Most of the people in the Exhibition Hall came in groups.
Only Yu Qing walked alone through the hall, but she didn’t mind.
She didn’t feel connected to anyone this body knew now.
Her gaze drifted past the abstract paintings and sculptures, her expression indifferent, uninterested, as if this was a routine task.
Which, in fact, it was.
Still, not wanting to waste the money spent on the ticket, Yu Qing forced herself to pause in front of a few expensive-looking pieces, pretending to study them closely.
But this state lasted only a short while before she lost interest again, returning to her idle wandering.
I really don’t like these pretentious things.
Yu Qing sighed.
She’d just finished dealing with Mei Xue, and wasn’t sure if there were people from her group watching nearby.
Although there was no longer any need to keep up appearances, she continued anyway, almost out of habit.
But just as Yu Qing was about to leave for the exit, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in the distance.
“Lin Wei?”
Yu Qing stopped, raising an eyebrow.
She was about to call out when she saw Lin Wei pull her hood over her face and quickly change direction.
“Hmm?”
Yu Qing blinked, clearly confused as to why Lin Wei ran off upon seeing her.
Did Mei Xue say something to her?
Should I chase after her and ask?
Watching Lin Wei’s figure retreat, Yu Qing’s mind spun with possibilities, but her body was already moving.
No matter what Mei Xue might have told Lin Wei, getting closer shouldn’t cause any big problems.
At best, maybe she’d get more information out of Lin Wei; at worst, she’d just end up severing ties with her.
It wasn’t an unacceptable loss.
Stretching out her long legs, her peep-toe high-heeled boots clicked “da, da” on the stone floor as Yu Qing quickly caught up to the fleeing Lin Wei.
“Weiwei.”
Yu Qing stopped, standing beside Lin Wei, one hand on her waist, pretending to be out of breath as she spoke with feigned surprise.
“What a coincidence, running into you here.”
“Ah, it’s you! Yiyi!”
Lin Wei seemed different from usual.
Though she tried to act the same as always, the panic in her eyes betrayed her.
Yu Qing took note of this but said nothing, pretending not to notice.
“I heard there was an exhibition here, so I came to have a look! I didn’t expect to run into you!”
Lin Wei continued “cheerfully,” affectionately linking her arm through Yu Qing’s, her movements as natural and practiced as always.
She rubbed her small face against Yu Qing’s arm, then looked up at her with a bright smile.
Something felt off.
“Yiyi, are you here to see the paintings too? Did you find any you liked? I saw a really beautiful one over there before! It’s super amazing!”
Lin Wei chattered non-stop, enthusiasm overflowing, as if truly recommending her favorite artworks.
Everything seemed normal.
But Yu Qing sensed a subtle difference.
Lin Wei’s smile was still dazzling, but her eyes avoided Yu Qing’s, never meeting her gaze for long before flitting elsewhere.
Her grip on Yu Qing’s arm wasn’t as tight as before either—more for show than real intimacy, like those celebrities on TV linking arms with rumored partners for publicity.
It had only been a little over a week since they’d last seen each other, yet it felt as if their roles had reversed.
Yu Qing, who should be shy, was now calm and distant; Lin Wei, who usually teased, was suddenly the one acting bashful.
There’s definitely something wrong here.
Yu Qing silently pondered, chatting idly with Lin Wei while closely observing her expressions and eyes.
They strolled along, sometimes stopping at a statue, sometimes admiring a painting, their conversation outwardly harmonious but each harboring secrets.
Yu Qing didn’t know what Lin Wei was thinking.
But she herself had many suspicions.
Did Mei Xue ignore Lin Wei after returning? Or maybe she said something harsh to her?
It wasn’t impossible.
Ever since she last parted with Lin Wei, Lin Wei’s attachment to “Fu Yi” had grown even stronger.
If she had rushed up and hugged Mei Xue without thinking, considering Mei Xue’s real personality, she would indeed have gotten scolded.
But by Lin Wei’s nature, if blamed, she would usually chase after the truth or at least complain with some resentment.
Now, however, she acted as if nothing had happened, except for a faint sense of distance between them, radiating a mild tension.
“Yiyi, you seem really busy lately? Is it okay to stroll through the gallery with me?”
After a long while, Lin Wei finally shifted the topic to Yu Qing, her tone deliberately light, as if making casual conversation.
“Don’t let hanging out with me keep you from your own business.”
Are you trying to send me away?
Yu Qing was surprised.
She hadn’t expected the relationship between Mei Xue and Lin Wei to be so strained.
But if things were that bad, why even talk to her at all—
Wait!
Maybe I misunderstood from the start.
Suddenly, Yu Qing realized, annoyed at her own slow thinking.
It wasn’t that Lin Wei was estranged from Mei Xue—but from her.
As close friends, Mei Xue probably told Lin Wei about her presence as soon as she returned.
Under Mei Xue’s warning, Lin Wei had reverted to how she treated Yu Qing back in the gym.
Now, uncertain whether Yu Qing was really her Yiyi, Lin Wei wanted to be close but couldn’t help keeping her distance.
So, could she try to influence Lin Wei’s judgment and make her believe she truly was Yiyi?
Recalling Lin Wei’s usual intelligence, Yu Qing thought this plan was plausible.
“Yeah, there was some stuff, but it’s already taken care of, isn’t it?”
Yu Qing replied with a soft smile, trying to appear gentle, while subtly observing Lin Wei’s face.
As expected, she caught a fleeting trace of nervousness in Lin Wei’s eyes, there and gone in a flash.
“Really? It’s all done? Don’t lie to me!”
Lin Wei hesitated, then quickly responded, following up with, “If you’re not busy, let’s go eat at your favorite Japanese place, okay?”
Japanese food?
Classmate Xiao Wei, so you’ve started playing tricks too.
If Yu Qing hadn’t spaced out during Chen Jing’s training class, she would know that Mei Xue actually hated Japanese food—and, in fact, disliked most raw or cold dishes.
At the time, Yu Qing wondered if Mei Xue had a bad stomach, worrying that if she became Mei Xue, she might inherit it as well.
“Xiao Wei, what are you saying.”
Yu Qing sighed helplessly, pinching Lin Wei’s cheek and lifting it slightly.
Her collagen-filled face was delightfully soft to the touch—but still not as nice as her own.
“Wrong, wrong, Yiyi, I know I was wrong!”
Lin Wei quickly confessed, though she clearly felt no pain.
This time, the awkwardness between them seemed to fade.
“Hey, you silly girl, I told you before, but to think you can’t even tell me apart?”
Yu Qing let go, intentionally making her words vague, then sighed and put on a wounded look.
“I’m so sad.”
“Don’t, Yiyi, I’m just too dumb.”
Seeing Yu Qing’s hurt expression, Lin Wei panicked and hugged her tighter, burying her face in Yu Qing’s chest.
“Even though my instincts tell me you’re the real Yiyi, I remember you said to be sure before deciding, so I…”
Lin Wei tried to explain, but before she could finish, Yu Qing pressed a finger to her lips, smiling gently.
“Of course, I know. You’re just afraid of mistaking me.”
“I understand~”
Misunderstandings between friends arise and fade quickly, and after a few words, the distance between them vanished.
The two chatted as they walked, admiring various beautiful paintings along the way.
Mostly, Lin Wei did the talking while Yu Qing listened.
Whenever Yu Qing tried to subtly probe for information, Lin Wei played dumb, so her questions always led nowhere.
Still, Yu Qing could tell Lin Wei genuinely loved these artistic works.
Unfortunately, Yu Qing herself preferred more risqué pictures, losing another common topic with classmate Xiao Wei.
Eventually, they finished the exhibition and were about to leave when Lin Wei received a call.
She glanced at her phone, then at Yu Qing, struggling for a moment before reluctantly letting go.
“Ugh…Yiyi, my friend needs me for something. I can’t stay with you.”
Only after Yu Qing nodded did Lin Wei relax, hurrying away.
Watching Lin Wei’s departing figure, Yu Qing stood there, frowning.
What friend could be more important than Yiyi?
Yu Qing didn’t know.
But she did catch the panic on Lin Wei’s face when she saw the call.
She caught a faint glimpse of the character “Fu” on the screen.
Was it Mei Xue?
Yu Qing couldn’t be sure, but if it was, Lin Wei’s reaction made sense.
But was that really all?
Yu Qing frowned, unsettled by a lingering sense of doubt.
But agonizing over it now would do no good.
In a blink, ten days had passed.
Yu Qing was like a stone tossed into a lake, stirring the surface according to a set path, trying to draw out the fish hiding below.
She had successfully caught Mei Xue’s attention and disrupted Fu Mingxuan’s plans.
Fu Mingxuan’s scheme continued advancing steadily, but Yu Qing’s own countermeasures unfolded quietly amid what seemed like passive moves.
The collar she had ordered earlier was finally delivered.
Yu Qing tried fitting it around her neck—it was just the right size, snug but not uncomfortable.
Once locked, it couldn’t be removed without a key.
Because it fit so closely, brute force wouldn’t open it either, nor could it be cut.
Yu Qing was very satisfied with the collar.
She hailed a taxi to go back.
This time, she didn’t use an Internet Ride—not because she was afraid Mei Xue would play tricks again, but simply because a taxi happened to be waiting outside.
Today’s events made her realize there were still holes in her identity’s protection.
Though she’d already left plenty of openings, one more wouldn’t make much difference.
The ride passed in silence, and Yu Qing soon returned to the Apartment.
Standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, she gazed out at the city’s sparkling lights.
She ran her fingers over the collar in her hand.
The cool metal calmed her swirling thoughts.
There were only two days left until the School Anniversary.
Neither side had said anything about making a move that day.
But deep down, Yu Qing felt the School Anniversary would become a turning point in her life.
A Storm was coming.
She had to make sure she could find the one path to survival in the Storm’s Eye.