Chapter 55: This Isn’t a Trap, Is It?

To avoid being late for Sunday classes, Bei Xiaolin and Cheng Yuan boarded the earliest bus home at 4:00 AM. The vehicle swayed and bumped along the road as the two girls, in unspoken agreement, sat quietly and caught up on sleep.

Most importantly, their throats were genuinely sore. The previous day had been full of excitement, and it wasn’t until they’d had some rest that they realized just how dry and hoarse their voices had become. Every word felt like it scraped against raw vocal cords.

Once they arrived at the station, they quickly changed into their school uniforms, slung their backpacks over their shoulders, and rushed to school.

Yu Qing let out a long sigh of relief when he saw them. He hadn’t slept at all the night before, worried about their safety. With both Cheng Yuan and Bei Xiaolin being so eye-catching, he feared they might run into trouble in the crowded streets of Hai City. What could two girls do in such a situation?

“Yu Qing, I’ll come find you at noon,” Cheng Yuan said, sipping water, her voice low and hoarse.

Hearing how strained she sounded, Yu Qing wanted to say more, but the bell was about to ring. With no time left, he hurried back to his classroom.

After finishing his morning classes, Yu Qing ate lunch early and made a special trip to the pharmacy to buy throat lozenges.

“Thank you, Yu Qing,” Cheng Yuan said, eyeing the medicine. She didn’t mention that Bei Xiaolin had already gotten some for her. Instead, she scribbled on a piece of paper: Did my dad notice anything yesterday?

Her throat hurt too much to speak. All her communication with Xiaolin that day had been via handwritten notes. It made her feel like she’d temporarily lost her voice.

“No,” Yu Qing replied simply.

“That’s good,” she wrote back.

Bei Xiaolin couldn’t hold back. Even with her aching throat, she wanted to tell Yu Qing all about the concert.

Cheng Yuan immediately scribbled a warning: Watch your throat!

“Right, don’t talk,” Yu Qing agreed. “You can tell me everything when you’re better. Since you’re both on vocal rest, how about I give you an English vocabulary dictation?”

Bei Xiaolin froze, glaring at him like she had a migraine. She wanted to disappear.

She definitely didn’t want to do vocabulary dictation.

“Okay,” Cheng Yuan nodded without hesitation, already pulling out her notebook.

That evening, Cheng Yuan returned home, her backpack on her shoulders and guilt written all over her face.

“Yuanyuan, you’re back,” Cheng Huaien called from the kitchen. “Didn’t you say you wanted fried dumplings last time? I made some for you.”

Cheng Yuan didn’t respond right away.

“Go wash your hands, Yuanyuan. It’s almost ready,” her father said, sensing something off. “What’s wrong? Didn’t enjoy your stay at Xiaolin’s?”

“Dad…” Cheng Yuan began. Her voice startled him. “Yuanyuan, did you catch a cold?”

“Mmm.” She guiltily touched her nose. “Just a sore throat. A bit of a cold.”

Ugh… I shouldn’t have lied to Dad.

“Then no fried dumplings for you. I’ll make you some light noodles instead,” Cheng Huaien said. After finishing the dumplings, he immediately put water on to boil.

“Dad, it’s okay…” Cheng Yuan tried to protest.

“No way. Just listen to your voice—completely hoarse. You eat fried dumplings now, and you’ll lose your voice entirely!” Cheng Huaien waved her toward the bathroom. “Go wash up. The noodles will be ready soon.”

Cheng Yuan had stayed in a hotel the night before and desperately needed a shower. “There’s hot water in the back,” her father reminded her.

She grabbed clean clothes and happily went to shower. By the time she came back, a steaming bowl of egg noodles sat waiting on the square table. The egg was softly poached, topped with a sprinkle of bright green scallions.

“Dad, you’re the best!” she exclaimed.

“I’m your father,” he said matter-of-factly, as if to say, If I don’t take care of you, who will?

Cheng Yuan slurped her noodles while Cheng Huaien devoured all the fried dumplings meant for two. He rubbed his stomach, looking thoroughly satisfied. “Yuanyuan, talk less and drink more warm water. Don’t forget the thermos I gave you—don’t drink cold water.”

“Mhm,” Cheng Yuan nodded obediently. After she finished, her father wouldn’t let her lift a finger, whisking away the bowl himself and urging her to get on with her homework and go to bed early.

She buried herself in her test papers. In ninety minutes, she could finish a few sets of practice questions.

Knock, knock, knock.

A knock sounded on the door. Without looking up, Cheng Yuan said, “It’s open.” She was conserving her voice.

“Yuanyuan, I bought you some Jinsangzi throat lozenges, honeysuckle dew, and cold medicine. See which one works for you,” Cheng Huaien said, entering with a plastic bag. “I didn’t know what kind of cold you had, so I got a little of everything.”

“Dad…” Cheng Yuan looked at the overflowing bag, her heart full. I must’ve been insane in a past life to think Dad didn’t love me.

It turned out that a simple change in how they communicated was all it took to bring them closer together.

Cheng Huaien patiently explained each medicine’s effects, reminding her to only take one. Then he quietly left the room.

Cheng Yuan skipped the cold meds. She’d already taken throat lozenges that morning and opted for the honeysuckle dew instead.

At noon, she tidied up and went to bed. Lying there, she tossed and turned, thinking back to the night her identity had almost been exposed. What if Tao An really comes looking for me? Should I deny it… or deny it again?

Just imagining having to face Tao An made her head hurt.

People who can afford Audis must be filthy rich. Her mind wandered to her bold behavior in the dark—biting Tao An three times. The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she became.

No, it was just a bad dream. That’s all it was.

She didn’t even hold her jade pendant this time as she drifted off.

Hai City.

Jun Nanye didn’t sleep deeply, but he remained composed. He was increasingly certain that the name he’d overheard that day belonged to her.

Unfortunately, the name was far too common. There were dozens of similar ones across Hai City. But at least now, he could investigate methodically instead of searching blindly.

As the days passed, Cheng Yuan stayed on edge, constantly afraid Tao An might jump out at her from some hidden corner.

December 24th—Christmas Eve—had grown more popular in recent years, though no one knew when the Western holiday had really taken root.

Thanks to pressure from the student council, the third-year high schoolers were granted the evening off. Each class planned its own celebration, and the school speakers played Christmas songs on loop. After days of intense studying, everyone was thrilled to relax. Some even used the opportunity to give apples to their crushes.

Cheng Yuan received a few as well, but she politely turned them all down.

“Yuanyuan, this… this isn’t a trap, is it?” Bei Xiaolin whispered nervously. Ever since finding out Meng Yue was plotting something, she’d been on high alert, worried that something bad was about to happen.