Chu Bingbing was momentarily stunned by the shock, but Lan Ruo swiftly moved past the topic.
Having eaten breakfast and snacked at noon, she wasn’t particularly hungry.
The menu made it clear that Lan Ruo, the CEO across from her, must have had lunch with Yan and Zhu Jue earlier.
Though her mind was swirling with thoughts, Chu Bingbing kept her composure.
"I’m not very hungry. Just a dessert with tea will do," she said.
Lan Ruo agreed cheerfully, turning the meeting into an afternoon tea session.
By the end of the afternoon, the contract had been reviewed and signed smoothly by the asset agents, and Chu Bingbing exchanged contact details with Lan Ruo.
She had grown adept at navigating high-society socializing. Even if she made minor missteps, she was just a freshly minted adult from a wealthy family—still learning the ropes of managing assets, with professionals handling the heavy lifting. Wasn’t that perfectly normal?
As she stepped into the agent’s car, her bag in hand, Chu Bingbing’s mind was consumed by one question: how did Yan and Zhu Jue know Lan Ruo?
Though the day’s reward—a historic courtyard house in the capital, Ning City—had been smoothly transferred to her name, she couldn’t even muster the curiosity to look it up online.
The reward had been long anticipated, delayed so much that the initial excitement had faded, especially since she hadn’t seen the property in person.
Yan and Zhu Jue were from Ning City, while Lan Ruo and the Xie Family were firmly rooted in Bin City. How had their paths crossed?
Life-saving favor?
Wait—no!
Chu Bingbing suddenly remembered something. Last December, before winter break, Yan and Zhu Jue had gone on a trip and returned with gossip about the Xie Family.
Back then… hadn’t Yan also brought back an overcoat?
Had that been when they first met Lan Ruo?
Chu Bingbing dug through her memories. Back in their dorm, they’d all devoured the Xie Family scandal, condemning the scumbag and sympathizing with Lan Ruo.
Now, just months later, what had been tabloid fodder had escalated into a full-blown criminal case!
Lan Ruo’s mention of a "life-saving favor" carried far deeper implications.
Her eyes sharpened.
The details from last night’s gossip were still fresh, but to confirm her hunch, she quickly logged into her Weibo to check the Xie Family case updates still trending.
She scrolled through the first police announcement from January, then yesterday’s official statement.
"Exactly!!!" Her suspicions were confirmed—Lan Ruo’s now-imprisoned husband had been arrested in Ning City! She’d been there herself, idly following the drama from her hotel.
With Xie Zhen’s arrest, the case had progressed swiftly. Lan Ruo, unscathed and now in power, had seen their positions completely reversed.
Chu Bingbing connected the dots. She understood now!
Whether Yan and Lan Ruo had known each other for years or only since last year, one thing was clear: Yan and Zhu Jue had played a pivotal role in helping her.
When the head of a conglomerate like the Xie Family became a criminal suspect, external forces circled like vultures while internal morale crumbled.
Lan Ruo was innocent, but she’d been a sheltered socialite with a weak, even burdensome, family backing her.
Online gossip painted her as a beautiful but empty-headed fool—a "useless trophy wife" who’d vanish after her family’s downfall, either remarrying for survival or drowning in debt after the company’s collapse.
But reality had defied those rumors.
Chu Bingbing’s gaze burned with realization. While she didn’t trust tabloid speculation, some points had merit.
Lan Ruo’s family was a liability, and she’d had no allies or significant shares in the Xie corporation.
Corporate battles were brutal, a no-holds-barred warzone.
So how had Lan Ruo held the line? Why was the company still stable, with no mass resignations or leaks?
A glint flashed in Chu Bingbing’s eyes—this had to be Yan and Zhu Jue’s doing.
The collapse of the Xie empire would’ve been catastrophic, affecting everyone from executives to entry-level employees—countless families’ livelihoods.
Xie Zhen’s crimes were personal, not corporate.
With Yan and Zhu Jue’s connections, suppressing opportunistic wolves and ensuring a smooth transition would’ve been effortless, saving jobs and the company.
Lan Ruo’s "life-saving" remark likely referred to both avoiding endless interrogations (which would’ve destabilized the company) and escaping the feeding frenzy of predators. Alone, even a genius couldn’t salvage such a massive enterprise.
Of course, Yan might’ve just facilitated introductions, Chu Bingbing mused.
She’d seen cases before—local bank collapses, billion-dollar corporate crises—where authorities stepped in to protect operations and employment. Searᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The domino effect of a major company’s failure could devastate entire supply chains, economies, and job markets.
Especially in Bin City, where the Xie Family’s influence was omnipresent. A meltdown would’ve been incalculable; a soft landing was the only viable solution.
Exactly!
And Lan Ruo’s polished appearance today? Clearly stepping into a leadership role, possibly with official support.
Come to think of it, Bin City was hosting a high-profile international economic forum soon, with foreign dignitaries attending. Stability was non-negotiable.
No wonder Lan Ruo had acted fast—yesterday’s case closure, today’s meetings: signing contracts with Chu Bingbing, dining with Yan and Zhu Jue.
Chu Bingbing sighed. What a coincidence.
Otherwise, she’d never have uncovered this secret.
---
After leaving the revolving restaurant, Yan and Zhu Jue weren’t in a hurry to return to campus.
They’d already skipped class for the day, and more importantly, Yan needed a quiet place to tell Zhu Jue about their new roommate, He Xing.
It was the senior’s first day yesterday, and with no chance to meet, Yan had a backlog of thoughts to share.
Post-lunch with Lan Ruo, they strolled through Bin City’s bustling pedestrian street—packed shoulder-to-shoulder on a weekend.
Hand in hand, they weaved past pushy vendors and jostling crowds, whispering secrets meant only for each other amid the clamor.
"I feel like there's something intense about Senior He Xing," Yan murmured softly.
On the surface, Senior He Xing seemed warm and friendly, even though they had only known each other for a day. Yet, the way she looked at them carried a faintly paternal air, as if observing younger peers.
Though the senior showed nothing unusual—smiling as she spoke to them in the morning, engaging in conversation—Yan couldn’t shake the feeling that her smiles didn’t quite reach her eyes.
This wasn’t to say Senior He Xing was "fake" or forcing her expressions. She was smiling, but the joy behind it felt shallow, skimming the surface without truly touching her heart.
Because beneath that calm exterior, something far heavier weighed on her, something suffocating.
"It’s like a dormant volcano," Yan mused. "Outwardly, it’s just a quiet, dead mountain. But inside, there’s turbulence—no telling when it might erupt."
"Still, we’ve only known her for a day. It’s probably just personal matters."
"I just wonder if we’ll get caught up in it."
Zhu Jue nodded silently. "Could it be related to that accident from her past? Some tragic backstory?"
Yan rubbed her chin. "I think so."
"Wonder how this ‘medical miracle’ compares to Brother Xiao’s skills," Zhu Jue suddenly mused, veering off-topic.
Yan burst into laughter. "Who knows? There’s no detailed info online about Senior He Xing’s condition, and it’s not like we’re close enough to ask about such private matters."
"Then we’ll just have to wait and see. Like always—take it step by step. No way to predict what’ll happen next," Zhu Jue said slowly.
Their approach to encountering people with "halo" auras had always been the same: accept what comes, proceed cautiously, and observe quietly.
"I’m just worried…" Yan hesitated. "If that accident really was suspicious, it might involve criminal elements. What if Senior He Xing tries to settle things her way?"
[After Retiring from Tragic Story Quick Transmigration]
With a halo like that, Yan couldn’t even begin to guess what skills or methods Senior He Xing might possess.
Among all the "halo" individuals Yan and Zhu Jue had met over the years, some were outright eccentric, but the only ones tangled in grudges or vendettas were Lan Ruo and Xie Zhen.
Others—like their roommates—might have their own shadows, but Yan wouldn’t know. She could only judge based on the auras she could see and the information she had.
"So many foreigners," Zhu Jue remarked as they walked down the pedestrian street. Crowds of backpack-toting tourists with foreign faces bustled around, gaping at the towering 5D screens on shopping mall facades, snapping photos with their phones.
"The 144-hour visa exemption just rolled out, and Bin City’s hosting a summit forum. More visitors than usual," Zhu Jue explained.
Whether in their hometown Ning City or here in Bin City—both megacities—foreign tourists were a common sight, something Yan and Zhu Jue had grown up with.
But today, the pedestrian street seemed overrun with them. Yan spotted a vendor weaving through locals to discreetly hand out counterfeit luxury brand flyers to the foreigners.
"Hey, what’s that promotion?" Yan tilted her head toward a mall screen where, instead of ads, a mesmerizing snippet of classical dance played for just a few dozen seconds.
By now, half the street had stopped to watch.
"So beautiful…"
"Stunning. That old poem—‘Light as a startled swan, graceful as a soaring dragon.’"
"Is this a dance drama? No singing, just movement."
Yan and Zhu Jue paused as the clip ended, replaced by bold promotional text:
[Dance Drama Goddess of the Luo River—Now Booking at Bin City Grand Theater! Premiering March 5th!]
"Let me check ticket prices. Bet it’s expensive."
"Those must be national-level performers."
Listening to the chatter around them, Yan noticed someone searching on their phone.
"Found it on Xiaohongshu—it’s the Central Dance Theater! Actual national team. What’s this ‘A-cast, B-cast’ thing? Apparently, there’s a lead named Sister Si, super talented, and another named Fu Yao—is she the understudy? Or B-cast? C-cast?"
Yan and Zhu Jue had already started walking again, but at the mention of "Central Dance Theater" and "Fu Yao," Yan froze mid-step.
Fu Yao? Central Dance Theater?
She exchanged a glance with Zhu Jue before pulling out her phone to search for details on Goddess of the Luo River.
The dance drama, a new production by the Central Dance Theater, had premiered in Ning City earlier this year, running over a dozen shows around the New Year. Today was likely its final Ning City performance, with Bin City as the first stop on its national tour.
March 5th—next Friday—kicked off three evening shows and two matinees over the weekend at Bin City Grand Theater.
Scrolling through the cast list on the drama's wiki page, Yan found Fu Yao's name highlighted in blue. Clicking it led to Fu Yao's Baidu Baike profile.
Classical Twin Stars. Two Flowers from One Stem.
Yes, that Fu Yao—the one possibly entangled with Senior He Xing.
She was the B-cast for the lead role, the Goddess of the Luo River.
Yan showed Zhu Jue her screen, and they ducked into a chain bubble tea shop to sit down. After ordering, Yan pulled up Fu Yao’s social media.
Her latest Weibo post was a curtain-call photo mid-bow, captioned:
"Next stop, Bin City! Coming home, everyone! [smiley face]"
"Senior He Xing gets discharged and returns to school this week, and next week, Fu Yao—studying in Ning City—comes back to Bin City for the show," Yan muttered.
"Too much of a coincidence."
A single thought echoed between them:
The storm is coming.
"Jue, if there really is bad blood, what do you think Senior He Xing will do?" Huddled in a corner with their drinks, Yan cupped her warm cup, thinking aloud. "With a production this big, if she tries exposing something now, it might get buried before anyone sees."
"Or tip off the wrong people," Zhu Jue added.
"You don’t think she’d… disrupt the actual performance, do you?" The idea made Yan uneasy.
After all, they’d only known Senior He Xing for a day. Judging her character was impossible.
And a dance drama wasn’t a solo act. With lead roles, ensemble dancers, and a full cast, any incident could easily hurt bystanders.
"Ugh, this is all speculation. But if something does happen, it’ll be too late to fix." Yan groaned, leaning her head on Zhu Jue’s shoulder. "Halo individuals—especially ones we don’t know well—are such a headache."
No way to predict Senior He Xing’s next move.
They weren’t the type to meddle in others’ affairs, but… better safe than sorry!
Their heads pressed close together, Zhu Jue held her hand tightly and murmured, “What if we ask Officer Zheng Yi about it?”
“Lan Ruo mentioned she’s in Bin City—maybe she could look into this.”
Yan pouted. “I thought of that too. The problem is how to tell her about a possible case without dragging ourselves into it.”
Two ordinary college students suddenly reaching out to a police officer they’d only met once or twice, claiming to have stumbled upon a suspicious cold case—wouldn’t that seem odd?
As she spoke, her phone was already open to her chat with Officer Zheng Yi on WeChat.
The last message in their history was still there—Yan glanced at the “part-time job listing” Zheng Yi had sent earlier, then looked at Zhu Jue.
“What if I reply and ask about this job? It kinda sounds like undercover work.”
“Become an informant first, then drop the intel—that would make sense, right?”
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