Volume Two: The Youth of a Thousand Faces, Truth in Disguise Chapter Forty-One: Kazama Ruri

The entire morning passed in a flurry of battles. Thanks to the hidden score system, Huo Ye never encountered any worthy opponents; each match was a one-sided sweep. The morning slipped by quickly, and Ke Zhen announced there would be no classes in the afternoon.

But Huo Ye knew full well that this guy was probably off to study the betting odds.

Huo Ye had thought he might have some free time in the afternoon to arrange his book signing, but unexpectedly his mother, Vivian, sent a message: she had already set up a blind date for him at noon, including the meeting address and a photo of the girl.

Huo Ye was stunned. “Mom, aren’t you a little too eager? You’ve been gone less than a week and you’re already setting me up on a date? Are you that desperate for your son to find someone? Why don’t you nag our great-aunt instead? She’s always pestering me to cook for her. I’m really having a hard time here!”

Still, a promise was a promise. Huo Ye wouldn’t stand up his date; after all, the girl was innocent in all this.

He opened the photo, curious to see what she looked like. The moment the image appeared, he was genuinely taken aback.

She was a beauty exuding a languid charm, her head bowed and eyes half-closed as if on the verge of sleep. She wore a spotless white dress, shielded from the sun by a dainty white parasol.

Her features were delicate, with wispy bangs lending her an air of playful innocence. Her long hair cascaded to her waist, reminiscent of an enchantress dancing under a full moon.

Pure white clothing is notoriously hard to pull off. To wear it so flawlessly, one must possess an innate grace. At first glance, a line of poetry flashed through Huo Ye’s mind: “Like a lotus rising from clear water, unadorned and natural.”

He suddenly felt she looked eerily familiar, but couldn’t recall where he’d seen her before.

Vivian, having sent her message, promptly went offline, and Huo Ye couldn’t reach her. Left with no other choice, he sent the photo to Jiang Feng, hoping for some information.

Jiang Feng was stunned the moment he received the picture and replied, “Boss, why are you asking about her?”

After several rounds of “cordial and friendly” conversation, Jiang Feng and Huo Ye had grown familiar enough for the formal “Brother Huo” to become the more casual “Boss.”

“She’s my blind date—family arranged. I only have her picture. I want to know who she is,” Huo Ye said directly, not bothering to hide anything.

“Of course it’s the nobility—so young and accomplished, yet still needing a blind date,” Jiang Feng teased.

“Cut the nonsense. Give me the information.”

“Alright, right away.”

Two minutes later, Jiang Feng sent over her details. “Her name is Liuli Kazama. She’s an Esper of the Spatial Affinity, from the ancient Yamato clan, the second eldest daughter of the Kazama family, and a strong contender to inherit the family leadership.”

“The second daughter of the Kazama family…” Huo Ye muttered to himself, then sent another message: “Does she have an elder sister named Nozomi Kazama?”

“There was one, but she died a few years ago during a Reaper Hunt. That makes Liuli a martyr’s relative. By the way, Nozomi Kazama was part of the Reaper Hunt squad,” Jiang Feng replied.

“I know,” Huo Ye answered, then fell silent.

He gazed up, sighing with melancholy. “So she’s the big sister’s little sister. How can I go on a date like this, when I still owe her a life?”

He looked again at the photo. The refined, gentle aura in the picture was nothing like the brashness of her elder sister.

At two in the afternoon, Huo Ye arrived at the meeting place well ahead of time. But the location…

Vivian had only sent the address. When Huo Ye tracked it down, he discovered it was a hotpot restaurant. Who arranges a blind date at a hotpot place? He thought he must have made a mistake, but after checking the address several times, it was definitely the right spot. Huo Ye really wished his mother could offer a reasonable explanation.

He arrived at eleven forty, but his date was late. She didn’t show up until half past twelve.

Bored and waiting alone in a private room, Huo Ye was startled when a clear, bright voice said, “Sorry I’m late.”

He looked up. Liuli Kazama had quietly slipped into the room and sat opposite him. She wasn’t wearing the pure white dress from the photo, but casual clothes instead, which somehow suited her even better.

Huo Ye gave the standard reply, “No problem, I just got here myself,” and introduced himself, “Hello, my name is Huo Ye.”

Liuli tilted her head and smiled lazily, responding, “I know. There’s hardly anyone in the entire academy who doesn’t know Huo-kun. My name is Liuli Kazama. Just call me Kazama.”

Huo Ye felt awkward. He was never good at handling situations where the other person knew all about him, but he knew nothing about them.

Facing Liuli, Huo Ye was overwhelmed with guilt. If not for her elder sister’s sacrifice holding off that ultimate creature, he would have died back then. Both the Big Sister and the Old Smoker had exchanged their lives for his, and Huo Ye had never stopped feeling indebted to them.

Now, with their little sister sitting right before him, all he could think about was how to apologize. The purpose of the date had long since vanished from his mind.

But before he could speak, Liuli picked up the menu and said, “Huo-kun, shall we order?”

“Oh, sure.” Huo Ye noticed that although Liuli always seemed languid, she lit up when it came to food. Suddenly, it made sense why their meeting was set at lunchtime in a hotpot restaurant—this girl was clearly a foodie. He chuckled inwardly. She would probably get along famously with his own sister.

Hotpot is a culinary tradition that has endured for generations. In a pot of carefully prepared broth, ingredients are quickly cooked and then dipped in sesame sauce, oil, or other condiments for an unforgettable taste. The variety of ingredients is endless—assorted vegetables, thinly sliced pork, beef, and lamb each have their own unique flavors, not to mention tripe, duck’s blood, glass noodles, and the endless possibilities for dipping sauces.

Some television program once claimed that without factory-made hotpot meatballs, hotpot was nothing more than a simple dish of boiled vegetables and meat—truly the opinion of someone with a frog’s eye view, blind to the vastness of the world. Little did they know, while hotpot meatballs are tasty, they’re generally considered cheap junk food by the public.

Huo Ye was usually talkative, albeit in a way that sometimes rubbed people the wrong way. But faced with the Big Sister’s only surviving sibling, he suddenly found himself at a loss for words. The usual pleasantries felt out of place—they were, after all, on a blind date.

Huo Ye downed three glasses of ice water, yet his mouth remained dry and his tongue felt thick. He hadn’t touched his chopsticks, instead loosening his collar, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

Liuli noticed he wasn’t eating and, mouth full, asked indistinctly, “Huo-kun, why aren’t you eating?” The refined elegance from before was completely gone.

Embarrassed, Huo Ye managed a smile, fished a piece of beef from the pot, dipped it in sesame sauce, and took a bite.

“It’s delicious,” he said.

Liuli grinned. “Don’t be fooled by how slim I am—I can really eat!”

The more at ease Liuli seemed, the more awkward Huo Ye felt. He decided to put off the apology for now and try to find some conversation to relax himself.

“So, Kazama, why did you agree to this blind date?” he asked.

Liuli thought for a moment, then smiled sheepishly. “To be honest, it’s a bit embarrassing. My family made me come. Huo-kun, you’re very impressive, but I don’t see you that way.”

Huo Ye could tell she was being truthful. In prominent families like theirs, marriage was rarely a matter of personal choice. His own family wouldn’t force him to marry someone he didn’t love, but the Kazama family might. If she didn’t meet with him, she’d probably be introduced to someone else, with little regard for her wishes.

“I understand,” Huo Ye replied. “Honestly, Kazama, you’re very beautiful, but you’re not the type I like. Let’s not think of this as a blind date. Let’s just be friends.”

“Great! From now on, we’re friends,” Liuli said, clapping her hands in delight.

In films and TV, blind dates are often dramatized as explosive confrontations to set up future romantic drama. In truth, Huo Ye and Liuli’s meeting was far more ordinary—simply two people becoming friends. And as time passed, such fleeting friendships often faded into nothing.

But Huo Ye’s real business was still unresolved. He felt the moment was right. His expression turned somber, and he drew a deep breath, finally taking the step he’d long hesitated over.

He set down his chopsticks and, fingers anxiously intertwined, stood up. For him, anxiety was a rare emotion, but now it filled his heart.

Huo Ye bowed deeply to Liuli and declared, “I’m sorry!”