The twilight painted the forest in a deep shade of green, and the wind passing through the leaves carried a soft rustling, as if someone were whispering by the ear.
Not much time left.
I have to hurry and meet up with Cheng Qinghuan.
Pushing aside the swirling thoughts in her mind, Yu Qing took off the clothes that no longer fit well.
She pulled out the white underwear she’d changed out of earlier from her backpack, put it on, then quickly slipped into a black dress she’d prepared in advance, pulled on thick black stockings, and finally packed away the black heels.
She tidied her appearance in the mirror, and a stoic beauty, looking every bit like a mafia princess, made her entrance.
But I’m not actually stoic.
Yu Qing looked at the girl in the mirror and suddenly smiled, the black-clad figure reflected there revealing a heart-stirring smile in return.
Like snow melting into spring.
After dressing neatly, Yu Qing folded her discarded clothes and the pair of high heels that had tortured her, stuffed them back into her backpack, sealing away the last evidence of Wen Wan’s presence on the artificial hill.
She checked her phone for the time.
It was almost the hour she’d agreed to meet Cheng Qinghuan.
Yu Qing steadied her breath, suppressing the lingering guilt from having pretended to be Wen Wan in front of Cheng Qinghuan, and let her intelligence regain its composure.
All right, time to go.
After confirming she’d left nothing behind, Yu Qing slung her backpack over her shoulder, went to where the metal box was hidden, stuffed it into the bottom of her bag, and then headed toward the pavilion.
When she appeared again at the pavilion entrance, Cheng Qinghuan was seated there quietly, as if waiting for something.
“Qinghuan-jie, sorry to keep you waiting.”
Yu Qing smiled slightly at Cheng Qinghuan and spoke softly, a hint of apology in her tone.
Cheng Qinghuan turned and saw Yu Qing approaching.
The same gentle smile she’d worn the first time they met appeared on her face.
“It’s fine, Mei Xue. I just arrived too. Perfect timing.”
They exchanged polite words, but Cheng Qinghuan’s gaze lingered on Yu Qing’s face for a moment as if noticing something, though she said nothing.
She silently heightened her guard.
Yu Qing caught the subtle expression, felt a twinge of doubt, but quickly dismissed it.
Not a good sign.
The two sat down in the pavilion again.
The atmosphere was completely different from earlier, when Yu Qing had been playing Wen Wan.
Cheng Qinghuan still smiled, but instead of sitting close by, she faced Yu Qing directly, making it clear that their relationship as Mei Xue and Senpai had changed.
Yu Qing made a mental note of this, pondering how she should interact with Cheng Qinghuan going forward.
She decided to get straight to the point.
Cheng Qinghuan observed Yu Qing’s reaction, suspicion deepening in her eyes, but she didn’t dwell on it and moved past the small talk.
“In your message, Mei Xue mentioned an interesting investment opportunity. What exactly do you mean?”
Cheng Qinghuan asked directly.
Her smile remained gentle, but her gaze grew sharper.
An interesting investment opportunity?
Yu Qing had originally thought the issue would be about whether to withdraw the investment, but now Cheng Qinghuan referred to it as a “fun” opportunity.
With Mei Xue’s personality, calling something like trapping Fu Mingxuan a fun investment wasn’t impossible.
Right now, the best move was to toss the question back.
But if she answered directly, it could create misunderstandings and cause her to lose the initiative in the conversation.
If that happened, Cheng Qinghuan would lead the rest of the negotiation.
Yu Qing weighed the pros and cons.
Both sides understood that the preliminary negotiations had begun.
If she lost control now, it would be hard to turn things around.
While recalling the weaknesses of the Project that Fu Mingxuan was in charge of—information Mei Xue had given her—Yu Qing combined it with what she’d learned from Cheng Qinghuan while disguised as Wen Wan and quickly figured out her strategy.
But for some reason, the atmosphere felt heavy.
She looked up, smiling calmly at Cheng Qinghuan.
Her eyes were bright and steady, black as onyx.
Clearly smiling, yet oddly unsettling.
She brought up Fu Mingxuan.
“Qinghuan-jie is a smart person. You probably already know what I mean.”
Yu Qing spoke lightly, naturally steering the topic.
“Fu Mingxuan’s New Energy Project is already on its last legs. The inability to break through technical barriers is just a surface issue—the real crisis is the chaotic financial structure and some rather questionable financing methods.”
She dropped a bombshell, laying out most of Fu Mingxuan’s problems without a change in expression, as if chatting about everyday life with a friend.
“Oh?”
Cheng Qinghuan’s eyebrows lifted slightly, her face calm.
She asked curiously,
“Mei Xue seems to know a lot of inside information?”
Then, realizing she’d asked a foolish question, she added,
“Well, given you come from a family involved, it’s only natural you’d know more than an outsider like me.”
Cheng Qinghuan let out a light laugh, subtly emphasizing her status as an outsider and hinting that she hoped Junior Yi wouldn’t drag her into their conflict.
“I just can’t stand seeing smart people like you dragged into a doomed quagmire.”
Yu Qing caught the implication but chose to feign ignorance.
She continued, “From what I know, key technical personnel from the Project’s Core Team have already considered leaving, and to temporarily fill financial gaps, Fu Mingxuan resorted to multiple Short-term High-interest Loans, possibly even involving some irregular Affiliated Transactions. Everything I’ve said can be verified with a little investigation.”
Normally, negotiations like this would involve presenting all the information in writing.
But since Yu Qing knew nothing beforehand, she hadn’t prepared such materials.
Still, even if she had, she wouldn’t have handed them over to Cheng Qinghuan.
She didn’t fully understand Mei Xue’s motives, and if Cheng Qinghuan’s withdrawal would truly damage Fu Mingxuan, Yu Qing would need to seriously consider whether to persuade her.
So, the information she gave was half true and half fabricated—part from Mei Xue, part from her own deductions and exaggerations—meant to make Cheng Qinghuan doubt her, delay a decision, and avoid outright refusal.
Cheng Qinghuan listened quietly, fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of her teacup.
Her gentle smile never faded, but the interest in her eyes grew.
It was the look of a hunter watching prey step into a trap.
When Yu Qing finished, Cheng Qinghuan suddenly let out a soft laugh.
Her laughter was pleasant, making Yu Qing look at her in confusion.
Cheng Qinghuan then composed herself, putting on a serious face.
“Mei Xue, do you know?”
“Just now, I happened to meet Miss Wen Wan. She reminded me of a few things as well.”
“Hmm~ Why don’t you guess what they were?”
Her gaze became meaningful, falling on Yu Qing’s face as if trying to read her thoughts.
She wants me to guess what she was reminded of?
That’s a tough one.
Yu Qing felt a hint of amusement inside, but managed her expression well, showing only mild confusion.
She replied, feigning surprise,
“Miss Wen Wan? I’ve heard of her, but never got the chance to meet her. When I tried to visit, I found she’d gone on vacation. So she’s back now? If I have the chance, I’d love to meet her.”
“As for what she said, did she also mention Fu Mingxuan?”
Her tone was calm.
Only on close analysis could one detect a trace of curiosity, as if she were simply commenting on an irrelevant rumor.
On vacation?
Unexpectedly, Cheng Qinghuan’s attention focused on that point.
She recalled Wen Wan’s last words before leaving, and for a brief moment, a dangerous glint seemed to appear in her smile.
?
What’s with this person?
After being stared at for a few seconds by Cheng Qinghuan, Yu Qing felt uneasy.
But in the end, she only saw Cheng Qinghuan’s smile deepen, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
“Yes, what a coincidence.”
Cheng Qinghuan answered softly, as if hiding something.
She didn’t pursue the topic further, instead returning to the previous discussion.
“Thank you for telling me all this, Mei Xue.”
“The information you’ve provided is valuable. Regarding the Project, I’ll conduct a full Risk Assessment.”
“But I’m sorry, Mei Xue. I can’t make a decision right now, and I have some guesses about your intentions. All I can say is, if possible, I too hope we won’t end up as opponents.”
“After all, as an investor, risk avoidance is the top priority.”
Cheng Qinghuan didn’t give a clear promise to withdraw her investment, nor did she outright refuse.
But since she mentioned Risk Assessment and risk avoidance, it meant she was considering it.
In essence, she was postponing the matter, waiting until both sides were about to settle things before making a final decision.
Though she might not offer help in times of trouble, she wouldn’t hesitate to add fuel to the fire if the opportunity arose.
A cunning strategy—it was hard to believe these words came from Li Ming’s gentle and pure girlfriend.
Still, if Yu Qing genuinely hoped Cheng Qinghuan would withdraw her investment, then her words had provided a potential countermeasure against Fu Mingxuan.
Just a bit more information, and she might even pull Cheng Qinghuan to her side.
If all she needed was withdrawal, then Mei Xue’s task was probably complete.
But…
That wasn’t the result she wanted.
“As long as Qinghuan-jie understands.”
Yu Qing tilted her head and smiled.
Her cool features were tinged with a warm hue under the yellow lamplight, the image of melting snow matched with this warmth becoming even more captivating.
Cheng Qinghuan felt a moment of awe, starting to understand why Lin Wei was so obsessed with Junior Yi.
Such a lovely person—if you lived with her for a few years, how could you not harbor a little secret affection?
“But, my reason for meeting Qinghuan-jie today wasn’t just for this matter, you know~”
The pleasant voice sounded again.
But this time, it carried a faint chill.
In the quiet bamboo grove, the pavilion stood amidst the trees, evening wind sweeping up fallen leaves and scattering them across the ground with a soft rustle.
Night deepened.
Within the pavilion, Yu Qing’s face grew calm, even tinged with coldness.
Her lips moved, uttering words that left Cheng Qinghuan stunned.
Cheng Qinghuan wanted to deny what she’d heard, but her instincts told her that at this moment, “Junior Yi” was being sincere.
Tomorrow might become the most unforgettable day in her long life.