### Chapter 336: Kidnapped Lu Liangting
“So when do you plan to tell her the truth?”
In the back, Zhao Mingyue and Li Qingtang were chatting away, while Bai Yu turned to the Dragon Lady beside her and asked.
“Mingyue isn’t as naive as you think. She’s actually quite clever. Sure, she may be a bit slow on the uptake, but once she gets a hint, she can follow it down the rabbit hole and piece everything together.”
“Honestly, she’s probably already guessed it. You can’t keep hiding it, but she’s just too shy to bring it up. She’s probably waiting for you to take the plunge.”
“I know, I know! I’ve been thinking about it, too,” the Dragon Lady sighed, looking forlorn. “To be honest, I have no clue when or how to tell her. It feels inappropriate no matter when I say it, yet I have to confess soon.”
“Humans are complicated like that,” she mused. “I think of myself as decisive, yet at this crucial moment, I can’t make up my mind. I mean, I’m even scared to admit it and face it head-on.”
“In the past, I could say that I wasn’t the complete Zhao Yi until I took care of my other half’s soul, but now that excuse doesn’t hold water anymore.”
“I want to lead her to the truth before telling her outright, but I also dread her knowing the truth.”
Bai Yu glanced at the Dragon Lady, noticing this was the first time she’d seen her so tangled up. It was clear she still hadn’t figured out how to come clean.
From Bai Yu’s perspective, the Dragon Lady didn’t need to struggle so much. After all, the situation had been resolved. Just take Zhao Mingyue out sometime, drop a few hints here and there, and when night falls, find a quiet spot by a lake or something and lay it all out. Throw in a casual, “See you tomorrow,” and that’s that. Let it simmer overnight, and by morning, they’d both be ready to accept it.
“I think it’s best if you just say it straight.”
Bai Yu laid out her plan, and the Dragon Lady’s troubled expression immediately transformed into one of sunshine, “Bai Yu, you’re a genius!”
She nearly leaped to hug Bai Yu, but ended up embracing thin air as Bai Yu dodged to the side.
“Alright, alright, I get your drift. As the older sister, I can’t really steal my little sister’s girl now, can I?”
The Dragon Lady wasn’t mad; by now, she had accepted that Bai Yu liked Zhao Mingyue, who just so happened to be her sister. In this situation, there’s no backpedaling.
“So Miss Doctor, should I call you brother-in-law, or sister-in-law? Let’s just combine it and call you ‘sister’!”
“……”
“Silence means you agree!”
While chattering away, the Dragon Lady caught snippets of Zhao Mingyue and Li Qingtang’s conversation and eyed Bai Yu, signaling her, “Looks like you’ve got a mission.”
The drive back was quiet, with Bai Yu slipping back into Zhao Mingyue’s shadow, while the Dragon Lady handled the wheel. Zhao Mingyue and Li Qingtang were both preoccupied—with sister issues and daughter-and-husband drama, respectively.
Li Qingtang stared out at the receding scenery, feigning that she wasn’t stressed at all.
This was her only option now; if it failed, she could only let fate decide.
Li Tianan had long since disappointed her beyond repair; she’d never place hope in him again, especially concerning their daughter.
The car cruised into town, and Li Qingtang got out early without mentioning where she was heading. Given the route, it seemed she was off to find Li Tianan; he was the only way she could track down their daughter.
“Uh, Li Jie, the Store Manager hasn’t been in lately. The last time I called him, he said he was busy.”
“Don’t worry, I can find her. Thanks for all your help.”
“No problem! By the way, you saved my contact info, right? Call me if you need anything, I live nearby.” Zhao Mingyue waved, and Li Qingtang nodded, thanked her, and took off.
“Sigh, poor sister. Did you all hear what she said?” Zhao Mingyue propped her chin on her hand, looking forlorn.
“Of course. You made the right choice. Before understanding the situation fully, it’s best not to jump in with both feet. Otherwise, if things go south, you’ll be responsible,” the Dragon Lady replied while driving.
“I know that! Bai Yu has drilled it into me repeatedly.”
“Well, remembering is a good start. Trust in Bai Yu, it’s only gonna benefit you; she won’t harm you.”
“Feels like ever since you completed your soul, you’ve turned into an old lady, even your speech!” Zhao Mingyue chuckled.
“Really? I think this is pretty nice. But don’t say that! After my soul was completed, I actually feel quite good. Maybe it’s brought about some changes, and they’re all good changes—certainly no side effects!” The Dragon Lady smiled kindly, and it reminded Zhao Mingyue of someone.
That smile, that tone—it was so familiar.
They parked outside an apartment complex, and just before Zhao Mingyue stepped out, the Dragon Lady suddenly piped up, “Wait, Mingyue.”
“Uh?” Zhao Mingyue halted.
“I just wanted to ask, are you free tomorrow afternoon? I heard there’s a carnival opening up in the north of the city. Want to go together?” The Dragon Lady looked eager, clenching the steering wheel in a bid to keep her expression natural.
It was a different vibe than a young lad asking his crush out for a movie date, but it was still the same underlying anxiety.
“Tomorrow? I’m free! No plans, looks like I’ll just be hanging out at home.” Zhao Mingyue beamed.
“Great! I’ll swing by to pick you up tomorrow afternoon; I’ll message you.”
“Yup, yup, yup!”
As they watched Zhao Mingyue’s silhouette fade around the corner of the building, the Dragon Lady slumped against her seat, slapping the steering wheel. “Yes!”
It was nerve-wracking to say that line, but seeing Zhao Mingyue’s response brought her relief.
As the Dragon Lady, hanging out with Zhao Mingyue would merely have them as friends.
But come tomorrow, she wouldn’t just be “the Dragon Lady”; she’d also have the identity of “Zhao Yi.” Their relationship would transform from mere friends to sisters, and that feeling was bound to be different.
Even after spending all this time together, it still gave her a joy akin to reuniting with a long-lost sibling.
Regaining those forgotten memories made her even fonder of Zhao Mingyue. Of course, that fondness strictly stemmed from family ties—pure kinship.
Lost in her excitement, the Dragon Lady powered on her phone.
As the chat screen lit up, a dozen unread messages popped up.
“What!?”
“Lu Liangting is missing?”
The Dragon Lady frowned deeply. The messages came from her allies, mostly rooted in mutual benefit—people she could trade information with.
Scrolling down, she spotted a text from Jiang Qingzhou, aka Nightmare.
“Hello, Teacher Zhao! It’s been a while since you came to teach Yutong; she’s really worried about you.”
“I respect your choices, and I think I understand your mindset, though I’m not entirely certain. But it’s no biggie.”
“What I said before can be taken as a joke or a fact. Either way, I don’t want you to pass it on to a fourth person; that won’t do us any favors.”
“After all, if I fail, my efforts still account for something, right? That might even help you unexpectedly.”
“Wishing you a bright future and steady progress.”
With the news of Lu Liangting’s disappearance and Nightmare’s message interconnected, it was hard not to suspect that Nightmare had something to do with it.
No, let’s be real: it was definitely Nightmare pulling the strings. Bai Yu might entertain this notion, but she wouldn’t act on it right away; even if she did, her target would simply be Nightmare.
For Nightmare, Lu Liangting was a perfectly useful pawn. Only she could gather all those female madwomen in one place, ripe for Nightmare to scoop them all up.
Nightmare was currently “coaxing” a group before eliminating them—double-dipping, targeting Bai Yu while hunting down other players. But Bai Yu hadn’t given her any opportunity; she hadn’t even been in Tianchang City lately. So Nightmare was directing all her focus on taking out other participants instead.
“This girl is really annoying. Why does she have to strike now?”
Lu Liangting’s capture was today, and all her fellow game participants were on the hunt. By the time Nightmare’s plan kicked in, it would take a maximum of a day or two—three days at most.
Perfectly coinciding with the day she and Zhao Mingyue were supposed to recognize each other, which could ruin the entire vibe.
So, what to do?
“Let’s play it by ear. If tomorrow doesn’t work, there’s always the day after.”
Tomorrow should be fine. No matter how quick Nightmare was to set things in motion, spreading news to lure in more targets would take time. One day wouldn’t cut it; two to three days should suffice.
“Honestly, how is she not terrified of screwing herself over? Provoking so many people at once—what gall!”
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Meanwhile, at a certain Ghost Gate.
“Don’t worry, you won’t get hurt. I didn’t k*ll your sister; I just borrowed her powers for a bit. She’ll be fine in a month. Once this is over, I’ll let you go back.”
The night wind howled, causing Li Tianan’s black coat to flutter dramatically.
He stood next to the tightly bound Lu Liangting, removing his mask to reveal a face decorated with dark patterns and dual pupils.
“But for the rest… I’ve been preparing for this a long time. Since we’re killing anyway, I don’t mind increasing the body count a little.”
Li Tianan had absorbed power equivalent to three Evil Gods. Whether it be curses or physical prowess, his current boost was monumental.
He craved vengeance. He aimed to take down the Gatekeeper, from the President down to every single member. If any remained, he would hunt them slowly, till not a single Gatekeeper existed in the world.
And he provided himself with a side mission—seal the Ghost Gate inside his daughter’s body.
The plan kicked off in three days; this was the first and crucial step.
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