Yin Yin had spent three nerve-wracking days in Yin Manor, growing familiar with every corner of the place. She even knew how many eggs the hens in the kitchen laid each day. Yet, the white lotus hadn’t made a single move.

Is she trying to scare me on purpose?

No, no— this must be the enemy playing hard to get, waiting for me to lower my guard before launching a sneak attack.

Yin Yin sat in her room, silently analyzing the white lotus’s strategy.

Suddenly, there was a sharp whoosh, and a sleeve dart shot in from the window and embedded itself into the beam beside her.

Yin Yin froze on the spot in shock. Don’t tell me that the white lotus spent the past few days hiring an assassin to take me out?!

But…… this killer seems terribly unprofessional =.=

Turning her head toward the dart, she saw a small note wrapped around it. She pulled it out and unfolded the paper.

‘Our cover is blown. Come to the bamboo forest outside the city immediately.’

Huh?

Yin Yin was utterly confused. What cover’s blown?

She tried to recall the plot of 《All Splendor Fades》. According to the timeline, she had transmigrated just before Yin Yin framed Du Qianqian for stabbing her. Before that…… Ah, right!

Yin Yin had staged a fake kidnapping and pinned it on Du Qianqian, insisting that Du Qianqian had planned it all.

Could it be that this incident has been exposed? But that never happened in the original storyline……

Even Ling Long, the only one who had been suspicious, never pursued the matter further. He merely pointed out a few inconsistencies and then dropped it.

The only variable now was— Du Qianqian had been reborn.

Frowning, Yin Yin still decided to go to the bamboo forest as instructed.

As soon as she arrived, she saw a brawny man tied up like a dumpling and thrown to the ground.

Please don’t let this be the kidnapper…… Please don’t let this be the kidnapper…… She prayed silently.

The moment the man spotted her, he cried out like he’d found salvation, “Young Miss! Save me!”

Yin Yin’s mouth twitched. “Uh…… Brave Sir, who are you?”

The man stared at her in disbelief, then roared with his mouth wide open, “How could you burn the bridge after crossing the river?! If it weren’t for that kidnapping skit you made me act out, would I be trussed up like a pig and dumped here?!”

Yin Yin’s eyebrows twitched. Judging by this situation, Du Qianqian must be hiding nearby. With the other party’s abilities, there’s no way she could have taken this man down alone…… Which meant Ling Long must be there too.

Yin Yin let out a silent sigh. Looks like this black pot was hers to carry now.

Putting on a pitiful expression, she looked at the man. “Brave Sir, I truly don’t know you. Please don’t slander me.”

“You’re still pretending? I already confessed everything to that young master!”

Yin Yin: “……” As a kidnapper, you have zero professional ethics.

Just then, Du Qianqian and Ling Long stepped out from behind the bamboo grove. Du Qianqian looked down at Yin Yin arrogantly. “Eldest Miss, are you still trying to deny it?”

Yin Yin blinked innocently. “I didn’t do anything. What is there to deny?”

“Both the person and the evidence are here, and you still won’t confess?” Du Qianqian glared at her.

Yin Yin stared down at her toes, wondering how the white lotus had managed to talk Ling Long into helping her investigate.

Ling Long looked at her and said, “Miss Yin, this man was the one who kidnapped you that day. Why claim not to know him?”

Yin Yin raised her head, her watery eyes fixing on Ling Long. “Young Master Lin, if I told you I have a split personality, would you believe me?”

Ling Long frowned slightly. “Split personality? What do you mean?”

“It means there are two of me living in this body, and we take turns controlling it. I have no idea what the other me does.”

A flicker of surprise passed through Ling Long’s amber eyes. What an excuse. It was definitely not something an average person could come up with. “Is there truly such a condition?”

Yin Yin nodded sorrowfully. “It’s a rare disorder. There’s no cure.”

“You’re spouting nonsense!” Du Qianqian pointed at her, fuming. “Why have I never heard you mention this illness before?”

Tears shimmered in Yin Yin’s eyes as she spoke painfully, “How could I confess such a shameful ailment to others?”

“You—!” Du Qianqian was dumbfounded by Yin Yin’s shamelessness. She looked anxiously at Ling Long. “Young Master Lin, don’t believe this demoness’s lies!”

Yin Yin cast her a wounded glance. “Qianqian, why call me a demoness? Just because of my illness?”

Du Qianqian was briefly stunned. Even though she had been reborn and knew how much evil Yin Yin would commit later, none of that had happened yet. Her accusations now made her seem unreasonably aggressive.

Yin Yin’s tears fell one by one as she looked at Du Qianqian with guilt. “No matter what, I was wrong. Qianqian, can you forgive me?”

Du Qianqian glared at her but didn’t say a word.

Ling Long looked to Du Qianqian and said, “Since that’s the case, perhaps you should forgive her this once, Miss Du.”

Yin Yin seized the opportunity and vowed, “I promise there won’t be a next time!”

Du Qianqian clenched her fists inside her sleeves, but her expression remained docile. “Since Young Master Lin has spoken, I won’t hold a grudge against the eldest miss anymore.”

Yin Yin was moved. “Qianqian, you’re so kind.”

Du Qianqian gave a polite smile and turned to leave the bamboo grove.

Ling Long flicked his fingers lightly, and the ropes on the kidnapper’s body fell loose. The man, now free, vanished in a flash.

As Yin Yin wiped her tears, she sighed. “Young Master Lin, your martial arts skills are truly impressive.”

Ling Long gave her a calm look. “I’ve never heard of such an illness before, Miss Yin.”

Yin Yin thickened her skin and replied, “The world is vast, and nothing is too strange to exist.”

Ling Long pondered for a moment and asked, “Miss Yin, do you truly suffer from such a condition?”

“If Young Master Lin believes it, then it must be true.”

A flicker crossed Ling Long’s eyes, and the corners of his tightly pressed lips finally shifted.

Yin Yin had never expected this excuse to truly fool Ling Long. Still, having to take the blame left her feeling resentful.

Back at the manor, she stormed in angrily, stuffed down a few bites of food, and went straight to her room to rest.

She glanced at the prop dagger on the table and recalled how in the original story, after Du Qianqian was falsely accused, Yin Dongjiang locked Du Qianqian in a dark room, which led to a chance encounter with Ling Long and their budding intimacy.

Hmph! Don’t even think about me setting you up for that romantic development now!

────ρя


The next morning, at the crack of dawn, Yin Yin rushed to the training grounds to find Shen Mingjie, pestering him to teach her martial arts.

This had become a new hobby Yin Yin developed after arriving in this world. Now that she finally possessed inner force, how could she be content with her measly, half-baked skills?

Shen Mingjie was the chief guard of Yin Manor and a reclusive master who had once roamed the martial arts world.

Although Shen Mingjie was slightly surprised by the eldest miss’s sudden passion for martial arts, he still taught her diligently and with great care.

Yin Yin hadn’t trained long when she saw Ling Long arrive as well.

Ling Long seemed a bit surprised to see her. “I didn’t expect Miss Yin to be so devoted to martial arts.”

Yin Yin stopped her sword practice and asked curiously, “What brings Young Master Lin to the training grounds?”

Ling Long looked toward Shen Mingjie. “I came to seek guidance from Master Shen.”

Shen Mingjie showed a hint of surprise. “At your age, you shouldn’t even know who I am.”

Yin Yin sneered inwardly. He is part of the ‘CIA’, so is there anything in this world Ling Long didn’t know?

Ling Long replied calmly, “Master Shen, your reputation has long preceded you. I’ve admired you for years.”

Shen Mingjie no longer declined and began sparring with Ling Long in the training grounds. Yin Yin stood by, watching the spectacle with interest.

Even when Ling Long moved, he never seemed aggressive or overbearing— still maintaining that cold and aloof demeanor— yet his opponent clearly did not find the match easy.

After only a few exchanges, Shen Mingjie already sensed that Ling Long’s martial arts were unfathomable. Even a basic move executed by him carried immense force.

Shen Mingjie leaped out of the sparring circle and said, “Truly remarkable. Young Master Lin’s skills may well be on par with mine.”

Ling Long cupped his hands and replied, “You flatter me, Master Shen.”

Yin Yin remarked nonchalantly, “Who would’ve thought an ordinary merchant could possess such prowess?”

Shen Mingjie glanced at Ling Long without a change in expression, while Ling Long merely cast a cool look at Yin Yin. His amber-colored eyes shimmered under the sunlight like real pieces of amber— enchanting and intense.

“Chief Guard Shen, I’ve brought tea for you.” Du Qianqian said as she walked over with a few servants, each carrying teapots.

When she saw Yin Yin, Du Qianqian appeared slightly surprised. “So Eldest Miss is here too.”

Yin Yin smiled and nodded.

It seemed she had unknowingly disrupted yet another plan of the female protagonist.

In the original story, there had been no mention of Ling Long coming to the training grounds to ask Shen Mingjie for pointers. This must have been something Du Qianqian, now reborn, had discovered herself, prompting her to come curry favor.

But Du Qianqian hadn’t accounted for this uninvited guest— Yin Yin.

Sensing the mood, Yin Yin said tactfully, “Chief Guard Shen, let’s call it a day for now. I’ll return tomorrow.”

She had thought this would give the white lotus a clear path to proceed with her plan. But to her surprise, Ling Long actually left the training grounds with her.

Even with her back to Du Qianqian, Yin Yin could still feel her piercing gaze, sharp as needles, stabbing into her skin.

Turning her head, Yin Yin glanced at Ling Long walking beside her. “May I ask why Young Master Lin is following me?”

Ling Long replied lightly, “It just seems to me that Miss Yin has become much smarter overnight.”

Yin Yin’s heart sank. Though Ling Long seemed like someone crafted exactly to her tastes— practically her ideal boyfriend— if he was this perceptive, it would be best to minimize contact going forward.

After all, she was only a side character.

“So you came all this way just to compliment me on my intelligence?”

“Just returning the courtesy.”

They looked at each other, both eyes holding emotions the other couldn’t quite decipher.

────ρя


After that morning, Yin Yin had a nagging feeling that Du Qianqian wasn’t done yet. And sure enough, her intuition proved right by evening.

Du Qianqian suddenly barged into Yin Yin’s room.

Yin Yin glanced at her and asked, “It’s quite late. What brings you here, Qianqian?”

Du Qianqian’s eyes swept around the room until they landed on the prop dagger lying on the table in front of the mirror.

She walked over, picked it up, and said, “Is Eldest Miss planning to kill me with this?”

“What?” Yin Yin couldn’t keep up with Du Qianqian’s rhythm.

With a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips, Du Qianqian suddenly shoved the dagger into Yin Yin’s hand, gripped her hand tightly, and thrust it toward her own abdomen. Bright red blood immediately gushed out.

Du Qianqian screamed at the perfect moment, “Ahhh—!”

Yin Yin was stunned. What kind of twisted play was this?

The door was soon flung open, and a crowd of guards and maids rushed in, just in time to witness the scene of Yin Yin ‘stabbing’ Du Qianqian.

Yin Yin’s eyelid twitched. So this was Du Qianqian’s plan— turning the tables by playing the victim.

Ling Long and Yin Dongjiang were also drawn by the commotion. Yin Dongjiang stared in disbelief at the scene before him, while Ling Long’s eyes flicked toward the dagger.

Just as Du Qianqian was about to speak, Yin Yin cut her off, “Everyone, don’t panic. This dagger is fake!”

She broke free from Du Qianqian’s tight grip and gave a live demonstration of the retractable blade’s mechanics.

Du Qianqian stared at the dagger in disbelief, murmuring, “It’s fake?”

Yin Yin was thoroughly embarrassed. Had Du Qianqian seriously not realized this even after stabbing herself? Just how worryingly low was her IQ?

She silently lit a candle in her heart for Du Qianqian’s intelligence.

Still, Du Qianqian’s courage was commendable. She had actually dared to use such a cruel tactic on herself.

If the dagger had been real, even if Du Qianqian hadn’t died, she’d have lost half her life.

Du Qianqian, on the other hand, was thinking that Yin Yin had only been bedridden for half a month from this trick before, so if Yin Yin could endure it, why couldn’t she?

The onlookers had yet to recover from this plot twist when Yin Yin gave a dry laugh and said, “Sorry to disturb everyone so late. We were just horsing around.”

Yin Dongjiang was the first to regain his composure. He frowned at Yin Yin. “Nonsense!”

Yin Yin quickly nodded and agreed, “Father, you’re right. I won’t dare do it again.”

Yin Dongjiang flicked his sleeves and left. The servants also filed out, and only Ling Long remained. He stood quietly under the pale moonlight, watching Yin Yin.