At the same time, inside a skyscraper in the city center, Fu Mingxuan sat in his office chair, holding the Project Progress Report that the Secretary had delivered not long ago.
His brows were tightly knit.
The various issues in the report made his mind restless.
Outside the massive floor-to-ceiling window, the bustling city skyline stretched out.
Evening was approaching, and the city was growing lively, people moving like in a crowded market filled with vendors.
Yet, inside, the atmosphere clashed sharply with the liveliness outside, feeling abnormally heavy.
Fu Mingxuan loosened his tie, still frowning.
He set the report aside for the moment, then opened the computer next to him and pulled up the Company’s recent Project plan, his gaze fixed on the constantly shifting Data Graphs on the screen.
All the data indicators were trending downward.
Only the amount of invested Funds continued to rise.
The New Energy Project he’d placed such high hopes on was now like a greedy, bottomless pit, devouring the Company’s cash flow without end.
“Bang!”
Fu Mingxuan slammed his fist on the desk.
Always the smiling tiger, even he had been so bothered by these trivial matters that he couldn’t keep up the act.
The force made the pen on his desk jump.
“Technical bottleneck! Another damn technical bottleneck! What is the Research and Development Department doing? They’ve burned through so much money, and still can’t come up with a decent Solution!”
Long-term mental stress and endless work had left his voice hoarse, filled with anxiety and anger.
He had originally hoped this Project would help him firmly establish his footing within the Family, maybe even surpass Fu Yi, but now it had become a noose tightening around his neck—a rope that seemed about to choke him, but from which he couldn’t escape.
The Company’s financial chain was nearly at the breaking point.
Other Companies, upon learning of his situation, hadn’t chosen to help.
As for his Father, he was restricted by the damn Clan Rules and couldn’t give direct support.
A thick sense of Crisis hung over Fu Mingxuan like a dark cloud.
If he couldn’t quickly secure new funding, or find enough benefit elsewhere to fill this hole, all his previous investments and ambitions might go up in smoke.
At this moment, Yu Qing’s existence was like the last life-saving straw.
He had to grab onto her tightly and climb upward through her.
Before that, no matter how strange Yu Qing’s identity might be, he would do everything in his power to keep it hidden for her—whether it was her using Yu Qing’s Account, or anything else, he couldn’t let Fu Yi uncover any of it.
Otherwise, if Fu Yi found anything that could threaten Yu Qing, he would lose yet another chance at victory.
The only problem was, Fu Mingxuan himself didn’t know how long those tricks could keep things hidden.
He knew very well—with the funds he could mobilize now, unless he resorted to crooked means, it was almost impossible to outplay Fu Yi.
As Fu Mingxuan frantically considered his options, the internal phone rang.
He took a deep breath, forced down his anger, and returned his voice to its usual gentle tone.
“What is it?”
“President Fu, Analyst Chen Jing is here. She says she has an important situation to report.”
The Secretary’s voice came through the phone.
“Let her in.”
Fu Mingxuan’s eyes flickered.
He closed the Notebook Computer in front of him, tidied up the scattered documents, and waited quietly for Chen Jing to enter.
Chen Jing walked in wearing professional attire, holding a tablet computer.
Her expression was blank, far removed from the reliable big sister image Yu Qing had seen in class.
“President Fu.”
Chen Jing stood before Fu Mingxuan and greeted him respectfully.
“Sit.”
Fu Mingxuan gestured to the chair opposite.
He leaned back into the wide seat, adjusting his posture to feel more comfortable—but today, the chair seemed faulty.
No matter how he sat, there was a lump preventing him from relaxing.
“Is it about her?”
Helpless, Fu Mingxuan sat up straight and asked again.
“Yes.”
Chen Jing sat on the sofa, opened her tablet, and projected several blurry but recognizable photos of Yu Qing onto the office’s whiteboard.
“Miss Eve’s recent activity has been frequent, mainly around the School Library, Art Gallery, and several Membership Restaurants and Galleries that Miss Fu Yi used to visit occasionally.”
Chen Jing quickly entered work mode, analyzing the photos with Fu Mingxuan.
“Judging by her behavior, she’s deliberately imitating Miss Fu Yi’s habits, but there’s a problem.”
She paused, pushed up her glasses, and said with some confusion,
“Based on footage from the Miniature Cameras we installed outside Miss Eve’s Apartment and other private recordings, her subtle postures in non-public settings differ from Miss Fu Yi’s—almost imperceptibly. Unless she’s acting at all times, Miss Eve’s learning ability clearly exceeds our expectations.”
“I anticipated this.”
Fu Mingxuan tapped the table lightly, eyes deep.
He smirked.
“I’d already seen her rapid progress in Etiquette Skills before. Out of curiosity, I watched once.”
“Miss Eve’s speed of improvement is rare in my life. If I wasn’t absolutely sure the real Fu Yi was still in the Main Residence, I’d almost have thought she was the real one.”
The stronger Yu Qing’s ability became, the happier Fu Mingxuan felt.
It increased his odds of toppling Fu Yi.
As for whether Yu Qing’s growth might threaten him, Fu Mingxuan had never worried about that.
No matter how strong an individual was, they couldn’t surpass an organization.
Even if Yu Qing ultimately controlled Fu Yi’s power, he had ways to force her to return it intact.
“As for Miss Fu Yi, she hasn’t acted directly yet, but Zhou Min around her has been entering Security Companies more frequently.”
“Also, we detected abnormal Fund movements from several of Miss Fu Yi’s Anonymized Accounts, flowing to Private Investigation Teams with complex backgrounds.”
Chen Jing ignored whatever Fu Mingxuan was thinking, still reporting calmly and clarifying the stakes.
“She’s probably already noticed and begun deploying her defenses.”
At these words, a heavy look flashed in Fu Mingxuan’s eyes.
He curled his lips into a cold smile, his tone chilling.
“Of course she noticed.”
“My cousin is sharper than a fox. She’s biding her time to see what game we’re playing, or waiting for us to slip up so she can strike back and strip me of any right to compete with her.”
Fu Mingxuan stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the city below.
“Unfortunately for her, this time, time isn’t on her side.”
His plan was nearly complete.
Meanwhile, Fu Yi was still preparing her counterattack.
If he acted just a step faster, he could catch her off guard.
“How’s our opportunity for her coming along?”
Fu Mingxuan didn’t turn around, his voice echoing coldly off the glass.
“The location is tentatively chosen—a deserted Abandoned Warehouse District at the edge of the city, sparsely populated, easy to control, with multiple exit routes. Our people are in place, all part of the Core Team.”
Chen Jing slid her finger over the tablet, pulling up an overhead diagram.
In the center of the map was the very warehouse she described.
“We’re just waiting for the right moment for the Bait to lure the target in.”
Fu Mingxuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked,
“Chen Jing, do you think our Partner is reliable?”
He meant Yu Qing.
Chen Jing didn’t hesitate.
Her tone was objective.
“From a profit standpoint, her ambition leaves her no choice but to rely on us. But based on recent behavior, Miss Eve is highly alert and independent—not a fully controllable chess piece. There’s a risk she could defect or sabotage the plan to protect herself at a critical moment.”
“Yes, she’s a disobedient chess piece.”
Fu Mingxuan chuckled, turning around.
In his hand was Yu Qing’s dossier.
His tone was icy.
“That’s why we need a line to bind her securely—or, to put it another way, an Insurance policy that forces her to play by our script.”
He waved Chen Jing out, and the office fell silent again.
Fu Mingxuan returned to his desk, sat down, leaned back with his eyes closed, blank and motionless.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before he picked up his private phone, swiped a few times on the screen, and dialed a number with no stored name.
The call rang for a long time before being answered.
On the other end came a deliberately suppressed voice.
“…Hello?”
There was a faint trace of hesitation and confusion in the sound.
“It’s me.”
Hearing the voice, Fu Mingxuan’s tone softened, entirely different from the coldness he’d shown Chen Jing earlier.
“How have you been lately? I heard you haven’t seen her in some time?”
The person on the other end seemed to hold their breath, their voice dropping even lower.
“N-no, we met once recently.”
“Oh? Was it today? Don’t misunderstand, I’m just curious. How did the meeting go?”
Fu Mingxuan raised an eyebrow, a little surprised but unfazed, speaking as if making small talk.
“Did she suspect anything?”
“Probably not…”
The response was uncertain and guilty, the words halting.
“I talked to her like usual, but she seemed to misunderstand something. I wasn’t sure, so I just went along with it. It seemed fine.”
“Then you did well.”
Fu Mingxuan smiled slightly, his tone warm and encouraging, but with an invisible pressure as his words shifted.
“Still, just maintaining the status quo may not be enough, my dear friend.”
“The Plan is about to begin. I need to know—which side are you on?”
Silence.
Only the sound of the person’s quickened breathing came through the phone.
Fu Mingxuan waited patiently, like a spider eyeing its prey.
After a long while, a trembling voice finally spoke.
“Mingxuan-ge… I, I want to help you, of course. But Yi Yi is still… and if I’m too obvious, she’ll notice, and my family’s situation…”
The voice was filled with fear and anxiety, the fragmented words almost sobbing.
A trace of impatience flashed in Fu Mingxuan’s eyes, but his tone remained gentle, coaxing.
“Don’t worry, I understand your difficulties. But you have to realize, there’s only one chance. Fu Yi can barely protect herself now—once it’s over, she won’t have the strength to come after you. And your family’s troubles are nothing to me.”
“You’ve been trying to win her favor for so long—has she ever given you a kind look? Every time you try to get close, isn’t it met with her false front?”
Fu Mingxuan offered bait, playing the role of a caring older brother.
Then, his words turned sharp.
“But if you hesitate now, afraid to offend either side, in the end—no matter who wins, there’ll be nothing left for you.”
“Think about your father’s Company—how much longer can it last? Even if I lose in the end, I could crush that little company overnight. What are you hesitating for? Do you really think your precious Yi Yi will help you?”
Hearing Fu Mingxuan mention her father, the voice on the phone almost broke down.
“I… I know… but…..”
“No buts.”
Fu Mingxuan interrupted her firmly, his tone full of unyielding certainty.
“I need you to provide me with Fu Yi’s precise movements at critical moments, and, if necessary, cooperate with us to pass along the information we need her to know.”
“That’s not hard, right? Just like you’ve done before.”
There was a long silence.
Finally, the voice replied, on the verge of tears, almost pleading.
“Mingxuan-ge… Please give me a little more time to think—just a few days! I need to sort things out.”
Tsk, what a stubborn fool.
Fu Mingxuan’s eyes narrowed, a flash of coldness passing through them.
He knew his good “ally” was still wavering, still dreaming of playing both sides.
But push her too hard now, and he might drive her back to Fu Yi’s camp for good.
“Fine.”
Fu Mingxuan’s tone softened again, as if the aggressive man from before was someone else entirely.
“I’ll give you time. But remember—time waits for no one. You have just two days left.”
He paused, then added meaningfully,
“For yourself, and for your family.”
“After all, you wouldn’t want—”
Halfway through, before the other person could speak, he hung up directly.
He tossed the phone onto the desk.
The last trace of gentle disguise vanished from Fu Mingxuan’s face, replaced by icy cold.
“What an ungrateful thing.”
He cursed softly, the chill in his voice enough to freeze blood.
“Looks like we need to add another layer of Insurance.”
Fu Mingxuan looked back out the window.
Dusk had fallen.
The city’s lights were on, reflected in his deep eyes, but bringing no warmth.
Whether it was the mysterious, uncontrollable Eve, or the wavering, possibly traitorous ‘ally,’ both were unstable factors on his side.
Everything that had happened recently seemed to bring nothing but bad news.
Everything was like a tightening noose, seeking his life.
So he had to move faster, and more ruthlessly.
Since Fu Yi planned to shine at the School Anniversary, he would make her fall from the rooftop in front of everyone—from the lofty Goddess to a worthless Ugly Duckling!
“Accelerate the process.”
He typed a brief, direct order to Chen Jing.
Fu Mingxuan gazed out the window.
In the black night sky, he seemed to see the figures of Fu Yi and Yu Qing.
But in the next instant, they vanished.
“I want to see Fu Yi step into the trap in the shortest possible time.”
“As for that Impostor—”
He paused, the corner of his lips twisting into a cruel smile.
“If she doesn’t obey, once Fu Yi is dealt with, she’ll be eliminated too.”
On the chessboard, there’s no need for disobedient pieces.
And he, Fu Mingxuan, is the only Chessmaster.