“Uh. No, lately we’ve had most of our people deployed around the school, so there are far fewer investigating Yu Qing.”
Zhou Min was slightly taken aback.
She shook her head, burying her surprise deep inside, and a trace of helplessness crossed her face as she spoke.
“The final result of the investigation is that Yu Qing completely disappeared in the back mountain after bidding farewell to Teacher Shen Tang, and after that, that Eve began to appear frequently.”
As she mentioned Eve, a hint of contemplation flickered in her eyes.
Then, without changing her tone, she continued.
“We are now quite certain that the relationship between these two is unusual, possibly belonging to some Unknown Faction that we don’t know about, plotting something we’re unaware of.”
“Oh, you’re talking about him? My mistake, I meant Eve.”
After hearing Zhou Min’s report, Fu Yi suddenly showed a surprised expression, then calmed down and naturally corrected herself.
“Yes, that impostor, whose name is ‘exactly’ the reverse of mine—a tasteless idiot.”
Her tone carried a hint of teasing, though it was unclear whether it was because of the name or something else.
“Oh, I see.”
Zhou Min nodded, her expression unchanged, giving a light response, then flipped through the report in her hand, pulling out the pages containing Eve’s information.
“The surveillance in the Library area was tampered with for ten minutes, and then her trace was lost.”
She looked at the report in her hand, an uncertain mix of relief and worry in her expression.
“Our people tried to approach for confirmation, but were cleverly blocked by some unidentified individuals. Without sufficient reason, and unable to force entry, we had to leave to avoid escalating the situation. We suspect they were Fu Mingxuan’s people, but other possibilities can’t be ruled out.”
“As expected.”
Fu Yi took a light sip of tea.
The temperature was just right, moistening her throat and bringing a gentle warmth to her stomach.
“It seems she’s more cunning than we thought, and knows how to use chaos to her advantage.”
She put down the teacup.
The porcelain made a crisp sound as it touched the wooden tabletop.
“Since Fu Mingxuan wants to play diversion, let’s see the play through to the end with him.”
She stood up and walked to the window of the office.
The window wasn’t large, and compared to Fu Mingxuan’s discussion room, this was not a good spot for observation.
But Fu Yi didn’t care about such things.
Outside, rain poured down, streams of water running down the glass, distorting the world beyond into a blurred, shifting tapestry of light and shadow.
Her reflection appeared on the glass, face calm but with a hint of sickly curiosity in her eyes.
“Send the Second Team to the Old Arts Building.”
Fu Yi gave the order in a low yet firm voice.
“Make them appear urgent, clumsy, flustered—do whatever it takes to show they’re desperate to find and capture Eve at any cost.”
“If they encounter resistance, friction is allowed if necessary. But remember, the goal is to restrain, preserve themselves, and await the final gathering.”
“Then what about our Main Force…”
Zhou Min hesitated.
Fu Yi turned around.
The interplay of light and shadow split her face into lines of brightness and darkness.
The corner of her mouth curled into a faint, cold arc.
“Main Force.”
“Stick to the original plan—remain hidden in the backstage props warehouse of the Auditorium and the backup passageway of Power Control Room No. 2.”
“Isn’t he fond of setting traps? Then we’ll give him a convincing illusion, making him believe we’re out of options and forced into the trap.”
“And once his people enter, there’s no coming out. We just need to lure them in and close the door when they come through.”
“After that, it’ll be between me and her—”
Library top floor, storage room.
Time passed slowly amid the suffocating air and the endless rain outside.
“Ah-choo!”
Yu Qing suddenly sneezed.
She curled up again in the corner by the window, back against the cold wall, one knee drawn up, arms wrapped around her leg, chin resting on her knee.
This position seemed to ease the pain in her abdomen slightly.
Ever since an hour ago, her stomachache had worsened from the chill, and she’d been forced to pull out the clothes from her backpack and drape them over herself.
In her hand was a small Military Binoculars, its barrel warmed by her grip.
She peered through the repeatedly wiped glass, eyes fixed on a few dark shapes moving vaguely in the rain.
She had no idea how long she’d been watching.
At first, those black dots moved toward the Old Arts Building.
Yu Qing felt a trace of doubt, but her tension eased a bit.
She guessed that one side had finally begun to move—the confrontation between the two factions had officially started.
However, the brief respite lasted less than five minutes.
Her breath caught.
Fingers tightened on the binoculars, knuckles turning pale from the force.
They’ve come for me?!
On the pathways flanking the Library Main Building, figures in dark raincoats had appeared without her noticing.
They moved swiftly and in unison, rain hoods pulled low to obscure most of their faces.
Their actions carried the trained coordination of a team, forming a fan shape as they closed in on the main entrance of the Library.
They couldn’t possibly be students!
Not even pretending anymore!
They’ve most likely found me!
Either Fu Mingxuan’s people, or Fu Yi’s!
Or worst of all—both sides had dispatched teams, combing the area like a pair of rakes!
Have they found this storage room?
Or are they using the most basic but effective carpet search, rather catch the wrong one than let any escape?
No.
Thinking carefully, it’s not surprising they found me here.
This isn’t exactly an ideal hiding spot.
Forget about the cameras—she’d chosen this place only because it might help her avoid pursuers.
Now that it hadn’t, naturally, she was discovered.
No, now’s not the time to dwell on this.
I need to get out quickly!
A chill shot up Yu Qing’s spine, making every hair on her body stand on end.
The pain in her abdomen magnified, as if tiny blades were slicing her insides.
Cold sweat soaked through her clothes, clinging stickily to her skin and sending a shudder through her.
She couldn’t wait any longer!
Yu Qing sprang up from the ground.
A wave of dizziness and pain made her stumble, and she had to grab a dust-covered bookshelf for support.
The shelf shook, dust drifting down in the dim light.
Her heart pounded in her chest, louder than the rain outside.
Yu Qing forced herself to breathe deeply.
Cold air filled her lungs, sharpening her senses.
“Calm down, Yu Qing, calm down!”
She silently comforted herself, quickly clearing her mind to plan her escape.
“There are many students in the Library—those coming to capture me are unlikely to make a scene. Their goal must be to force me out, to make me panic and flee, unable to quietly hide in one spot for long.”
“So I can’t panic.
As long as I reach a floor with students before they get to the top, I’ll be fine!”
“And the floor with the most students…is the one where Yu Qing met Li Ming earlier!”
Having decided, Yu Qing quickly stashed the binoculars deep in a broken cardboard box in the corner, covering it with a few old magazines.
Then, she checked herself again.
Everything seemed in order.
Thick Black-Rimmed Glasses sat securely on her nose, concealing her bright eyes.
The Mushroom Wig was slightly messy.
The oversized hoodie and wide-legged pants hid her figure well.
She’d long since put away the mirror—now, she could only rely on feel to confirm her disguise.
Most importantly…
Yu Qing reached into her hoodie pocket and gripped the cold, hard Metal Collar tightly.
The icy ring was damp with her palm’s cold sweat, yet brought an odd sense of reassurance.
She pressed her ear to the door, holding her breath and listening intently.
The corridor was silent.
Only the faint “zzzz” of old light tubes and the endless roar of rain on the outer walls could be heard.
She couldn’t hesitate any longer!
Yu Qing made up her mind.
She carefully moved the broken desk blocking the door.
The scrape of wood on the floor was ear-gratingly loud in the silence.
Her heart leapt into her throat.
She paused, making sure there was no reaction outside, then continued.
Finally, a gap appeared.
Yu Qing pressed her eye to it.
The narrow view revealed an empty corridor—only the pale glow of the lights illuminated the stained walls and dusty floor.
Now!
She opened the door quickly, slipped out, and closed it gently behind her, making as little noise as possible.
Leaning against the cold, rough wall, Yu Qing suppressed her panic, forcing herself to think clearly.
The elevator was on the first floor—no way she could take that.
Only the stairs remained.
And not the main stairwell—too conspicuous, likely guarded.
Yu Qing scanned her surroundings.
Her gaze settled on the far end of the corridor, where a Security Exit sign hung—it was the fire escape.
Untouched by cleaning, it was thick with dust and rarely used.
That was her only path to survival.
Yu Qing gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain in her stomach, and started moving.
The damp air felt heavy around her ankles.
Her plain sneakers rustled against the dusty floor, each step echoing in the empty corridor like a drumbeat in her chest.
It was only ten meters, but it felt endlessly long.
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