A person suddenly appeared behind her and placed their hand on her shoulder.
This was almost the classic scene in every horror story.
Yu Qing prided herself on having played plenty of horror games, so she believed that, if she ever faced such a situation, she would remain calm and unafraid.
But in reality, Yu Qing was so startled by that hand that she nearly screamed.
She whipped around, her right hand instinctively reaching for the Pepper Spray in her pocket.
Almost reflexively, she pulled out the Pepper Spray and aimed it at the person behind her.
However, her raised arm was immediately stopped by that hand.
Yu Qing struggled desperately to break free, but she had clearly forgotten how much her strength had been reduced by the Black Pearl.
“Such weak strength… as expected, it’s you, Miss Yi Fu.”
A familiar voice spoke in an unfamiliar tone.
Yu Qing froze, looking uncertainly and formally at the person who had suddenly appeared behind her.
And then—
She met a pair of eyes filled with complex emotions, yet abnormally calm and contradictory.
Standing behind her was Lin Wei.
She held a transparent umbrella, wearing the same clothes she had worn when she first met Yu Qing.
Rainwater gathered and slid off the surface of the umbrella.
A faint, unreadable smile rested on her face, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.
Yu Qing originally thought this was just a chance encounter.
She couldn’t handle Mei Xue and Fu Mingxuan, but dealing with Lin Wei alone would be easy.
But as she pondered how to brush Lin Wei off, she suddenly sensed something wrong.
What… did she just call me?
In an instant, Yu Qing’s heart skipped a beat.
Her gaze toward Lin Wei turned wary.
But the shock Lin Wei delivered wasn’t over.
Before Yu Qing could recover, Lin Wei’s next words exploded in her ear like thunder.
“Don’t be nervous, Miss Yi Fu.”
“Or should I call you…”
“Senior?”
If this were the original plot, the chapter would end here—what a shame.
Yu Qing’s blood froze.
Her mind went blank, her hand gripping the Pepper Spray stiff inside her pocket, her whole body tensing.
How did she know?!
Was her disguise that bad? Or was Lin Wei just trying to mess with her?
No!
She didn’t know why Lin Wei had suddenly changed, but she couldn’t let herself be led by her!
In such a crisis, Yu Qing instead calmed down, rapidly thinking about how to deal with the situation.
She couldn’t win in a fight—her skills were so weak, she’d probably get pinned and spanked the moment she tried.
Deceive?
But how?
Lin Wei seemed to see through Yu Qing’s shock and calculations.
She didn’t press her advantage, but simply shook her head slightly, signaling her to keep quiet.
Her gaze swept over the occasional passersby not far away.
“This isn’t a place to talk. Too many eyes. If we stay, we’ll be discovered.”
Her voice was low, but carried an undeniable pressure.
“If you want to change the outcome, rather than become a trophy for either side, follow me. Don’t pretend to be clueless. I came here for a reason.”
Lin Wei gave Yu Qing a deep look, then the corners of her lips curled up.
Her small mouth moved silently, but Yu Qing clearly recognized the shape.
“Yu Qing Senior~”
That single word made Yu Qing’s heart pound wildly in her chest, almost breaking free, but at the same time, it extinguished her desire to hide.
Lin Wei’s sudden appearance, her accurate revelation of her identity, and that tempting phrase caught her off guard.
Was Lin Wei an enemy or an ally?
What was her goal?
At this moment, Yu Qing realized she didn’t have a better choice.
Staying here would only let Fu Mingxuan or Fu Yi find her sooner or later.
Her arrangements were all behind the scenes; at this stage, there was little she could do.
If she kept waiting, she’d either be found by Fu Mingxuan’s people or eliminated by Fu Yi’s—neither outcome sounded good.
And Lin Wei’s arrival was an unexpected variable.
With her chances of trapping Mei Xue now so low…
Yu Qing stared hard into Lin Wei’s eyes, searching for any clue.
Finally, she slowly loosened her grip on the spray, took a deep breath, and said in a hoarse voice:
“…Lead the way.”
Rain slid down the veins of the Holly Tree leaves and dripped onto the soaked hood of Yu Qing’s sweatshirt, making a faint “tap-tap” sound.
But that sound was nothing compared to the storm Lin Wei’s “Yu Qing Senior” had stirred in her heart.
Lin Wei’s hand still rested lightly on her shoulder, not heavy, but carrying a sense of unbreakable restraint.
She saw the shock and fear in Yu Qing’s eyes, and the faint curve of her lips deepened slightly, as a quiet laugh crossed her mind.
“Surprised?”
Lin Wei whispered softly in Yu Qing’s ear. Her voice was not loud, but it cut through the rain and reached Yu Qing clearly.
“From the moment you clumsily mimicked Fu Yi’s manner in the forest, I noticed you. At that time, I’d just messaged Fu Yi, but you were completely clueless.”
She tilted her head slightly, gesturing toward the Auditorium, a smile at her lips.
“Of course, I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Zhou Min probably figured it out early too, but she can’t keep secrets, so she probably came clean with you long ago.”
“Let me guess—it was that night you two bathed together. Afterwards, your mood was off. Besides, Zhou Min would never dare mention bathing together in front of Fu Yi.”
Lin Wei finished with a soft laugh, completely different from her usual gentle demeanor.
Hearing Lin Wei’s words, Yu Qing’s heart sank.
She thought she’d hidden well, but she hadn’t realized how exposed she was to observant people.
“Whose side are you on?”
Yu Qing’s voice was hoarse, trying to break free from Lin Wei’s hand, but the slender fingers held her with surprising strength.
After a couple of struggles, she gave up.
She didn’t bother asking how Lin Wei had confirmed her identity—it didn’t matter.
If Lin Wei could confront her so directly, even if there was some bluffing involved, she would only do so with solid evidence.
“I thought you’d ask how I confirmed who you were.”
Lin Wei looked at Yu Qing with surprise, her opinion of her rising slightly.
“If you really had, I couldn’t have answered. I was just testing you. I didn’t expect such a big reaction.”
Lin Wei grinned, earning only a roll of Yu Qing’s eyes.
Keep talking—see if I believe you.
With things exposed like this, did you really think you could still hide in front of me?
Seeing Yu Qing’s reaction, Lin Wei just laughed and didn’t mind.
“As for your earlier question…”
She smiled again, this time with a trace of unspoken irony, her gaze on Yu Qing growing more intense.
“I’m not on anyone’s side. Or rather, I’m on yours.”
Her eyes swept sharply over Yu Qing, a hint of regret flashing in them, her tone turning helpless.
“You want to be the fisherman, but unfortunately, neither Fu Mingxuan the self-righteous Shark nor Fu Yi the Net-Weaving Spider will give you the chance to wait quietly.”
“Fu Mingxuan is finished. He was as reckless as a donkey kicked in the head, delivering his own weakness straight to the enemy. Right now, Fu Yi is probably confronting him with a video of his break-in.”
Fu Mingxuan failed?!
So fast?!
Yu Qing’s eyes widened—this was much quicker than she’d anticipated.
If Fu Mingxuan was eliminated so soon, Fu Yi could now focus all her efforts on taking out this “Little Minnow”!
She’d planned for this possibility, preparing a backup plan, but it was still one of the worst-case scenarios and would greatly lower her chances of success.
But…
Why did Lin Wei say she was on her side?
Did she want to help her replace Fu Yi?
Could it be that, after she replaced Fu Yi, she could provide Lin Wei with some advantage?
Yu Qing’s first thought was of Mei Xue’s family and influence.
It couldn’t be just for a legitimate excuse to get rid of her, right?
“What do you want?”
Yu Qing forced herself to calm down, her mind racing.
Lin Wei had found her, exposed her identity, yet hadn’t handed her over right away.
She must have her own motives.
Yu Qing couldn’t figure them out yet, so she had to stay alert.
“I’m giving you a chance—and giving myself a chance too.”
Lin Wei finally let go of her hand, but her gaze remained locked on her.
She spoke each word deliberately.
“A chance to truly replace Fu Yi, not to foolishly try controlling her like Fu Mingxuan did.”
To truly… replace her?
Yu Qing understood.
Just as she had guessed.
But even so, that word was like a spell, striking the deepest, darkest part of her heart.