That afternoon.

Li Xiaoyan posted on her own social media account under her real name, announcing that she was an Esper.

Every time the replies under her post refreshed, hundreds—sometimes thousands—of new comments appeared.

She drew far more attention than the other people who’d come out and claimed to be Espers. Of course, that was for a number of reasons: she was Qin Xin’s classmate, and Jiang Yuan’s too.

People couldn’t help having higher expectations of her—or making more guesses about her.

She didn’t want to attract attention. Now, countless people had their eyes on her.

Jiang Yuan and Yi Nanye were staring at the replies to her post, constantly searching for suspicious accounts and marking them.

【Hey, cutie! Want to grab dinner together tonight?】

【Hello. I’m very interested in Espers. Could we meet? I’ll make it worth your while!】

【I’m in the neighboring city, and I’m an Esper too. Can we talk?】

【Please check your DMs. Please check your DMs. This is very important!!】

【Li Xiaoyan, it’s me! Remember? We went to middle school together!】

Almost all the accounts they’d marked had a clear goal: they wanted to get in touch with Li Xiaoyan. Of course, plenty of people were also questioning whether she was really an Esper.

After all, lately, plenty of people had been posting that they’d become Espers just because their foreheads itched or they’d had a slightly strange dream, all to draw attention. There were just too many people asking to meet her, so picking out the suspicious ones wasn’t easy.

Of course, Jiang Yuan and Yi Nanye weren’t the only ones working on this. The Superpower Management Bureau had assigned a few people to help, but this was an operation to expose a mole, and the Bureau didn’t dare make too big a move. That left them short-handed, so even Yi Nanye and Jiang Yuan had to pitch in.

Jiang Yuan didn’t listen to a single word in class that afternoon. The teacher kept lecturing while Jiang Yuan and Yi Nanye focused on their own work. Qin Xin was distracted too. Seeing how close Jiang Yuan and Yi Nanye were made her burn with anger.

The two remaining students in the classroom weren’t paying attention at all, which really hurt the teacher who’d come to teach them.

But the teacher didn’t dare say anything.

Who would dare?

One was a future hero. The other might become the world’s number-one war criminal. Neither of them was someone you wanted to mess with.

After school that afternoon.

Qin Xin walked over to Jiang Yuan to greet him. He was showing Yi Nanye something on his phone, and the two of them were chatting away.

“Jiang Yuan, you’ve seemed busy all afternoon. Do you need any help?”

“Thanks, but no.”

Jiang Yuan glanced up at Qin Xin, then immediately turned back to Yi Nanye.

“What do you make of this reply?”

“It’s a little suspicious. I’ll mark it. Oh, take a look at this one.”

Yi Nanye held her phone out to show Jiang Yuan. They were sitting very close. As they looked at the screen, their arms kept brushing against each other, but they seemed completely used to it and didn’t react at all.

They were touching skin, yet they were this used to it?

Just who…

Just who was Jiang Yuan’s girlfriend?!

“Don’t you two think you’re being a little too close?”

Qin Xin suddenly spoke up, and the temperature in the classroom began to drop.

Jiang Yuan and Yi Nanye slowly looked up at Qin Xin, then glanced at each other. They had to admit they were sitting pretty close. They hadn’t even noticed. After all, they slept in the same bed every night, and they’d gradually gotten used to being close.

“Um… We’re working on something important.”

“You’re flirting right in front of me?”

Qin Xin could no longer hold back her feelings. Who could possibly be okay with seeing that?

“Qin Xin, Jiang Yuan and I get along well. Isn’t that a good thing for him? It means I won’t keep going after him anymore.”

Yi Nanye reminded Qin Xin not to get jealous over this. There was no need for it at all.

“You can keep going after him, then. What’s the point of pretending to be nice and playing with his feelings?”

Even Jiang Yuan was left awkwardly speechless by Qin Xin’s words. He and Yi Nanye had only grown closer because he’d been working to change her prejudice against him—and he’d already started to succeed.

“Qin Xin, calm down… Look at what’s going on right now. If I can get along with her, that makes things easier for me too. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?”

“You’ve already climbed into the same bed? That’s some relationship. You’re practically one person already, aren’t you?”

Qin Xin’s words turned openly hostile. But for once, Yi Nanye didn’t snap back. She put her phone away and moved farther from Jiang Yuan on her own.

“Qin Xin, don’t you trust me?”

Jiang Yuan could only try playing the trust card. Qin Xin was just too difficult to deal with, and he was already facing things as if they might break up at any moment. He was growing up fast, learning to let go of a relationship he couldn’t force.

But Qin Xin only doubled down.

She was a hero, with the power to claim what she wanted—especially something that already belonged to her.

“I want to trust you, but I’m scared…”

Qin Xin sighed, walked over to Jiang Yuan, and reached for his hand. The corner of Jiang Yuan’s eye twitched the moment she took it. Her hand was so cold, it felt like holding an ice cube straight from the freezer.

“What are you scared of?”

“You leaving me.”

“Well… Even if we can’t be together someday, you’ll always be my best friend. We grew up together. I’d never leave you—not for anyone.”

“Even if we can’t be together someday?”

Qin Xin repeated Jiang Yuan’s words.

“Well…”

“There’s no ‘even if.’ Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. You don’t need to worry about my reputation. We’re definitely going to be together someday.”

Qin Xin’s grip on Jiang Yuan’s hand tightened. Her expression was strangely fierce, with a hint of obsession. Frigid air streamed out from her, and her eyes reflected nothing but Jiang Yuan.

“Qin Xin…”

Jiang Yuan was suddenly a little scared. Qin Xin had frightened him. He couldn’t understand her anymore; the person he’d known best now felt like a stranger.

“If your efforts mean you have to leave me, then don’t do anything. I’ll make the effort. Just wait for me.”

“Once I become a hero, no one will dare question my decisions.”

With that,

she let go of Jiang Yuan’s hand and turned to leave. Her once-frail silhouette seemed to have grown much broader. She’d made up her mind, but her reasons weren’t exactly noble. She wasn’t doing it for the people or for the world.

Jiang Yuan looked at the hand Qin Xin had held. It was covered in white frost, and even the slightest movement sent sharp pain through him.

Qin Xin had hurt Jiang Yuan.

It was as if she were warning him not to betray her.

“Jiang Yuan, something’s not right with Qin Xin.”

Yi Nanye gave a couple of bitter laughs. Even she felt helpless. Jiang Yuan shakily raised his stinging hand to his mouth and blew warm air onto it. A look of resolve surfaced in his eyes too.

“I should find a time to talk things through with her.”

“We shouldn’t be together.”

“We have to break up.”

Jiang Yuan realized that he’d seriously affected Qin Xin’s mental state. He couldn’t let her go on like this.