Sniper at the Middle Gate (Part 2)

Was this a joke from the gods?

You Dong stared blankly at the screen, at the image of himself.

He wasn’t narcissistic. After becoming a magical girl, You Dong had never really examined his transformed appearance.

But still—this was his own body. He couldn’t possibly mistake it. The blue girl on the screen was Tidal. There was no doubt.

“…Tidal?”

“Huh? How do you know her name? Her codename hasn’t been released yet. I only found out through other means,” Chen Xi said, puzzled.

How do I know? Good question.

You Dong couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

I am Tidal…

If he said that out loud, she’d think he was insane.

Of course, he could transform to prove it—but that wasn’t necessary. And he didn’t have the heart to do it.

Her favorite magical girl… is actually her cheating ex-boyfriend? He could already picture her blood pressure spiking, her heart shattering into a million pieces.

“Anyway. Let’s not talk about that—you almost dodged the real issue.”

Suddenly, Chen Xi shifted gears.

“Your company phone. Hand it over.”

“…”

“You don’t need to pretend. I’ve already checked.”

Chen Xi pulled up the anonymous tip message she’d received that day and shoved it in front of You Dong.

“This message was sent from your company’s work phone, right? I suspect you set this up yourself.”

The message simply stated the name and address of the love hotel—even the room number. No need to say, You Dong had typed and sent it himself using the company-issued phone.

“I don’t take that phone out of the office,” You Dong explained.

Which was true. But even if he had, it wouldn’t matter—the message was already deleted.

The work phone was a basic feature phone—optimized for standby and communication. It could switch to walkie-talkie mode for on-site equipment inspections, making it very convenient.

But precisely because it was so simple, it lacked any smartphone functions. No camera. No internet. Just calls and texts.

That day, after sending the message, You Dong had switched the phone to “group number mode.” From then on, it could only receive internal company calls and messages. All external numbers were blocked.

So even when Chen Xi tried calling from different phones, none of the signals got through—because they weren’t from within the company network.

When she’d asked You Dong’s subordinate about the number, the young man named Tang explained that the phone was kept in a shared area on-site. Besides You Dong, several team leaders and supervisors had access—so the sender couldn’t be pinpointed.

“…You think I sent this? Come on. Who would cheat and then turn themselves in?”

You Dong put on a carefree face, smirking like a scoundrel.

“Not you?”

“Definitely not me.”

“Oh, in that case… you should thank me,” Chen Xi said with a smile.

“Thank you? What for?” You Dong asked, confused.

“If it really wasn’t you, then I’m basically warning you—someone in your department is trying to screw you over. They’re tracking your movements. They even knew when you, Manager You, sneaked out for an affair.”

“You should be more careful. Getting caught cheating is one thing—but if they find work-related issues, that’d be much worse. Hehe…”

Her words dripped with sarcasm.

If she’d only suspected before, now—after this conversation—she was nearly certain he had sent the message.

The reason? Simple. Instinct and experience.

You Dong had become a department manager at a major foreign company by age thirty. By worldly standards, he must’ve been a smooth, calculating operator.

But they’d been lovers. Chen Xi knew that was just a mask—a persona he wore to survive in the corporate world.

In private, You Dong was actually a shy, awkward man who couldn’t lie without his eyes darting away, his acting skills laughably bad.

They were six years apart. To outsiders, their relationship was probably seen as a sweet story—mature, responsible uncle and naive young woman. But in reality, it was the opposite. During their relationship, Chen Xi often felt like she was the adult.

If she didn’t say she was hungry, he wouldn’t mention food. If she wanted to try on clothes, he’d sit like a well-behaved student, waiting.

Sometimes, while walking, Chen Xi would suddenly realize You Dong was gone. She’d turn back to find him kicking an empty soda can down the street, completely absorbed in it.

Because she’d always felt like she was raising him, she could read his subtlest expressions and emotions. When he lied, it was nearly impossible to hide from her.

It had always been true. And it was still true now.

“I didn’t come here to get back together. You know me—I’m not some clingy, desperate woman.”

Seeing the moment was right, Chen Xi laid it all bare.

“I just want to know why.”

You Dong said nothing. He only lowered his head in shame.

“…Is it because of Xiao Xi? Are you avoiding marriage for her sake?”

“I told you,” Chen Xi emphasized. “I said I could wait. I could wait for Xiao Xi to grow up. Or I could help you raise her!”

“You know it’s true. Xiao Xi doesn’t hate me. She calls me ‘Xianjie.’ I love that girl! So… so…”

“Chen Chen.”

Seeing her growing more emotional, more agitated, You Dong gently placed his hands on her shoulders, calming her trembling.

“I’m sorry.”

An apology. But also, a final farewell.

“It has nothing to do with You Xi. This was my choice.”

“I’m truly, deeply sorry,” You Dong said again, his voice heavy with sincerity.

—Slap.

Chen Xi slapped his hands away.

“Don’t say ‘sorry’ to me. It makes me look pitiful.”

“And it’s not you breaking up with me—it’s me breaking up with you!”

With that, the bold, passionate girl—fueled by betrayal and fury—turned and walked away without looking back.

Watching her resolute back, You Dong felt a quiet premonition.

His connection with Chen Xi wouldn’t end here.

But what he didn’t know—was that his premonition was only half right.

Yes, their tangled fate would continue.

But in a form he could never have imagined.