Let’s put aside the conversation between Yu Qing and Lin Wei for now.
On the other side of the Auditorium, the confrontation between Fu Yi and Fu Mingxuan also came to a complete end.
Fu Mingxuan’s defeat was like a dam soaked through by rainwater, collapsing quietly from within, without causing a single ripple in the outside world.
In the narrow Backstage Corridor, the air seemed even thicker and colder than outside, mingled with the scents of powder, sweat, and aged wood.
The music and cheers from the Stage in the distance, as if separated by a thick pane of glass, were blurry and far away, making the undercurrent of silence here feel even more intense.
Even though the biggest boss in this game had been dealt with, Fu Yi did not allow herself a single moment of relaxation.
Like a hunter who had cleared the main threat, she turned her sharp senses toward more hidden corners.
That little mouse named “Yi Fu”—even now—still chose to stand against her, running around on her turf.
“Target has taken the bait.”
She looked at the message that had just appeared on her phone, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly, the interest in her eyes deepening.
“Yi Yi, according to information from the others, Lin Wei has started contact with Yi Fu.”
Zhou Min’s voice remained calm, reporting the news with composed ease.
She and Fu Yi had seen all sorts of scenes—today’s so-called kidnapper game was nothing worth worrying about.
“Alright, I got it.”
Fu Yi replied coolly, her gaze still fixed on her phone.
In front of her, Fu Mingxuan was pinned to a chair by two Security Personnel, his hands bound, and no matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t draw a single bit of Fu Yi’s attention.
“Has Chen Jing’s situation been handled?”
Fu Yi asked abruptly while playing with her phone, causing Fu Mingxuan’s eyes to widen, though with a scarf stuffed in his mouth, he could only make muffled noises.
“According to your instructions, I arranged a new job for her, but didn’t let her into our Company. She understood and quickly accepted our help.”
For some reason, seeing that Fu Yi didn’t care about her manner of address made Zhou Min feel an unexpected surge of happiness—she couldn’t be sure, so she just buried the feeling.
“Heh, at least she’s sensible—unlike a certain disobedient little brat.”
Looking at the message on her phone, a hint of sarcasm colored Fu Yi’s otherwise bland tone.
“In that case, just leave her alone.”
“Oh, right.”
Fu Yi paused, as if remembering something.
“Make sure to charge Fu Mingxuan for her sister’s incident too. After all, a human life is a human life. When the time comes, settle all the accounts at once. If he doesn’t cough up enough resources, he can look forward to spending a few months behind bars.”
With that, she ignored Fu Mingxuan’s expression of rage and led Zhou Min away.
***
Elsewhere, Yu Qing had finished discussing the details with Lin Wei and was now moving through the dim corridor with the wafer-thin Backstage High-Permission Pass provided by Lin Wei, clinging to the cold, rough wall like a sewer rat.
In this gloomy environment, she could almost hear the frantic pounding of her own heart inside her chest, threatening to drown out the distant strains of music.
Following the route Lin Wei had drawn in simple lines from memory, and cross-referencing it with the mental model of the Auditorium she had built in her mind, Yu Qing weaved through countless twists and turns until she finally reached the abandoned Prop Room at the very end of the backstage area.
By the time she arrived, the writing on the nameplate had long since faded, leaving only a blurry trace.
After confirming there was no one nearby, Yu Qing took out the cold Brass Key with trembling hands, inserted it into the keyhole, and held her breath as she turned it gently.
“Click.”
The door opened.
A rush of ancient dust and the smell of decaying fabric hit her, making Yu Qing wrinkle her nose.
Why choose such a place?
She grumbled inwardly, but she understood Lin Wei’s thinking all too well.
If you didn’t want to be discovered, places like this—hidden and out-of-the-way—were perfect.
No lights were on inside. Only a high window allowed in a faint wash of daylight, barely outlining the room: piles of broken curtains and bizarre props stacked like mountains, their shadows looming like sleeping beasts.
Yu Qing’s gaze swept the room and finally landed on the only relatively clean corner, where a lonely, makeshift clothing rack stood.
But when she saw what was hanging from it, another problem arose.
Hanging there was not the men’s formal wear she expected—which would have suited her disguise—but an extravagantly ornate Red Evening Dress, nearly blinding in its brilliance!
The skirt flared like a blooming midnight rose, its layers of tulle covered in deep red crystals that, even in the dim light, stubbornly reflected a ghostly glow.
Low-cut, cinched waist, voluminous hem… Every detail screamed feminine allure.
But the question was—wasn’t this supposed to be a costume for her to wear?
Yu Qing stood still, her mind momentarily blank.
Why… a dress?
What was Lin Wei thinking?
She wanted her to go on stage like this?
In front of Fu Yi?
In front of everyone?
Yu Qing didn’t mind cross-dressing, but to wear a lady’s evening dress and perform—was she supposed to do a woman’s dance?
She hadn’t learned much about feminine movements.
Shen Tang had tried to teach her back then, but Yu Qing had gently refused.
And what about Fu Yi, if she wore this?
What would she do?
Yu Qing’s thoughts raced, trying to guess Lin Wei’s true intentions, but at that moment, she heard faint footsteps approaching outside the door!
Carefully listening, the footsteps drew closer, mingled with low voices, each beat like a death knell pounding on her nerves.
No time left!
Either put on this gorgeous, inexplicable dress and gamble on the faint hope of success—or get caught, losing everything, including the hard-fought, twisted freedom she had gained.
Yu Qing bit down on her lower lip so hard she nearly broke the skin, the taste of blood filling her mouth and sharpening her senses.
She squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, only ruthless determination remained.
She swiftly locked the door from inside, leaned against the door, and—with trembling hands—began stripping off her male disguise with practiced efficiency.
The cold, damp hoodie and pants were peeled away and tossed onto the dusty floor.
The icy air wrapped around her body, now clad only in underwear, sending a shiver through her.
Yu Qing reached out and touched the Red Evening Dress.
Its silky, cold surface felt like a snake’s skin.
Gritting her teeth, she slipped into the unexpectedly well-fitting yet somewhat restrictive dress.
As she pulled up the side zipper, the soft fabric clung tightly to her curves.
The sensation of being wrapped up—safe and yet exposed—threatened to overwhelm her, her cheeks burning uncontrollably.
Once dressed, Yu Qing looked at the dusty, cracked Mirror Wall in the corner.
She didn’t need to see every detail—so long as it wasn’t too bad, she could accept it.
Reflected in the glass was a beautiful girl wearing a half-mask and a dazzling red dress.
The mask covered the upper half of her face but couldn’t conceal the elegant jawline and the full, trembling lips—smeared with cheap lipstick yet still vivid.
The red of the dress contrasted starkly with her pale skin.
Yes, Yu Qing hadn’t removed her earlier makeup. In her frantic escape, she hadn’t brought makeup remover, so her face was still streaked with tear-smudged cosmetics.
At that moment, the footsteps outside paused by the door, and her heart nearly stopped.
She couldn’t hesitate any longer!
She shoved her discarded men’s clothes into the bottom of a broken wooden box, ignoring the musty smell, and buried them under a heavy curtain.
Then, she took a deep breath and pressed herself tightly behind the door, waiting until the sounds faded and time was almost up.
She yanked the door open.
Luck was with her—the hallway was empty.
Yu Qing glanced around.
The only sounds came from the distant Stage, the cheers rising and falling like waves.
There was no time left to waste.
Yu Qing tucked the Collar into a small pocket inside the dress, lifted the hem, and the dark red low-heeled shoes clicked against the stone floor.
Step by step, she made her way toward the place where she would perform.
Yes, it was going strangely smoothly.
As soon as she arrived, the deafening music and thunderous applause threatened to swallow her whole.
Yu Qing hid in a corner, keeping out of immediate sight.
Through a gap in the backstage curtain, she could see the sea of people and a field of glowing light sticks, shimmering like stars.
Was she really going to perform in front of so many people?
To receive countless accolades with this perfect appearance and accomplish what she’d never even dared to dream of?
Her heart surged with emotion.
She braced herself to wait for the signal, as she and Lin Wei had planned, ready to take the final step.
That’s when a shadow appeared—silent as a ghost—blocking her path and cutting off most of the Stage’s light.
Yu Qing looked up.
Her breath caught in her throat.
It was Fu Yi.