I heard him shout, “Stop!”
That voice was indeed Qi Xia’s. Someone as intelligent as Qi Xia would never waste his breath—his goal wasn’t to halt me but to rouse everyone in “Paradise.”
In his mind, as long as the sense of intrusion spread through “Paradise,” catching me would be effortless.
Yet he miscalculated. Without sufficient “intel,” he couldn’t make the best judgment.
I wasn’t an “intruder.” I was the sole ruler of “Paradise” at that moment.
That night, I escaped smoothly and didn’t meet Chu Tianqiu again.
Something felt off—
Was Chu Tianqiu toying with me?
He didn’t need to know the “scent” of those people. What he truly wanted was to undermine Qi Xia’s sense of security—perhaps even to provoke a conflict.
Once again, I became the “gun.”
I had assumed Qi Xia was predictable—hard to control, yet adept in every game.
But I never expected the upheaval to come so swiftly.
At the next day’s “Welcome Party,” Qi Xia deduced my identity in a single conversation.
His gaze was terrifying, as if piercing through my flesh to see my very soul.
When he uttered, “Ms. Xu Liunian, the actress,” my conviction shattered instantly, revealing my true form.
Fortunately, I had mastered my “Echo.” Within seconds, I morphed back into Chu Tianqiu.
No one should have glimpsed me in those fleeting moments, but fear still gripped me.
This man named Qi Xia was leagues beyond me—pretending was futile.
“I need to speak to the real Chu Tianqiu. You don’t have the authority for what comes next.” His cold words sent a chill down my spine.
“Qi Xia, stop this. I can’t expose myself here.” My mind nearly blanked out.
“You’ve helped me, so I won’t make this hard. Let me see Chu Tianqiu.”
I… helped him?
His words startled me. What had I done for him?
Did he know I had taken Yu Nian’an’s form and stood before him?
No… impossible.
No matter how sharp his memory, he was still human. He couldn’t have retained such clarity in his final moments.
So the “help” he referred to was merely me guiding him to the city’s edge.
Relief washed over me. In this game, my sole advantage was the depth of my knowledge.
Hearing Qi Xia’s demand, I decided to play along. The more he sought Chu Tianqiu, the more I’d tease him.
“No!” I hissed. “You know his ‘memory’ is key to escaping. He hasn’t lost it in two years! You’d be putting him in danger!”
See? You think I’m the shield while Chu Tianqiu schemes in the shadows.
Little do you know, it’s all a lie spun from my lips. Yes, cling to that misconception—
Chu Tianqiu used me, thrust me into the spotlight while he hid. How could such a man lead?
Feigning hurt, I whispered, “Qi Xia, you really can’t see him. If you have a plan, I’ll relay it.”
A perfect “puppet’s” line. I wonder if Chu Tianqiu realized I’d turned the tables here.
“Fine.” Qi Xia pondered briefly. “Just ask him one question for me.”
“What question?”
“Ask Chu Tianqiu, ‘How long have you been here?'”
The question stunned me.
Why?
Why, after racking my brain, could I still not decipher this man’s thoughts?
At this moment, he could’ve shared his plan or asked something crucial. Yet he chose this.
How long have you been here?
Where is “here”? The school? “Paradise”? The “Endgame”?
“If Chu Tianqiu answers wrong this time, I’ll eliminate him for good.”
With that, Qi Xia left, but turmoil churned within me.
Though forced into their game, this question eluded me.
After much deliberation, I descended to the basement—yet I couldn’t bring myself to speak.
“He has a question… for you,” I finally said.
“Let me guess…” Chu Tianqiu cut in. “It wouldn’t happen to be… ‘How long have you been here?'”
Hearing his words, I knew I’d lost the moment I joined this game.
These two could communicate through me, yet I remained clueless about their exchange.
Their battle required no encryption. I was nothing but a puppet.
“Right,” I murmured.
“How fascinating… Qi Xia, now we’re talking…”
What could I do to re-enter this game?
After a pause, I offered, “It’s my fault… I didn’t expect Qi Xia to see through me.”
For now, Chu Tianqiu and I were allies—so I’d feed him a flaw.
“Not your doing. We might fool others, but never Qi Xia. He’d uncover it eventually—just sooner than I anticipated.”
His words silenced me again. Chu Tianqiu had known all along Qi Xia would expose me. So why play along?
I’d thought my “shield” lie was just that—a lie.
Yet here I stood, as laughable as the “taxi driver.” Once more, my fabrication became reality.
Chu Tianqiu had been using me as a shield all along.
“So… how will you answer?” I asked, my heart numb. “He said if you’re wrong, you’re out.”
I didn’t even know what game they were playing—let alone what “out” meant.
Instead of replying, Chu Tianqiu fired questions at me. One stuck: “Has Lin Qin joined ‘Paradise’?”
When I nodded, he demanded to see her.
“But… she’s ‘Extremists’…” My voice wavered—I’d omitted a critical detail.
Not just “Extremists.” She’d colluded with “Qinglong” in Qi Xia’s interview room. This woman was trouble.
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