Viewers of the live stream watched in astonishment as Aya, the stunning golden-haired beauty suspected to be Big Boss Little Ya, casually joined tonight's charity gala.
Having been trained to be suspicious by Cifera's elaborate schemes, they immediately assumed this was all part of Aya's plan and began earnestly fabricating wild theories:
[As expected of Big Boss Little Ya, this is a classic "waiting for the rabbit to run into the tree stump" strategy!]
[Exactly! First, she used her formidable intelligence network to learn that Lu Yue, invited by Starry, would pass through this route!]
[Then, relying on her irresistible charm, she effortlessly charmed Lu Yue and naturally invited her for tea!]
[Finally, Starry's personnel arrived, instantly captivated by her presence, allowing her to successfully infiltrate the auction as a model!]
[Hiss~! No wonder she's the mysterious expert who's repeatedly foiled Cifera's plans! Big Boss Little Ya is terrifyingly formidable!]
[Does Little Ya even know that Lu Yue is actually Little Grandchild in disguise?]
[I bet she does. But her real target is Cifera; she doesn't care about Little Grandchild and only intends to use him to infiltrate the auction.]
[I'm done with you guys! Your imaginations run wild! We have absolutely no way of knowing if this Aya is actually Little Ya! All I want to know is where Cifera is hiding now!]
-
Broadcast Studio
Host Qiu Qiu noticed the Bullet Comments buzzing with speculation about Aya's identity, signaling it was time for Nie Junfeng to step in.
"Inspector Nie, in your opinion, could this stunningly beautiful Ms. Aya, who has Night Shadow's contestants completely mesmerized, actually be the mysterious audience member, Little Ya?"
Nie Junfeng habitually adjusted his posture, a trademark knowing smile spreading across his face.
"Host, this question... to be honest, I don't know either," he replied slowly, his voice calm and measured.
"But from my perspective, the likelihood that Ms. Aya is Little Ya herself... is extremely low.
"As the mysterious mastermind who accurately exposed Contestant Cifera's tricks in the live stream, Little Ya's insight and intelligence are undeniable. Such a person would undoubtedly operate with meticulous strategy and clear objectives.
"Contestant Cifera's public challenge to Little Ya during the live stream—demanding she reveal herself—was more likely a provocation and a smokescreen, a classic psychological warfare tactic employed by Deceivers."
"If Little Ya had truly taken the bait and personally rushed to the Starry venue, her actions would have been far too impulsive and direct, clashing with the image she had previously projected—that of a mastermind operating from behind the scenes.
"In a battle of wits between masters, the key lies in anticipating the opponent's moves, not being easily led by the nose.
"Little Ya has clearly been accustomed to observing Contestant Cifera through live streams from behind the scenes. Now that live streams are unavailable near Starry, there's no way she would appear here for a casual milk tea.
"Therefore, I believe Ms. Aya's appearance here is purely coincidental."
He paused briefly before shifting his tone:
"Speaking of which, I must reiterate my long-held conviction—
"We've all been played by Contestant Cifera! Her true target was never the Starry Light!
"By creating such a spectacle at the Starry Press Conference and boldly announcing her intention to steal the 'Starry Light' tonight, Contestant Cifera has successfully drawn the attention of the Pursuit Team and even her rival, Night Shadow, to the Starry Charity Auction, while remaining hidden herself.
"Her motive is glaringly obvious—
"To turn Starry into an inescapable trap, while she herself will never appear at the Starry Auction tonight, instead pursuing her true objective!"
"She relished the anticipation of the truth being revealed, reveling in the moment when everyone realized they had been deceived by her trickery."
He glanced at the screen, where Night Shadow was walking into the Starry headquarters building alongside Starry employees. His voice carried a hint of regret as he continued:
"In contrast, Contestant Night Shadow chose to disguise himself as model Lu Yue, hoping to prove himself by competing on the same stage as Contestant Cifera. While his courage is commendable, he has unwittingly fallen into Cifera's trap!
"In my view, Night Shadow's actions tonight are a classic case of 'knowing it's impossible but doing it anyway'—a strategic misjudgment fueled by reckless passion!
"He believed Cifera would appear and planned to confront her head-on, but Cifera has no intention of showing up!
"His meticulously prepared disguise and elaborate plan will ultimately face the Pursuit Team and Starry Security, who are burning with rage after being outwitted by Cifera and are now on high alert!
"Every step he takes to steal the Starry Light will be scrutinized by countless watchful eyes, drastically increasing his risk of exposure!
"Moreover, impersonating the real and famous model Lu Yue carries a ticking time bomb—what if the real Lu Yue appears? Or if someone familiar with her spots a flaw in his disguise?"
"In short, the true focus of tonight's Starry Auction won't be Cifera, but Night Shadow!
"Contestant Night Shadow will likely become a sacrificial pawn in Cifera's grand scheme—or, more accurately, the perfect bait to draw fire.
"I boldly predict—Contestant Night Shadow is highly likely to be eliminated tonight due to his identity being exposed or his mission failing!
"This is the price of blindly trusting Cifera's announcements and underestimating her deceptive abilities.
"He was so eager to confront Cifera head-on that he forgot the Deceiver's greatest strength: making you unable to even touch her shadow.
"But we can't blame him entirely. Unlike us viewers watching the live stream, he couldn't possibly have the same level of insight into Contestant Cifera's tactics."
With that, Nie Junfeng leaned back in his chair, his face a complex blend of "I've seen through it all" and "pity for the young man."
Instantly, the Bullet Comments exploded:
[Everyone, stand up! The Patriarch who only speaks Poison Milk and no cryptic riddles has returned!]
[It's been too long since he was proven wrong. He's reverted to Phase One. This final boss is so hard to kill!]
[I just went to the bathroom. Can someone summarize what the Patriarch analyzed?]
[He said the blonde Big Sister is almost certainly Little Ya!]
[He also said Cifera will definitely appear at the auction tonight to steal the Starry Light!]
[And another thing! He said that Little Grandchild's disguise as Lu Yue will never be discovered, and he won't be eliminated tonight either!]
[Those of you upstairs must be outstanding disciples of the Nie Family, perfectly conveying the Patriarch's core principles. On behalf of the Patriarch, I thank you all!]
Just then, the live stream suddenly cut to the Pursuit Team's temporary command center.
Liu Shanhe was reviewing a stack of documents—profiles of the models participating in tonight's Starry Auction runway show.
At the technical booth, Nie Bing suddenly spoke:
"Master, Lu Yue has arrived."
At Nie Bing's command, the room's projection screen displayed footage of Lu Yue entering the first-floor lobby, escorted by Starry employees.
"Good!"
Liu Shanhe replied, his sharp gaze fixed on the tall figure of Lu Yue. In a steady tone, he said:
"Initially, Starry invited her to participate in the runway show, but she refused, citing scheduling conflicts."
"But immediately after this afternoon's press conference, she was suddenly notified that she could participate.
"Moreover, as the chosen Starry Light bearer, she's practically the easiest person to access the Starry Light tonight.
"Considering these factors, one can't help but suspect... Lu Yue is no longer Lu Yue.
"Could it be you, Cifera?!"
-
[Holy shit! Everyone stand up and apologize to the Nie Family Patriarch!]
[We're screwed! Little Grandchild is done for—the Pursuit Team has him in their sights!]
[Little Grandchild's identity won't hold up under scrutiny. Could the Patriarch have been right all along? Is he about to be eliminated?]
[Impossible! The Patriarch already performed his ritual!]
[You guys don't get it. The Patriarch can't handle multitasking. When he Poison Milks multiple targets simultaneously, there's a chance of failure.]
[Brothers, brace yourselves for the inevitable face-slap! As Nie Family Disciples, we'll bear the consequences of the Patriarch's failed ritual!]
[To many viewers, it seemed Little Grandchild's fate was sealed.]