Chapter 12 : Exposed! Exposed? Exposed!

Creak.

The door opened just a crack.

Su Xinran leaned closer to the gap and peeked outside.

The hallway was empty.

She glanced back to confirm that Sister Wang Ya was still fast asleep.

Okay—now’s the time!

She pushed the door open just wide enough to slip through and tiptoed out of the room.

All that remained was the fifty-meter-long corridor.

Time for a quick and clean operation!

Su Xinran hurried toward the bathroom at the end of the hallway.

She couldn’t afford to seem too flustered—but she couldn’t dawdle either.

As long as I get there… as long as I make it there… everything will be fine!

But just as she was about to reach the bathroom, creaking footsteps echoed from the wooden staircase.

Huang Qinyin!

She had come upstairs to wake Wang Ya and Su Xinran—breakfast was already prepared downstairs.

“Miss Xinran, are you feeling unwell?”

Huang Qinyin’s voice rang out as she spotted Su Xinran hurrying toward the bathroom.

“It’s nothing!”

Su Xinran picked up her pace and shoved open the bathroom door, slipping inside.

“…The scent of blood.”

Huang Qinyin’s sharp nose immediately picked up something unusual in the air.

“This smell… Could Miss Xinran really be…?”

As the thought crossed her mind, she stepped up to the bathroom door.

Knock knock knock!

The sudden knocking startled Su Xinran, who was inside frantically trying to clean up the aftermath.

Thankfully, her panties were made of pure cotton, and the silky texture of the nightgown had prevented anything from soaking through like regular cotton might. 

All the blood was confined to one side.

No stains had been left in the bedroom—but what about these two bloodied garments?

While she was lost in thought, the knocking came again.

Knock knock knock!

Louder and firmer than before.

“Miss Xinran, are you alright? You didn’t look too well just now. Are you feeling okay?”

From outside, Huang Qinyin’s tone remained as respectful and soft as always, but there was an unmistakable predatory edge beneath her words.

She’s not going to let this go without a solid answer…

From the moment Su Xinran entered the house yesterday, this woman had been watching her like a hound—sharp, unrelenting.

“Ah, I’m fine. Just a stomachache, that’s all. No need to worry…”

After a long pause, Su Xinran decided to respond.

After all, staying silent in a situation like this would only raise more suspicion.

“Oh dear, that’s not good,” Huang Qinyin replied. “A stomachache might be acute gastroenteritis—it could even lead to fainting. I’d better come in to make sure you’re safe, Miss Xinran.”

Her voice was filled with gentle concern, but her face outside the door twisted into a playful grin—as if victory was already in her grasp.

She heard it.

Even though the shower was on the lowest setting, Huang Qinyin’s sensitive yellow drooping ears had picked up the faint sound of running water.

And she could smell the faint scent of body wash in the air.

The source of the blood scent… was inside.

Su Xinran was hiding something very important.

Huang Qinyin smiled and reached for the doorknob, pressing down with the intent to push the door open…

But—the handle wouldn’t budge.

As expected, yet still mildly surprising, Su Xinran had locked the bathroom door from the inside.

Tch. 

Useless resistance. 

She only had to ask the butler downstairs for the key.

With that thought, Huang Qinyin turned and walked away briskly.

Hearing the footsteps retreating outside, Su Xinran didn’t feel even a bit of relief.

The blood stains were washed away, and her “monthly visitor” wouldn’t be back for a while. 

But what about the blood-soaked nightgown and panties on the floor?

“System, open the shop!”

“Roger~”

Raphael cheerfully pulled up the system shop interface.

Su Xinran quickly typed “storage” into the search bar.

Just as expected, the first item that popped up was a storage ring.

But—it cost three thousand points!

Damn it!

Su Xinran angrily pounded the wall.

But she couldn’t sit here and wait to be caught… She had to think—fast.

Desperation always brought out the hidden potential of the human brain. 

A flash of inspiration shot through her mind, and she swiftly opened the Weapons tab—then selected Fire-based tools.

Flamethrower. 

Add to cart!

“Confirm purchase: Spend 5 points on a Portable Flamethrower?”

“Confirm it! Raphael, hurry! No time!”

A burst of blue light shimmered—blue particles formed into a flamethrower in Su Xinran’s hands.

Fwoooosh—!

She pulled the trigger, and orange-red flames roared out, engulfing the clothes on the floor.

“Hurry… hurry…!”

In just moments, the garments were reduced to ashes.

“Retrieve the flamethrower!”

That’s right—even though the system didn’t come with built-in storage space, any items purchased from the system could be recalled into an interdimensional inventory.

She scooped up the ash, dumped it into the toilet, and flushed.

Then she turned on the showerhead, letting the water wash the remaining fine particles of soot into the drain.

With that… had the crisis been temporarily neutralized…?

“Ranzhu! Throw me the spare key!”

Outside, Huang Qinyin had reached the stairs and was calling down to the maid below, who was watering plants in the living room.

“What are you yelling for all of a sudden? Can’t you just come downstairs and get it yourself?”

Ranzhu looked confused.

“No time to explain! Just hurry and toss it up here!”

Huang Qinyin’s voice was sharp with urgency—she could already smell the burning scent coming from inside the bathroom.

Even though she didn’t understand what was happening, Ranzhu unhooked the keyring from her belt and tossed the keys up to Huang Qinyin on the second floor.

Catching them confidently, Huang Qinyin turned and strode toward the bathroom, certain of her impending victory.

Tch. 

Idiot. 

Trying to burn the evidence? 

What a foolish move.

Even if the evidence was destroyed, how was she going to explain starting a fire inside the house?

As long as she caught one tail, she could slowly play with this prey as much as she liked from now on…

A wicked smile crept across Huang Qinyin’s lips.

“The second-floor bathroom key… if I remember right, it’s the yellow one with the plum blossom—”

Click.

The key turned in the lock, and the bathroom door opened.

The moment she stepped in, the smell of charred fabric grew stronger.

The privacy curtain in front of the toilet was drawn tight—and from behind it, wisps of white smoke were still rising.

“Still not done hiding it… little kitten?”

Huang Qinyin walked forward slowly, twirling the keyring in her fingers, amusement playing across her lips.

From behind the curtain, Su Xinran could see the looming shadow approaching—her throat tightened with dread.

Suddenly, Huang Qinyin grabbed the curtain and yanked it open, announcing her victory like a conquering queen:

“Let me see… your true form… hmm?”