Chapter 10: A Predator’s Gaze and a Familiar Face

‘It seems your work is far too relaxed, allowing you time to indulge in graded literature.’

‘Oh! How could she possibly know?’

‘A cold sweat was already beading on her skin, and her back molars began to chatter.’

‘Yan Miqing internally rationalized her actions, arguing that being constantly exhausted by work and maintaining an on-call service for the young miss meant accumulating excessive stress, which she could only alleviate through entertainment and satisfying her desires.’

‘You didn’t install something on my phone, did you?’

‘Yan Miqing’s smile then shifted to Jin Xiaoyue’s face.’

‘Her eyes seemed to say, ‘Guess.”

‘Despite having no intention of doing such a foolish thing, Jin Xiaoyue resolved to personally intervene and employ similarly underhanded threats, all to persuade Xiao Qian to give up this job.’

‘She reasoned that whether the impression was good or bad, as long as Xiao Qian developed an interest in her, everything else would fall into place.’

‘Once she became Xiao Qian’s pillar of support, her safe harbor—’

‘Xiao Qian would slowly, willingly, become her possession.’

‘Allowing Ji Yushu to be first for now was inconsequential; Xiao Qian would eventually realize that she was Jin Xiaoyue’s true sole companion.’

‘As this thought took root, Jin Xiaoyue’s breathing quickened noticeably.’

“– Go back now! You’ve been out long enough.”

“Or perhaps you prefer to use the excuse of diarrhea?”

‘Her smartphone gallery was filled with photos of Qian Surou.’

‘Jin Xiaoyue shifted the strap of her leather satchel from her right shoulder to her left and exited the hotel.’

‘A black car promptly pulled out of the parking lot, its window lowering to reveal sunlight glinting off Meng Hanjing’s sunglasses.’

‘A chilled bottle of mineral water was offered from the front seat; Jin Xiaoyue accepted it without hesitation, casually providing the address of her temporary apartment.’

“Arrange her as the fourth or fifth client.”

‘She retrieved a pen from her left breast pocket, jotted down a string of numbers on a notepad, and handed it to Meng Hanjing.’

‘The chosen individual, much like Yan Miqing, was under her complete control: a playboy notorious for his deplorable habit of filming private videos.’

‘A year prior, Jin Xiaoyue herself had been harassed by him for a period, but after seizing control of his family company’s lifeline, she had also conveniently gathered incriminating evidence.’

‘As refuse, it was an honor for him to be recycled.’

‘He was a blusterer, weak at heart and exceedingly timid; Jin Xiaoyue had no doubt he would defy her.’

***

‘Meanwhile.’

‘Returning to her seat in the garden.’

‘Yan Miqing held her phone, opening the ticketing app to show Qian Surou, thereby initiating an invitation to watch a movie together.’

‘She caught a subtle flicker of unease in Qian Surou.’

‘Could it be that she expected her to leave midway?’

‘To watch a movie…’

‘Qian Surou couldn’t help but murmur, finding it the most formulaic and time-consuming activity.’

‘While it was advantageous for her, given her commission earnings, the darkened cinema always seemed to be a place that stirred inappropriate thoughts.’

‘Even though Miss Yan did not appear to be someone with ulterior motives…’

“Do you have any preferred genres?”

‘Yan Miqing, leaning slightly forward, seemed considerably more relaxed than before, her heel resting on the rung of the plastic chair, as if she were slacking off at her workstation.’

‘Her tone had also brightened somewhat, or so it sounded to Qian Surou.’

“Classics, I suppose, like romance; they are always timeless.”

‘After her reply, Qian Surou felt she deserved her miserable fate.’

‘These so-called classic romances either ended dramatically in tragedy or faded away peacefully, like the sunset behind mountains.’

‘The common thread was their ability to make one shed tears.’

‘Then there were the fools like ‘herself’ who loved unrequitedly, waiting endlessly, treating the object of their affection as a lighthouse, seeing only what they wished to see, living a life akin to Gatsby.’

‘Qian Surou was willing to discuss films with her client, but her viewing history consisted solely of antiquated movies, utterly out of sync with the thriving film industry of this world.’

‘Consequently, Yan Miqing looked utterly bewildered as she inquired about the eras and plots, a conversation that continued until the waiter delivered their meal.’

‘Lunch was French cuisine, chosen according to the original owner’s preferences, yet it eschewed the usual elaborate sequence and variety of dishes.’

‘Instead, only suitable individual items were selected, following a more pragmatic approach.’

‘From Yan Miqing’s surprised expression, Qian Surou discerned satisfaction.’

‘Though the portions remained more decorative than substantial, at least they offered more than mere ceremonial consumption.’

“I’ve already spoken with Miss Meng; riding in my car shouldn’t be an issue, right?”

‘Noticing some soup residue on Yan Miqing’s lips, Qian Surou retrieved a wet wipe from her mini fanny pack.’

‘Just as she rose, intending to wipe the client’s mouth, the wet wipe was snatched from her hand.’

‘Stunned.’

“I can do it myself!”

‘Not having even held hands, the young miss had nearly devoured her whole.’

‘If she were to accept a mouth-wiping service, wouldn’t she be resented for ages?’

‘The image of Jin Xiaoyue, a predator ready to consume, flashed through her mind.’

‘To possess such power, influence, and beauty was truly enviable!’

‘Yet, she always presented an approachable demeanor in her dealings with others.’

‘Everyone, it seemed, had been simply and completely deceived!’

‘After nearly a year and a half of interaction, Yan Miqing understood just how twisted Jin Xiaoyue’s personality truly was.’

‘She had no doubt that any slight transgression on her part would lead Jin Xiaoyue to utterly ruin her reputation.’

‘Qian Surou couldn’t help but chuckle, “You truly are quite easily flustered, which is rather charming.”

‘Don’t laugh! Don’t praise her!’

‘Yan Miqing grew tense for reasons beyond mere shyness, though she had to concede that the girl’s captivating smile, as she leaned forward and brushed her hair, possessed an overwhelming allure.’

‘Gazing into those dreamlike eyes, reminiscent of autumn asters, Yan Miqing felt her heart give a sudden lurch.’

‘She couldn’t help but question if she was truly as straight as she believed herself to be.’

‘Perhaps one wouldn’t know the limits of one’s flexibility without testing it.’

‘Despite the absence of any perfumed aromatics, she still perceived a faint, elusive fragrance.’

‘She understood then: it wasn’t that she wasn’t straight enough, but rather that the girl’s charm was so immense she couldn’t even muster jealousy.’

‘While Jin Xiaoyue could certainly rival her in allure, their personalities presented a stark contrast: one an angel, the other a demon.’

‘Interacting with the former felt like basking in a spring breeze, as if tiny angels danced above one’s head, while dealing with the latter was akin to treading on thin ice, like clinging to a spider’s silk thread and risking a fall into the abyss at any moment.’

‘The car had been a gift from Jin Xiaoyue.’

‘Given her own financial standing, it would likely take her a decade of strenuous effort to afford such a vehicle.’

‘Just as Yan Miqing unlocked the car with her keys, she saw Qian Surou settle into the passenger seat.’

‘The young girl’s scent inexplicably made her nervous, yet her instincts as a driver were remarkably well-honed.’

‘Slowing the vehicle, she smoothly steered the conversation towards academics, and as they passed a tutoring center, she cast out a subtle bait.’

“When I was still studying, my financial situation wasn’t ideal, so I often came around this institution looking for tutoring jobs or similar work.”

‘To be taught by you would be a true blessing.’

‘Qian Surou said sincerely, as she perceived Yan Miqing to be both discreet and gentle.’

“Haha, but I failed. This area is full of children from wealthy families, you see, like those young misses.”

‘Through the rearview mirror, she confirmed that Qian Surou had indeed turned her head to look at Jin Xiaoyue.’

‘In just an hour, Jin Xiaoyue had transformed her appearance.’

‘The figure outside the window was that of a demure student, with a braided pigtail, thick black-rimmed glasses, and a pleated skirt that reached below her knees, reminiscent of school uniforms from two decades prior.’

‘Yet, far from appearing unfashionable, she simply exuded an aura of seriousness and aloofness.’

‘Initially, Yan Miqing herself had been completely fooled by this very disguise.’

‘As she had to divide her attention to driving, it took Yan Miqing a moment to realize that Qian Surou had been continuously gazing out the window, seemingly quite focused on Jin Xiaoyue.’

‘Could it be—’

“Someone you know?”

‘Even with the dashcam recording, Yan Miqing still voiced the question, deeming it worthwhile to face any reproaches later if she could uncover some gossip about Jin Xiaoyue.’

“No, I don’t.”

‘She merely looked familiar.’

‘Qian Surou assumed it was likely a character with minimal screen time in the original novel, as the game’s text volume was unimaginably vast.’

‘Many supporting characters’ portraits appeared only a handful of times, and she, being a player eager to know the ending and prone to skimming non-critical plot points, had very few impressions of them.’

‘She herself was merely a supporting character with a more substantial role!’

‘Qian Surou smiled bitterly to herself.’