Discovering Suspicious Points

Tidal had expected Chen Xi to lash out—condemn her as a heartless scumbag, pour her heart out to You Xi about the betrayal.

One was her beloved ex-girlfriend. The other, the only family she wanted to protect more than anything in this world.

It would be painful—unbearably so—but she had already braced herself for the moment when both would come to despise her.

Yet now, Chen Xi’s expression and tone were calm—eerily composed.

“It’s not much to say, really. We just didn’t see eye to eye. So we broke up. Nothing dramatic,” she said.

“Ah, that’s such a shame,” You Xi sighed.

“I don’t feel it’s a loss, though.”

Chen Xi shook her head.

As if drifting into a pleasant memory, her eyes softened.

“…Actually, those few years with your uncle were pretty happy.”

“It’s not that I think it’s a shame for you,” You Xi corrected. “Xianjie, you’re so pretty, and kind too—you’ll have no trouble finding someone new. But my uncle… ugh, forget it. He comes home late every night, reeking of smoke.”

“You know what? More than once, I’ve come downstairs in the morning to brush my teeth and found him passed out drunk in the entryway—like a corpse. Can’t drag him, can’t wake him. So annoying…”

“…”

Beside her, Tidal’s face flushed red.

As a mid-level manager bridging upper management and frontline staff, she often faced endless overtime and mandatory social events—some impossible to decline.

Though she now only attended the most critical ones, there were still times she drank until blacking out, causing trouble for others.

She did feel a quiet guilt over not being able to spend more time with her niece.

But it couldn’t be helped. As the old saying goes: *If I pick up the brick, I can’t hold you; if I put down the brick, I can’t support you.*

You Xi’s parents had left behind a considerable inheritance. But as her guardian, You Dong had unilaterally placed it into a trust fund—only accessible once she turned eighteen.

By then, whether she wanted to pursue higher education, travel the world, or live freely without being tied down by work—she’d have the freedom to choose.

“Haha, your uncle does have his flaws, doesn’t he?”

Chen Xi covered her mouth, laughing.

Then the two continued chatting about You Dong’s shortcomings for quite a while.

What they didn’t know was that the subject of their conversation was sitting right beside them—transformed into a magical girl, silently nibbling fries, saying nothing.

****

After parting ways with You Xi and the mysterious girl, Chen Xi began her walk home.

It was strange, though.

When asked about the breakup, she had instinctively lied—omitting the truth of that day entirely.

Was this some subconscious act of protecting him? Did she still harbor feelings for You Dong?

At the thought, Chen Xi grew angry with herself—angry at her own lack of principle.

But the truth was, her reaction stemmed from something deeper: the entire sequence—from the affair to her catching him red-handed—had unfolded *too* smoothly. Too perfectly scripted. Like a scene from a play.

That felt… off. Impossible to ignore.

At the time, she’d been consumed by rage, unable to think clearly. But after the initial fury and heartbreak faded, when she looked back with a cooler head, the whole situation started to seem… suspicious.

An anonymous tip—complete with exact address, room number, and perfect timing.

Was that even possible? It was as if someone had been shadowing You Dong like a ghost, ready to report the moment something happened.

You Dong was just an ordinary man—simple social ties, no real power or status worth envying. Who would go to such lengths just to ruin his relationship and humiliate him?

…It made no sense.

Her questioning wasn’t a sign that Chen Xi had forgiven You Dong. The anger and resentment were still there. But emotion and logic were separate realms—and Chen Xi was someone who could distinguish between them. That was exactly why You Dong had once thought her “so smart.”

Back in her room, Chen Xi turned on her computer.

In the bottom-right corner of the desktop, a chat app with a foreign server blinked with a new message.

Did they get back to me?

She opened the window eagerly.

The sender was an ID made of random letters and numbers—like keyboard smash gibberish.

【The matter you commissioned has been investigated.】

【Impressive. Results in just half a day.】

Chen Xi gave a polite compliment, then cut straight to the point.

【So, can I have the data now?】

【Yes, but it’ll cost extra.】

The gibberish ID explained:

【This message is routed through a corporate channel—meaning encryption is involved. You don’t need to understand the tech. Just know we’re taking risks, so extra pay is required.】

A payment QR code popped up—registered under the name of a certain garment wholesale market.

Without hesitation, Chen Xi transferred the amount.

True to their word, the other side immediately dumped all the gathered information into the chat.

【Pleasure doing business. This account will now be deactivated. For future requests, contact us again via the anonymous board.】

The chat window vanished.

Chen Xi stared at the documents, deep in thought.

The message’s origin was Shangjing City—nothing strange about that.

What was strange was this: according to the report, the number was one of many registered in bulk by a company—meaning it was a business line issued to employees.

Coincidentally, the company that registered the phone was the same one You Dong currently worked for.

So the person who reported You Dong’s affair… was his own colleague?

That was plausible. A coworker would have more access, know his schedule better than most.

But what was the motive?

If someone coveted You Dong’s position or influence, they’d attack from a professional angle—dig for work errors, check for corrupt supplier ties, etc.

But an affair? That was just a moral issue. In a results-driven company, it was meaningless.

She’d tried calling the number from different phones before—all unreachable. Now that she had this information, she could try obtaining the internal company directory to pinpoint the sender.

But even then—what would it accomplish?

Besides proving You Dong was a complete scumbag, what good would it do?

At this thought, Chen Xi felt lost.

She questioned the meaning of her actions, and hated herself even more for her weak, wavering heart.

In the end, she leaned back in her chair, staring blankly at the ceiling, trying to clear her mind.

And it was then—when her thoughts were drifting—that a detail she’d noticed but not dwelled on suddenly resurfaced, playing over and over in her mind.

Back at the restaurant, during dinner with You Xi and that mysterious girl named Tidal.

When she had casually made up an excuse, hiding the truth of the breakup from You Xi…

She clearly remembered—Tidal, who had been silent the whole time, quietly eating fries, suddenly looked up at her.

Now, recalling it… how could she describe that look?

The memory was hazy, like seeing through fog.

She couldn’t make it out. Couldn’t understand it.

Yet the scene had a strange pull—replaying itself again and again in her mind.

Tidal. That mysterious little girl.

She had no connection to the affair. So why was Chen Xi suddenly so fixated on this detail?

…Could it be that, somehow, everything was connected?

Of course, right now, Chen Xi couldn’t possibly piece it all together.