Chapter 84: Ning Qingyan’s Annual Plot Twist Iconic Image – So What If We Were Deceived? He Charged Forward…

From the very beginning of joining the variety show, Ning Qingyan never intended to stay in touch with the others after the show ended. Even though the experience was more enjoyable than expected and she loved the atmosphere of being with them, she was decisive—breaking her SIM card without hesitation.

But despite that, she still had a conscience. Before destroying the card, she sent a mass message to everyone, even borrowing Huo Qi’s words:

“I’m off to travel the world alone. Don’t look for me. My return is undetermined. See you never.”

In her previous life, she probably wouldn’t have even sent this message. But this life was different—no suffering, no hardships. The people she met were not only not bad, but some were even genuinely good.

Even though she never wavered in her decisions, she had learned to end things in a softer way.

Perhaps she was influenced by Wen Shijin’s gentleness—after all, proximity shapes a person.

---

Since she had hired a housekeeper to clean regularly, the villa was even tidier than when she left. Ning Qingyan opened the windows to let in fresh air, taking a deep breath of the osmanthus fragrance drifting in from the courtyard.

As she walked toward her luxurious bathroom, she unbuttoned her clothes, casually tossing the discarded men’s outfit into the trash can—planning to burn it later after her bath.

No trace left behind. That was the safest way.

She soaked in her oversized bathtub, indulging in a luxurious bath infused with expensive jasmine and rose essential oils.

The fully automated bathtub had an enclosed space mode, allowing only her head and hands to be exposed while a slot held her tablet, letting her watch dramas while bathing.

During her last house renovation, she had bought multiple phones and tablets, placing at least two in every room—including the bathroom.

While enjoying the warm water and delicate floral scent, she browsed her tablet.

But since the shocking revelation about her being an undercover agent had gone viral, all major discussion apps crashed—even Baidu was overwhelmed by searches like “Is Ning Qingyan really an undercover agent?”

With Weibo down, she resorted to watching Lin Qingqing’s latest historical romance drama. Yet, even in the drama’s bullet comments, her name popped up now and then. She sighed—surely, many people wanted to send her hate mail.

Fortunately, starting tomorrow, she would return to wearing women’s clothes. Who would recognize her?

This unprecedented twist had shaken the entertainment industry. Ning Qingyan’s name had gone beyond just fan circles—she had gained nationwide recognition.

This phenomenon wasn’t just due to the show’s immersive entertainment era but also because the “Who is the undercover agent?” mystery intrigued both male and female audiences alike.

And, of course, the grand prize lottery—betting on the right answer meant a chance to win luxurious rewards. Who could resist?

Lotteries cost money, but voting was free. With just a tap and a bit of reasoning, people loved to trust their “sixth sense,” which led to this massive uproar.

Lulled by warmth, Ning Qingyan dozed off in the bathtub. She only snapped out of it when the ending theme of her drama played. Groggily, she pressed a button to exit the enclosed tub, then rinsed off under the shower.

She grabbed a special cream to remove the semi-permanent eyebrow dye and meticulously erased the thick, masculine brows from her disguise. They faded considerably, but she’d need a few more days for complete removal.

Next, she used a strong cleansing solution to strip the chestnut brown dye from her hair, revealing its natural black color underneath. Since the dye wasn’t permanent, one more wash tomorrow would fully restore her hair.

Once that was done, the rest was routine—skincare, drying her hair, slipping into a bathrobe, and applying a face mask. Then, she disposed of the men’s clothing in the trash.

Lying comfortably on her enormous bed, she sent her father a check-in message. Then, she transferred most of the earnings from Huo Qi’s 3% profit share into another account, saving it for the future.

Although Ning Corporation’s bankruptcy was still a long way off, the company had used massive liquid funds to invest in Huo Qi. Originally, bankruptcy meant a debt of nearly 100 million, but now it had doubled to almost 200 million.

She had to prepare in advance. Once the company collapsed, she’d give her father the money to pay off the debt.

Why clear the debt instead of reinvesting to save the company?

Because her father was aging, and his health was no longer what it used to be. Plus, she had worked hard in her past life. Now that she was wealthy, she just wanted to relax—not inherit and run a company.

Why work so hard when she could live off rental income from her apartment complex in Beijing and enjoy the money Huo Qi kept transferring to her?

She planned to make up for all the suffering from her past life with indulgence in this one. Maybe after that, she’d consider taking up some hobbies.

With dreams of a carefree future, Ning Qingyan hugged her pillow and closed her eyes.

---

While she slept peacefully, the internet was in chaos.

The next morning, before their eyes even fully opened, countless people instinctively reached for their phones, attempting to open Weibo.

They were ready to give up and go back to sleep if it didn’t load—but suddenly, it worked!

After an all-night emergency repair by tech teams, major apps were finally back online.

Still drowsy, people bolted upright, rushing to check the trending list.

As expected, #NingQingyanIsAnUndercoverAgent remained in the top spot, marked with a bright red “explosive” tag.

Clicking into the topic, they saw the final moments of the previous day’s live broadcast—a replay of the moment when the young man uttered his last words before the stream went black.

The video had nearly a billion views, with hundreds of thousands of comments.

Right below it was an official response from the Heartbeat Acceleration program’s Weibo account.

Fans clicked in with bated breath, reading and re-reading it multiple times to confirm: Ning Qingyan was really the undercover agent.

《Heartbeat Acceleration》 Official Weibo:
“This season’s undercover agent is—Ning Qingyan! Unfortunately, all three rounds of audience voting failed to expose them. But through challenges, we gain experience! We believe in next season’s viewers—stay sharp and uncover the hidden mole! To compensate for the emotional rollercoaster, follow our official account and share this post to enter a cash lottery!”

Attached was a photo from the show’s initial recordings—Ning Qingyan sitting at a table, dressed in a pristine white shirt, delicately holding a black-gold-edged card with the words “Undercover Agent” written in bright red.

Against a dark red background, the boy’s clear, innocent eyes and harmless face clashed strikingly with the card’s ominous message. The eerie contradiction sent shivers down spines—but oddly, it felt inexplicably natural.

This image alone was enough to make people’s skin crawl with realization.

But…

Damn, it was so ridiculously cool.

Within moments, #NingQingyanAnnualPlotTwistIconicImage skyrocketed to the top of trending searches.

Netizens went wild:

“Even though I was deceived… he looks so damn cool!”

“This picture is EVERYTHING. The ultimate ‘innocent rabbit turns into big bad wolf’ transformation!”

“Absolutely lethal! Forget sunshine-boy aesthetics, I’m obsessed with the deceptive dark-horse villain vibe!”

“Okay, he tricked me… but he smiled at me! He totally had a reason, right? He must have suffered too… I still love him!”