"Officer Nie Bing, are you trying to apologize to Sister Lu Yue? There's absolutely no need. You haven't done anything wrong. You simply reacted naturally based on your own worldview.
"After all, hearing about a man dressing as a woman to become a famous female model is bound to surprise and disbelief anyone."
With that, "Aya" turned to Lu Yue:
"Wouldn't you agree, Sister Lu Yue? Heh, you don't mind me still calling you 'sister,' do you?"
"..."
As if anticipating Lu Yue's silence, "Aya" continued, keeping her gaze fixed on him:
"Sister Lu Yue, I heard from Little Ya that you've had a lifelong dream since childhood—a grand aspiration you're willing to dedicate your entire life to. Honing your Art of Feminine Disguise has been instrumental in realizing this dream.
"That's why, starting from elementary school, you've always presented yourself as a woman in public, tirelessly striving for your dream every moment."
With that, "Aya" turned to Liu Shanhe and Nie Bing:
"Let me explain, Little Ya," Aya said, "She's the childhood friend Sister Lu Yue mentioned, and also my own younger sister."
Liu Shanhe and his companion nodded slightly to show they understood, but it was clear they were more interested in knowing what kind of grand dream would require a boy to dress as a girl every day since elementary school.
The bullet comments erupted instantly:
[Started dressing as a girl every day since elementary school! I hereby declare Little Granddaughter the ultimate cross-dressing master!]
[Wait, what kind of grand dream requires training in feminine disguise from such a young age?]
[Isn't it obvious? It's—the Cross-Dressing King! He's destined to be!]
[Hahaha! You're killing me! A proper Grandchild of the Phantom Thief should be aiming for 'Phantom Thief King'! I'm claiming that!]
[You're going to make me die laughing! Phantom Thief King? What is that even?! 'Phantom Thief' is an honorific, a title, not a profession, okay?!]
[Hold on, are we focusing on the wrong thing here? Aya is Little Ya's older sister?! Little Ya is Lu Yue's childhood sweetheart?! Could this Little Ya be the legendary Prophecy Emperor Little Ya?!]
[Well, I'll be—that's actually possible! Little Ya and Little Granddaughter are close friends. No wonder she screwed Cifera over earlier. This Little Granddaughter's off-screen support is seriously OP!]
[Wait, if this is confirmed, would it count as cheating?]
[As long as Lu Yue doesn't know, it's hard to call it cheating. At most, Little Ya is exploiting a glitch.]
[Holy shit! Suddenly, I'm not so sure Little Granddaughter will lose to Cifera after all, with Little Ya as her glitch-exploiting off-screen support!]
[Wait a minute! Am I the only one who's realized the real bombshell here? Aya and Little Ya are biological sisters, and they look practically identical! Our chances of marrying "Wifey Aya" just doubled!]
[Bro, think bigger! Why not marry both Little and Big Ya?]
[Holy crap! Which one of you guys has the yellowest piss? Hurry up and piss on that guy to wake him up!]
As the bullet comments spiraled into feverish speculation, "Aya" turned to Lu Yue again:
"I was right, wasn't I?"
Lu Yue's heart pounded with anxiety.
Though he knew "Aya" was already exploiting his acquaintance with Little Ya to proactively persuade Liu Shanhe and the others, he couldn't predict what she might say next. He could only cooperate fully, praying she wouldn't reveal his identity as "Night Shadow."
Forcing himself to remain calm, Lu Yue replied unequivocally:
"Yes, that's exactly right—"
"If that's the case, why are you so concerned about people knowing you cross-dress?!"
Before Lu Yue could finish, "Aya" suddenly adopted a stern tone, her voice sharp with disappointment.
"Can you guarantee that after this, you'll never be exposed again with another crossdressed persona?
"Are you going to live in constant fear, dreading the moment someone discovers the truth and stares at you with judgment?
"This is utterly pointless! It will only become a mental obstacle on your path to achieving your dreams!
"If crossdressing is truly about fulfilling the lifelong dream you've been striving for, then you must stop fearing anyone knowing about it!"
"When you can face others' opinions about your cross-dressing with equanimity, you'll see things in a completely new light. Many of your worries will suddenly vanish, and your Art of Feminine Disguise will reach new heights!
"You'll immediately realize that, without even noticing, you've taken another giant leap toward your dream!"
Boom—!!!
Lu Yue felt as if something that had been binding him, making him timid and hesitant, had been shattered completely in his mind!
A wave of unprecedented clarity and understanding swept through him!
She's right! Sister Aya is absolutely right!
I, Lu Yue, the future greatest Phantom Thief, the man destined to stand at the pinnacle of the Way of the Thief—how could I be shackled by petty worldly judgments?!
So what if I cross-dress? So what if I'm a male-to-female model?
This is merely a necessary path to honing my supreme Art of Disguise! A trial on the road to the throne of kings!
Others' incomprehension, surprise, even ridicule—they're just grains of sand sharpening my will!
When I can face all of this with equanimity, treating it as nothing at all, my "disguise" will truly reach the realm of "selflessness"!
If you have no woman in your heart, drawing your sword becomes divine! Uh, wait, that's wrong... It's: If you have no fear in your eyes, feminine disguise becomes divine!
This was the true essence of mastering the Art of Feminine Disguise to its ultimate form!
A surge of fiery passion ignited in his chest. He abruptly raised his head, his eyes blazing with unprecedented resolve, casting aside all his previous embarrassment and anxiety.
He solemnly declared to "Aya":
"Sister Aya! Thank you! Thank you so much for enlightening me!
"You were right—I was truly lost in delusion. I was constantly afraid of others' reactions and the troubles my exposed identity might bring, even considering abandoning 'Supermodel Lu Yue' and starting over with a new feminine persona...
"But now I understand! That was cowardice! That was running away!"
His voice grew louder, brimming with determination:
"From this day forward, I, Lu Yue, will no longer run! I will continue to thrive as 'Supermodel Lu Yue'!
"No matter how others judge me, no matter if no one wants to book me for shows anymore, I will persist!
"If the modeling world rejects me entirely, I'll dance! I'll sing! I'll act! I'll do anything that allows me to live authentically in my feminine disguise!"
"All of this—every bit of it—is for one purpose: to hone my craft! As long as I know what I'm striving for, everyone else's opinions are utter nonsense! They can't shake me in the slightest! I don't need to care about them one bit!"
After this impassioned declaration, he turned to Nie Bing, who was still somewhat stunned, his voice softening into sincere earnestness:
"Officer Nie Bing, earlier... I admit, I felt uncomfortable with your reaction, like I was being discriminated against.
"But now, I don't blame you at all! In fact, I'm deeply grateful to you!
"If it hadn't been for your unconscious question, Sister Aya wouldn't have enlightened me, and I wouldn't have been able to break through my mental block so quickly and see things with sudden clarity! Thank you!"
Nie Bing: "..."
Completely dumbfounded, she stared at Lu Yue, who seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, his eyes burning with unwavering determination. For a moment, she couldn't find the words to respond.
Her gaze instinctively drifted to "Aya," who stood beside them with a faint smile. A surge of profound admiration and awe flooded her heart.
No wonder she's Cifera!
Is this how she handles problems?!
She not only diffused the awkwardness and calmed Lu Yue's emotions in an instant, but she even inspired him to overcome his psychological barrier and made him feel indebted to her!
That emotional intelligence! That wisdom! That mastery of human psychology! It's... it's practically an art!
This is so inspiring! I want to take notes!
Liu Shanhe watched in stunned silence from the sidelines.
He had initially intended only to confirm Aya's identity through questioning, but he ended up witnessing an extraordinary live demonstration of psychological counseling!
With just a few words, "Aya" completely turned the tables, proving her sincerity and wisdom while indirectly bolstering the credibility of Lu Yue's testimony.
How could someone who understands Lu Yue's inner struggles so deeply and provides such precise guidance be a mere impostor?
It was clear that "Aya" had been gathering information about Lu Yue from her sister for a long time, gaining a thorough understanding of his personality and how to influence him.
At that moment, the scales in Liu Shanhe's mind tilted sharply toward the belief that "Aya is real and unrelated to Cifera."
The live stream's Bullet Comments section instantly exploded again!
[Holy shit! This is hype! Why am I suddenly feeling so hyped?!]
[Little Granddaughter has attained enlightenment! He's achieved a breakthrough! The Art of Feminine Disguise will endure forever!]
[Okay, but... this is so Chuunii, ha ha ha! Still, I love it!]
[Lu Yue: My heart is as iron, unbreakable! For my dreams, long live feminine disguise!]
[Sister Aya is an angel, right?! Just a few words and she's awakened a lost young man!]
[This emotional intelligence! This wisdom! Who could resist Sister Aya?]
[Not only did she help Nie Bing out of a tight spot, but she also moved Lu Yue to tears of gratitude and even strengthened Old Liu's trust in her! A triple win! Genius!]
[The drama lovers are ecstatic! I can't wait to see how Little Granddaughter, as Big Boss Little Ya, will wreak havoc in the entertainment industry!]
In the video, Liu Shanhe wore a relieved smile. Sensing the interrogation could conclude, he spoke warmly, intending to wrap up the final formalities:
"It seems this was all a beautiful misunderstanding. Miss Lu Yue, thank you for your honesty and cooperation. Miss Aya, we appreciate your understanding as well.
"To put this matter to rest completely, would it be convenient for Miss Lu Yue to show us a photo of 'Little Ya'? After all, this would be the most direct piece of evidence connecting her to the case."
Upon hearing this, a flicker of conflict crossed Lu Yue's face.
His phone did contain a photo of Little Ya—a group photo of them together...
...a record of his "humiliating history" from years past!
Every time he saw that photo, his heart clenched!
But remembering how much "Aya" had just helped him, how could he possibly refuse to help her now?
Gritting his teeth, he decided to take the plunge!
"All right... fine!"
Reluctantly pulling out his phone, he scrolled through his photos until he found the one he needed and handed it to Liu Shanhe.
The photo showed two teenage girls, one tall and the other short, like a high schooler posing with a middle schooler. Yet both were wearing identical school uniform skirts.
The taller figure was Lu Yue, disguised as a woman. Her features were already strikingly handsome, but her expression was sullen as she held up a test paper with a score of 99.
The shorter girl, beaming radiantly, bore a striking resemblance to "Aya" but appeared much younger. She triumphantly waved her perfect 100-point test paper.
The contrast between the two was stark.
Upon seeing this, "Aya" smiled faintly and casually pulled out her own phone, pulling up the same photo:
"Little Ya told me all about this—she bragged about it for ages! I even have a copy of this photo saved."
She then swiped to reveal another photo:
The new photo showed a grown-up "Aya," her appearance unchanged from the present, affectionately stroking the hair of the girl named "Little Ya." Both were smiling warmly at the camera, radiating a sisterly bond.
Anyone seeing this would instantly assume they were close-knit biological sisters.
At this point, Liu Shanhe's last shred of doubt vanished completely. He chuckled and handed Lu Yue's phone back:
"Heh, it seems we were indeed overthinking things. What a foolish misunderstanding! Miss Aya, your sister is adorable."
"This interrogation is hereby concluded—"
"Wait!"
Before Liu Shanhe could finish his sentence, Nie Bingqing's cold, resolute voice cut him off.
Nie Bing rose to her feet, her gaze burning like twin torches as she locked eyes with "Aya." She spoke each word with deliberate precision:
"Master, even if this proves 'Aya' is a real person and the elder sister of Lu Yue's friend Little Ya, it doesn't prove that the 'Miss Aya' before us isn't Cifera in disguise!"
"With Cifera's cunning and capabilities, she could have easily investigated Lu Yue's social connections in advance. She might have even hacked their social media accounts to obtain these photos, then meticulously disguised herself as the real 'Miss Aya' to deceive us all—including Lu Yue herself!"
"I have one final method to verify whether you're disguised. Miss Aya, do you dare accept my challenge?"
The interrogation room's atmosphere, which had just begun to relax, instantly tightened again under Nie Bingqing's relentless skepticism.
All eyes turned to "Aya's" face, which remained composed and unruffled. How would she respond?