Chapter 96 - 095: Yang Bin’s Plot - Turning the Tables

Words : 1282 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 96: 095: Yang Bin’s Plot - Turning the Tables Qin Huai paused for a few seconds. "I don’t have him as a WeChat contact, so I could only pass a note." Even though Class Seven had a group chat, aside from the teacher and the class monitor, she hadn’t added anyone else. Yu Zhi softly acknowledged, then handed the note back to her. Seeing her display no reaction whatsoever—not even asking a single question—Qin Huai could barely hold it in anymore. She stealthily pointed in Lu Li’s direction. "Now, do you believe he likes you?" Yu Zhi pondered for a moment before delivering an utterly speechless response: "And what about it?" Qin Huai: "..." How was she supposed to respond to that? Qin Huai pressed her lips together, fumbling for words, but when the teacher shot her a death glare, she quickly shifted back and fixed her gaze on the podium, not daring to speak again. As soon as the bell rang, Lu Li strode straight to the back row, stopping in front of Yu Zhi’s desk. "Did the principal or anyone give you a hard time?" He leaned on the desk with one arm, bending slightly toward her. Yu Zhi looked up, and their eyes met. The warm sunlight streamed in through the window, its golden glow washing over them both, softening their profiles in a gentle aura. "No." The girl’s long lashes fluttered lightly like butterfly wings, and her almond-shaped eyes seemed to glimmer faintly under the golden light. For some reason, as Lu Li gazed at her in this moment of serene beauty, his ears grew red. He quickly averted his eyes, his voice inexplicably gentle. "If anything happens, you must tell me." Yu Zhi stared at him for half a minute. "Okay, thank you." "No need to be so polite with me." Lu Li lowered his gaze, skillfully hiding the emotions in his eyes. He always felt as though there was a river between them. While they seemed close on the surface, crossing it felt almost impossible. Yu Zhi hummed in reply. Seeing him still standing at her desk and not moving, she raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t you going to study?" "Hmm?" "The monthly exams are the day after tomorrow. Don’t you know?" At her words, Lu Li’s expression turned slightly awkward. But seeing her serious tone, he could only go along with her. "I do need to study. I’ll go now." He straightened up and walked away, but suddenly stopped as if remembering something. "A friend of mine gave me a few tickets to the amusement park. Are you free this weekend?" Yu Zhi shook her head. "No." Seeing her reject him without a second thought, a shadow of disappointment flickered in Lu Li’s eyes. He forced a small smile. "Then let me know when you’re free. The tickets don’t have an expiration date anyway." Before she could respond again, he quickly turned and walked back to his seat. Qin Huai, who had been playing the role of a mute all along, sighed heavily as she watched his retreating back. ** Dusk settled. In an apartment in the center of the City, a young girl stood at a long table, holding a soft tape measure against a piece of starry blue fabric. The month was almost over, yet she hadn’t even finished the designs for the next season’s collection. She had no choice but to use her after-school hours to catch up on work. Yu Zhi picked up a pair of scissors and decisively cut along the edge of the fabric. First, she measured its length with her eyes, then wrapped the material around a mannequin and secured it with pins. After nearly two hours of work, Yu Zhi finally paused, frowning slightly as she scrutinized the piece in front of her, still dissatisfied. She was just about to remove the pins and redo it when her phone rang—it was Shi Wei calling again. Hearing that he was almost at her complex, Yu Zhi had no choice but to grab the unfinished piece and hurry out the door. By coincidence, she ran into her neighbor from across the hall at the elevator. "Heading out?" Yang Bin offered a polite smile, though his eyes betrayed no emotion. Yu Zhi gave a simple nod, glancing at his empty hands out of the corner of her eye. Her eyebrows lifted subtly. The two went downstairs together. Just as they were about to exit the lobby, Yang Bin stopped her. "Did you hear that?" He pointed toward the nearby fire escape. "Hear what?" "It sounded like something inside." Yang Bin’s expression was unusually serious. Yu Zhi glanced impassively toward the fire escape. "I didn’t hear anything." "There really was a noise." At his words, a piercingly shrill sob sounded from inside. The sound was so eerie in the quiet hallway that it sent chills down the spine. Yu Zhi’s gaze lingered on the pocket of his jacket for two seconds, her eyes flickering with subtle discernment. "Shall we check it out?" She stepped inside. As she brushed past Yang Bin, he caught a glimpse of the curiosity and intrigue in her gaze. Seeing her so unsuspecting, Yang Bin let out a faint sigh of relief. His fingers played with the gray handkerchief in his pocket as he quickly followed her inside. "There’s no one here," Yu Zhi murmured, heading toward the corner. As she bent to pick up a recorder on the floor and was about to turn around, a hand holding a gray handkerchief reached out from behind her, covering her mouth and nose. Five seconds later, as Yang Bin looked down at the girl now unconscious on the floor, his hands trembled slightly by his sides. Not daring to waste another second, he quickly hoisted her onto his shoulder and descended the stairs into the Level Two parking garage. The whole time, Yang Bin’s focus was razor-sharp. He failed to notice, however, that the girl he carried on his shoulder had already opened her eyes. Yu Zhi lay motionless in the back seat of a small sedan, silently counting every stop and turn to map out her location. "Bzzz, bzz bzz—" Her schoolbag, now in the front passenger seat, began to vibrate. With a frustrated click of his tongue, Yang Bin quickly pulled over, retrieved the phone from her bag, and, without looking, turned off the call before tossing the phone into the bushes by the roadside. Before restarting the car, he turned to glance at the girl, his gaze a mixture of unreadable emotions. Yu Zhi knew who had been calling. Not wanting him to worry, she used a moment when Yang Bin wasn’t looking to adjust her wristwatch, aligning its face with her pupil in a blind spot. Meanwhile— Shi Wei’s unease grew after several failed attempts to reach her. Rushing into their apartment building, he impatiently jabbed at the elevator button. But seeing it stuck on an upper floor, he decided to take the stairs instead. He had only gone up two flights when an unknown number called his phone. He quickly swiped to answer. "Zhizhi?" There was no response on the other end. Just as he was about to hang up, assuming it was a spam call, he heard two faint taps. "Zhizhi, is that you?" Shi Wei’s heart was racing uncontrollably, a deep fear wrapping tightly around him, suffocating him. Again, two light taps answered him. Shi Wei took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He lowered his voice. "Zhizhi, how many people are around you?" To ensure silence and hear clearly, Shi Wei softened his footsteps as he continued down the corridor.

Chapter 96 - 095: Yang Bin’s Plot - Turning the Tables

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