Chapter 67: Fu Yi

The warm sunlight streamed through the glass, bathing the inside of the cafe in a bright, cozy glow.

But it couldn’t pierce the comfortable shade under the outdoor umbrella.

Fu Yi wore a simple white casual outfit and sunglasses that covered half her face.

She lounged lazily against the rattan chair, her fingertips idly twirling the straw in her barely touched lemon tea.

Opposite her, Zhou Min looked restless.

Her coffee sat untouched, and her eyes kept drifting toward the entrance of the cafe.

“Stop looking. He’s still inside.”

Fu Yi’s voice was calm, carrying a barely perceptible hint of mockery.

She spoke with disdain.

“It matches our estimated timing. Fu Mingxuan’s patience only lasts as long as a cup of Kafei.”

Zhou Min withdrew her gaze, worry etched on her face as she looked at Fu Yi.

Softly, she asked,

“Yiyi, are we just going to watch like this? That impostor pretending to be you, and Fu Mingxuan—they’re clearly plotting something against you.”

Fu Yi lifted her lemon tea and took a small sip.

The cold, tart flavor made her eyes narrow slightly.

Only after tasting the bitterness of the tea leaves did her brows relax.

She glanced up, the light flickering under her sunglasses, as if Zhou Min’s words amused her.

“Plotting? It’s nothing more than some petty tricks that can’t see the light of day.”

She set the cup down, a cold curve lifting her lips, ridicule written across her face.

“They treat me as an enemy, yet never realized I had already returned. I observed that impostor for three days, and the reason I haven’t acted against these two clowns is because I wanted to see just what kind of circus act she and my dear Elder Cousin would perform.”

Confidence radiated from Fu Yi’s tone, a sense of absolute control as if every calculation was etched in her heart.

Zhou Min understood Fu Yi’s nature—she never fought a battle she couldn’t win.

But this situation was clearly different from before.

“I trust you, of course. But that impostor doesn’t seem simple.”

“Just look at her recent behavior—it’s almost indistinguishable from your private personality. Even your tiny gestures, she can mimic perfectly.”

“If you weren’t right by my side, I might not have recognized her in the short term.”

Zhou Min spoke with a trace of lingering fear.

Recalling the distant glimpse of Impostor Fu Yi from before, the familiar sensation stabbed into her chest like an ice pick.

Even now, seeing her again, Zhou Min still felt a chill deep inside.

It was like watching a puppet, meticulously controlled, wearing a friend’s skin while performing a show right in front of you.

Unsettling, and disturbing.

Just a month ago, she had seemed so innocent and easy to fool.

How could someone change so much in such a short time?

If Zhou Min could do it over, she would have left the impostor right there that day, instead of clinging to the false feelings Yiyi gave her.

“Similar?”

Fu Yi let out a cold laugh, void of warmth.

Her gaze turned icy, her tone dangerous.

“The face may be similar, but what’s in the bones can’t be faked. Her confidence is lacking, and the so-called etiquette is just a shoddy, crash course imitation. No matter how much she mimics, she’s still missing what comes naturally.”

She immediately thought of a more fitting word, the sarcasm in her voice deepening.

“Like a counterfeit antique—outwardly similar but empty inside. It might fool outsiders, but it can’t deceive real experts.”

Through her sunglasses, Fu Yi stared at the nearly identical figure inside the cafe.

Just a few minutes ago, that impostor had smiled obediently at Fu Mingxuan.

Watching “herself” exchange friendly chatter with that smiling tiger, Fu Yi felt both disgusted and amused.

“I’m not surprised Fu Mingxuan found her,”

Fu Yi continued, her tone calm again, as if discussing tonight’s dinner.

“He can’t outplay me, so he tried to use someone similar to replace me—someone he can control, to steal my power in a roundabout way.”

“And this impostor fits his requirements perfectly.”

“She has weaknesses, desires, looks obedient, and really does look just like me. If I weren’t certain about my mother…heh. Anyway, if she could repent in time, I wouldn’t mind keeping her as a pet.”

“Of course, only if she knows her place.”

Fu Yi emphasized the words “knows her place,” thick with irony.

“Then what’s their goal? Do you have any idea?”

Seeing Fu Yi’s confidence, Zhou Min relaxed slightly and voiced her other concerns.

“What else could it be?”

Fu Yi snorted.

“They just want a chance to control me and have this impostor completely take my place.”

“Fu Mingxuan’s greed for my resources and inheritance isn’t new. I just didn’t expect him to resort to such despicable means.”

Her gaze turned cold, contempt curling at her lips.

“Find a substitute, play Sacrificing one to save another—he’s really regressing.”

Zhou Min’s pupils shrank, her mouth falling open.

“Hostage Scene?! How could they—”

“In the face of enough profit, there’s nothing they won’t dare.”

Fu Yi cut her off, her tone once more composed.

They were discussing a hostage scene as if it were an irrelevant topic.

“Fu Mingxuan has lost heavily on the South City Project lately. He’s desperate for new funding, or to seize my shares directly. I just signed a contract with a mine that has the materials he needs. Now he’s a cornered dog. It’s normal.”

At that moment, they saw Fu Mingxuan stand up.

He seemed to want to pat the impostor’s shoulder, but she deftly avoided it.

Fu Mingxuan’s hand paused in the air before retracting casually, a gentle smile still on his face as he turned and left.

Fu Yi snorted.

“See, that’s the problem.”

She watched Fu Mingxuan’s departing back.

“My substitute doesn’t seem content being just an obedient pawn. She has her own plans, too.”

Fu Yi had caught the impostor’s subtle movement—seemingly natural, yet timed perfectly to avoid Fu Mingxuan’s reach.

Not a hint of panic.

Fu Yi’s opinion of her rose slightly.

Heh, at least she’s not a complete idiot.

Zhou Min noticed this detail as well.

Her eyes flickered thoughtfully.

“Looks like they’re not as united as they seem.”

“A union of interests, nothing more.”

Fu Yi picked up her cup, brought it to her lips, then set it down again, her fingers tapping lightly against the cold glass.

“Fu Mingxuan wants to use her, but isn’t she also using Fu Mingxuan? She just doesn’t have enough power yet, so she has to rely on him.”

“But what if—”

“We gave her a chance? A way to turn against Fu Mingxuan? Do you think she’d cling to that as a lifeline and climb upward?”

“A wedge tactic?”

Zhou Min’s eyes lit up as she looked at Fu Yi.

“Not that complicated.”

Fu Yi shook her head.

Her gaze deepened behind her sunglasses, fixed on the silhouette inside the cafe.

“They want to control me? Then I’ll give them that chance.”

Her tone carried a trace of cruel amusement, like a cat toying with a mouse.

“Let them think their plan is working. Let them think I’ve been distracted by the impostor. Let them believe they have a chance to catch me.”

She leaned forward slightly, her voice taking on a barely detectable madness.

“Fu Mingxuan wants to stage a hostage scene? Then we’ll prepare a ‘perfect’ hostage scene for him.”

“It’s just that who ends up bound, and who casts the net—that’s not up to him.”

Zhou Min instantly understood, her heart clear.

“A reverse trap? Turn it back on Fu Mingxuan?”

“Trap him?”

Fu Yi’s lips curved.

“That would be too easy on him.”

“If he dares target me, he’d better be ready to lose a chunk of flesh.”

Her eyes were sharp as ice, no hesitation.

“Isn’t he short on money? Doesn’t he want to revive his company?”

“Then this time, I’ll make sure not only does his plan fail, but he also coughs up the fattest piece of meat he’s holding—skin and bones included!”

Names of industries and projects under Fu Mingxuan flashed rapidly through her mind as she calculated how to make the clown quiet down for a while.

“So what exactly do we do?”

Zhou Min’s voice trembled with nervousness and a worry even she hadn’t noticed.

She knew Fu Yi’s methods.

Once she decided to act, she was unstoppable.

“Haven’t figured it out yet.”

Fu Yi leaned back into her chair again, resuming her lazy pose, as if she weren’t the one just now threatening Fu Mingxuan.

“I don’t know their plan yet, so I can’t counter it. Let alone talk about setting a reverse trap.”

It was a lie.

“But before that—”

Fu Yi’s gaze returned to the cafe entrance.

There, the impostor had tidied herself up and walked gracefully out of the cafe, blending into the crowd.

“We need to get our people ready ahead of time. At the crucial moment, strike from the shadows and completely disrupt Fu Mingxuan’s scheme. As long as his people act first, we can pin the crime of conspiracy on them.”

“And then…”

Her words paused, her tone becoming even lighter.

“And then, it’ll be time to negotiate.”

“Fu Mingxuan’s men, armed, attempting to kidnap a family heir—that charge is enough to ruin him.”

Zhou Min nodded in understanding, then remembered the other matter Fu Yi had asked her to watch before leaving.

She frowned.

“What about Senior Yu Qing?”

“After you left, she had Teacher Shen Tang suspend rehearsals and vanished from School like she evaporated.”

“Senior?”

“Then let her stay gone.”

Fu Yi waved her hand dismissively.

Her expression was utterly indifferent, as if she truly didn’t care whether Yu Qing was alive or dead, or where she was now.

“I paid attention to him before only because I liked his looks.”

“But now, even if I still can’t determine his real relationship with the impostor, it’s obviously tied to this situation.”

“If he’s smart, he’ll run far away and disappear from my sight forever. But if he dares show up again, I won’t mind teaching him a lesson.”