You Yuelan felt that her luck had hit rock bottom.
Originally, she had been lying around perfectly fine. Aside from setting aside a little time each day to cultivate, she spent the rest of her time sleeping, simply waiting for the day she could officially enter the Lingyun Sect.
But one day, several others secretly held a meeting behind her back. After discussing for a long time, they all turned to look at her with sinister smiles.
She did not care at all. She merely turned over and continued resting. She had seen plenty of tricks meant to scare her—there was nothing to be afraid of.
However, not long after, the leader in black came to find her. Unlike his usual impatience, he spoke kindly:
“Yesterday, we received news that the Huang family of Weiyang City is also one of us. They can assist us in our upcoming operation.”
“Wow, that’s wonderful. I’m so excited I don’t even know what to say.”
You Yuelan did not move at all and replied in a flat, perfunctory tone.
The man in black continued, “After some thought, we decided to make good use of this. The Huang family is barely considered an affiliated family of the Lingyun Sect, and their background is relatively clean. So we decided to have one person pretend to be a lost member of the Huang family, return in a few days to acknowledge their roots, and completely clear their identity. This will make our next steps much smoother.”
Although You Yuelan was lazier than a dead fish, she still sensed that something was off. She asked cautiously, “So?”
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
The man in black curled his lips into a smile. “We all agree that the person pretending to be the lost Huang family member should be you.”
You Yuelan was shocked and immediately tried to refuse, but the other party cut her off.
“Don’t rush to reject it. This role truly suits you best.”
“Think about it. Since we want to blend in, shouldn’t this person look like the least likely spy?”
You Yuelan nodded, slightly confused.
“Now think in reverse. What kind of person makes a good spy? Someone diligent, clever, and highly perceptive, right?”
She nodded again.
“Then look at yourself. You have none of those traits. You’re lazy inside and out. Someone like you looks exactly like a freeloader. Unless they’re an idiot, no one would suspect you of being a spy, right?”
“And that’s exactly what we’ll use—this reverse psychology, combined with the identity recognition ceremony, to completely clear your background. That way, we successfully plant an important piece.”
Only then did You Yuelan realize what was happening.
‘This guy is manipulating me.’
As if worried she might still refuse, the man in black added, “You Yuelan, let me make this clear. This is not a request—it is an order.”
“And since you didn’t object during the discussion, that means you agreed by default. You have no reason to oppose it now.”
“You’ve been here for so long and haven’t done any real work. You just drift through your days. Don’t you feel like you’re wasting your life? Now that there’s a chance to contribute to the sect, you should be grateful.”
“No matter what, this task is yours. It cannot be refused. I’ll explain the details later. Just follow instructions.”
Threats and persuasion—everything was used.
At this point, You Yuelan opened her mouth but found she could not refute anything.
Even though what he said sounded reasonable, she immediately saw through it:
They were definitely getting revenge!
‘You people are going too far!’
‘I just nap while you’re working and show up when it’s done. And maybe I eat a little more during meals. That’s it. And you call me a freeloader? Unbelievable!’
Feeling the mocking gazes of the others, You Yuelan sighed inwardly.
‘Forget it. I’ll just hope this task doesn’t require much effort.’
Seeing her roll over and continue sleeping instead of responding, the man in black nearly burst into tears.
Only he knew how much effort it took to manage this group—especially this ultimate slacker.
Normally, whenever there was work, she disappeared. Others began complaining and even wanted to quit. He had to take on extra tasks himself and promise a feast later just to calm them down.
And now, he could finally make her do something.
It had not been easy.
Just like that, under everyone’s arrangements, You Yuelan quickly met the members of the Huang family, who greeted her with flattering smiles.
The head of the Huang family extended his hand warmly. “You must be Miss You Yuelan of our sacred sect. Truly, you are very beautiful. Rest assured, I will fully cooperate. On the surface, we will act as father and daughter, but in reality, we are equals.”
Everyone else remained silent, smiling faintly. Even the man in black watched with interest, clearly anticipating what would happen next.
You Yuelan did not move. She glanced at his outstretched hand, thought for a moment, and slightly curled her lips.
The Huang family head froze briefly, then quickly withdrew his hand without embarrassment and continued to warmly entertain the others.
After that, she stayed with the Huang family, receiving impeccable service every day. To make the disguise flawless, she was even forced to learn a lot of things she had no interest in.
It was truly troublesome.
Fortunately, that painful time soon came to an end.
On the day of the recognition banquet, although the Huang family repeatedly reminded her to follow instructions and rehearse her lines over and over, she could not take it anymore and slipped away to hide in a corner, pretending to be a statue.
She planned to stay there quietly until it was time to begin, avoiding unnecessary trouble.
However, what she did not expect was—
While she avoided everyone else, she ran into someone she absolutely did not want to see:
Lin Huanhuan.
Seeing that Lin Huanhuan had not noticed her, You Yuelan remained completely still, closed her eyes, and kept repeating in her mind:
‘You can’t see me. You can’t see me.’
But not long after, a voice that filled her with despair rang out:
“Hey, Mu Ying, what are you doing here? What a coincidence.”
You Yuelan opened her eyes and forced a stiff smile.
“Yes… what a coincidence.”