At the train station, Mirror October kept glancing up at the departure board.

He couldn’t afford to miss his sister Liuhua Jing’s train due to carelessness. To stay focused, he’d politely but firmly turned away several women drawn to his androgynously beautiful, ascetic-looking youth. Their hungry gazes clearly marked him as prey to be devoured in bed.

Thankfully, Mirror October’s mastery of psychology kept these near-farcical encounters from spiraling out of control. He even relished manipulating these women’s twisted fantasies—like walking a tightrope where collapse could come at any second. That razor’s edge between control and chaos? Unmatched exhilaration.

With a few vague, ambiguous phrases, he’d send another woman away thinking she’d won his promise—when he’d actually committed to nothing. Such tricks grew tiresome after repetition. A pretty face, an utterly detached Mirror Heart, and basic conversational skills were all it took to bewitch others effortlessly. Oh—and above all, a profound understanding of human nature.

Take that little runaway beast, for example.

Though Mumu had fled instinctively from Mirror October’s unnervingly gentle charm, his shadow had already seared itself deep into her heart far sooner than he’d expected. Now she’d gathered her courage to message him:

A flood of apologies first. Then hesitant invitations. Finally, hints dripping with insecure girlishness.

A habitual, warmthless smile curved Mirror October’s lips as he scrolled through Mumu’s hyperactive QQ messages. His slender index finger traced his own mouth—a dangerously alluring, chaste smile that made unseen onlookers swoon.

*"No worries at all. You can always find me."*

*—If I’m free. If you can handle it.*

*"I’m not mad at you. Or at them."*

*—Truly not. I’ve seen far uglier things.*

*"The person I like… is probably gentle, obedient, and understanding."*

His typing fingers froze mid-sentence. He almost retracted the words. A flicker of sorrowful haze clouded his crimson eyes—this was the ideal his *past* self had adored, not what the *current* him loved.

No man steps into the same river twice. Neither the man nor the river remains unchanged.

The more he understood people, the more he preferred dogs.

An exaggeration, perhaps—but it revealed just how icy his Mirror Heart truly was.

Once a principled Superhero who’d risked his life to eradicate the Dire Calamity… now he’d embrace any means, even evil ones, for his version of justice. How strangely fascinating this world was.

Yet deep within, a whisper haunted him:

*No matter how radiant your goal, you walk the path of demons. One day, you’ll pay for your deeds. Mirror October—your ideals will shatter like a reflection on water, just as your name foretells.*

Lost in this storm of thoughts, Mirror October didn’t notice Mumu’s new messages. Nor did he sense the figure he’d longed for appearing beside him—leaning close, her breath warm against his ear.

"Hmm~ So engrossed in chatting you didn’t see your sister?" Her tender voice carried a trace of reproach. To Liuhua Jing, Mirror October was impossible to miss—then and now.

"Just a classmate needing help." Mirror October pocketed his phone calmly. Even with his sister pressed half against him, a dangerous glint flickered in his crimson eyes.

"*Really* just a classmate~?"

Liuhua Jing’s tone dripped with jealousy as she wrapped her full figure around him. An unabashed siscon, she ignored onlookers’ stares. She adored her brother Mirror October—deeply. Her ample cleavage pressed against him. *Can’t you see I’m upset? Comfort me already.*

"Liuhua-jie, if you squeeze tighter, I’ll suffocate." Mirror October’s warning was mild, but his crimson eyes darkened. He wouldn’t harm his sister—but his natural reflexes could kill.

Her arms loosened instantly. Nothing mattered more than her beloved brother.

"Alright… but where’s Ruosui?"

Only Mirror October had come to meet her. Her sister Ruosui Jing’s absence stung.

"She said I’d suffice. Didn’t want to waste her cultivation time." *More like she couldn’t stand my face,* Mirror October thought, recalling Ruosui’s icy QQ replies. His crimson eyes dimmed slightly. *Such a willful, unlovable sister.*

"Oh… Then let’s go. Show me where you’re staying now." Liuhua Jing beamed, tucking his arm possessively against her chest. Since Grandpa’s death, nothing could stop her from doing as she pleased with Mirror October.

Forbidden? Unacceptable to the world? She’d never retreat.

"What about the orphanage? With both of us gone…" After the headmaster’s passing, only Mirror October and Liuhua kept the orphanage running. Without them—and especially without Mirror October’s interventions—it would have collapsed long ago.

"I’ve entrusted it to reliable hands. The children are sensible. And the money you left… it’s more than enough. Grandpa’s legacy is safe."

"I suppose… but Ruosui was right. I’m trampling Grandpa’s dream with money."

A self-mocking smile touched his lips. The profound loneliness in his expression made Liuhua’s heart ache. *Enough, October. You’ve done more than enough. You’re nothing like what that girl Ruosui claims. Why must you always look so wounded… so lost?*