Volume One: In the Prime of Youth Chapter Six: Shangguan Yudie

After seeing Jiang Feng and the others off, Huo Ye pinched his chin and mused, “He looks alright, but doesn’t seem like much of a fighter.”

Alice, already heading upstairs, replied, “He really isn’t much of a fighter, but he’s the academy’s biggest information broker. If you count assets in terms of free resources, even the presidents of the big clubs can’t compare to him. That stunt you just pulled, pretending to be my boyfriend, I bet he’ll see right through it soon enough. Enough talk—let’s hurry and get your luggage sorted.”

“An intelligence expert, huh? That’s intriguing. I should get to know him better.” Huo Ye tapped his chin thoughtfully, then shouted up the stairs, “Hey, you really don’t plan on getting a boyfriend? If you do, you’d better let me check him out first!”

“Oh, you’re so annoying!” Alice, already in her room, shot back irritably.

The siblings entered Huo Ye’s room, where he was busy hanging his clothes in the wardrobe. Alice spoke up again, “By the way, do you know who we’re sharing the place with?”

“Who?” Huo Ye asked.

“Xiao Yu—Shangguan Yudie,” Alice replied.

“Oh, her.” Huo Ye recalled who she was.

Shangguan Yudie came from the Shangguan family, the most prestigious household in the Sola colony where the Halls family resided—a family whose wealth could hardly be described, even by saying it rivaled that of nations. They had risen to prominence through business, and after their ascent, the family produced talents who held important positions in various fields. Shangguan Yudie was the only daughter of the family head, the heiress of the Shangguan family.

The Halls and Shangguan families were quite close. When they were children, Huo Ye and his sister often played with Shangguan Yudie. But as they grew up, each became absorbed in their own studies and lives, and they rarely saw each other anymore.

Now, with the chance to strengthen ties with the Shangguan family, Huo Ye thought it was a good thing. As a member of a prominent family, he couldn’t neglect such matters just because he was still a student.

Yet, he felt as though he’d overlooked something important... What was it?

Just then, Alice said, “By the way, you’d better hide your identity as Night Rain Crow—Xiao Yu is your biggest fan!”

Night Rain Crow... “Damn, Night Rain Crow!” Huo Ye was suddenly struck by panic, finally realizing what he’d forgotten.

Night Rain Crow was Huo Ye’s pen name. Though his father Eddie was a man of humble origins, his mother Vivienne descended from French nobility. From a young age, Huo Ye had been steeped in his mother’s artistic influence, and a scholarly air ran in his veins. He had once written a book titled “Rhapsody on a Rainy Night” and sent it to a publisher under the pen name Night Rain Crow.

Unexpectedly, after its release, “Rhapsody on a Rainy Night” caused a sensation, as if a giant stone had been thrown into tranquil waters. The first edition, reprints, and deluxe editions all sold out in succession. Night Rain Crow became a rising young author, albeit an anonymous one.

To this, Huo Ye could only say it was an accidental success. He’d written the book purely for his own amusement, never intending to profit from it. As he himself put it, the course of his life was already set; he had no intention of becoming a writer. It had all been a whim.

But in this world, one was bound by its rules. Even if he didn’t want fame as an author, with “Rhapsody on a Rainy Night” having sold countless copies and the rights alone earning a fortune, he was riding a tiger, unable to dismount. It wasn’t as simple as saying he wanted to quit.

Because of this, Huo Ye began wearing a mask at book signings, and the public’s attention gradually focused on the mysterious author.

Although he hadn’t published anything new in the past two years and the buzz around Night Rain Crow had faded somewhat, many fans were still waiting for his return.

What Huo Ye had overlooked was that, for the past few years, he’d actually been seeing Shangguan Yudie—just not as himself, but as Night Rain Crow.

Alice giggled and teased, “She seems to attend every one of your book signings, just to get your autograph and shake your hand. I’ve seen her bookshelf—it’s filled with signed copies of ‘Rhapsody on a Rainy Night’ from you. You really need to be careful. If you’re exposed, I can’t promise she won’t have an extreme reaction.”

Huo Ye felt a headache coming on and asked weakly, “Is it too late for me to move out now?”

Alice burst out laughing.

By evening, the siblings had finished unpacking all of Huo Ye’s things and changed into formal attire for the party hosted by Blaze.

It was Huo Ye’s first time attending such a formal event in a suit. Since childhood, his father Eddie had kept him hidden as a secret. Many in high society knew the Halls family had adopted a gifted boy, but few knew the details or his current achievements.

Still, everyone knew this youth would one day succeed the Reaper Hunting Corps—he was to be the next Black Reaper, and even now, people called him “Little Reaper.”

Huo Ye didn’t know why his father kept him hidden, but since his father wouldn’t say, he didn’t ask. His father had told him that coming to Bancroft signaled the end of his days in hiding—the world would soon witness his performance.

Humanity had walled off calamities from daily life—this was the hard-won result of their ancestors’ sacrifice. The Reaper Hunting Corps stood as both shield and sword against these disasters.

The colony’s walls and Bancroft’s force field served as boundaries between two worlds: beyond lay the perilous wilds, while within was a haven of peace.

The party was held at a villa owned by Blaze. As Bancroft was the most prestigious academy, most students came from wealthy backgrounds, and purchasing a villa was hardly a challenge.

Night had fallen. In the garden, guests enjoyed wine and dancing—amid the clinking of glasses, these students, destined for the battlefield, lived like nobles in an age of peace despite the apocalypse outside.

Huo Ye and Alice entered the garden arm in arm, turning heads as they passed through the gate. Many speculated about Huo Ye’s identity—after all, he was entering with the academy’s star, Alice Halls.

“Who’s that guy? Alice’s boyfriend? He’s so handsome,” one girl whispered.

“I don’t think so. The Halls family is a military household—even attending together, he’s probably her fiancé,” another guessed, even more boldly.

But the members of Blaze in charge of maintaining order knew the truth: this was Alice’s brother, the adopted son of Eddie Halls—the future brother-in-law of their president. Word was, he’d arrived at the academy that afternoon in his Reaper Hunting Corps uniform—was he already a member, even before graduation? That was supposed to be post-graduation!

Gossip about powerful families was for the club leaders to discuss, not for them.

Jiang Feng stood near the villa entrance, holding a glass of wine, his feelings mixed. Seeing Huo Ye gave him a sense of having survived a disaster. He’d already found out that Huo Ye had just arrived that afternoon—Alice had called him “brother” at the gates.

He thought wryly, “Judge, please return to your seat in the panel—don’t come down and pretend to be a contestant! Thank goodness I didn’t do anything rash out of jealousy this afternoon, or I’d have no chance at all.”

“Look, there’s Xiao Yu!” Alice spotted Shangguan Yudie in the crowd and pulled Huo Ye over for an introduction.

“Xiao Yu, you remember my brother Huo Ye, right? He’ll be living with us from now on,” Alice said, gesturing to him.

Shangguan Yudie was a beauty whose every feature radiated serene elegance. Her long, jet-black hair fell past her shoulders like a waterfall; her skin, not the porcelain white of Alice’s but a lustrous, jade-like fairness; her eyes, cold and bright as winter stars, unforgettable at a glance.

Huo Ye gazed at his childhood playmate, but now felt only a sense of unfamiliarity. Compared to her lively younger self, Shangguan Yudie now exuded an icy calm. This was already evident at recent book signings—each time Huo Ye saw her, she was silent, lips pressed together, showing no emotion except perhaps when she looked at him as Night Rain Crow.

Huo Ye extended his hand. “Xiao Yu, it’s been a long time.”

Shangguan Yudie smiled, shook his hand, but said nothing.

Huo Ye thought to himself, “Did I say something wrong? Surely not. Why is she being so cold? Back when we were kids, she used to call me ‘Ye-ge’ all the time!”

His feelings grew complicated; if it were a reading comprehension question, it’d be worth five points.

Alice tugged his sleeve and whispered, “Don’t mind her. Xiao Yu has been like this ever since college—she’s just very quiet now. But she’s still warm inside, just used to being calm.”

Huo Ye glanced at Shangguan Yudie. Calm, indeed—if nothing else, that much hadn’t changed in all these years.