Su Ling had never imagined that Bai Xing would bare her fangs right under her nose, within her own intelligence network, without even pretending anymore.
Lu Qing, too, hadn’t realized that Bai Xing could be so clueless, like a dazed bird, still unaware of the panoramic surveillance camera he had installed right at his doorstep.
“Wait, Bai Xing, what are you doing? Do you know I have surveillance at my place?”
As the elevator doors opened, Lu Qing pulled her inside and quickly pressed the “close” button.
“Huh?!”
Bai Xing’s face froze at his words. “No way! Really?! Senior, don’t scare me like that!”
Her earlier determination to charge ahead completely crumbled under Lu Qing’s few words, replaced by sheer panic.
“Why would you even install surveillance? That’s… that’s so unnecessary!”
Though she was secretly worried about whether her sneaky behavior might be caught by the “evil sister,” she didn’t dare voice her guilt outright. Instead, she tried to indirectly convince Lu Qing to remove the camera.
Why be so wary of your neighbors right at your doorstep?
“Huh? Didn’t you tell me there was a stalker at my door? Su Ling was home, so I ordered it right away, worried she might be in danger.”
Lu Qing didn’t hold back, hitting Bai Xing with a logical explanation.
“Ugh…”
Bai Xing felt a bit wronged, the warmth in her hands fading.
Pouting, she pressed on, “So… did you catch the stalker? It’s been days. If you haven’t, maybe you should just take it down, okay?”
She was starting to regret her actions. After all, she had paid a bloody price to wake up early today, defeating her blanket and resetting her biological clock—essentially draining her life force—all to seize the perfect timing and gather more intel on Lubia while walking to school with Lu Qing! She had planned to gain the upper hand for their upcoming showdown!
Her plan had been flawless,
but she hadn’t expected to be hit hard right out of the gate.
It felt like she had shot herself in the foot.
“Yeah, I caught them.”
Lu Qing glanced at her, his tone implying something.
“Huh? Who was it? That woman I told you about last time? Did she come back?!”
Still oblivious to the gravity of the situation, Bai Xing followed Lu Qing out of the elevator, chattering away like an inquisitive child.
“She came, and we met. I warned her, and she said she understood. But…”
Lu Qing paused, his tone shifting.
“She told me she was innocent. She said she saw someone else lurking around my door, trying to eavesdrop on what was happening inside.
That’s why I think the surveillance is necessary, and I don’t plan to take it down.”
“What?!”
Bai Xing was shocked.
“There’s more to it?!”
“Yep,” Lu Qing said, leaving it at that.
“Ugh…”
Now, Bai Xing was in full panic mode.
Her earlier curiosity about the “female stalker” had completely transformed into anxiety about how to hide her own actions.
No way…
This woman, consumed by her own desires, actually tried to pin it on me!
How dare she throw me under the bus!
Did she figure out what I was up to?
Damn it!
Damn it, damn it!
I was careless!
I won’t make that mistake again.
Next time, I’ll just destroy the surveillance myself.
Bai Xing’s mind raced with schemes, but on the surface, she remained sweet and innocent, clinging to Lu Qing’s arm.
“Hehe, Senior, let’s not talk about that anymore, okay?”
“Sure, fine.”
Lu Qing shrugged, indifferent.
“So, Senior, I took a good look at that succubus costume you sent yesterday. It’s amazing! How much did it cost you? And didn’t you say you’d introduce me to the artist soon? Hehe… has she replied yet?”
Bai Xing skillfully changed the subject, deploying her “Double Question” technique—a move designed to stack topics and redirect attention, effectively lowering the target’s guard.
As expected, Lu Qing fell for it.
After a moment of thought, he replied,
“Don’t worry about the cost.
As for Lubia, she was asleep all day yesterday and didn’t reply. It’s still early today, so she’s probably still asleep. I’ll check in the afternoon. She’ll definitely reply by then.”
Lu Qing knew that Tang Hua was the type to pull all-nighters.
Her style was to finish a commission in one go, no matter how much effort it took.
Previously, due to the complexity of the succubus costume, she had stalled at 80% completion, breaking her usual workflow. Lu Qing could easily guess that she’d push through the remaining 20% in one sitting after their meeting.
Given the final quality of the costume, it was clear Tang Hua had gone without sleep for at least a dozen hours, which explained why she was still deep in slumber.
“I see.”
Bai Xing nodded, now understanding Tang Hua’s nocturnal habits—a fellow night owl, much like herself.
“So… what does she look like? I’m curious.”
Bai Xing tried to dig deeper for key intel.
Unfortunately,
Lu Qing shut her down.
“You’ll find out on Wednesday.”
“Huh?”
His countermove—“The Barrier Before the Meeting”—cut off Bai Xing’s probing, leaving her to discover Tang Hua’s appearance on her own and form a unique first impression.
Lu Qing saw himself as a neutral NPC, bearing the weight of being the guild leader while also feeling responsible for Tang Hua’s well-being.
He had to remain impartial. If he helped Bai Xing now, it wouldn’t be fair to Tang Hua.
So, Bai Xing’s skill missed its mark, hitting nothing but air.
But she wasn’t one to give up.
“Hehe, Senior, you’re really protective of her, huh? Does that mean she’s really important to you?”
She decided to drop the act, deploying her second skill—“The Trap Question.”
This kind of question often carried a self-destructive edge, as it reeked of manipulation—a tactic Su Ling had long abandoned as outdated.
Bai Xing’s confidence in using it now showed how secure she felt in her relationship with Lu Qing, unafraid of his reaction even if he caught a whiff of her scheming.
But Lu Qing wasn’t fazed.
“Yeah, she’s important. She needs me as her boss, like a helium balloon needs helium to rise.”
“Huh? What?”
Lu Qing’s response was as blunt as ever, unleashing his SSR-level skill—
“If You Say So.”
This move left Bai Xing reeling, feeling like an insurmountable force had blocked her from the core, leaving her unable to advance.
This was tough.
Bai Xing felt utterly defeated.
It seemed today’s plan was doomed to fail.
She bit her lip, her wounded pride growing stronger.
Thinking it over,
it made sense.
She probably didn’t hold the same importance in Lu Qing’s heart as the artist did.
She was just a voice actor, a washed-up VTuber.
Without the artist, without that extraordinary talent, she couldn’t carve out a place in this cutthroat market.
With Lubia around, she became dispensable, no longer unique.
It wasn’t hard to imagine that even a mediocre performer in that succubus costume could easily pull in at least 500 subscribers.
“Sigh.”
Bai Xing fell silent.
She couldn’t help but feel she had overstepped.
Whenever she tried to grasp something beyond her abilities, beyond her station, her greed only led to greater disappointment.
That disappointment and frustration grew with her desires.
Maybe I’m just being delusional.
Bai Xing thought to herself.
Thought.
Thought.
In the blink of an eye, time flew by.
She didn’t even notice how she had drifted into the subway station.
But after getting off the train, as they walked along the familiar, deserted path,
Lu Qing suddenly stopped on the cobblestone road,
as if he had read her emotions,
and turned to ask plainly:
“Bai Xing, can you tell me more about your story?”
“Huh?”
Lu Qing’s words were clear,
each one deliberate:
"I want to write you into my book."
……
……