The live stream cut from the Pursuit Team's temporary command center to backstage at the Starry Charity Auction runway on the rooftop.
Lu Yue and "Aya" entered, led by a female staff member.
The area was brightly lit, the air thick with the scent of hairspray, perfume, and the subtle tension that precedes a formal runway show.
Models, already made up and dressed, gathered in small groups, whispering to each other or making last-minute adjustments to their makeup.
"Sister Lu Yue! You're finally here!"
A young model with her hair in a bun spotted them first, beaming as she rushed forward.
"Hi, Xiao Wen." Lu Yue responded with a perfectly calibrated smile, her tone warm and natural. She even reached out to gently pat the other woman's shoulder. "We got held up on the way."
"Sister Lu Yue is here!"
"Yueyue, you look absolutely radiant today!"
The other models chimed in with greetings, their voices familiar and welcoming.
Lu Yue responded to each one by name, even managing to weave in snippets of casual conversation about their last collaboration, handling the interactions with effortless grace.
Watching Little Grandchild's performance, Cifera's conviction deepened: this had to be Lu Yue.
If it were a disguise, it would be incredibly difficult to convincingly mimic such familiarity with the target's industry connections and navigate them with such ease.
The live stream's Bullet Comments erupted:
[Holy shit! Little Grandchild really did his homework! He knows Lu Yue's entire social network inside out!]
[Perfect attention to detail! That "Xiao Wen" sounded so natural!]
[No surprise—he's the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief! Professional! To steal the Starry Light, he infiltrated the sisterhood in an instant!]
[It's only when Cifera's not around that we can see how truly skilled Little Grandchild is!]
[True! Cifera shines so brightly that anyone standing beside her gets overshadowed.]
At that moment, the Director split the screen to show footage from the Pursuit Team's temporary command center, where Liu Shanhe and the others were monitoring Lu Yue's every move through surveillance cameras.
Wang Lei watched the screen, stroking his chin:
"Old Liu, Lu Yue seems very familiar with the other models. Her interactions feel natural, not forced. Could we be overthinking this?"
Lin Zhiyuan pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, the lenses reflecting a sharp glint of intelligence.
"Teacher Wang Lei, we can't afford to be complacent. With Cifera's exceptional information gathering and disguise abilities, mastering these details and flawlessly executing her role would be child's play for her!"
Clearly, Lin Zhiyuan believed Cifera's disguise skills were among the best in the world. Until he witnessed someone surpass her, this conviction remained unshakeable.
Hearing the varying opinions from his team members, Liu Shanhe fixed his sharp gaze on Lu Yue in the surveillance footage. His voice was low and deliberate:
"Let's not jump to conclusions. Continue observing. It's too early to make a judgment."
His fingers unconsciously tapped the table, betraying his continued wariness despite Lu Yue's easy camaraderie with the other models.
[Teacher Wang Lei, stop being a nuisance! What you're saying is just obvious surface-level stuff. Everyone can see that!]
[Lord Lin is right. Their biggest threat right now is still Cifera. They can't afford to let their guard down so easily.]
So, I think Officer Nie is spot-on. The Pursuit Team suffered heavy losses, and Starry Headquarters is now a veritable fortress. Little Grandchild is acting impulsively and might end up as Cifera's scapegoat.
Meanwhile, backstage...
As the models' gazes finally shifted from Lu Yue to the stunning blonde woman with an exceptional aura and beauty standing behind her, the entire backstage atmosphere seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Wow..." someone couldn't help but whisper in awe.
"Who is she?" Xiao Wen asked curiously, glancing at Lu Yue and then at the female staff member who had brought Lu Yue in.
Before Lu Yue could answer, the staff member immediately chimed in with a smile, "This is Miss Aya, our 'special guest' for tonight's opening show!"
"Ha ha, just kidding! Actually, she's a newcomer I just discovered. She's not a professional model—she's filling in at the last minute. Let's all take good care of her and lend her a hand, okay?"
Instantly, the seasoned models backstage understood. Such scenarios were actually quite common.
Many aspiring models get their start through chance encounters on the street, where they're scouted and recruited.
Is she really a newcomer?
Her aura is overwhelmingly powerful!
That face, those perfect proportions, the effortless elegance in every gesture... If she weren't a bit short, they'd swear an international supermodel had graced them with her presence.
If she's truly a complete novice... aside from runway modeling with strict height requirements, she'd be a highly sought-after commodity for print, advertising, and other modeling genres!
Is another "Lu Yue"-style rookie sensation about to emerge?
Lu Yue had burst onto the scene a few years prior at the age of 18, sending shockwaves through the industry. Now, they felt the same—no, even greater—tremors from "Aya."
If we don't step up our game, with more and more newcomers flooding the market, securing work will become increasingly difficult...
Though each person in the room harbored their own thoughts—some envious, some jealous—there was no outright malice.
After all, this was reality, not a melodramatic TV series where a suddenly brain-dead senior would launch into a tirade of mockery and oppression.
On the surface, everyone maintained professional composure, warmly greeting Aya:
"Hello Aya, I'm Lisa!"
"Welcome, welcome! Miss Aya, you have such an elegant presence!"
"Your looks and figure are top-notch! I'm Xiao Wen, it's an honor to meet you, Sister Aya!"
"If you need any help with makeup or familiarizing yourself with the process, just ask!"
Faced with the models' enthusiastic greetings, "Aya" wore an impeccable, gentle smile. She gave a slight bow and replied gracefully in her captivating voice:
"Thank you all. It's my first time meeting you. Please take care of me. You can just call me Aya."
Her humble demeanor and tactful remarks quickly endeared her to the group of professional models, making her blend in seamlessly as if she had always belonged there.
Lu Yue watched this scene with a look of feigned contentment, but inwardly, he was seething with resentment:
This woman! Her schemes run deep!
She's already winning over the crowd? Is this to clear obstacles and gain allies when she inevitably tries to snatch the center position from me later?
Just as I suspected, you came here to sabotage me! You can't bear to see me defeat Big Sister Cifera, can you?
"It has to be Little Ya! She watched the live stream and sent you here to sabotage me!
"That cat-obsessed freak is definitely a die-hard Cifera fan by now!
"She's taking advantage of not officially joining the Pursuit Team yet, using underhanded tactics to clear obstacles for her beloved Cat Contestant while making a fool of me!
"She's absolutely capable of this!
"But you've underestimated me. I'm Lu Yue, a true supermodel—I won't be so easily replaced by some rookie!"
Lu Yue's inner resolve burned fiercely, but on the surface, she smiled sweetly at "Aya":
"Sister Aya, I'm going to change now. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the other sisters—they're all so kind and will be happy to help!"
"Aya" returned Lu Yue's identical "smile":
"No worries, you go ahead and get ready. I've already felt everyone's warmth."
In that instant, only the two of them could "see" the sparks of lightning and fire crackling between their eyes, colliding fiercely.