A Delicate Captive and a Ruthless Plan

Xiang Ran was a young lady with fair skin, a beautiful face, and long legs, possessing a gentle disposition and a sweet voice. Her delicate, graceful features and refined countenance were striking.

Her raven hair cascaded naturally to her waist like a waterfall. Her slender form, draped in a white dress, exuded a scholarly aura.

Her slightly pale, ivory-like skin only amplified her delicate vulnerability. Such an elegantly artistic young woman naturally drew immense attention.

Merely walking down the street, she commanded a remarkable number of curious glances.

Truth be told, even upon their first encounter, Xiang Qi found herself profoundly captivated by the girl.

Despite their identical appearances, the inherent temperaments they exuded were starkly contrasting. Xiang Qi projected the scholarly grace of a literary girl, instantly conveying a sense of profound cultivation.

Conversely, Xiang Ran appeared fragile and delicate, akin to an exquisite work of art, inspiring an uncontrollable urge to protect her at first sight.

‘Is she selling a delicate, sickly girl persona?’ Xiang Qi mused, setting down the printed report on Xiang Ran.

She turned her gaze to the sleeping girl beside her, scrutinizing her intently, weighing the possibility of replacement.

Finally, she sighed and shook her head.

‘The difference in temperament is too vast; I couldn’t possibly mimic it in such a short time. If I were to truly eliminate her and assume her identity, the deception would quickly unravel.’

Before the last game began, Xiang Qi had barely half an hour. She had only conducted a superficial check on the girl, leaving the intricate details unexplored.

Now, with ample time at her disposal, Xiang Qi naturally leveraged her hacking prowess. She exploited the conveniences of this vast information age to unearth every secret about Xiang Ran.

It was safe to say that, apart from Xiang Ran herself, only Xiang Qi in this world knew her most intimately. After all, the initial plan was to perfectly integrate into another’s life, and anything less than meticulous investigation would simply not suffice.

Xiang Qi even knew precisely when Xiang Ran had her first period and which brands she typically used.

“Ah, what a wonderful girl,” Xiang Qi muttered, a slight tug at the corner of her lips. Yet, another matter plagued her. “It’s a pity she has a heart condition.”

Born with a congenital heart defect, Xiang Ran required periodic check-ups to ensure her condition remained stable.

Temperament could be imitated, but a heart condition was insurmountable. Xiang Qi could not possibly genuinely afflict herself with a heart disease simply to embody someone else’s life.

Such an act would undoubtedly be a fool’s errand, a blatant death wish. If she truly developed a heart condition, she would likely perish in the next game, utterly and irrevocably gone, with no one able to save her.

And then… there was the matter of the girl’s immense wealth. Despite the early demise of her parents, they had bequeathed her a substantial inheritance, enough to live comfortably for a lifetime.

Her assets included three hundred million in cash alone, and dozens of properties under her name. The monthly rental income amounted to what an ordinary person would consider an astronomical sum.

With no close relatives, it was impossible for anyone to lay claim to Xiang Ran’s fortune. Though not apparent on the surface, she was unequivocally a super-rich loli.

Her wealth was enough to make an ordinary person like Xiang Qi shed tears of shame and feel profoundly impoverished.

While Xiang Qi earned enough money for her own expenses and even a rather comfortable life, her funds were acquired through less than legitimate means, making them unsuitable for public use.

Furthermore, her earnings simply could not compare to the fortune of this rich loli, Xiang Ran. The two were on completely different scales.

“Now, I can only have a proper talk with her,” Xiang Qi decided. She truly needed this identity to conceal herself.

Otherwise, a person appearing out of thin air, looking identical to an established rich young lady—even sharing the same DNA sequence and fingerprints—and both simultaneously appearing in different places performing different actions, would that not be treating the world’s judicial system as a complete joke?

At this point, she could only appeal to reason and emotion, to see if she could persuade the girl. Otherwise, she would have no choice but to resort to more extreme measures, proceeding according to her original plan.

Her, Xiang Qi’s, methods were notoriously ruthless. How could these sheltered little girls, who had never seen blood, possibly endure them?

Only after she shed that harmless facade would her true self be revealed.

****

‘Where am I?’

Xiang Ran’s head felt muddled. The lingering effects of the anesthetic prevented her from immediately understanding her predicament, leaving her body feeling utterly drained of strength.

As she regained a semblance of clarity, she suddenly discovered herself bound with ropes, trapped in a chair in an utterly mortifying posture, unable to move even an inch.

‘Oh no, I’ve been kidnapped!’

The realization struck her like a lightning bolt, snapping her fully awake. The more she pondered, the more terror swelled within her.

Involuntarily, her mind replayed all the news reports and television dramas she had seen, depicting the fates of kidnapped girls.

Her world instantly plunged into despair, and tears, betraying her will, began to stream down her face.

After all, she was only a girl who had just turned sixteen this year. Encountering such a situation so abruptly would be overwhelming even for an adult, let alone Xiang Ran.

Unable to control herself, she fell into a complete panic.

‘Xiang Ran, be strong. Don’t cry… Crying is useless… The more you cry, the more excited the kidnappers will become… You need to find a way to save yourself…’

Despite her internal admonishments, fear was not so easily suppressed. The dread of what might happen next completely overwhelmed the already fragile girl.

‘Please, save me. Anyone at all…’

With a soft creak, the door opened, and someone entered. Because her back was to the door, Xiang Ran couldn’t see who it was, but her heart instinctively flinched, and she dared not move.

“You’re awake?” A voice as light and ethereal as an orchid echoing in a secluded valley drifted from behind her.

A faint, delicate fragrance wafted past Xiang Ran as the person walked by, then effortlessly pulled out the chair next to hers and sat down.

‘The kidnapper is here…’

With her head bowed, Xiang Ran didn’t dare to look up, fearing she might accidentally provoke the person opposite her and lead to an unfavorable outcome.

‘But why does this voice sound so familiar…?’

“I apologize for choosing such a method to meet you. I, too, have my own unavoidable difficulties…”

Xiang Qi had already prepared a logically coherent narrative, confident it would easily deceive this inexperienced girl. If any issues arose, it wouldn’t be too late to turn hostile and resort to violence.

The more the girl listened, the more familiar the voice became, and her curiosity finally, temporarily, overshadowed her fear. She quietly lifted her head for a quick glance.

That single look struck her like a bolt of lightning. A maelstrom of complex emotions surged within her.

For a moment, she couldn’t articulate how she felt, nor could she describe her precise state of mind. Yet, her tears flowed ceaselessly, utterly beyond her control.

“Sister…”

Her voice was so faint it was barely a whisper, as if she were dreaming.