A Calculated Acquaintance

“How did you know…?”

The young woman spun around abruptly, her face etched with surprise.

“Oh, it’s nothing much,” Bai Muxue chuckled softly, a glint of cunning dancing in her eyes. “It’s just that Ms. Liu and I had a bit of an acquaintance back in the day…”

“Back in the day… you said *back in the day*?!”

The young woman’s expression shifted dramatically upon hearing this. The girl before her had first mentioned her mother’s name, then deliberately emphasized “back in the day”—what else could it be but a veiled insinuation?

The events of that year… even though she had been an ignorant child at the time, she remembered them quite clearly.

“Where did you hear about this? Has someone sent you?”

The young woman eyed Bai Muxue with intense wariness. Her mother had once warned her countless times to be careful while working away from home, saying that someone they had offended back then might come looking for them… a warning that had left her terrified at the time.

Yet, several years had passed without any strange individuals appearing in her life, and her mother’s career had gradually begun to flourish. Consequently, she had slowly pushed her mother’s warnings to the back of her mind… only to encounter such a situation today!

Judging by this young girl’s appearance, she didn’t seem very old—a high schooler? No, perhaps a middle schooler? Ten years had passed since that incident; she couldn’t possibly be an enemy of her mother from back then…

The young woman involuntarily took two steps back. She strongly suspected that the girl before her had been guided by someone else to approach her, harboring some unspeakable intentions towards her mother.

‘Oh, really…?’

Bai Muxue had initially intended only to test the waters, but she had never anticipated that her casual remark would provoke such a strong reaction from the young woman. ‘Heh, that guilty expression—could her mother truly be problematic?’

The young woman’s gaze was now brimming with caution. If Bai Muxue didn’t explain herself clearly, she feared the young woman might immediately call the police.

However, Bai Muxue hadn’t come here to pick a fight with Liu Li’s daughter. She had her own agenda, and provoking conflict unnecessarily would only alert her target before her objectives were met.

“No, you’re overthinking things…”

Before Bai Muxue could finish speaking, the young woman cut her off with a cold voice: “I’m not a child; I know a fair bit about what happened back then… My mother certainly made mistakes, but she has since turned over a new leaf. All due compensation has been paid. What more do you want?”

The young woman glanced around. The store was now devoid of other customers, yet the wariness in her eyes remained unshaken.

“So, can you tell me now, what is your purpose for being here? If you don’t speak up, I’ll call for help!”

‘Truly turned over a new leaf? Unlikely… Otherwise, where would those jellyfish in the amusement park have come from?’

‘I can almost picture your mother’s resentful expression when she paid the compensation…’

Bai Muxue covered her mouth, letting out a soft chuckle. “Ms. Liu, are you threatening me?”

‘You’re the one who inexplicably brought up my mother, and now you’re threatening me here, aren’t you?’ The young woman, choked with indignation at these words, slammed the two cups of milk tea onto the table.

“Listen, customer, I don’t care where you heard about past events, but my mother and I aren’t that close. If you’re trying to use me to threaten her, I’m afraid that’s quite impossible.”

“I won’t tell my mother about today, but I also hope you won’t seek me out again.”

For some inexplicable reason, even though the young girl before her was so much younger and seemed utterly delicate, she felt an odd sense of inexplicable fear towards her.

“Ms. Liu, I truly wasn’t instructed by anyone to come here. It’s simply because your mother and I had a past acquaintance, so I merely came to reminisce…”

Bai Muxue blinked her eyes, revealing a harmless smile.

“Of course, I’m not here for revenge. And honestly, looking at me, what could I possibly threaten you with?”

At that moment, her gaze was slightly lowered, and her eyes were steeped in a soft, watery luminescence. Her eyelashes fluttered like delicate butterfly wings, creating a breathtaking sense of fragility with each subtle movement.

Gazes at Bai Muxue’s appearance, the young woman was momentarily stunned. Her initial wariness and apprehension subtly eased, without her even noticing.

“Really…?”

“Truly.”

Bai Muxue nodded sincerely.

It had to be said, Bai Muxue was truly adept at leveraging her inherent advantages. With her delicate and refined beauty, simply softening her demeanor and feigning a touch of innocent vulnerability could easily stir feelings of protectiveness in others, softening even the most unyielding attitudes.

Coupled with her dark, luminous eyes, it felt as though merely looking into them would compel one to instinctively believe every word she uttered, convinced that everything she said was true.

The young woman hesitated for a long, long time. As she gradually calmed down, a different thought began to emerge in her mind: ‘What this girl is saying actually seems to make sense, doesn’t it?’

She hadn’t displayed any suspicious behavior from beginning to end, and had patiently explained herself in response to her doubts.

‘If she were here to collect a debt, why wouldn’t she go directly to my mother? If she were seeking revenge, she’s just a frail young girl, with no one else accompanying her—what revenge could she possibly exact?’

The young woman even felt increasingly guilty the more she thought about it. It seemed that from start to finish, the other party had repeatedly emphasized their lack of ill intent, while she had maintained an aggressive stance.

“So… you really just came… to visit?” The young woman whispered, a hint of shame in her voice.

“Oh, didn’t I just say? I merely dropped by to see Ms. Liu’s daughter and catch up on old times…”

Bai Muxue spread her hands in a seemingly helpless gesture.

“Uh, catch up…”

Gazing at Bai Muxue, who possessed an undeniably youthful face yet spoke with remarkably mature tones, the young woman’s lips couldn’t help but twitch slightly. “How old are you?”

‘When that incident happened, this girl must have only been a few years old. What old times could they possibly catch up on? It’s not like she’s a bosom friend of my mother’s despite their age difference; that would be too absurd.’

“Age isn’t an issue, as long as the sentiment is there. Oh, by the way, speaking of which, Ms. Liu, why are you here…”

Noticing the young woman’s attitude had gradually softened, Bai Muxue smiled, pursing her lips, and smoothly struck up a conversation with her.

Conveniently, there were no other customers left in the store. Under Bai Muxue’s deliberate guidance, the young woman, who had initially been wary, now divulged a great deal about her mother.

Throughout their conversation, Bai Muxue skillfully sidestepped any topics that might reveal her personal information. Drawing on her experience from her days as a corporate drone, where she learned to make small talk and navigate difficult conversations, she continually introduced new subjects, gradually dismantling the young woman’s internal defenses.

‘Hmm, time’s about right. Xiyao should have arrived by now…’ Glancing at the clock hanging in the store, Bai Muxue nodded politely to the young woman. “It was truly a pleasure meeting you today, Ms. Liu. Let’s chat more another time.”

“Oh, oh, alright.”

The young woman, who had been engrossed in gossiping about her mother, finally snapped back to reality. A little embarrassed, she handed the two cups of milk tea to Bai Muxue.

“I’m sorry for doubting you earlier… Next time you come for milk tea, it’s on me!”

“Oh, no, no, it’s fine! I merely dropped by for a quick visit today…”

Bai Muxue shook her head in a seemingly flustered manner, extending a hand to accept the milk tea from the young woman.

In that brief instant, as a glint flashed in Bai Muxue’s eyes, her fingertip subtly hooked, and a card-like object silently slipped from the edge of the cashier’s counter into her sleeve.

She had taken Liu Li’s daughter’s work ID.