The four of them still didn’t understand what Shen Ying ant.
What did she an by "returning to a fair state"? Admittedly, she knew her sister inside out and could effortlessly help them gain attention—even affection.
But how could they remotely retract the affection already given? If Yu Shishi were right in front of them, it might be possible—with this woman’s cunning, anything could happen.
But now, they were separated by thousands of miles, and Shen Ying hadn’t even reunited with Shishi yet. Without their cooperation, how could they "return" anything?
At this mont, the four still clung to a sliver of hope—until they saw Shen Ying leisurely pull open a drawer in the living room cabinet.
Inside were several phones, clearly acquired for scheming purposes with different numbers. Shen Ying casually picked one up.
She opened the ssaging function, typed out a sentence, then turned to Chang Ming with confident composure. "Done."
Chang Ming instinctively found it absurd and laughable. That’s it?
But Shen Ying said to him, "If you don’t believe , call my sister and see if she’ll still be overjoyed to chat with you."
Logically, Chang Ming thought she might just be bluffing, but past painful lessons made him wary of dismissing her words without verification.
So he took out his phone, pulled up Yu Shishi’s number, and hesitantly dialed—
anwhile, abroad, Yu Shishi had been enjoying a rare mont of leisure that day.
Earlier, when she’d spoken to Yu Ting, he seed preoccupied, urgently arranging to et the others. It seed she wouldn’t have to deal with them today.
Of course, Yu Shishi relished being the center of attention among these outstanding, elite n, but she’d never imagined she’d one day find it exhausting.
Basking under the shade of a beachside awning, savoring the long-missed tranquility, she suddenly received a text—
[Why did you secretly answer the phone?]
Yu Shishi glanced at the unfamiliar number, initially dismissing it as nonsense.
But then, Chang Ming’s call ca through.
The mont she saw his na on the screen, it felt like a lightning strike. The delayed realization hit her like a freight train.
Had the four been there in person, they would’ve witnessed Yu Shishi’s unprecedented terror and panic—as if she’d seen a ghost in broad daylight.
The color drained from her face at a visible speed, leaving her deathly pale. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead and back, her teeth even beginning to chatter.
"No, impossible."
"How…?"
"Just a coincidence."
"It has to be."
Surely, soone had accidentally sent the wrong ssage. There was nothing uniquely identifiable about it.
Lovers quarreling like this was common, or maybe a parent-child privacy dispute.
It was just bad timing that Chang Ming called right after. It didn’t necessarily an anything.
Yu Shishi muttered to herself, trying to rationalize the panic swelling inside her.
But what if?
What if it wasn’t a coincidence?
What if Chang Ming was testing her?
She regretted not being in the country to assess the situation—but at the sa ti, was overwhelmingly relieved she wasn’t.
Too afraid to answer, Yu Shishi let the call ring. On the other end, Chang Ming grew increasingly uneasy as the line remained unanswered.
He cautiously looked up, his gaze landing on Shen Ying’s face.
Shen Ying remained the picture of calm control, even smiling at him. "No rush. Maybe my sister’s showering and didn’t bring her phone. You can keep calling until she picks up."
"Otherwise, Mr. Chang might think I’m all talk."
Cornered and desperate for confirmation, Chang Ming did as she said—redialing incessantly.
But his relentless calls only shattered whatever fragile hope Yu Shishi clung to.
Chang Ming never called this persistently without reason. To her, the ringing was a death knell.
After what felt like an eternity of ntal preparation, Yu Shishi finally answered.
Despite her efforts to steady herself, her voice ca out hoarse and shaky.
That single "Hello?" startled even Chang Ming—
"Shishi, what’s wrong with your voice? You sound so rough—I barely recognized you."
Yu Shishi swallowed hard, forcing a laugh. "I just got out of the shower. Maybe the steam irritated my throat. Why so many calls? Is sothing wrong?"
Chang Ming relaxed slightly. "Nothing urgent. Just wanted to ask what you’re having for dinner. The kitchen got seafood imported from your region today…"
He rambled casually, sowhat relieved.
Shishi had answered. Sure, her voice was off, but there was a plausible explanation. It was all just Shen Ying’s bluff.
How could soone influence Shishi’s feelings from thousands of miles away?
But just as he thought this, Yu Shishi abruptly cut him off—
"Sorry, Chang Ming, I’m feeling dizzy. I need to lie down. Let’s talk later."
Chang Ming's smile stiffened slightly. "Ah—uh! Okay, you rest first. I'll call you tonight."
Before the last word even left his mouth, the voice on the other end hastily cut in, "No—"
As if realizing her own abruptness, Yu Shishi quickly corrected herself, "I'm really tired. I might just fall asleep right away, so don’t call and wake up."
"I’ll—I’ll call you later."
With that, she hurriedly hung up.
Chang Ming listened to the dial tone, his face blank with confusion.
Shen Ying smiled sweetly. "Looks like soone just got rejected by my little sister."
Chang Ming muttered, "How is that possible?"
[How is that possible?] But soone else was even more shocked than Chang Ming.
Hearing the system—which had been silent for days—finally speak up, Shen Ying replied with amusent, "What’s got you so worked up, System?"
"If I can manipulate the 'white moonlight' from afar to this extent, did you really think there’s any secret of hers I don’t know?"
The logic was sound, but that didn’t stop the system from freaking out: [But I—you—this is—]
It knew Shen Ying’s capabilities, so it wasn’t naive enough to think she’d only focus on selecting the male lead.
This world had been handpicked for Shen Ying precisely because of its hidden pitfalls.
These weren’t just obvious plot holes—the real twists and revelations weren’t even in the main story. The epilogue dropped a bombshell reversal.
Since epilogues weren’t considered part of the main narrative, and tragic romance authors often took liberties with them, maliciously toying with readers, the system had the discretion to withhold epilogue content to preserve the player’s experience.
The system had exploited this loophole. In this world, the "white moonlight" was a reincarnated woman.
Consud by jealousy toward her kind-hearted older sister (the original female lead), she had seized every advantage after her rebirth, kicking the original heroine out of the picture from the start.
But fate still brought the male and female leads together, leading to a series of anguished love entanglents.
The white moonlight’s sches weren’t exposed until the epilogue.
The system hadn’t expected to fully deceive Shen Ying. With her skills, even slight discrepancies in the sisters’ life trajectories would raise her suspicions.
Pei Ying’s life debt, the Yu family’s selective adoption, and the white moonlight’s carefully crafted personas around the male leads—the system had braced itself for Shen Ying to uncover these.
But it never imagined its trump card would be exposed so easily.
That incident had been woven into fate itself—how had Shen Ying sniffed it out?
Right now, the system was sweating just as much as Yu Shishi.
Shen Ying’s voice continued, "Is it really that surprising?"
"I thought you’d have figured it out when I was cozying up to Chang Ming’s butler and maids to confirm sothing."
"System, do you actually see as soone who acts without ulterior motives? Your fondness for is showing."
The system nearly choked on its own taphorical oil, unsure whether it was more furious or disgusted.
The ntal exchange with the system lasted re seconds in reality.
By then, Chang Ming had snapped out of his daze—
He imdiately rounded on Shen Ying. "Why did Shishi suddenly act like that? Was it because of your text? It had to be you!"
"You must’ve slandered to her. There’s no other explanation for her sudden coldness. What did you say?"
Shen Ying handed him her phone. "I didn’t ntion you once."
Chang Ming took it and checked the sent ssage—
[Why did you secretly answer the call?]
"What the hell is this?" Chang Ming demanded.
Shen Ying shrugged. "Sisterly disputes don’t require explanations to outsiders."
Chang Ming sputtered, "But you said you hadn’t even reunited yet!"
Shen Ying: "Blood runs thicker than water. A re decade apart doesn’t an we can’t talk."
But neither Chang Ming nor the other three could fathom how those few words had carried such devastating weight.
Chang Ming had truly been slapped hard this ti—now, not only was his advantage gone, but Shishi was clearly avoiding him.
He didn’t dare test the waters with Shen Ying anymore and blurted, "I paid you!"
"You took my money and then sabotaged my chances. That’s not how this works!"
Shen Ying nodded. "True. I run an honest business—if I don’t deliver, I don’t take paynt."
With a few taps, she refunded Chang Ming’s money—
"Consider it returned."
After the refund, Shen Ying looked at Chang Ming and sighed. "Mr. Chang, I’m disappointed in you."
Chang Ming tensed as if facing public condemnation.
Shen Ying continued, "I gave you priority and perks to the point where the other three complained. Yet at the critical mont, you stood against ."
"Such unreliable partners are disheartening. Consider our deal terminated."
Chang Ming gaped. "You can’t do this."
Shen Ying: "I can."
Then she glanced at the other three. "Anyone else want to critique my business model?"
The three: "..."
If it weren't for the decade-long friendship with Yu Shishi, one might suspect the sisters had tead up for a classic honey trap.
But Shen Ying's unyielding attitude and the undeniable power she wielded—capable of derailing their romantic pursuits in an instant—silenced them all.
Yu Ting, who had been the loudest at the start, now stood dumbfounded. Pei Ying observed Shen Ying with thoughtful contemplation, while Jiang Liuxu, who had never cared much about the outco, remained the most composed.
Satisfied that no one raised further objections, Shen Ying nodded approvingly.
"Now everyone's progress is reset to the sa starting line. Since Mr. Chang doesn’t want his advantage, the priority right will be auctioned off."
"You may bid based on how much you value this privilege. Submit your offers to privately, and the highest bidder gets the first consultation."
The mont she finished speaking, Pei Ying made the first move. As the leader of a prominent family, his decisiveness was unmatched.
Yu Ting imdiately panicked. "Damn, you’re quick."
Chang Ming scowled. "You two bastards. So today was just about sabotaging to steal the advantage for yourselves?"
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He never should have co. Resentnt simred as he glared at the other three, convinced of their scheming.
He sneered at Yu Ting. "Weren’t you the self-righteous leader of the opposition earlier? Why the sudden enthusiasm? Shouldn’t you be standing against this corruption?"
Yu Ting shot back, "Oh, look who’s talking—Chang Ming, the one who just got knocked off his high horse."
Then he turned his mockery to Pei Ying. "And who was it acting all indifferent earlier? You played the cool guy, but your hands moved faster than anyone’s."
Pei Ying ignored them. He was confident in his bid. If Shen Ying could truly resolve his problem, the money would be well spent.
anwhile, the system watched in horror as Shen Ying refunded ten million, only to rake in several tis that amount in an instant. It was on the verge of collapse, in desperate need of resuscitation.
Just as the argunt reached its peak, Shen Ying suddenly interjected, "Ah, right. Almost forgot."
"Due to Mr. Yu’s instigation earlier, I’ll be suspending consultations with you for now."
Yu Ting exploded. "What the hell? Why?"
Shen Ying fanned herself leisurely. "Because I feel like it. Monopoly privileges—call it renxing (sheer caprice)."
Yu Ting nearly lost it, but the other three dragged him away before he could escalate.
What had begun as a righteous protest against a cunning profiteer ended in humiliating defeat.
As they stepped out of Shen Ying’s place, Chang Ming looked utterly devastated, while the other three wore expressions of quiet discomfort.
Jiang Liuxu offered so consolation. "Look on the bright side. Sure, you wasted money, Yu Ting got disqualified, and none of you got what you wanted."
"But at least you screwed soone over. Chang Ming’s advantage is gone now, and wasn’t that the whole point of your outrage earlier?"
Yu Ting brightened slightly. "Huh. True."
Chang Ming, however, was seething. The group nearly ca to blows in the parking lot before finally dispersing.
After seeing off the most volatile pair—Chang Ming and Yu Ting—Pei Ying turned to Jiang Liuxu. "You’ve been enjoying yourself, fanning the flas from the sidelines."
Jiang Liuxu smiled contentedly. "Absolutely. I couldn’t be more satisfied."
Pei Ying: "..."
No point reasoning with a weirdo.
To Jiang Liuxu’s surprise, Shen Ying showed up at the hospital to see him the next day.
He was taken aback. His bid had been purely symbolic—under a highest-bidder rule, he should’ve been dead last, not first.
Yet here she was, choosing him ahead of the others.
Jiang Liuxu teased, "Is this preferential treatnt?"
Shen Ying admired the unique charm of his uniform, paired with the doctor’s subtle yet deliberate flirtation. It heightened her mood in a way distinct from the pleasures of high-end clubs—more restrained, more tantalizing.
(At this point, Shen Ying had clearly stopped viewing the hospital as a strictly professional setting...)
But she kept that thought to herself, sidestepping his question.
Instead, she countered, "You didn’t even participate in the bidding yesterday. Just went for the basic package. That’s no way to drive up pric—I an, foster healthy competition."
Jiang Liuxu shrugged. "I don’t care. The chaos alone was satisfaction enough. The outco was secondary."
Shen Ying nodded. She couldn’t demand much from him.
Though he refused to join the rat race, he never hesitated to take a stand when needed. Plus, he was always eager to stir the pot on her behalf, even at his own expense.
A troublemaker who paid to watch the show? Now that was a damn fine instigator.
In that regard, Shen Ying held genuine appreciation for Jiang Liuxu.
After so casual conversation—and a free, delicious afternoon tea courtesy of Jiang Liuxu—Shen Ying finally got to the point.
"My sister must be drowning in worries right now. Perfect timing to swoop in."
Jiang Liuxu raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t you the one who gave her those worries?"
Shen Ying smirked. "Are you reminding to charge you for creating this opportunity?"
Jiang Liuxu promptly shut up.
Jiang Liuxu wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about his current situation. In fact, since the last incident, Yu Shishi’s increasing assertiveness had beco sowhat of a nuisance to him. He found himself growing weary of dealing with it.
As Shen Ying ticulously laid out the pursuit strategy she had devised for him, Jiang Liuxu felt his irritation mounting.
“Mr. Jiang? Mr. Jiang?” Shen Ying’s voice snapped him back to attention.
Her expression clearly said, Don’t make repeat myself, as she asked, “Did you get all that?”
Jiang Liuxu took a deep breath. “Yeah.”
Shen Ying nodded. “Then start now. Since I’m here to guide you, if your lack of focus leads to poor results and damages my professional reputation, I’ll be the one losing out.”
Jiang Liuxu stiffened but had no choice. Reluctantly, he pulled out his phone and dialed Yu Shishi’s number.
Since that call from Chang Ming yesterday, Yu Shishi hadn’t reached out to anyone.
When her phone suddenly rang, she was startled. Only after seeing Jiang Liuxu’s na on the screen did she relax slightly.
She answered the call, forcing a cheerful tone as she greeted him.
Jiang Liuxu wasted no ti on pleasantries. After a brief exchange, he cut to the chase. “You sounded off during your call with Chang Ming yesterday. Did sothing happen?”
Yu Shishi’s first instinct was to hang up, but she managed to restrain herself.
“N-no, not at all. Why would you think that?”
Jiang Liuxu pressed on. “Don’t bother hiding it. Everyone could tell sothing was wrong.”
Yu Shishi felt a pang of helpless frustration. She wanted to confirm whether Chang Ming was truly involved in sothing unusual but didn’t dare ask him directly.
Jiang Liuxu, however, was the perfect person to probe.
Summoning her courage, she admitted, “I… have been dealing with sothing recently.”
“But first, can you tell how Chang Ming’s been? Has he t any strange people or gotten any odd calls?”
She desperately hoped the answer would be no.
Yet Jiang Liuxu replied bluntly, “Actually, yes. Yesterday, Chang Ming got a bizarre call. The person on the other end kept talking about you, which is why he called you in the first place.”
Yu Shishi’s breath hitched. Her worst fear was unfolding.
“Who was it? What did they say about ?” Her voice trembled slightly. “Why—why would they only target Chang Ming? Do you know?”
Jiang Liuxu chuckled softly. “It was just a prank call. Why are you so tense?”
Yu Shishi faltered. “Because… I got one too. But it was about Chang Ming. I thought maybe it was just us.”
Jiang Liuxu confird, “So far, it’s only you and Chang Ming. The rest of us haven’t heard anything.”
But this news didn’t seem to comfort her.
The line fell silent as Yu Shishi spiraled into panic.
Then Jiang Liuxu spoke again, his tone asured. “I had a feeling—whoever this is, they’re after you, not Chang Ming.”
Yu Shishi’s heart leaped into her throat.
He continued, “So I took care of it. I deleted the strange ssages from Chang Ming’s phone and blocked unknown numbers for him.”
Before she could respond, he added quietly, “But keep this between us. I did it behind his back.”
Though she didn’t understand his motives, his actions had bought her ti to breathe.
Gratitude swelled in her chest.
“Liuxu, why did you—”
Jiang Liuxu anticipated her question. “Do I need a reason to protect a friend?”
“Don’t worry. Whoever’s watching you, whoever ans you harm—I’ll handle them.”
For the first ti, Yu Shishi felt an overwhelming sense of security.
She couldn’t suppress her relief. After all, hadn’t Jiang Liuxu once said he liked “bad girls”? If she played her cards right, his influence could shield her from trouble.
Never before had she been so glad to be nothing like her sister.
She would give Jiang Liuxu a surprise—she was certain of it.
“Liuxu,” she ventured, “if I’m not the kind, virtuous girl you imagine… would you be disappointed?”
Jiang Liuxu glanced at Shen Ying beside him and answered ambiguously, “I’m looking forward to finding out.”
After hanging up, Jiang Liuxu frowned. “Why is she so afraid?”
“Did she do sothing to betray Chang Ming? But given how devoted he is to her, he’d probably forgive anything.”
Besides, Chang Ming wasn’t exactly a paragon of morality. If Yu Shishi had done sothing shady, he’d likely help cover it up.
Shen Ying smirked. “That’s tied to the last secret. Once you figure out the root of it, everything else will fall into place.”
“That’s the fun part. If I just told you, it’d ruin the ga.”
Fair enough. Jiang Liuxu’s curiosity about the sisters’ hidden truths only deepened.
Reviews
All reviews (0)