Chapter 24: Escape from Death

The space under the bed was cramped and filled with dust.

Yu Qing held her breath tightly, but still felt tiny specks of dust entering her nose, bringing an uncontrollable itch.

But Yu Qing couldn’t care about any of that now.

She widened her eyes, staring through the gap in the hanging bedsheet at the small feet paused beside the bed—wearing brown slouchy socks and familiar slippers.

A strand of hair dangled and swayed slightly, revealing that its owner was bending down.

About to be discovered?!

“Wu…Yiyi? Where did you go?”

At that critical moment, a sleepy, slightly muffled voice came from the direction of the living room.

The wide slippers slapped against the floor with every step, making a pattering sound.

It was Lin Wei!

She woke up!

The falling strand of hair stilled, then was swiftly pulled upward.

“Mm?”

A pleasant yet confused voice sounded—it was indeed the junior’s voice!

She seemed surprised by Lin Wei’s appearance, unable to adjust for a moment.

“Weiwei? Why are you awake?”

“I felt a little thirsty and wanted to get up for some water. When I woke up, Yiyi was gone…”

Lin Wei’s voice carried a hint of a sob, not truly wanting to cry, but the urgency of waking up to find someone missing made her anxious.

If you listened closely, there was a mix of confusion and a little grievance.

“Eh? Yiyi? Why are you standing at your room’s door? Didn’t you say you’d sleep with us tonight? Why are you trying to sneak back?”

Perfect!

Yu Qing suddenly felt a surge of joy inside.

Obviously, Lin Wei had mistaken the real Fu Yi for the ‘Yiyi’ who disappeared from her arms!

Yu Qing’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest—the joy of escape made her feel the sweetness of the air again.

“What?”

Fu Yi sounded confused, as if stumped by Lin Wei’s random question.

But seeing her drowsy look, she quickly regained her calm, deciding Lin Wei was sleep-talking.

Her tone naturally followed along.

“Yeah, I wanted to grab something from my room. Did I wake you?”

“No~”

Lin Wei yawned, swaying as she walked toward Fu Yi.

She naturally tried to link arms, but Fu Yi instinctively dodged.

“Mm? What’s wrong, Yiyi?”

Not feeling the expected softness, Lin Wei forced her heavy eyelids open, looking at Fu Yi in confusion.

“……”

“Nothing. You go sleep first, I’ll be right back after grabbing my stuff.”

Fu Yi was silent for a moment, then returned to her gentle self.

She glanced at the bed in the bedroom, then gently pushed Lin Wei back to her room.

“No, no, come sleep with me! Zhou Min sleeps like an ice block, doesn’t move at all, but it’s more comfortable hugging you…”

Pushed to the door, Lin Wei suddenly became unwilling.

Taking advantage of Fu Yi’s surprise, she turned and hugged her slender waist, her small mouth pouting in complaint.

“Weiwei, don’t fuss. I’ll come back after I get my things…”

Fu Yi was a bit helpless, but couldn’t just forcibly shove Lin Wei back to bed.

“Aiya, just for a bit, let’s go, let’s sleep…”

Lin Wei’s childish voice faded into the distance, and with the sound of a closing door, disappeared completely.

“You’re so cold—must have stayed outside too long! Hurry up and get under the covers!”

The living room light was switched off by Lin Wei, plunging the room into darkness again.

As the footsteps and rustling faded behind Lin Wei’s door—

“Click.”

The faint sound of a closing door reached Yu Qing’s ears.

Under the bed, Yu Qing felt limp, her tense muscles relaxing at once.

She gasped for breath, cold sweat soaking her thin pajamas.

The joy of survival let her hear her own wildly pounding heartbeat clearly.

Run! If I don’t run now, it’ll be too late!

She didn’t know why the junior was checking the room, but if she didn’t run, once the junior put Lin Wei to sleep, she would definitely return!

Yu Qing practically rolled and crawled out from under the bed, ignoring the dust all over her.

Like a shadow, she silently slipped out of Fu Yi’s room, crossed the living room, and rushed straight to the bathroom.

Her hands trembling, she quickly opened the backpack holding her clothes and pulled out her own outfit.

She didn’t dare turn on the bathroom light, fumbling in the dark to clumsily strip off the dust-covered bear pajamas, and quickly change into her own elegant black dress.

The cold fabric against her skin sent a sharp chill to her brain.

Yu Qing carefully folded the pajamas and placed them in an inconspicuous corner of the wardrobe.

Then, like a thief, she slowly turned the security door’s lock, slipped out, and gently closed it.

“Click.”

The faint sound of the door locking was exceptionally clear in the silent hallway.

Yu Qing leaned against the cold security door and let out a long breath.

Only when the cold air filled her lungs did her chaotic mind clear a bit.

I need to hurry.

She didn’t dare linger, almost running to the elevator.

It was late at night and hardly anyone used it, so her escape went smoothly.

Once she was out of the building, Yu Qing finally relaxed.

Walking along the midnight street, the surroundings were empty and quiet.

Streetlights cast a yellowish halo, stretching Yu Qing’s shadow long on the ground.

Occasionally, a car sped by, sending a cold wind that lifted her skirt.

Yu Qing wandered aimlessly, her heartbeat still pounding.

The perilous scenes replayed in her mind.

So close—so close to being caught.

A wave of fear surged like a tide.

This crisis was entirely due to her own greed for the beauty that belonged to Fu Yi alone.

It was this greed that made her miss chance after chance to escape, pushing herself step by step toward the abyss.

Yu Qing shook her head, trying to shake off the unease.

She needed to calm down—her mind was too chaotic.

Turning into a small park, Yu Qing sat in a secluded pavilion.

The cold stone bench sent a chill through her thin dress, but she didn’t care.

She retrieved a backpack from behind the bench.

No one usually came here, so Yu Qing liked to spend afternoons here alone.

Earlier, she had hidden her men’s clothes here—it was time to change back.

After switching to men’s clothes, Yu Qing took off the necklace from her neck and placed it on the stone bench.

Then, stepping back ten meters, a familiar coldness washed over her.

Her body shifted subtly, and when she looked down again, it was a man’s body wrapped in men’s clothes.

Finally back…

A sense of indescribable relief and exhaustion washed over her.

Yu Qing collapsed on the bench, gazing at the distant city lights, her heart in turmoil.

He pulled out his phone.

The bright screen stung his eyes in the darkness.

Yu Qing squinted, letting his eyes adjust before checking the time—it was past three in the morning.

He opened the previous chat with Zhou Min and Lin Wei.

The last messages were from days ago—discussions about Project Genesis.

Their tone was polite and distant, completely different from tonight.

So, what was he doing?

Pretending to be a junior, entering her home, wearing her shoes, using her pajamas, and enjoying the affection that belonged to her.

Becoming addicted, and nearly getting caught in the end.

Was it thrilling?

Yes, it was.

The feeling of being noticed and loved was like a drug—Yu Qing craved it, body and soul.

But what about the price?

Almost being caught tonight was a direct warning.

If he kept this up, would he be so lucky next time?

Yu Qing didn’t know.

But he didn’t want to stop.

He even yearned for that feeling.

Gradually, he realized he was developing feelings for those two girls.

As two of the few people who made him feel loved, Yu Qing sincerely wanted to stay with them—and to continue being loved.

This emotion made him restless.

The night wind blew, bringing a chill.

Autumn’s night already carried a hint of winter’s cold.

He hadn’t brought many clothes today, so Yu Qing wrapped himself tightly, curling up.

He turned off the phone screen, letting himself sink into darkness.

On the other side, after soothing Lin Wei, Fu Yi returned to the room.

She squatted at the doorway, picking up a piece of metal from the floor, her gaze deep.

It was what she had wedged into the door before leaving.