Chapter 116: First Encounter

The following few days settled into a peaceful routine. For Ye Chen and Bai Ji, life seemed fixed; they spent much of their time in the massive library at their home, gathering information and studying the contents. Thanks to the immense influence of the Star Group, the library was stocked with many rare and precious books, providing them with great convenience.

At other times, Ye Chen focused primarily on cultivation. Like now, with the exception of Kotori and Shiori, who were little girls without combat capabilities, even Kanade Tachibana had begun to improve her strength. Most of the time, Ye Chen and Bai Ji trained on their own, occasionally finding time to guide Saeko Busujima and Shiina.

Old Fan also demonstrated his strength during these sessions, capable of facing the joint attacks of Saeko and Shiina head-on while remaining composed and at ease. It could be said that, aside from Ye Chen and Bai Ji, Old Fan was the strongest among them, though this was partly due to the lack of experience on the part of Saeko, Shiina, and the others.

As for Kanade, her lineage as an Angel of Light held immense potential, and her natural affinity for light elements allowed her strength to progress rapidly without her even realizing it, to the point where even Old Fan found her quite a challenge. In this way, a few days passed.

Kotori and Shiori also emerged from the shadows of their parents' deaths. Kotori gradually became more cheerful, and whenever she encountered Ye Chen, she would call him "Big Brother" with great affection. Shiori’s situation was more complex; Ye Chen discovered that Shiori’s date of birth was actually earlier than his own identity in this world. Given Ye Chen’s personality, it was impossible for him to call her "Big Sister," and Shiori felt embarrassed calling him "Little Brother," so they generally addressed each other by name. Compared to them, Origami Tobiichi’s situation was somewhat worse. Ye Chen did not know what she was like before, but the current Origami looked very much like Kanade’s sister from the surface.

With similar hair colors—Kanade having long, straight silver hair and Origami having short white hair—and a delicate, cute face devoid of any expression, she rarely spoke, only softening slightly when dealing with Ye Chen or Kanade. She had transformed into a girl of few words.

After her physical recovery, Origami seemed to have made a major decision to move out. Her firm attitude put Kanade, who wanted to stop her, in a difficult position. In the end, Ye Chen could only agree, telling Origami that she could return at any time.

As Ye Chen finished putting on his shoes, ready to go out for a walk, Bai Ji asked from not far away, "What? Going out again?"

"Yes, just for a walk. Isn't it nice to stroll after a meal? Would you like to come along?" Ye Chen stood by the door after finishing his shoes and asked Bai Ji. Ordinarily, Bai Ji would have gladly accepted his invitation.

But this time, Bai Ji shook her head and refused, saying, "Come back early. I'll make you a late-night snack!"

Recently, Bai Ji had developed a special interest in cooking and had been sincerely asking Saeko Busujima, the only girl who knew how to cook, for lessons. Perhaps because she was just starting, while the food was not inedible, the taste was merely mediocre. Nonetheless, Bai Ji remained tireless, believing that one day she would be able to make dishes that would satisfy Ye Chen.

"Then do your best. I'm leaving. Do you want me to teach you when I get back?" Ye Chen teased her before leaving. Bai Ji had an inexplicable obsession with the fact that Ye Chen knew how to cook and did it better than her, which Ye Chen used to tease her.

"Hmph, just you wait. One day I will surpass you, and I will definitely surpass that woman who only knows how to make pizza!" Bai Ji was full of fighting spirit, which made Ye Chen sweat. He knew C.C.'s cooking; when it came to making pizza, she absolutely surpassed the vast majority of people.

The only drawback was that she only knew how to make pizza. During a period when Ye Chen couldn't cook, C.C. had taken over, and for a whole month, every meal of every day was pizza—without a single repetition: cheese pizza, bacon pizza, black pepper beef pizza, and so on.

Ye Chen couldn't help but smile and shake his head. It seemed Bai Ji hadn't changed much after all.

After leaving, Ye Chen walked for a long time before reaching a normal road. There was no helping it; the residence of the person in charge of an organization as large as the Star Group could hardly be simple. The grounds of Ye Chen’s home alone were vast. Fortunately, it wasn't built in the suburbs, or Ye Chen wouldn't even have had the interest to step out.

Perhaps because Ye Chen had eaten dinner early, there were few people on the streets. Most were choosing to go home to eat at this time. The sun had already dipped below the cliffs, and the scattered stars seemed to follow a special pattern in Ye Chen’s eyes, as if guiding him.

Walking in a certain direction, Ye Chen had a feeling that he was meant to take this path. Not long after, the stars completely filled the sky, and Ye Chen arrived near a park. The equipment inside was very simple: a sandbox for children to play in, and other things meant for kids.

There were a few benches for resting. Ye Chen shook his head, thinking to himself that only a child would play with such things, forgetting that he currently looked like a child himself. Subconsciously, he walked into the park and sat on a bench, a melodious singing voice reaching his ears.

The tune was very familiar; Ye Chen could guarantee he had heard it before. After listening carefully, he identified the song: "My Song," the final track from the concert held by Iwasawa and the others in the Afterlife.

The song had left a deep impression on Ye Chen. Back then, when Iwasawa sang it, she had found the meaning of her life, stopped cursing her existence, and found peace. It was a song unique to Iwasawa. The person singing it now lacked Iwasawa's experiences and feelings, so it didn't carry the same emotional weight.

Songs take on different qualities based on the emotions and experiences of the singer. This version of "My Song" had a completely different style, giving it a fresh and new feeling. Even if there were some shortcomings, it already displayed her own unique charm.

Quietly listening until she finished the song, Ye Chen spoke up with a sincere evaluation: "You sang this 'My Song' very beautifully. Although it doesn't quite compare to Iwasawa's, it is still excellent!"

"Someone's there?!" The person was clearly startled by Ye Chen’s sudden voice. She had assumed no one would come to the park, which was why she had been so bold in her singing. She hadn't expected someone to hear her on her very first visit.

The girl had purple-silver hair and matching eyes. Standing at the top of the slide where she had just been singing, she looked embarrassed. Under the combined light of the stars and the moon, Ye Chen clearly saw her face, and the girl noticed Ye Chen by the bench. For the first time, their paths had crossed.