Ye Lan knew this place, at least.

Wanyu Plaza, the biggest entertainment complex in Yunchang City, was packed with technology and machinery. It was pretty sci-fi.

She’d been here before, but there was no fun in exploring it alone, so she’d headed home soon after.

She never would’ve guessed Star Eclipse would show up here. Ye Lan really hadn’t seen that coming.

According to what the Night Watchers knew, ordinary people couldn’t sense the anomalies caused by Star Eclipse. Even if one had appeared near her before, she probably wouldn’t have noticed.

“Danger isn’t as far away as you think.”

That line came to Ye Lan for some reason.

“It feels like I’ve stepped into another world. This is incredible.”

Even though she’d become a Night Watcher, she still didn’t have the resolve she was supposed to.

At most, Ye Lan had been drawn in by the good benefits Cai Xun and the others had mentioned. Joining all of a sudden had just felt like the next step.

Did she really have the courage to face enemies that sounded so dangerous?

She was kind, but she didn’t seem very brave.

Ye Lan strolled leisurely along the edge of the plaza, head lowered as she kicked at the air one step at a time, as if there were little pebbles in front of her.

Just then, she spotted a crowd gathered around something, apparently watching a show.

“Huh~?”

Curious, Ye Lan cautiously edged closer.

As she approached, she saw a man around forty in an all-black tailcoat and a black top hat, politely performing magic in an open space.

The magician took off his top hat and showed the audience its empty inside. Then he pointed his wand into it.

“Coo-coo-coo!”

“Coo-coo!”

“Coo!”

Several pigeons suddenly flew out of the hat.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

“Bravo! Bravo!”

Thunderous applause suddenly rang out.

“Heh~”

The magician smiled mysteriously, spun the top hat around, and set it on the ground. Then he pointed his wand at it again.

But nothing happened.

“Ooh~”

Ye Lan was captivated. Her eyes widened.

The magician’s movements faltered. He seemed confused that nothing had happened.

“Did something go wrong?” Ye Lan murmured, guessing.

Then the magician leaned over to peer into the hat. A spring-loaded boxing glove suddenly popped out and punched him flat on the ground.

“Hahaha~”

“Hahaha!”

The people there laughed “merrily.”

Mr. Magician got back up, pushed the spring-loaded glove into the hat, put it back on, and bowed to the crowd.

Only then did Ye Lan catch on.

“So it wasn’t a mistake after all? It was part of the act? Hmm~ It feels like he’s mixing magic with comedy and clowning. That’s amazing~”

Ye Lan had laughed at the performance too. It was so much fun that she happily joined in with the applause.

But her clapping blended into the rest, making barely a ripple.

Ye Lan didn’t notice that something was off about the people around her. Their expressions were a little stiff, their movements a little unnatural, and so on.

“This magician’s style is really old-fashioned. I never expected to see this kind of act in such a fast-paced age. It’s so rare, and it looks like lots of people enjoy it. I thought I was the only one who liked this kind of fun performance.”

Ye Lan wasn’t very good at keeping up with the fast pace of life, and she’d fallen a little behind the times. It made her feel out of place around other people.

Well, maybe it was because she was too poor and too lazy.

Young people today were already used to the fast pace of modern life. With technology and machinery making entertainment explode in popularity, stage shows like this had long since fallen out of favor.

Which was more captivating: simple magic tricks or flashy high-tech machines?

The latter, obviously.

Anyway, Ye Lan hadn’t expected so many people to come watch this older man’s magic show.

Back to reality.

When the magician stopped performing, everyone’s expressions quickly went blank again. The cheers abruptly died away, and then they all left.

“Huh?” Ye Lan looked confused, still not quite sure what was going on.

Now that she looked at Mr. Magician, standing motionless in the middle of the space, he seemed a little…downcast.

“Mm...”

He looked so much like her when she sat alone in her room, staring into space and feeling lonely.

Ye Lan hesitated, then started clapping again.

Clap, clap, clap~

The old magician’s gaze fell on her. His eyes seemed to light up.

“Did you enjoy my performance?”

The magician’s voice was rich and resonant, with a weight that suggested a long, troubled story. It also put her under considerable pressure.

The voice startled Ye Lan, and her whole body tensed. Still, she worked up the courage to answer him.

“Mm, I thought it was wonderful. I really like your style. You’re the kind of performer who brings people joy, aren’t you? You combine magic, comedy, and clowning so naturally. Will I get to see you perform again?”

Ye Lan didn’t know why she’d suddenly found the courage to say so much to a stranger. Maybe she’d seen how dejected the old magician looked and wanted to encourage him.

That was the kindest and most compassionate thing she could manage.

The magician’s eyes shifted. His whole body began to tremble. He covered his face and slowly bent forward as a hoarse laugh gradually spilled out.

“Hahaha... Joyful, you say? That’s all that matters. You’re a real audience member!”

The magician’s excitement startled Ye Lan, and she couldn’t help taking half a step back.

“Um... there were lots of people watching just now, too...”

The magician straightened up again, seeming to steady his emotions. “No, they weren’t an audience. They were just people there to humor me—and they weren’t even doing that willingly. I couldn’t bring them any real joy with my performance, and it left me feeling hopeless. But then you came along. You were drawn to my act of your own free will. Joy comes from within! Even your applause and encouragement sound so wonderful! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for—and what we’ve been looking for!”

“Ah... um...” Ye Lan looked completely bewildered.

She understood every word Mr. Magician said, but put together, they made no sense.

The old magician grew excited again.

“I have some friendly colleagues, and their performances are just as wonderful! They need an audience like you, too. Would you come back with me? We’ll put on a wonderful show just for you! I’m sure you’ll love them, and I’m sure you’ll give them the most beautiful applause and cheers!”

“Um...”

Ye Lan looked troubled. She thought the magician in front of her was a little strange, but she couldn’t tell what was strange about him.

“But I’m a little busy right now and can’t get away. How about... next time for sure?”

At last, she realized that something about the magician in front of her was off.

If he made any sudden move, Ye Lan would run as fast as she could.

Wasn’t the speed of making a wish exactly what she needed for this?

But the magician only let out a regretful sigh.

“What a shame. In that case, let me put on a performance just for you—a new kind of magic. Please enjoy the show.”

“That sounds fine.”