On screen:
Night Shadow, disguised as "Lu Yue," shook his head, feeling the dizziness gradually subside.
He put the baseball cap he'd picked up back on, not bothering to fix his hair. With his head lowered, he strode off with long strides, eager to escape the scene as quickly as possible.
It looked as if, as a famous model caught in an embarrassing situation by passersby, he simply wanted to vanish from this troublesome place.
Just then, a woman's voice, warm and concerned yet with an underlying tone of authority, called out:
"Miss, please wait."
"Lu Yue" froze, a tingling sensation running across his scalp beneath the wig. He considered pretending not to hear and running away, but that would seem too suspicious. After all, he wasn't Night Shadow anymore, free to act as he pleased.
It was the blonde woman! She was approaching him!
Cifera, playing "Aglaea," glided gracefully toward Night Shadow, her face etched with just the right amount of concern.
"Are you alright? That collision looked quite jarring. You seem a little dizzy. Why don't you come sit down and rest for a bit? I'll treat you to some milk tea to help you calm down."
Her clear, emerald-green eyes scanned the red mark on Night Shadow's forehead, radiating the genuine warmth of a caring older sister.
Cifera, having realized that the model "Lu Yue" the onlookers were talking about was Night Shadow in disguise, immediately suspected he was also attending the Charity Auction.
Liu Ruyan's press conference had been heavily promoted, and coupled with Cifera's disruption earlier that afternoon, Night Shadow would undoubtedly see videos and news reports about it, even if he couldn't watch the live broadcast.
He's preparing for another showdown with me on the "grand stage" of the Starry Charity Auction, seeking to regain his lost ground.
To be fair, this perfectly aligns with his "cringy yet passionate Chuunii" persona.
But why did he run into me while I was disguised?
At first, Cifera assumed he was just another hot-blooded young man blinded by Aglaea's beauty, despite his Chuunii tendencies.
Now, however, it seems there's more to it.
Could the Little Grandchild actually recognize me? No, more precisely, recognize Aglaea?
Cifera knew this was impossible. This world didn't have Honkai: Star Rail; otherwise, when she appeared on the show as "Cipher," she'd have been immediately hailed as the "Peerless Cat Lord."
Therefore, the only explanation was that the Little Grandchild knew someone who looked remarkably like Aglaea—someone he desperately wanted to avoid, someone who filled him with resistance and fear.
As a master of microexpressions rivaling even Liu Shanhe, Cifera immediately discerned Night Shadow's hidden thoughts.
In an instant, Cifera recalled Night Shadow's words from their last parting:
There's a formidable opponent in the Pursuit Team!
It was the mysterious seventh expert—Night Shadow's arch-rival!
At the time, Cifera had been burning with curiosity about their relationship, but Night Shadow remained tight-lipped.
Now, Night Shadow's reaction felt almost identical to that moment, except for the lack of that "awkwardly fiery" desire for revenge. The remaining resistance and fear were eerily familiar.
This confirmed that her current appearance truly resembled the mysterious expert—Night Shadow's arch-rival.
Thinking back to her failed "invisibility" plan, which had likely been thwarted by this same rival, and considering the expert's apparent understanding of her thought processes, coupled with the revelation that their appearance resembled Aglaea's...
Ha?
Could this be any more intriguing?
Could that person actually be Aglaea?
Or perhaps, like her, someone who had obtained a System and was now playing the role of Aglaea?
Remembering how Aglaea in the original novel completely countered Cipher's lie detection ability, Cifera felt a headache coming on.
Still, these were merely her own speculations for now. She preferred to believe it was all just a coincidence.
Heh, after all, there's only ever one transmigrator per world, right? Isn't that common sense?
After this playful jab at the obvious, Cifera's curiosity about the Mysterious Expert only intensified. She resolved to ask Little Grandchild about them at the first opportunity.
But for now, let's put that aside.
Cifera's thoughts raced through her mind in an instant, while Night Shadow's inner alarm bells were ringing loudly!
Refuse! I have to refuse immediately! I need to get as far away from this woman who looks exactly like "Little Ya" as possible!
If Cifera could hear Night Shadow's inner turmoil, she would have been torn between laughter and exasperation.
Seriously? The resemblance is one thing, but even her name has a "Ya" in it? How could it be such a coincidence?!
(Spy- Aglaea has the same last character as Ya (雅)
Night Shadow, of course, had no idea that the blonde woman who had startled him into embarrassment was actually Cifera in disguise, let alone that she had already deduced so much about him.
He had genuinely panicked when he first saw her, so much so that he hadn't even bothered to watch where he was going.
Can you blame him? Who wouldn't nearly wet themselves if they suddenly ran into their terrifying Arch-Rival—the one who had utterly dominated them since childhood and knew their deepest secrets—right there on the street?
Although Night Shadow quickly realized that this wasn't the same person, but rather a grown-up version with a similar appearance, he couldn't shake the nagging thought:
Could they be related? Family?
Could she recognize me? Or did she learn my secret from Little Ya?
The thought made Night Shadow want to leave immediately, before things got more complicated.
"N-no need, thank you. I'm fine," he said, trying to maintain his composure. Speaking in a slightly deeper, aloof female voice, he lowered his head and attempted to sidestep her.
"Don't be so formal," Cifera said, seemingly oblivious to his reluctance. Her smile remained sweet as she shifted her feet, subtly blocking his path. Though Cifera wasn't short, she still looked petite compared to "Lu Yue," the tall model.
"Your forehead is all red. An iced drink would make you feel much better. Think of it as... making a friend? You can call me Aya. What's your name?"
She extended her hand, her gesture graceful and natural, but her tone carried an undeniable hint of authority.
Night Shadow hadn't even reacted yet, but the Bullet Comments section had already exploded at the mention of "Aya."
Everyone immediately thought of the mysterious Little Ya, the enigmatic expert!