "Humans always adore hollow glamour. He has no boundless power, no unbreakable body, no eternal spirit. He’s just an ordinary human—in my eyes, no different from an ant. A single stupid fire demon is a hundred times stronger than him."

This was why she never knew whether to call it "she," "he," "it," or even "He."

"You’re such a buzzkill." Yang Yi’s joy was instantly dampened.

Then she suddenly asked: "Was my nightmare just now your doing?"

"That was your fate," the voice replied.

"To hell with your fate!" Yang Yi exploded, hurling half her ice cream onto the floor, then pacing frantically around the living room: "I’m Yang Yi—a normal person! For twenty years, I’ve been normal! I grew up in a small town in North China’s Xia Province. I have a birth certificate. I graduated from Yang Town Primary, then Town No. 2 Middle, then the city high school. I spent four years at Xicheng University. My life has a clear record! The only exception? I awakened a powerful ability—and scientists say anyone can awaken! I’m not unique! So what the hell is my fate?!"

"You’ve sensed it all along—otherwise why rage? Running away is meaningless," the voice replied, cold and mocking. "Humans are herd animals. They crave belonging and safety by hiding within the group.

"You instinctively fear leaving the herd, because in ancient times, separation meant facing nature’s countless dangers alone. To survive, the habit of blending in became embedded in your genes. That’s why humans follow the crowd.

"But a standout individual must break from the mediocre herd. Trying to change yourself to please the masses is absurd.

"A tyrannosaurus raised among sheep, though pretending to be just like the others, will eventually realize its true nature. Even if it feigns gentleness, over time, the flock will grow fearful of its terrifying, growing power…"

A tyrannosaurus raised among sheep from childhood, though striving to appear no different from the others, would eventually discover its true nature—even if it pretended to be the most docile, over time the flock would gradually fear its increasingly terrifying power...