A daring idea instantly formed in the employee's mind:
Let this golden-haired beauty replace Lu Yue as the grand finale centerpiece, wearing the Starry Light!
The original plan for tonight's jewelry auction show had Lu Yue as the centerpiece, wearing the Starry Light as the grand finale.
But to make the opening show even more spectacular, to showcase the Starry Light in its most breathtaking glory, it was worth the risk!
As for Miss Lu Yue... though it was a bit unfair to her, she still had other jewelry to showcase, didn't she?
Besides, with several models having canceled at the last minute, it was perfectly reasonable to invite a newly discovered suitable model to participate.
Once the rehearsal results were compared, Miss Lu Yue's refined taste would surely lead her to understand! Yes, that's it! Just get her on stage first!
Having made up her mind, the Starry employee instantly adopted an incredibly enthusiastic, even slightly fawning smile as she turned to the golden-haired beauty before her. Her voice was both excited and sincere:
"This... this lady! Excuse me!"
"I'm from Starry Jewels up ahead. We're holding a charity auction tonight, and I was wondering... would you be interested in participating in our opening jewelry show?
"I think your aura is absolutely stunning! You'd be perfect for one of our key auction pieces! Don't worry, the compensation will be exceptionally generous!
"We're pressed for time. How about... you and Ms. Lu Yue come upstairs with us now to take a look?"
Although the employee had launched into a rapid-fire pitch, her sincerity was undeniable. Having overheard her earlier conversation with Lu Yue, it was clear she was genuinely in a hurry.
Far from seeming rude, her urgency conveyed the impression that she had stumbled upon a rare gem and was desperate not to miss the opportunity.
Cifera raised an eyebrow, her emerald eyes sparkling with intrigue.
Though the employee hadn't explicitly said it, Cifera could tell that the "key auction piece" she was referring to was likely the "Starry Light" necklace.
Moreover, the employee's furtive, slightly apologetic glances at Little Grandchild revealed the truth:
The Starry Light had originally been intended for Little Grandchild to wear, but now the Starry Jewels employee wanted to change her mind.
To put it bluntly, Little Grandchild was terribly unlucky. While his crossdressing was impeccable, how could he possibly compete with me, who was modeled after Aglaea?
On the other hand, even though I had countless ways to infiltrate Starry again, being a model actually seemed quite intriguing. Plus, I could continue teasing Little Grandchild as "Aya."
From our earlier conversation, Cifera had gathered that even though Little Grandchild had confirmed she wasn't Little Ya, he was convinced she knew his true identity.
So he was suppressing his true nature, deliberately flattering and ingratiating himself, likely hinting that she shouldn't make trouble or expose him.
This was fascinating! It meant Little Grandchild's crossdressing persona wasn't a one-off act. At least, he believed Little Ya would immediately recognize him in this guise.
And this "relative" of Little Ya, in Little Grandchild's eyes, had apparently learned this secret from Little Ya herself.
The truth was now practically laid bare: the renowned model Lu Yue was almost certainly a front for Night Shadow, meaning Night Shadow and Lu Yue were one and the same.
The Grandchild of the Phantom Thief, who constantly huffed, "Hmph! Women!" was actually a top-tier crossdressing master lurking in the modeling world!
Now that she had discovered Little Grandchild's big secret, Cifera, playing the role of "Aya," was determined to use it to her advantage and have some fun.
With a graceful sweep of her golden hair behind her ear, she purred in her alluring voice, "Of course, no problem at all. It sounds quite intriguing."
"Wonderful! Thank you so much! This way, please!"
The Starry employee beamed with delight, hurrying ahead to lead the way.
"..."
Meanwhile, Night Shadow was completely stunned.
Are you kidding me?!
Inviting this walking time bomb to walk the runway with me?
Are you all deliberately ganging up to mess with my head?!
Despite his mental tirade, Night Shadow wasn't stupid. He could sense something was off from the Starry employee's reaction.
My runway center spot might be in jeopardy!
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have cared. As a model, earning a living was secondary; the real purpose of taking jobs was to refine his Disguise technique.
But now, he desperately needed that center spot. He planned to use the opportunity to walk the runway wearing the Starry Light jewelry to successfully pull off a theft, thus defeating his lifelong nemesis, Big Sister Cifera, and reclaiming his lead role in the reality show Global Manhunt!
To achieve his goal, he was even willing to risk having his years of crossdressing exposed. How could he possibly relinquish the coveted center position so easily?
As the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief, he had been discovered at a young age to possess an exceptionally rare talent for disguise, a gift seen only once in a century.
Especially as a boy, his crossdressing disguises were unparalleled among his peers!
Before he even started elementary school, his Phantom Thief grandfather made a momentous decision that would shape Night Shadow's entire life—
He helped Night Shadow by legally changing him to a girl and allowing him to attend school as a girl. This would hone his crossdressing disguise skills to unprecedented heights, surpassing all previous masters!
For the "Night Shadow" clan—a lineage of thieves long since co-opted by the state—this was a simple matter. A mere report to the authorities, claiming it was for "the study of thievery," would easily secure approval.
Indeed, "Night Shadow" was the family name of the Phantom Thief himself. Though well-known within clandestine circles, few outside the underworld recognized it in modern society.
The Phantom Thief's Grandchild, participating in the show under the alias Night Shadow, was actually named Lu Yue.
Since starting elementary school, he had lived entirely as a girl named Lu Yue, even with his gender listed as female on his official records.
Though Lu Yue understood his grandfather's good intentions, he gladly accepted them and resolved to become the greatest Phantom Thief of all time, surpassing all who came before and leaving no equal to follow.
However, having always presented himself as a girl, he gradually lost touch with how to properly act as a man.
Yet deep in his heart, he remained certain of his male identity. To prevent himself from losing his way, he had spent the past few years studying various resources on how to maintain his masculine core.
Among these resources, he devoured countless literary and cinematic works featuring alpha male protagonists. Through these works, he thoroughly learned how to embody the traits of a virile and vigorous man.
The nation placed great importance on the Global Manhunt program and specifically sought out his grandfather, hoping to persuade him to make a public appearance.
But his elderly grandfather couldn't possibly venture out and expose himself. Thus, they dispatched Lu Yue, a once-in-a-century genius, in his stead.
As the representative of the Night Shadow family appearing before the public, Lu Yue naturally inherited the Night Shadow name. He also had to reveal his true male identity.
His masterful female disguise skills were his trump card in this competition—the key to securing the championship!
This should have been the perfect moment to seize the Starry Light and defeat Big Sister Cifera once and for all.
But this suddenly appearing, detestable woman... what was she up to?
Why had she agreed to participate in the fashion show for Starry?
Was she trying to ruin my final showdown with Big Sister Cifera?!
Lu Yue desperately wanted to call Little Ya right now and demand, "Control your family members!"
But alas, years ago, to demonstrate his determination to defeat his arch-rival Little Ya, he had blocked her social media accounts and sealed her phone number on a piece of paper inside a piggy bank in his room.
He vowed never to break the seal until he had finally defeated Little Ya!
Otherwise, he'd be bombarded with her daily messages and calls bragging about her latest first-place achievements!
Recalling Little Ya's childhood taunts—"Oh, look who got second place again, the peerless genius of the Shadow Rat Clan!"—Lu Yue felt a surge of anger.
Damn it! That showoff!
A flood of thoughts raced through Lu Yue's mind, but he was no fool. He knew he had to calm this deliberately provocative woman for now.
A barely perceptible twitch rippled across his cold, handsome face as he forcibly suppressed his seething frustration and growing annoyance. Straining to maintain his "female Lu Yue" persona, he nodded at "Aya":
"Sister Aya, this is perfect! You're so beautiful and elegant—it would be such a waste if you didn't become a model. This is a wonderful opportunity to try something new!
"Once you try it, I'm sure you'll fall in love with the runway! Come on!"
With that, Lu Yue took the lead, following the Starry employee's footsteps.
"Mm-hmm, hearing you say that, Little Yue Yue, I'm actually quite excited now~" Cifera said gently, falling in step with the group.
But deep in her eyes, a flicker of amusement remained hidden.