Ling Long had always possessed a cold and aloof demeanor, and under the moonlight at this moment, he seemed wrapped in a thin layer of silver glow, making him appear even more indifferent and distant.

Yin Yin thought that Ling Long was like a piece of exquisite ancient jade— meant to be admired from afar and not to be handled frivolously.

Du Qianqian stood pale-faced in place, and Yin Yin, feeling a chill creep into her heart, looked cautiously at Ling Long and asked, “Young Master Lin, is there something else you need?”

Ling Long did not respond. Instead, he turned to Du Qianqian and asked, “Miss Du, are you alright?”

Du Qianqian came back to her senses and replied with a still slightly trembling voice, “I’m fine.”

Yin Yin patted Du Qianqian’s shoulder and said, “Your acting was really something, Qianqian. It didn’t even hurt and yet you screamed like your heart was being torn out.”

Du Qianqian was slightly stunned. It was true she hadn’t felt any sharp pain earlier, but she had followed the original plan and acted accordingly.

She looked at Yin Yin in front of her and almost bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. “It’s late. This servant will take her leave first.”

Yin Yin nodded her approval. Once only she and Ling Long remained, she grew even more uneasy.

She looked at Ling Long and forced out a smile. “Young Master Lin, are you still not leaving?”

Ling Long glanced at the dagger in Yin Yin’s hand and said softly, “What an interesting thing.”

“If Young Master Lin likes it, you can have it!” Yin Yin was very generous.

Ling Long accepted the dagger from her hand and said, “Then I shall thank Miss Yin.”

“You’re welcome, you’re welcome.” Yin Yin waved her hand repeatedly, just wanting to send this big Buddha away as quickly as possible.

Ling Long took a few steps, then turned back and said, “I wonder how much you know about Miss Du?”

Yin Yin’s gaze flickered. “I only heard from my father that she was picked up along the road. I know nothing else.”

Ling Long lowered his eyes slightly. “I see. Then, what kind of grudge is there between you and Miss Du?”

Don’t you already know what kind of grudge we have?

Yin Yin put on a smile and said, “Young Master Lin is overthinking. There is no grudge between Qianqian and me.”

Ling Long neither agreed nor disagreed. He simply nodded and left Yin Yin’s room.

────ρя


That night, Yin Yin couldn’t sleep well. Her mind kept turning, wondering what exactly the old fox Ling Long had found out.

In a groggy daze, she had a strange dream.

In the dream, she had returned to the house she used to live in. Everything in the living room looked so familiar, yet Yin Yin quickly sensed something was off.

The room, which Ji Ting always kept closed, now stood slightly ajar.

As if under some kind of enchantment, Yin Yin lifted her right foot and tiptoed toward the door.

The room was very dark, with only the computer on the desk emitting a cold light.

Yin Yin crept closer to the desk, wanting to see what was on the screen.

She swallowed, subconsciously held her breath, and her expression grew tense and solemn.

Maybe, with one careless look, she’d learn a top national secret.

But just as she was about to move around to the front of the computer, she suddenly woke up without any warning.

Lying in bed, Yin Yin let out a regretful sigh and then chuckled to herself.

Even if she had seen something, it would’ve only been some ridiculous dream.
She looked out the window. The sky was just starting to brighten, but she could no longer fall back asleep. So she got up and decided to head to the training grounds.

But before that, she took a detour to the kitchen to find something to fill her stomach.

As she neared the kitchen, she faintly heard the soft sound of a woman sobbing. She peeked into the courtyard and saw a maid sitting on the steps, wiping away tears.

She thought for a moment. This girl seemed to be Liu’er, one of the kitchen maids, who played Du Qianqian’s best friend in 《All Splendor Fades》.

Thinking of this, she glanced around and sure enough, saw Du Qianqian walking toward the kitchen, followed by Ling Long in his long white robe.

Yin Yin snorted inwardly. Already trying to win the male protagonist’s heart first thing in the morning? What a hardworking little flower.

She stood quietly outside the courtyard, thinking this chance to shine in front of the male protagonist could be left to the white lotus. But to her surprise, Du Qianqian merely frowned slightly when she saw Liu’er and slipped quietly into the kitchen behind her.

Since Du Qianqian didn’t ask, Ling Long certainly wouldn’t either.

Yin Yin let out a quiet ‘Huh’ in her heart. She remembered 《All Splendor Fades》 had mentioned this scene. This maid Liu’er had been deceived by a heartless man, and it was Du Qianqian who had lent her a helping hand.

Had the white lotus turned dark already? She wasn’t just cold to Yin Yin now, but even to others?

Yin Yin blinked and walked over to sit beside Liu’er. Curiously, she asked, “Why are you crying?”

When Liu’er looked up and saw it was her young mistress, she jumped up in shock. “Eldest Miss?! This maid was rude!”

Yin Yin waved it off indifferently, motioning for Liu’er to sit again. She asked once more, “Why are you crying?”

“I……” Liu’er hesitated but couldn’t get out more than a single word.

Yin Yin didn’t rush her and waited patiently.

Just then, Du Qianqian and Ling Long exited the kitchen. Seeing Yin Yin and Liu’er sitting side by side on the steps, Du Qianqian frowned instinctively. “Eldest Miss, what are you doing here?”

Yin Yin turned her head and glanced between Ling Long and Du Qianqian with amusement. “Young Master Lin, visiting the kitchen so early in the morning?”

Ling Long replied, “I’m here to learn.”

Yin Yin blinked. “Young Master Lin is interested in cooking?”

“I’m not. But someone else is.”

Yin Yin paused, then remembered that Ling Long made a living by trading in information. The intelligence he dealt with ranged from the trivial to the extraordinary, and there was nothing he couldn’t uncover.

In 《All Splendor Fades》, it was mentioned that one of Ling Long’s clients collected recipes from all over the world and would pay handsomely for ones that satisfied him.

Yin Yin’s gaze landed on Du Qianqian. Though this white lotus wasn’t very bright, she wasn’t completely useless.

At the very least, her cooking was delicious and endlessly inventive.

Trying to win Ling Long over with this? Hmph, not a bad move.

Liu’er, feeling the crowd around her growing, stood up awkwardly. “If Eldest Miss has no further need of me, this maid will take her leave.”

Yin Yin grabbed her just as she was about to go. “Wait, I still haven’t heard the gossip!”

Liu’er froze, and Yin Yin coughed lightly. “I mean— you still haven’t told me why you were crying.”

Liu’er bit her lower lip and sat back down beside Yin Yin. “To tell the truth, Eldest Miss, I was deceived by someone.”

Du Qianqian frowned with a look of distaste when she heard that. She knew exactly how Liu’er had been deceived. In her previous life, she had given Liu’er her own savings— not much, but it was everything she had— to help her through that situation after Liu’er had tearfully confided in her.

But after Du Qianqian was reborn, she discovered that the one friend she thought she had was now full of unexplainable hostility toward her.

So Du Qianqian no longer bothered to show Liu’er any kindness. After all, she was no longer the naive, harmless Du Qianqian she once was.

She tugged at Ling Long’s sleeve and said softly, “Young Master Lin, let’s go back to the room. I’ll write the recipe down for you.”

Ling Long glanced at Yin Yin, then sat down on the steps as well. “No rush. I’d like to hear how this young girl got deceived too.”

Yin Yin gave Ling Long a meaningful look, only to be met with his calm and composed gaze in return.

Seeing this, Du Qianqian frowned slightly and took a seat beside Ling Long.

Faced with everyone’s undivided attention, Liu’er suddenly felt a little nervous.

She cleared her throat and began her story in a gentle tone.

“Whenever this servant went out to buy groceries, I often ran into a certain young gentleman. He was handsome, well-mannered, and courteous. He would frequently help carry my things, and over time, we became acquainted. His name was Fang Li, and he always treated me kindly. I…… I developed feelings for him.

But recently, he had seemed troubled. When I asked, he finally admitted that his mother was seriously ill and he had no money for her treatment. So I took out the private savings I had stored up over the years to help him. Only today did I discover that his name wasn’t Fang Li at all, and he didn’t have a sick mother either. I wanted to confront him, but I couldn’t find him anywhere.”

At this point, Liu’er wiped her tears again.

Yin Yin looked at the girl crying before her and exclaimed bitterly, “Heavens! That scam is ancient! And people still fall for it?”

Liu’er’s sobs stopped abruptly.

All eyes turned to Yin Yin. She gave a sheepish smile and asked Liu’er, “How much did you lose?”

“One hundred taels of silver.” Liu’er replied.

Yin Yin: “……”

Yin Manor really was dripping with wealth. Who would’ve thought even a kitchen maid could have a hundred taels saved up?

She glanced at Liu’er and said, “I could give you back the hundred taels. But would that make you feel any better?”

Liu’er furrowed her brows and thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No. I can’t let that scum off so easily.”

Yin Yin smiled. “I agree. Even thieves have rules. So do swindlers. I’ve always hated two types of conmen the most— those who exploit kindness to deceive, and those who trick elderly people living alone out of their savings.”

Ling Long’s gaze flickered slightly. Liu’er looked at Yin Yin, half understanding, and asked, “Then what does Eldest Miss intend to do?”

Yin Yin gave her a glance and replied, “I’ll help you con the money back.”

“Con it back?” Liu’er’s eyes went wide, and even Du Qianqian on the side was startled.

Yin Yin nodded. “How much do you want to get back?”

Liu’er hesitated and said, “I just want my hundred taels.”

Yin Yin sighed dramatically. “Liu’er, you’re far too kind. That scumbag probably got all his money by tricking girls like you.”

Liu’er blinked, dazed. “Then how much does Eldest Miss want to get back?”

“All of it.”

Liu’er stared at her in disbelief, as if Yin Yin had suddenly transformed from a woman into a man. “How?”

Stroking an imaginary beard, Yin Yin gave a mysterious smile. “This old man has his methods.”

Liu’er: “……”

She felt more and more like she didn’t understand her young mistress at all.

Yin Yin’s fingers were already itching. If she hadn’t been able to deal with Wang Wei, then taking down this so-called Fang Li would be just as satisfying.

She stood up, but having sat on the steps for too long, her legs had gone numb. She wobbled and nearly fell back down.

In that moment of dizziness, she thought she saw a shadow flash past the courtyard wall.

Ling Long reacted quickly and reached out to steady her. “Miss Yin, are you alright?”

Yin Yin looked at Ling Long’s arm wrapped around her waist, and her heart thumped.

She quickly pushed Ling Long away. “I’m fine. Thank you, Young Master Lin.”

She fled from the kitchen as if escaping, only to suddenly recall that she had originally gone there to get something to eat.

With a silent sigh, Yin Yin absentmindedly placed a hand on her waist, where it seemed Ling Long’s warmth still lingered.

Realizing what she was doing, she slapped her own hand away in embarrassment.

────ρя


Once back in her room, she summoned a maid to deliver breakfast. While eating, she began planning her next move.

She needed a few helpers. But where could she find them?

Her eyes lit up. She had an idea!

After breakfast, Yin Yin rushed to the liveliest teahouse in all of Shuntian County.

She casually ordered a bowl of tea and started watching the various passersby on the street.

“Fortune-telling and divination! Free if inaccurate~”

Soon, a middle-aged man dressed as a Daoist priest came walking down the street. He carried a staff wrapped in white cloth, on which was drawn an eight trigrams symbol, with the words ‘Divine Seer’ written beside it.

Divine Seer?

Yin Yin sneered inwardly. More like ‘Divine Swindler.’

“This gentleman, please wait! I see dark clouds on your forehead and fierce energy in your face. You’re about to face a bloody disaster!” The Daoist grabbed a passing man and began spouting nonsense.

The man threw him off and cursed, “Screw you! You’re the one with the bloody disaster!”

The Daoist shook his head and cursed in his heart, May you die soon and reincarnate early, before continuing on. “Fortune-telling and divination! Free if inaccurate~”

Yin Yin chuckled and began tailing him.

As they passed a small alley, she suddenly grabbed him and dragged him in.

The Daoist shrieked in fear, shouting incoherently. Yin Yin impatiently smacked his forehead. “What are you yelling for?!”

Hearing a young woman’s voice, the Daoist calmed down significantly.

When he got a good look at her face, his eyes lit up. “Young Lady, how may this humble Daoist assist you?”

Yin Yin gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’d like a reading.”

“That’s easy. What would you like to know?”

“Bloody disaster.” Yin Yin said. Then, before he could respond, she added, “Yours.”