So cold… so hungry… her tiny legs were about to give out.

Violet trudged down the empty street, fine drizzle drifting from the sky and stinging her pale cheeks. Every drop felt icy, sharp. Her legs were short, and every step drained her like she was dragging a whole river behind her.

But the moment she thought of her dad filming just ahead with the crew, something warm pushed her forward, like a spark lighting up her little body.

She had to tell him. She had to tell him their whole tribe was gone, wiped out by bad people.

As for who those bad people were… she… she couldn’t remember…

She was still too young, and her memory wasn’t good.

Even though she’d already lived a hundred years as a little spirit, in human age she was only three and a half. From Stirring River all the way to East Citadel, more than half the country apart, she’d swum for two straight months.

She was so tired. So tired she couldn’t even remember what the killers looked like.

She only remembered that when she left Stirring River, the water was completely red — the blood of her people staining the whole river, the brightest red she had ever seen.

And she remembered when they sent her away, Goldie Grandma clutching her hand with all her strength, eyes full of tears as she told her,

“Grandma doesn’t want you to avenge us. You just need to find your father and live as an ordinary human child.”

“Your father is human, filming with the ‘Painting Mountains’ crew as the second male lead. Go find him.”

Violet didn’t understand any of that.

What was “Painting Mountains”?

What was a film crew?

What was a second male lead?

She had lived among her own kind all her life, a carefree little koi spirit. She didn’t know anything about humans. She didn’t understand why a group of men in black had slaughtered her people.

“Grandma…” she cried, trying to throw herself into Goldie Grandma’s arms and grab her hand.

But Grandma, tears streaming down her face, gently pushed her away.

An invisible force shoved her farther and farther away.

Her clansmen had unleashed their spiritual power—they were sending her off.

“I don’t wanna go, I don’t wanna go! Grandma Goldtail, Sister Hongli!” Violet reached out, trying to grab onto them, but her small hands only closed around empty air.

Her people dropped to one knee, voices loud yet trembling.

“Sending off our princess!”

“May our princess never return. Forget the fate of the Koi Clan, forget Stirring River, forget this day. Forget us.”

“May the princess find her father just like she wishes. Be a little girl everyone treasures, with no worries ever again.”

“Your Highness, forget us. Just live your own life.”

…

Another raindrop smacked right between her brows.

It jolted her out of the memory. She blinked at the rain pouring harder and harder, and her eyes stung, misting up fast.

So it had really been two whole months.

She wiped her tears away and kept searching for her dad.

“This daddy I’ve never even met is seriously the worst. Why’d he have to run all the way to East Citadel to film? Couldn’t he stay closer to Stirring River? I’m so tired… uuuuu…”

Her voice cracked, soft and whiny.

Bad daddy!

When she found him, she was definitely going to tug his hair. Hard.

The film crew was getting closer.

After asking around, she confirmed it—right ahead was the crew of Painting Rivers and Mountains. Her human dad was inside filming!

Full of hope, she marched forward… only to be stopped at the entrance by a woman blocking her way.

The woman had a tall, almost intimidating nose, narrow eyes, and lips so thin they looked like she barely used them.

"Which family dumped you out here, huh? You don’t see they're filming inside? Think a random brat like you can just wander in? Go on, shoo! Get lost!"

As she snapped at her, the woman pinched her nose and backed up a couple steps, her face full of disgust.

Violet felt wronged to her core, big teardrops rolling down nonstop.

"I… I’m not a stray kid! I’m here for my dad! My dad’s in there filming! He… he’s playing the second male lead!"

"You’re saying you’re Austin Reynolds’ kid?" the woman shrieked, her voice sharp enough to stab ears.

Austin Reynolds?

So Daddy’s name was Austin Reynolds?

Violet bobbed her head quickly, her milky-soft voice trembling. "Mm! My daddy is Austin Reynolds!"

The second she finished, the woman stormed forward and grabbed Violet’s cheeks harshly.

It hurt—hurt so much her tears spilled even faster.

"Bad woman, what are you doing? Let me go!" Violet pushed at the woman’s arm with her tiny hands, but without her spiritual power, she was no stronger than an ordinary human child. No matter how hard she tried, the woman didn’t budge an inch.

Two months looking for her father had drained every bit of her strength. Right now, she was basically just a small, exhausted kid…

"I’m Frost Morrison, Austin’s assistant. I’ve worked with him for five years. You think I wouldn’t know if he had a kid your size?" As she spoke, Frost dug her fingers in even harder.

"Did one of my boss’s enemies send you? You got reporters hiding somewhere? Where are they? Huh?"

Violet winced, her tears falling like beads breaking off a string. She shook her head again and again.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about—I don’t! I want my dad! Let me go, you mean woman! I want my dad, boohoo…"

And with that, Violet lunged forward and bit down hard on Frost’s hand.

If she could just get away from this woman, she could get inside and find Daddy!

"Ouch!" Frost yelped, instantly letting go.

Violet seized the tiny sliver of chance and bolted toward the film crew.

But she had barely taken two wobbly steps on her short little legs when the woman behind her yanked her collar. A sharp slap crashed down on her head. Violet felt her skull buzz, her vision spin, and she stumbled twice before falling hard onto the ground.

She’d been hit. Every inch of her hurt.

Her strength just… gave out, and she collapsed where she was.

The cold wind scraped across her cheeks. Her head felt thick and heavy, like someone had dumped a whole ocean inside it.

She stared as Frost Morrison walked toward her with that icy smirk on her face.

Stars glittered in the sky, just like Grandma Gold-Tail and the clan’s gentle eyes.

They say people turn into stars after they die and watch from above. Grandma… are you watching Violet right now?

Violet really, really tried to find her dad. She tried so hard. But she couldn’t hold on anymore. She was so tired, and her head hurt so much.

Maybe… maybe Violet could sleep for a bit.

At last, completely drained, she let her eyes fall shut.