The Unveiling and the Unexpected Request

Even though it was only for a few fleeting seconds, the beautiful, golden-haired girl’s face unmistakably flashed across the livestream screen, a clear image captured by Mo Linyu’s high-spec camera against her tastefully adorned background wall.

Li Yue, still sprawled on the bed, found herself momentarily unable to process the stark reality of her identity being unveiled.

“Honestly, is it truly such a setback for you?”

Mo Linyu, ever composed, remarked from beside her, “You’re already an unregistered phantom, a ‘black household’ with no official records. Doxing you would be an even greater feat than doxing me… Besides, having your true identity exposed on your very first day of debut? This is practically a guaranteed path to skyrocketing fame, wouldn’t you agree?”

“You shut up!”

Li Yue, meanwhile, had buried her head deep within a pillow…

However, a distinct scent of Mo Linyu wafted into her nostrils, prompting her to abruptly roll over.

“This is all your fault for insisting on this ridiculous ‘persona’ outfit.”

“It was your own misstep that caused it, and truthfully, this might not be such a terrible outcome for you~”

Maintaining her usual elegant and composed smile, Mo Linyu offered a soothing explanation: “After all, you never reincarnated; your current appearance is precisely how you looked during your time as the Hero. Any otherworldly soul who recovers their memories will recognize you the instant they lay eyes on you. Even those who haven’t regained their memories might still find you remarkably familiar.”

With a sudden burst of frustration, Li Yue flung Mo Linyu’s pillow across the room.

Li Yue herself might not have realized it, but this petulant, almost coquettish gesture was undeniably feminine.

Mo Linyu deftly caught the pillow, then gently repositioned it beneath Li Yue’s head before speaking again. “Now, we simply wait for the situation to naturally unfold. You needn’t offer any explanations to your fans; they will, without a doubt, construct and perfect the entire narrative in their own minds.”

Having said her piece, she even carefully tucked the blanket around Li Yue…

Yet, with a sudden, indignant surge, Li Yue sprang upright, threw off the covers, and stormed out of bed, slamming Mo Linyu’s bedroom door shut behind her in a huff.

‘Phew, that was a close call! I nearly ended up in Mo Linyu’s bed!’

****

Upon returning to the guest room, however, Li Yue found herself utterly unable to fall asleep, tossing and turning restlessly.

While it was true, as Mo Linyu had pointed out, that her identity being exposed wasn’t a significant issue—given that she was already a “persona” (TL Note: A term referring to someone who maintains a public or online identity distinct from their true self) in real life—

a deep sense of irritation, bordering on unease, still gnawed at her. Li Yue impulsively opened the livestream platform’s mobile app, hoping to check the lingering bullet comments, only to discover a private message from that insufferable Goddess.

[I seem to have missed something exciting, can you perform it again?]

‘I’ve been made a fool of.’

Li Yue exited the app, yet the more she dwelled on it, the more her anger simmered…

Eventually, in a fit of pique, she simply uninstalled it.

****

Sometime later, however, she re-downloaded it.

****

In the adjacent bedroom, Mo Linyu also received an unfamiliar text message.

[I am Gongliang Kuixi, Miss Mo, may I speak with you in a private capacity?]

[Alezno has some matters that might require your assistance.]

Though they had never exchanged phone numbers, Mo Linyu’s contact information was on file with the police department, making it entirely plausible for the officer to acquire it.

[No problem.] she replied, albeit tentatively.

Upon receiving Mo Linyu’s affirmative, Gongliang Kuixi didn’t bother with another text; instead, her phone rang almost immediately.

“So, Officer, please tell me, how may I be of assistance?”

Mo Linyu rose from her bed, strolled leisurely to the suspended swing chair on the balcony, and settled into it, gently swaying as she gazed up at the vast, star-studded sky.

“Thank you immensely, Miss Mo. The truth is, Alezno’s family situation is rather… difficult. Her parents, you see, are the sort who are quite troublesome…”

Gongliang Kuixi’s voice on the other end of the line was hesitant, a clear indication that she was struggling to find the right place to start.

“Ah, yes, we’ve heard her speak of them,” Mo Linyu interjected smoothly. “Those dreadful adults who, solely for financial gain, forcibly enrolled their daughter in a private girls’ school, hoping to leverage her to climb the social ladder.”

“Indeed, you’re absolutely correct,” Kuixi conceded with an easy frankness.

Mo Linyu then pressed on, “I’ve always been curious: what exactly is your relationship with Alezno?”

“I’m her neighbor, though our families have lived side-by-side for a long time; I practically watched her grow up,” Gongliang Kuixi explained. “Our balconies are right next to each other.”

“Childhood sweethearts, then?”

“I’m seven years her senior; can that truly be called childhood sweethearts?” Gongliang Kuixi murmured, a hint of amusement in her voice. “In any case, I’m intimately familiar with her family’s attitude and their exploitation of her.”

“So, what exactly are you suggesting?” Mo Linyu probed. “Do you hope to use me to demonstrate that Alezno has already ‘snared’ a young lady of means?” She paused, then added a cautionary note, “Even if she were to establish a good relationship with me, it wouldn’t offer her parents any advantages whatsoever. In fact, it would only reinforce their misguided beliefs.”

“Precisely, that’s my thinking as well,” Kuixi readily agreed, not refuting Mo Linyu’s assessment in the slightest.

“Then why are you looking for me?”

“I was hoping you could pretend to be a young lady of high standing, just to fool her parents.”

“…Do I even need to pretend?”

“But your true identity cannot be known by others, can it? We simply need you to adopt a different persona, one that convinces Alezno’s parents she has befriended a prominent young lady.”

“I cannot assist you with this,” Mo Linyu stated, already perceiving the troublesome quagmire this would become. “Besides, while *I* was rescued by the ranger Alezno, what connection does *she* —the Hero, who has no intention of regaining her memories— have with Alezno?”

“But you absolutely *must* help her, Miss Mo! Otherwise, she’ll surely be beaten to death with bamboo sticks by her parents for stealing.”

‘So that’s the situation…’

‘Not only did she fail to secure a wealthy benefactor for her family, but she went and stole something, only to get caught?’

“You are, after all, a police officer,” Mo Linyu gently reminded her.

“Even an upright official finds it difficult to mediate household affairs.”

“Perhaps you should first help her break her habit of stealing,” Mo Linyu retorted, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

“Please, just hear me out first, Miss Mo, we have a plan,” Gongliang Kuixi interjected. “St. Mary’s Girls’ Academy is currently hosting a summer enrollment experience event. Any age-appropriate young woman interested in applying can spend an entire day experiencing the curriculum and campus life.”

‘Is this school truly so desperate for new students?’

Still, holding such an event during the summer break wouldn’t pose any issues.

“Then what do you mean?”

“All we need is for you to accompany Alezno to the school during the event, walk around a bit, put on uniforms, and take a couple of friendly photos. She can then take those pictures home to satisfy her parents.”

“I see. So, fabricating false evidence, then?”

Mo Linyu was not a student of St. Mary’s Girls’ Academy, and ordinarily, she would have no means of checking for otherworldly souls within the campus. This, then, might present an unexpected opportunity for investigation.

“If that is all it entails, then it is not entirely out of the question.”

“Thank you immensely! Please inform either me or Alezno in advance when you decide to go to the school for this experience.”

“However…”

Gongliang Kuixi was in the midst of expressing her gratitude, unaware that Mo Linyu’s words held a subtle, unexpected twist.

“…However what?”

“…However, rather than having *me* play the part of a young lady, don’t you think someone with golden hair would be far more suited to the role of a traditional young lady?”

“Ah? Golden hair?”

Gongliang Kuixi swiftly grasped who she was referring to, and her rejections came in rapid succession.

“No, no, no, surely Miss Hero’s personality would be quite unsuitable for such a role, wouldn’t it?”

‘Making Li Yue pretend to be a young lady would be less merciful than simply stabbing her.’

“Don’t underestimate her quite so readily, you know?”

Mo Linyu, however, seemed to have firmly made up her mind, pressing on, “Even with a personality like hers, simply taking a few static photographs shouldn’t pose any issues, should it?”

‘But would it *truly* be fine?’

As Gongliang Kuixi voiced her profound doubts, in the adjacent guest room, Li Yue suddenly erupted into a series of violent sneezes.