Plan 064!

These words were meant as comfort, but Su Yunjin spoke them with genuine sincerity.

Shao Xinghui’s music was different from hers; he took a fusion approach, blending traditional Chinese styles with rock. In terms of musical repertoire, Shao Xinghui was far more focused than she was, and over the past decade, many people had come to appreciate Chinese culture through his songs. Some of these people had previously criticized China, while others, out of ignorance, had believed various rumors. If music had gatekeepers, Su Yunjin would gladly place Shao Xinghui among their ranks.

Shao Xinghui’s current frustration stemmed only from a lack of opportunity and platform. The Chinese music market was no longer what it once was; in this regard, Shao Xinghui was indeed less fortunate. Yet Su Yunjin firmly believed that given time, Shao Xinghui would surely find himself at the forefront of the world music charts and would earn the acclaim he deserved.

Shao Xinghui remained silent.

Su Yunjin knew it would be inappropriate to comfort him any further as if she were a victor. With a slight bow, she turned and walked away.

She did not see, at the very moment she turned, the spark that lit in Shao Xinghui’s previously dull eyes, as though struck by a sudden flame. He watched her retreating figure, and for no reason at all, his heart thudded twice in quick succession.

But in the next second, Shao Xinghui realized he ought to say something.

Seizing the moment before Su Yunjin got too far, he hurried after her and called out, “Thank you, Teacher Su.”

Su Yunjin turned back and offered him a gentle smile. Shao Xinghui nodded in return, the last remnants of his dejection completely swept away.

“Oh~ I see it now, you like her, don’t you?” A mischievous voice sounded just as Shao Xinghui’s spirits were lifted.

Shao Xingyun squinted her eyes as she approached him, her fair, youthful face marked by the same asymmetrical yet striking eyes as her brother’s.

“You little brat, what would you know?” Shao Xinghui ruffled her hair, pushing her face away a bit, then put on his big-brother air. “Next time, you’re not allowed to wear makeup like that!”

“Hmph, what’s wrong with it? I like it! Next time, I’ll wear even heavier makeup. And don’t change the subject—admit it, do you like Su Yunjin?”

“Enough with the gossip!”

“So not denying it means it’s true?”

“Go on, upstairs, upstairs. I’ve been exhausted all day—don’t mess with me.”

Bickering as they went, the siblings made their way upstairs.

Su Yunjin witnessed none of this scene or conversation.

Back in her room, she paid no attention to the internet chatter. Instead, she picked up her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found a string of numbers. Without a moment’s hesitation, Su Yunjin dialed.

The line rang briefly before a deep voice answered, “Speak.”

“I need information on someone. The more detailed, the better.”

“Name, age, identity, occupation.”

“Lu Yiqing. Eldest grandson of the Lu Group. The rest you should know already.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end. Then, the cold voice disappeared, replaced by a hearty, slightly raspy female voice.

“What do you want this for?”

Hearing the other party switch to her real voice, Su Yunjin’s lips curved in a faint smile. “Why? Is this something the famous detective Immortal needs to know?”

“Immortal” was the name of the person on the other end of Su Yunjin’s call. Though the moniker seemed plain, it belonged to none other than the head of the most elite private investigation firm in China—and one of Su Yunjin’s closest friends from years past.

Back then, when Su Yunjin returned to her sect, Immortal was among the few who knew her true whereabouts and her identity as an online singer. Over the years, though Su Yunjin had lived in seclusion, she had never completely cut ties with the outside world. In fact, most of her information came from Immortal and her other friends.

So, after coming down the mountain, Su Yunjin was hardly the naïve country bumpkin, shocked by the changes in the world, that some might imagine.

Because Immortal was a private investigator, her work was usually highly confidential, and their communications were always through coded numbers.

“As a detective, I don’t need to know. But as your best friend, I insist.”

Immortal’s voice had a commanding edge, as if to say she wouldn’t budge without a reason, no matter the price.

“I think you’d be better off not knowing.”

“Why?”

“Because I’d rather not know myself.”

Su Yunjin sighed.

It wasn’t that she was deliberately being secretive; it was just that even she found the situation a headache to explain.

But clearly, Immortal had other ideas. Her tone shifted. “You don’t want to know? What does that mean? Don’t tell me… you like him? Or is it—”

“Don’t get carried away. We’ve only just met, less than a month ago. That guy is my fiancé.”

“Pfft—” Before Su Yunjin could finish, she distinctly heard Immortal spit out whatever she was drinking.

“Fiancé? Su Yunjin, how could you not tell us about your engagement? When did this happen? What’s the meaning of this? Are we not friends anymore?”

As expected, Immortal’s fiery temper flared instantly.

Su Yunjin felt a headache coming on, but in front of her best friend, she could let down her guard. Flopping onto the bed, she turned over and said, “Don’t overthink it. There was no engagement party you missed—I only just found out myself.”

With that, Su Yunjin told Immortal the whole story from beginning to end.

“This guy is such a turn-off.”

“Does he really think he’s invincible?”

“So, Xiaojin, what do you want to do? I’ll back you up completely!”

With her defenses down, Su Yunjin finally felt the weight lift from her shoulders, and Immortal’s voice on the other end of the line gave her a rare sense of ease.

“My plan is simple: let Lu Yiqing become the villain, and when the time comes, I’ll play the victim.”

In front of her friend, Su Yunjin had no need for pretense and spoke her mind honestly. When she told Lu Yiqing she’d break off the engagement within a month, it wasn’t just empty bravado.

Faced with Lu Yiqing’s lack of respect, Su Yunjin had come up with this idea: let him be embroiled in scandal, while she played the wronged party.

The entertainment industry was rife with scandals and unsavory deals. All she needed to do was lure Lu Yiqing to one of those infamous parties and ensure the media got wind of it.

Of course, for a wealthy young heir, such rumors were hardly damaging in today’s open-minded society. But for her, as his fiancée, it would have significant consequences. All she’d have to do was shed a few tears or arrange a simple discussion with his family, and the engagement would be easily dissolved.

After all, their engagement only mattered at the upper echelons of society. For everyone else, it was hardly news at all.