Gu Qiancheng entered the room, his gaze as precise as a scanner, sweeping over every detail of the living room without leaving a trace.
His eyes paused for a moment on the dining table, then turned to Chu You, his face showing just the right hint of apology at the perfect time.
“It seems I’ve disturbed your breakfast? I’m terribly sorry, I was being too presumptuous.”
Chu You cursed inwardly, but maintained a gentle, graceful smile on her face, her voice soft.
“It’s fine, Mr. Gu. I was nearly finished anyway.”
As she spoke, she gestured slightly toward the dining table, the motion appearing perfectly natural.
Gu Qiancheng nodded readily, then strode over to sit on the sofa, his posture relaxed, as if he truly were just a guest coming to visit a friend.
He looked at Chu You and, without warning, started a new topic.
“Miss Chu, I heard you and Lin Mo are from the same hometown? Both from Tongcheng?”
“Yes,” Chu You answered, her tone calm with a touch of detached nostalgia, “I’m from Tongcheng. I grew up in the welfare institute.”
“Later on, thanks to Brother Lin Mo’s support, I was able to leave there and see more of the world.”
She and Lin Mo had rehearsed this explanation countless times; saying it now, there was no flaw.
“Oh?” Gu Qiancheng nodded slightly, as if asking casually, “Then Miss Chu, you must be an Oracle too?”
Chu You’s expression didn’t change; she even tilted her head slightly, showing just the right trace of self-mockery.
“I never had the luck to awaken the Oracle’s power… But, Brother Lin Mo taught me quite a few self-defense techniques. Dealing with some minor Oracles shouldn’t be a problem.”
She took the initiative to steer the conversation towards her combat abilities, preemptively blocking any doubts about how she could contend with Lu Ran or Chen Xinyu.
Gu Qiancheng only smiled faintly at this, following her lead to offer a compliment.
“Lin Mo’s fighting skills really are outstanding—he was one of the best back at North Prefecture University.”
Then, the conversation took a sharp turn.
His gaze grew sharp, probing into Chu You like a needle.
“Then, Miss Chu, do you know who Lin Mo learned all those skills from?”
A hint of confusion flashed across Chu You’s eyes at just the right moment; she shook her head gently.
“That, I don’t know. Brother Lin Mo never mentioned it, but I suppose… it must have been some impressive senior, right?”
Gu Qiancheng neither confirmed nor denied, merely smiled, his fingertips tapping a steady rhythm on the armrest of the sofa.
It sounded as if he was deep in thought, or perhaps exerting some invisible pressure.
“I heard Lin Mo arranged for Miss Chu to secretly enter Binhai Experimental Middle School to investigate? Tsk…”
He shook his head, his tone lightly mocking and a bit disapproving.
“That guy really is bold sometimes. No matter how good your fighting skills are, you’re still an ordinary person when facing unknown danger. Wasn’t he worried about your safety?”
While he spoke, Gu Qiancheng leaned forward a bit, resting his elbows on his knees, his palm supporting his chin as he watched Chu You with a beaming smile, waiting for her reply.
Chu You looked perfectly at ease.
“Brother Lin Mo tells me what to do, and I’ll do as he says.”
“Oh? Is that so…”
The arc at Gu Qiancheng’s lips deepened, his expression unreadable.
It was as if he suddenly remembered something, his tone becoming relaxed.
“Right, I also heard Miss Chu is very righteous at school, helping bullied classmates stand up for themselves? Honestly, I personally loathe those who abuse their strength to bully others. I really admire your actions, Miss Chu.”
Chu You didn’t respond; she only furrowed her brows ever so slightly, all her senses on high alert, growing more and more uncertain about what scheme Gu Qiancheng was brewing.
Gu Qiancheng didn’t seem to mind her silence.
He slowly stood, strolling over to the shelf near the entrance, casually picking up a small ornament for a glance before placing it back in its original spot.
With his back to Chu You, he spoke as if unintentionally.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, Miss Chu. On my way in just now, I happened to run into a girl in the neighborhood… What a coincidence, don’t you think?”
Gu Qiancheng turned around slowly, his gaze landing once more on Chu You, a knowing smile on his lips.
“She’s that bullied classmate—your deskmate, Xia Ji.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Chu You’s pupils shrank sharply, her heart seized as if by an invisible hand, almost ceasing to beat.
She leaped to her feet from the sofa, whipping her head to stare at Gu Qiancheng, her shock impossible to hide.
Gu Qiancheng seemed not to notice her intense reaction.
He leisurely took hold of the doorknob, giving it a gentle twist and pulling the door open.
In the next instant, as Chu You’s breath nearly froze and her heart pounded wildly in her chest, a figure she knew all too well walked hesitantly in from outside, head bowed shyly.
The air in the room seemed to freeze completely in that moment.
Chu You’s mind went blank, her blood running backwards.
Of all her calculations, she had never expected Gu Qiancheng’s fatal blow to fall on Xia Ji?!
Xia Ji.
The very Xia Ji who had seen her real appearance and lived side by side with her day after day!
If she so much as raised her head now, if there was even a hint of doubt in her eyes, if she asked a single “Who are you”—then, in front of this old fox Gu Qiancheng, everything she and Lin Mo had planned would become utterly meaningless.
Now, what should she do?
Chu You’s fingers curled slightly, her palms covered in sweat as she stared fixedly at the entryway, watching Xia Ji slowly turn around.
Gu Qiancheng’s face was plastered with an inscrutable smile.
He folded his arms, leaning at ease against the wall like a spectator awaiting a good show, his eyes fixed keenly on the decisive scene about to unfold.
Time seemed to stretch on without end.
Under Chu You’s suffocating gaze, Xia Ji at the doorway slowly, completely turned around, her eyes still timid as they swept across the living room, finally landing on Chu You’s entirely unfamiliar face beside the sofa.
Their eyes met.
Chu You could clearly see that, in Xia Ji’s clear eyes, there was the faint reflection of her own current, utterly plain, completely different face.
Thump, thump, thump!
Chu You’s heartbeat pounded frantically in her ears, making her scalp tingle.
The agony of this moment was like a condemned prisoner being escorted to the execution ground, watching the headsman raise the blade, waiting for the final judgment.
Yet, just when Chu You thought she was doomed.
The confusion, bewilderment, or fear she had anticipated never appeared on Xia Ji’s face.
On the contrary, after looking at Chu You for just two seconds, Xia Ji’s timid gaze suddenly brightened, her face blossoming with an unfeigned, delighted, affectionate smile.
“You-jie!”
Xia Ji called out in a clear, sweet voice, her tone filled with unmistakable intimacy.
She even quickened her pace, walking toward Chu You, her smile radiant.
At almost the same moment, Gu Qiancheng’s smile froze in place, a visible hint of bewilderment flickering across his face.
But Xia Ji didn’t seem to notice him at all.
She hurried over to Chu You, tilted her head slightly, her gaze pure and a little adorably shy.
“It really is you!”
As she spoke, she turned and looked toward the back where Gu Qiancheng’s expression was starting to crack, and said a bit sheepishly, “…This, this gentleman said he’s your and Mr. Lin Mo’s friend, and I didn’t quite believe him.”
Chu You’s taut nerves felt like strings suddenly snipped, a great wave of nearly overwhelming relief washing over her, leaving her barely able to stand.
XIA!! JI!!!
I declare, you are the best friend I, Chu, will ever have in this lifetime!
This usually timid, cowardly girl had actually stepped up at the crucial moment, her mind working so quickly?!
Chu You forced down the surge of emotion in her chest, struggling to produce a smile that was a little stiff, but still passable.
“Xia, Xia Ji, you’re up so early?”
At her words, Xia Ji nonchalantly took Chu You’s arm, gently rubbing the badge bracelet on her wrist.
“Didn’t we agree to go shopping together today?”
“Of course, You-jie! It’s only been one night and you’ve forgotten everything already, haven’t you?”
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