Upon hearing Hu Tao's words, Qin Yu's heart stopped for a moment. A chill ran down her spine, spreading through her entire body.
"Hu Tao, what are you saying?" Qin Yu tried to put up one last resistance.
But Hu Tao simply crossed her arms, ruthlessly tearing away the last veil Qin Yu had wrapped around herself.
"Isn't that enough already?"
"..."
Qin Yu had no reply. She could only turn her face away, distractedly fiddling with her bracelet, looking utterly lost.
The worst-case scenario had finally come to pass.
Someone had seen through her, and it was none other than someone close to her. When did they realize? No, more important than that: What do I do now?
"Qin Yu."
Hu Tao's voice made Qin Yu's shoulders twitch.
Not "Fishy Treasure," but "Qin Yu." Is Hu Tao angry? The mere thought sent a jolt of fear and guilt through Qin Yu's heart.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Qin Yu stammered, her voice trembling, tears welling in her eyes.
Hu Tao hadn't expected Qin Yu to suddenly burst into tears. She froze, completely flustered.
"You don't need to apologize!" Hu Tao blurted out. "Ah, did I go too far? It's my fault, my fault! Just sit here and calm down for a bit. I don't mind at all!"
"But..."
Realizing she couldn't reason with Qin Yu right now, Hu Tao grabbed her hand.
"Sit down," Hu Tao said.
Qin Yu tried to pull her hand away, but Hu Tao held on tight, as if afraid she would run.
In truth, Qin Yu did feel the urge to flee, but she ultimately resisted it. If she ran, she'd consider herself worse than a wicked woman.
If Hu Tao wanted to punish her, she had no reason to resist.
After all, it was entirely her own fault.
However, Qin Yu had one request.
"Fishy Treasure... please call me that again," she murmured, lowering her head in submission.
Don't call me by my name. Whenever Hu Tao used her name, Qin Yu felt a tightness in her chest, as if she couldn't breathe.
So even if Hu Tao intended to punish her next, Qin Yu hoped she would continue to call her "Fishy Treasure."
Hu Tao paused, then said, "Fishy Treasure, sit down."
Just hearing Hu Tao call her "Fishy Treasure" made Qin Yu feel a little better. But she still felt terrible, a jumble of emotions churning inside her, giving her the urge to vomit.
Sitting uneasily on a rock, Qin Yu's foggy mind couldn't think straight.
"I'm sorry," she kept apologizing.
"Stop apologizing! You're making me feel like I've done something terribly wrong," Hu Tao sighed.
"It's my fault... I'm sorry."
As she spoke, Qin Yu couldn't help but cry again, wiping away the tears streaming down her face with her hands like a cat grooming itself.
Hu Tao was startled again, not realizing Qin Yu was such a crybaby. Just as she was about to offer more comfort, Qin Yu suddenly took a deep breath, covered her face, and exhaled.
She repeated this deep breathing several times, trying to regain some composure.
Hu Tao asked cautiously, "Feeling calmer now?"
"...Yeah."
She wasn't calm. She couldn't calm down.
But once she started crying, Qin Yu felt disgusted with herself, as if she were using her tears to beg for sympathy—even though it was a physiological reaction she couldn't control.
"I'm sorry," Qin Yu said again.
"I told you, it's fine," Hu Tao reassured Qin Yu, but instead of calming her, it made Qin Yu feel even more loathsome. The more she apologized, the more it felt like she was begging for forgiveness.
Yet she couldn't remain silent.
"When did you realize?" Qin Yu asked, her head bowed.
"I found it a little strange from the start, but since I wasn't sure and didn't need to confirm it, I didn't bother. It was only later that I became certain you were pretending."
Hu Tao chuckled, as if trying to lighten the mood. "Still, you're quite something. If you hadn't been a bit clumsy at the beginning, I might never have suspected a thing."
Qin Yu remained despondent, wanting to speak but falling silent again.
It's true, I was clumsy at first. Hu Tao did seem to notice something was off. So she already suspected back then, she just wasn't certain.
No need to confirm it?
"Then why did you... today?" Qin Yu asked anxiously.
"Because your mother entrusted me with a quest to take good care of you."
"Teacher said that?" Qin Yu asked, astonished.
Hu Tao nodded. "Exactly! Since it was a quest, Director, I naturally had to execute it perfectly. That meant exposing you."
So that's how it was.
The Teacher entrusted Hu Tao with this task, and even though Hu Tao saw through my act—that I was playing a role and deceiving everyone—she still accepted it. She's such a good person.
But compared to her, I've always...
Qin Yu couldn't bear the overwhelming guilt that kept flooding her heart and couldn't help but apologize again.
"I'm sorry. I've been deceiving you all this time for my own sake..."
Hu Tao sighed deeply. "I told you, stop apologizing. I don't feel wronged at all."
"Really?"
"Why would I lie? If I felt uncomfortable, I'd definitely say so! Unlike you, who hides your true feelings, Hu Tao is always genuine! Happy is happy, and annoyed is annoyed!" Hu Tao winked playfully.
Qin Yu desperately wanted to believe Hu Tao's words, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to think positively.
With her "magic" forcibly dispelled and her "mask" brutally torn off, she felt as exposed as if she were sitting naked before Hu Tao—utterly vulnerable and deeply uneasy.
Qin Yu knew her personality wasn't good. She was prone to complaining, impulsive, and riddled with flaws.
Once her "magic" vanished, her true, ugly self would be exposed.
Whether one liked or disliked someone ultimately depended on their personality—their inner qualities. Qin Yu thought, How could anyone like me, a woman whose only redeeming feature is her face?
If I don't think I'll be liked, then I need to become someone who will be.
Hu Tao had unilaterally torn off Qin Yu's dazzling facade, claiming not to dislike her. But deep down, Qin Yu suspected it was just comforting words, polite platitudes.
She longed to demand the truth, but knew that doing so would only make her seem more troublesome and unlikeable.
"I see..."
Hu Tao vaguely guessed what Qin Yu was thinking and asked, "You don't believe me?"
Qin Yu didn't answer.
But that silence was an admission in itself.
"Then if I could prove it, would you believe me?" Hu Tao pressed.
Prove it?
Qin Yu asked, puzzled, "How would you prove it?"
"Simple. If words can't be trusted, then let's look at actions," Hu Tao grinned. "Actions never lie! No matter what someone says, their actions reveal their true nature and whether they're telling the truth or not."
That makes sense... But if actions were the key, what exactly did she have in mind?
"So—"
Hu Tao leaned in close, her face flushing visibly, excitement sparkling in her eyes. She braced her hand on Qin Yu's thigh and whispered, "Let's kiss."
How did things turn out like this?!
Evaluation: S-