Chapter 4: The Ex-Husband

Just as Fanxing was feeling extremely nervous, the instrument emitted a "beep."

Ye Qing smiled and said, "The entry was successful."

Fanxing was stunned. That was it? No anomalies found? Her identity wasn't exposed?

In truth, Fanxing did not realize that because her Painted Skin had fused with the Taisui, it had mutated, granting her mimicry abilities far superior to those of an ordinary Painted Skin.

Her body contained every piece of information belonging to the original Fanxing. Through simulation, the Painted Skin had become indistinguishable from a human, even mimicking her DNA profile.

It could be said that as long as Fanxing did not expose herself, no one would ever discover anything unusual about her.

Fanxing followed Ye Qing in a daze, watching as Dr. Bai handed a white card to Ye Qing. This card contained the record of Fanxing's physical data.

After taking the card, Ye Qing turned to Fanxing and said, "Let's go."

"Oh~" Fanxing followed Ye Qing back to the registration window and watched as he handed the white card to the staff member.

The staff member inserted the card into the computer in front of her and said with a smile, "Physical data entry complete. Registration finished."

She then took out a wristband and placed it on the machine next to the computer. Countless white rays of light emerged from the machine, enveloping the wristband.

When the light faded, the staff member handed the wristband to Fanxing. "This is your Spirit Pattern wristband. It has already recorded your fingerprints and DNA information. From now on, no one but you can open it. It will be your symbol of identity; please keep it safe. If it is damaged or lost, please apply for a replacement immediately."

Fanxing took the wristband. It felt warm to the touch, like fine, heated jade. "I understand. I will take good care of it."

Then she heard the staff member add, "New Spirit Users must undergo a month-long training program before they can take up their posts. Please return here tomorrow at 8:00 AM, and someone will arrange for your placement at the training site."

Fanxing nodded. "I understand."

At this moment, Ye Qing said, "Come, I'll take you to collect your Spirit Energy cards."

"Okay!" Fanxing’s face showed anticipation.

Under Ye Qing's guidance, Fanxing arrived at another window where many people were queuing to collect their Spirit Energy cards.

While waiting in line, Fanxing fiddled with the Spirit Pattern wristband in her hand.

Her wristband was different from Ye Qing’s. His was cyan with intricate patterns, resembling green jade; hers was white, completely smooth without a single mark, resembling white jade.

Ye Qing, standing beside her, spoke up: "The training for new recruits will cover how to use the Spirit Pattern wristband. You'll know by then."

Fanxing nodded.

Just then, the person in front of Fanxing suddenly turned around. "Are you a new recruit, too?"

Fanxing was startled by the sudden voice. When she looked at the person, she couldn't help but be struck by her appearance.

It was a girl of about twenty, petite and dainty, wearing her hair in a bun. She had a heart-shaped face, and though she wasn't tall, she was generously endowed in all the right places.

A sweet girl!

The phrase flashed through Fanxing's mind—and she was the kind of sweet girl who possessed a hint of seductive charm.

The only thing that looked out of place on her was the bandage wrapped around her neck.

Wrapping a bandage around one's neck—what kind of fashion was that? Fanxing, who was older, admitted she didn't get it.

"Yes." After a long pause, Fanxing nodded gently.

The sweet girl was a social butterfly. She grinned and said, "I'm a new recruit, too. It’s fate that we met! Come on, let's shake hands!"

Before Fanxing could agree, the girl grabbed her hand and shook it. She let go immediately after, giving Fanxing no chance to refuse.

She then introduced herself: "I'm Fan Honghong. And you?"

Fanxing hadn't heard clearly and assumed her name was "Fan Honghong" (Red). So she introduced herself: "I'm Yu Fanxing. 'Yu' as in the beauty Yu, and 'Fanxing' as in a sky full of stars."

Fan Honghong replied, "Yu Fanxing, that's a beautiful name. Not like me, Fan Honghong, 'Hong' as in 'terrific and booming'."

"Ah?" Fanxing was quite shocked by the "terrific and booming" explanation. She couldn't believe someone actually had that name.

Fan Honghong made a bitter face. "It's all my grandfather's fault for giving me such a name. And my dad, he didn't even object."

Fanxing couldn't help but laugh. "Actually, it's quite an interesting name."

Just then, Fan Honghong leaned into Fanxing's ear and whispered, "Starry, who's that handsome guy next to you? Does he have a partner?"

As she spoke, she gestured with her chin toward Ye Qing.

"Starry"? Fanxing was taken aback by the nickname. This girl was a social whirlwind!

Fanxing replied, "I only know his name is Ye Qing, and he's from the Ophiuchus Squad. I don't know if he has a partner."

Now it was Fan Honghong's turn to be stunned.

"Ophiuchus Squad? The Captain Ye Qing from the Ophiuchus Squad?" Fan Honghong clearly recognized the name.

"That's right," Fanxing nodded.

Seeing this, Fan Honghong immediately lost interest. "Never mind, I can't handle him."

Fanxing asked in confusion, "Why?" She had been so interested just a moment ago, and considering Ye Qing was handsome and, from their previous interactions, had a decent personality.

Fan Honghong pouted and mumbled vaguely, "Their captain is my ex-boyfriend..."

***

Although she spoke indistinctly, Fanxing heard her clearly.

Good heavens, you’re a novice Spirit User who actually dated a squad captain.

I have to say, that’s impressive!

While Fanxing didn't know the exact standing of the Ophiuchus Squad within the Alliance, she knew it must be extraordinary based on how everyone treated Ye Qing earlier.

Ye Qing was only a team leader, let alone the actual captain of the squad.

As they chatted, it was finally their turn.

Fan Honghong received her Spirit Energy card first. She skillfully channeled her spirit energy into it, and the bandage around her neck dissolved into a stream of light and flowed into the card.

So that bandage was a Spirit Seed! Fanxing realized with a start—what a unique Spirit Seed.

Fan Honghong waved the card in her hand at Fanxing. "I'm off, Starry. Hope we meet again."

With that, she hopped and skipped away.

Soon, Fanxing received her own card.

Unlike the gold-bordered card Ye Qing had, the cards Fanxing and Fan Honghong received were white-bordered.

Leaving the collection window, Fanxing asked Ye Qing, "How do I use this?"

Ye Qing replied, "Channel your inner spirit energy into it, then point the card at your Spirit Seed."

Fanxing nodded and patted her bag. A moment later, the Black Spirit Cat leaped out.

"Meow, meow, meow~" The Black Spirit Cat looked up at Fanxing.

Ye Qing instructed, "Use your heart to sense the energy flowing within you. As a Spirit User, you should instinctively feel close to that energy and find it with ease."

Fanxing was not human; her internal structure and the nature of her spirit energy were different from a human's, yet she seemed to know instinctively how to use it.

Under her control, spirit energy flowed into the card. A slowly swirling vortex appeared in the center of the card, shooting a beam of white light onto the Black Spirit Cat. A second later, the cat turned into a streak of light and fell into the card.

Once the Black Spirit Cat was inside, a pattern of a purring kitten appeared on the previously transparent card.

"How do I summon it out?" Fanxing asked.

Ye Qing replied, "Inject your spirit energy and call its name."

A name? The kitten didn't have one yet. Fanxing thought, *Oh well, I'll just call it Black Spirit Cat!*

The next second, the Black Spirit Cat transformed back into a streak of light and reappeared outside.

Once out, the cat looked around, then slowly walked over to Fanxing and rubbed its head gently against her leg.

When this little cat wasn't being fierce, it was truly adorable.

Ye Qing clicked his tongue in wonder. "Evil Spirit Seeds are usually ferocious; I can't believe this Black Spirit Cat is so affectionate toward you."

Fanxing knew the reason. A Spirit Seed that becomes her puppet will unconsciously feel close to her. As time passes, this connection will grow deeper until it is willing to sacrifice its life for her.

If Fanxing were willing to keep feeding it with her own flesh and blood, this progression of affection would be even faster.

"Alright, everything is done. Let me take you back to Rainbow City," Ye Qing said.

"Okay, thank you for today, Mr. Ye Qing," Fanxing said gratefully.

Ye Qing shook his head. "Don't mention it. If it weren't for my professional oversight, you wouldn't have been targeted by the Black Spirit Cat and suffered such an unprovoked disaster."

Fanxing blinked. "But it was a blessing in disguise, wasn't it?"

Ye Qing then used his light-based dragonfly to transport Fanxing back to the flower base in Rainbow City, and then from that base to the one in Rainbow City proper.

Once they reached the gate of the flower base, Ye Qing said, "Sister Fanxing, are you okay to get back to the city on your own? I have some other business to attend to."

Fanxing nodded. "No problem, go ahead with your business."

Ye Qing said, "Take care, then. See you again if fate allows."

With that, he turned and vanished.

*As expected, his strength is extraordinary,* Fanxing thought. *This speed is simply superhuman.*

After Ye Qing left, Fanxing took out her phone and called a taxi.

While waiting, she noticed a small Wood Spirit sitting on a nearby tree branch, sunning itself.

The little Wood Spirit was chubby, with a pair of round leaf-like wings fluttering gently behind it. It was incredibly cute.

But for some reason, Fanxing found herself swallowing hard.

It... it looked delicious.

The little Wood Spirit seemed to notice her gaze, offered a simple, innocent smile, and waved vigorously at her.

It had mistaken Fanxing for a worker at the flower base.

But the more Fanxing watched it, the stronger her desire to eat became.

It was the instinct of her Taisui nature acting up.

Taisui was an evil god; it didn't just consume strange matter, but also preyed upon other Spirit Seeds.

Suddenly, a scene flashed through Fanxing's mind.

In a dark, enclosed space, a white Spirit Seed shaped like a water ball was kept inside.

Then, several people in masks and white coats appeared.

They pushed a giant cart piled high with various Spirit Seeds, all of them in a comatose state.

She watched as the people in white coats tossed the Spirit Seeds one by one into the chamber. The white water ball inside suddenly spread out like liquid, enveloping the Spirit Seeds.

In just a moment, over a dozen massive Spirit Seeds were completely dissolved and consumed.

Even though the memory was a bit hazy, Fanxing knew clearly that the water-ball-like Spirit Seed was her—Taisui!

That was how she had been raised.

Suppressing the urge to feed, Fanxing began to consider her next steps.

Since her memory had returned and she had successfully infiltrated the Spirit User Alliance, her next task was to investigate exactly what the organization that had raised her was!

She didn't want to be captured and kept like a pig being fattened for slaughter ever again.

Pigs, once fattened, are meant to be butchered.

She wondered what the purpose of that mysterious organization was in creating an evil god like her.

And who was it that rescued her back then...

In any case, Fanxing had many questions in her heart now. She would have to take it slowly.

The taxi arrived soon, and she returned to the city center.

However, as soon as she arrived home, she saw someone standing at her door.

The person was tall and slender, wearing a gray hoodie and trousers. His black hair was long and messy, with bangs that obscured half his face, making it hard to see his features.

His outfit was on par with hers in terms of sloppiness.

Fanxing walked over quickly and asked, "He Zhaoyang, why are you here?"

He Zhaoyang, Fanxing's ex-husband, was the same age as her. They were first placed in the same class in the sixth grade of elementary school. Afterward, through middle school, high school, and university, they were either in the same school or the same class for over twenty years.

The only time they weren't in the same company was during Fanxing's first job.

Later, when Fanxing joined the Jinxiu Studio, He Zhaoyang joined shortly after, and they became colleagues.

In the first year He Zhaoyang joined, Fanxing proposed to him.

She didn't propose because she loved him that much; it was just that everyone around her was getting married one after another, and she felt she had reached the age where she should, so she chose him.

It wasn't love; it was just convenience.

She had assumed He Zhaoyang wouldn't agree, as her proposal had been very casual.

But he had agreed.

Don't let his disheveled appearance fool you. Having known him for decades, Fanxing knew very well that he was actually quite handsome.

She didn't know what others' aesthetic standards were, but she personally felt that even among television stars, few were better looking than him.

However, handsome or not, after they married, she never felt the kind of loving, affectionate bond that other couples had.

That was why she eventually asked for a divorce, and he had agreed.

Now, Fanxing somewhat understood why she hadn't been able to fall in love with him.

She wasn't human; it was probably hard for her to develop emotions like romantic love for a human.

Different species, that was all. There was no helping it.

In fact, she did like him—just not in a romantic way.

Fanxing had always thought He Zhaoyang was a strange person. When she proposed, he agreed instantly; when she asked for a divorce, he agreed instantly as well.

"You... you didn't come to w-work today. I was worried you were in some trouble, so I came to t-take a look."

They had been married, and had even done "that" together, yet he was still like this when facing her—nervous every time he spoke.

He didn't act like this when talking to others.

He Zhaoyang was a recluse; in both life and work, he barely interacted with anyone. As far as Fanxing knew, he didn't have a single friend.

"What kind of trouble could I be in?" Fanxing smiled.

He Zhaoyang was tall, nearly 1.9 meters. Fanxing was 1.7 meters, which was considered quite tall for a woman, but standing in front of him, she still had to look up.

She opened the gate. "Come on in."

"Oh~" He Zhaoyang replied, carrying the fruit he had brought for her into the yard.

During the years they lived together, it was actually He Zhaoyang who had been taking care of Fanxing.

He was a master of housework; during the years of their marriage, Fanxing had been taken care of with meticulous attention.