The aftermath of Qiao Ling's death was brief.
By the next afternoon, Royal Crest issued their official statement—the investigation had concluded, and the cause of death was suicide. The missing file? Also Qiao Ling's doing.
There was no mention of human trafficking. No discussion of her family's ties to it. No deeper questioning.
It was as if the entire event had been wrapped up, tied with a neat little bow, and promptly erased from existence.
By the following morning, Royal Crest resumed as usual.
Students returned to their lectures, professors carried on as if nothing had happened, and the tragedy of a classmate's death faded into the background of casual gossip and routine.
Everything had settled too easily. Too quickly.
Yuxi did not return to Royal Crest that day.
Instead, she stayed at the penthouse, choosing silence over the suffocating normalcy that had returned to the university.
She sat cross-legged on the plush couch, laptop balanced on her knees, eyes narrowed as the glow of the screen reflected against her sharp gaze. She hadn't slept much. Not because she couldn't, but because her mind wouldn't allow it.
Everything had been too easy.
One day, she was the prime suspect.
The next? Her name was cleared, wrapped in a bow of convenient closure.
And yet—she hadn't done a single thing.
Why?
Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she pulled up security logs, administrative reports, and background checks on Qiao Ling—searching, connecting, analyzing. But no matter how deep she dug, she kept circling back to the same problem.
"Why was I targeted in the first place?"
Her brow furrowed. She wasn't reckless. She never left loose ends, never made unnecessary enemies.
And yet—someone had wanted to drag her into this.
And now that she had been conveniently discarded? She was more suspicious than ever.
A voice broke through her thoughts.
"You're overworking that brain of yours, Yuxi."
Kai's voice was laced with amusement, but his eyes—leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed—held something sharper.
Before she could answer, Xuan, sprawled across the couch beside her, lazily propped his head up with his hand.
"Not that she had much to work with to begin with."
The pen flew before the sentence even ended.
Xuan dodged effortlessly, grinning. "Tsk, so violent."
"Shut up, Xuan," Yuxi muttered, rubbing her temples.
Kai sighed, pushing away from the counter. "You're still thinking about why they targeted you specifically, aren't you?"
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she leaned back, closing her eyes briefly.
Was that it?
She wasn't sure anymore.
Because this wasn't about guilt or innocence.
This was calculated. Planned.
A careful move in a larger game she wasn't seeing yet.
"It doesn't sit right," she admitted finally, opening her eyes again. "It feels like I was just a pawn."
Xuan, flipping a lollipop between his fingers, grinned. "Aren't we all?"
Yuxi glanced at him.
Xuan was the smartest among them. The kind of intelligence that didn't come from studying or experience—but from a natural, terrifying talent for understanding people, systems, and weaknesses.
He was playful. Lazy. Looked harmless.
But behind those fox-like eyes was a mind that could rip through the most secure digital walls in the world before breakfast if he wanted to.
Kai, on the other hand, was brutal efficiency wrapped in an elegant exterior.
His calm was calculated, his words precise. He wasn't loud, wasn't flashy, but if you needed someone erased, hidden, or protected, Kai was the one you called.
And Yuxi?
She had always been the strategist.
Not as tech-savvy as Xuan, not as physically deadly as Kai.
But she understood how people thought, how they moved, how to stay ahead of them.
Yet this time, she felt like she had missed something crucial.
She hated that feeling.
The silence stretched, broken only by the rhythmic tapping of Xuan's fingers against the couch.
Then—
A vibration against the glass table.
Yuxi's phone. A message.
Grandma Mei.
She stared at the screen for a moment before opening it.
Grandma Mei: Xiao Yuxi, come shopping with me today. I need a young person's opinion!
Yuxi hesitated.
Shopping? Now? With everything going on?
Her first instinct was to decline.
But then she exhaled. Grandma Mei had been kind to her. And in a world where kindness was so often conditional, Yuxi had learned to treasure those rare exceptions.
Yuxi: Alright, I'll meet you there.
She shut her laptop. For now, this could wait.
At evening-
Shopping with Grandma Mei was… an experience.
What Yuxi had assumed would be a simple trip turned into something far more exhausting—a full-blown shopping spree fueled by Grandma Mei's enthusiasm and bottomless energy.
The elderly woman moved with the determination of a general leading an army, dragging Yuxi from one high-end boutique to another, completely ignoring her protests.
"Grandma, this is too much," Yuxi tried, as another bag of luxury dresses was added to their growing collection.
"Nonsense!" Grandma Mei waved her off with an elegant flick of her hand. "You're too young to be wearing the same boring clothes every day! A lady should have variety!"
Yuxi sighed. Arguing was pointless.
The sales assistants were delighted, catering to every whim of the wealthy, formidable woman, while Yuxi found herself standing in front of mirrors, trying on designer dresses she would never actually wear.
"At least let me pay for some of these," she muttered under her breath.
Grandma Mei simply scoffed. "Don't insult me."
By the time they reached the jewelry section, Yuxi was ready to collapse.
Grandma Mei held up a delicate bracelet, the light catching on its thin silver chain and the small sapphire embedded in the center.
"This would look lovely on you," she mused, tilting her head thoughtfully.
Yuxi blinked at it.
It was elegant—too elegant for someone like her.
Before she could politely refuse, the bracelet was already purchased, placed in a velvet box, and handed to her.
Yuxi sighed, rubbing her temple.
"How did I get dragged into this?"
Grandma Mei simply smiled, eyes twinkling. "Because I like you."
Yuxi paused. There was something about the way she said it.
Calm. Matter-of-fact.
Yuxi turned to look at her. "You don't even know me that well."
Grandma Mei's smile softened. "I don't have to."
A pause.
She reached out, adjusting Yuxi's collar slightly, a simple, motherly gesture that Yuxi wasn't used to receiving.
"I don't have many people left in my life, Xiao Yuxi," she said quietly. "It's nice to spend time with someone who doesn't just want something from me."
Yuxi felt something tighten in her chest. A feeling she didn't quite know what to do with.
Was this what having a grandmother was supposed to feel like?
Before she could respond, Grandma Mei brightened again.
"Oh, that reminds me! You must come meet my grandson soon. I think you two would get along splendidly!"
Yuxi almost choked on her tea.
Grandson? What was she supposed to do with a child? Babysit? Offer him candy? Teach him multiplication tables?
Seeing her expression, Grandma Mei chuckled. "Relax, dear! He's not a kid. Though, I must say, he is quite handsome."
Yuxi blinked. Oh. That changed things.
She sighed.
"Let's just eat first," she muttered.
Grandma Mei grinned, victorious.
A few minutes later, they sat down for dinner.
As the evening stretched on, the once lively atmosphere between them grew more subdued. The chatter of the bustling shopping district continued around them, but Grandma Mei's steps slowed.
She didn't want to part ways just yet.
"You should visit me this weekend," she said suddenly, turning to Yuxi with a hopeful smile. "Stay for tea. We can chat."
Yuxi glanced at her. The warmth in Grandma Mei's voice was genuine—too genuine.
For someone as shrewd and experienced as her, she didn't let people in easily.
Yet, with Yuxi, it felt like she wanted to hold on to something.
To someone.
Yuxi's heart softened. "Alright."
Grandma Mei's face brightened instantly, as if she had been expecting resistance.
"I can have the driver take you home," Grandma Mei added, adjusting the folds of her elegant shawl. Her voice was gentle, but there was a hint of concern beneath it. "It's getting late."
Yuxi shook her head lightly, her smile composed. "No need, Grandma. Just send the shopping bags to my place."
The real reason?
She had noticed it earlier—a shadow lurking just at the edges of her awareness.
Someone had been following them.
The presence had been subtle, lingering at a distance, but Yuxi's instincts were razor-sharp, trained from years of surviving in a world where one mistake meant death.
She couldn't risk exposing Grandma Mei to whatever was waiting in the dark.
Grandma Mei sighed, her keen eyes studying Yuxi carefully. She wasn't a fool—she had noticed Yuxi's slight wariness, the way her gaze flickered around, always watching.
But instead of questioning it, she simply nodded.
"Be safe, Xiao Yuxi." Her voice was quieter now, softer.
Yuxi felt a strange pang in her chest at the words.
It had been a long time since anyone had told her that.
She gave Grandma Mei a small smile. "I will."
And then, she turned and walked away.
The moment she stepped out into the cool night air, Yuxi felt the shift.
The presence from before?
Gone.
The sensation of being watched had vanished completely. Still—she wasn't careless enough to believe it had been her imagination.
To be sure, she changed her pace, taking a slow, meandering route instead of heading straight home. Her steps were light, calculated, blending naturally into the rhythm of the night.
She made her way toward a quieter, more isolated street, the distant hum of traffic fading behind her.
Fifteen minutes. Nothing.
She relaxed slightly, her muscles loosening.
Maybe she was just being paranoid—
Then—
A sharp prick against her neck.
Her entire body froze.
Her instincts screamed—
But before she could react, before her body could move—
Her vision blurred.
Damn…
Had she really lowered her guard?
What a rookie mistake. Xuan would never let her live this down.
Yuxi exhaled shakily, her limbs already turning heavy. Great. Just great. Kidnapped on a random day.
Kai was going to be so pissed.
But she didn't panic. Panic was for amateurs.
Her fingers grazed the edge of her watch, pressing a small button—
Subtle. Unnoticed.
If whoever was taking her thought this would be easy, they were in for a surprise.
As her body hit the cold pavement, a pair of figures stepped out from the shadows.
Yuxi's last thought before everything went black?
Ugh. If I wake up in some dingy, rat-infested basement, I'm going to be very angry.