Chapter 66: Rehearsal and Revelation

Mo Qiu gazed at Bai Chen in silence, their heart hammering rapidly in their chest.

‘He truly suspects me now. What am I to do?’

‘I must lie, use falsehoods to cover my tracks, and prevent Bai Chen from discovering the truth.’

‘Yet, once the seeds of suspicion take root, they are not so easily uprooted.’

The practiced lies that had once flowed so easily now felt stuck in their throat, none daring to escape, as if Bai Chen’s gaze rendered them utterly transparent.

“Answer me, Mo Qiu. You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

“…Mm.” The dry, brittle response barely convinced Mo Qiu themself.

“Very well.”

Bai Chen took a deep breath, and Mo Qiu’s heart lodged itself in their throat.

“The man in the photo—what’s your relationship with him? You don’t actually know him, do you?”

“…”

‘Huh?’

Mo Qiu stood dumbfounded as Bai Chen continued to babble, “Were you in danger on the street last night? Did he hurt you, or threaten you in any way? Tell me the truth.”

For a long moment, Mo Qiu remained silent, their gaze fixed on him as if he were a mischievous child.

‘Isn’t this guy’s focus completely off? He really is an idiot after all.’

Mo Qiu felt a pang of shame for their own suspicion, having been swayed by a single sentence from Bai Chen.

‘He wasn’t suspicious of me at all; he was worried.’

“I don’t know him.”

“Then why was he pestering you?”

“He’s a talent scout.”

“What?” This time, it was Bai Chen who was stunned.

Mo Qiu quickly fabricated a story, packaging Xinleit as a talent scout whose persistence was merely an attempt to recruit her to join an agency as a star.

The story was hastily concocted, and Mo Qiu herself found it riddled with holes, yet Bai Chen listened and had an epiphany.

“I see! So, Mo Qiu, you attracted a talent scout!”

He even chuckled.

“I never would have thought someone would have such good taste, discovering your brilliance, Mo Qiu.”

He said, patting the young girl’s shoulder, genuinely happy for her.

“So, did you agree?”

“Bai Chen, do you want me to become a celebrity?”

“Hmm…” Bai Chen couldn’t quite envision how someone like Mo Qiu could be packaged into a superstar. “Perhaps not.”

Upon hearing his words, Mo Qiu dismissed the nascent thought of debuting.

“Since it’s in the past, let’s leave it at that.”

Bai Chen rose and extended a hand to her.

“Let’s begin our rehearsal.”

“Alright.”

Mo Qiu reached out, clasped his hand, and was pulled to her feet.

Each taking their scripts, they found an empty space in the activity room and commenced rehearsing for the performance.

Although Mo Qiu, having lived two lives, no longer possessed the versatile acting skills of her previous incarnation, confronting a complete novice like Bai Chen, who had no prior experience, felt akin to a dimensionality reduction attack (TL Note: A term from Chinese internet slang, ‘jiangwei daji,’ referring to an overwhelming advantage where one party is so superior that the other cannot even compete on the same level.).

Mo Qiu had long since memorized all her lines, capable of reciting them backward with perfect fluency.

Bai Chen, however, could only clumsily run lines with her, frequently forgetting his next cue and having to consult the script.

Every time he opened his mouth, he stammered; it was a miracle if he could utter a single line completely, let alone infuse it with the proper emotion.

Mo Qiu’s gaze remained fixed on his face, taking in every minute detail of his expressions.

‘What an adorable expression. Who would have thought this person, who fumbled even with memorizing lines, could be linked to a world-saving hero?’

‘Just moments ago, he faced Zhou Yue without batting an eye, so why is he now sweating profusely over a few lines?’

Mo Qiu even wondered if Bai Chen had been possessed by a deity back then.

Cute as it was, Mo Qiu disliked that particular expression. How could a dignified hero, a savior of worlds, look so crestfallen over a mere line or two?

‘How can you save the world like this?’

‘Didn’t you say you’d lock those who deceived you in a dark room and make them your personal property?’

‘This level is utterly insufficient. Truly, you can’t manage without me.’

‘When a man is at his most helpless, she needs to use her body to dispel all his anxieties and hesitations.’

With this thought, Mo Qiu stepped forward, her fingers hooking onto Bai Chen’s script. “Bai Chen, let’s rehearse.”

“Aren’t we already…” Bai Chen understood her meaning halfway through his sentence.

The “rehearsal” Mo Qiu spoke of wasn’t merely running lines, but encompassed physical actions as well.

“Mo Qiu, there’s no need to rush. Let’s just focus on the lines today. Give me a little more time, and I’m sure before lunch break ends…”

Before Bai Chen could finish, the young girl before him collapsed like a puppet with cut strings, startling him into quickly extending his arm to catch her back.

As his gaze met her lusterless eyes once more, Bai Chen realized he had fallen into her trap.

It was too late to escape; the young girl’s small hand was already caressing his cheek. Her touch was feather-light, as if she truly were a person clinging to life.

“I love you.”

“…” Bai Chen’s pupils constricted.

“I’m sorry to tell you the truth only now, but at this moment, I hope you can hold me tight, alright?”

Bai Chen’s body actually responded, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Mo Qiu rested her chin on his shoulder, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat against her chest.

“Do you love me?”

“…I love you. There’s no one in this world who loves you more than I do.”

“That’s good, that’s good.”

Mo Qiu gently patted his back, her voice growing increasingly weak.

“I am in the happiest moment of my life.”

Having delivered her final line, Mo Qiu voluntarily pulled away from his embrace, and Bai Chen’s heart sank once more, his arms remaining outstretched as if still holding her.

“Do you feel better now?”

Even after Mo Qiu had risen, Bai Chen still wore an expression of lingering longing. The clamor of the activity room seemed quarantined in another world, fading into an indistinct blur.

Mo Qiu, seeing his lack of response, patted his shoulder.

Bai Chen, as if awakening from a dream, broke into a joyful smile, springing to his feet with an excited tone:

“That’s right! Why didn’t I think of that? Thank you, Mo Qiu!”

Through that brief guidance, Bai Chen finally grasped a sliver of the emotion befitting the character.

When Mo Qiu had pulled away from his embrace, he had genuinely experienced a fleeting pang of heartache.

The emotion imbued in that line of dialogue had surprised even Bai Chen himself; it was the best line he had delivered thus far.

Bai Chen snatched up his script, speaking with fervent eagerness. “Mo Qiu, let’s do it again, quickly!”

Unprepared for such enthusiasm, Mo Qiu was momentarily stunned, only able to nod in response.

‘I knew my charm was irresistible; captivating one Bai Chen is nothing.’

Just as they were about to repeat the scene, the alarm clock in the activity room let out a piercing ring. Everyone’s movements ceased, and President Luo clapped his hands again.

“Everyone, lunch break is almost over! Hurry back to your classrooms, or you’ll be late for class.”

Mo Qiu noticed Bai Chen’s expression visibly fall.

Moreover, back in the classroom, she observed Bai Chen’s distraction during class; he failed to respond even after the teacher called his name three times.

“Old Bai, the teacher wants you to answer a question.”

“Huh?”

Having heard nothing and earning a lecture from the instructor, Bai Chen remained in a detached state for the entire afternoon, a fact Mo Qiu keenly observed.

When the dismissal bell rang, everyone began packing their belongings and heading out.

“Old Bai, are you coming to play…” Before Old Zhu could finish his sentence, Bai Chen grabbed his bag and walked towards Mo Qiu.

“Shall we walk together?”

This was the first time he had ever approached Mo Qiu after school.

“Alright.”

‘As expected, he came. Mo Qiu had already anticipated this.’

On the way from school, Bai Chen remained silent, yet every time their eyes met, he would deliberately look away. It was clear he had something to say but lacked the courage.

‘What does he want to tell me? Will he beg me for more warmth? After all, he loves my embrace so much; a little virgin is so easy to handle.’

Mo Qiu waited patiently, walking past the school gates until Bai Chen finally spoke.

“Mo Qiu, I have something important to say, and I hope you’ll listen.”

“What is it?”

They stopped at the school entrance, facing each other. The setting sun cast a golden glow upon them, elongating their shadows.

“I hope—”

Mo Qiu subtly held her breath.

“That you can keep rehearsing with me!”

“…What?”

“Yes, just as I said, like we did during lunch break today.” Bai Chen felt he had been perfectly clear, yet Mo Qiu’s expression remained somewhat bewildered.

“Only that?”

“What else would there be?”

Mo Qiu’s fists clenched.

“Fine, if it’s your request, I’m willing.”

“Don’t say it like you’re responding to a confession; you’ll easily be taken advantage of like that.” Bai Chen chuckled.

Mo Qiu said nothing more, merely staring at him with a resentful gaze.

As they continued walking down the street, Bai Chen spoke again:

“If Zhou Yue bothers you again, just tell me directly.”

“Are you going to beat her up for me?”

“Not necessarily… How should I put it, I have some dealings with her father.”

‘Zhou Yue’s father?’

Mo Qiu tilted her head. His expression wasn’t that of someone mentioning an old friend; rather, it held a hint of bitterness and helplessness.

“Who is her father?”

“Someone you don’t know.” Bai Chen sighed at this point, looking up at the sky. “He’s just as troublesome as his daughter. His name is Zhou Wanchen.”

****

*Thump.*

Upon hearing that name, Mo Qiu’s footsteps abruptly halted.

‘Zhou Yue? Zhou Wanchen?’

‘How could I not have realized they were…?’

Zhou Wanchen had previously helped Saluk search for mysterious iron fragments, and the fragment Mo Qiu had seized from Saluk was incomplete!

The image of Zhou Yue lurking suspiciously on the street last night resurfaced in her mind, and a true secret began to emerge.