Chapter 52: A Flaw?

Out of the corner of her eye, Qin Youyou caught Qin Chuan gazing at the oversized steamed bun, lost in thought. Her cheeks flushed crimson. She immediately understood the real purpose of the bun, instinctively lowering her head to glance at herself. Damn it, why buy such a huge bun? Was she supposed to transform into a dairy cow?

“Don’t just stand there—put this on,” Qin Chuan said, eyes closed, handing over his phone with the message typed out.

Qin Youyou looked closely and realized that along with the phone, he was handing her a shapewear garment. Unlike ordinary shapewear, this one had clearly been modified; mysterious materials had been added to the chest area for extra padding.

She quickly slipped into the altered shapewear and noticed that her already modest curves had vanished entirely, leaving her figure smooth and flat.

“So this is a special tool to disguise a woman’s identity!” she suddenly understood.

Compared to Qin Chuan’s bun disguise, any resistance she had toward the custom shapewear evaporated instantly.

The two quickly finished swapping outfits.

Luckily, Qin Chuan’s slender frame and the loose fit of Qin Youyou’s white shirt made the change possible without arousing suspicion from any hidden watchers. Only the jeans felt a bit tight and the shoes pinched his feet, but these were minor inconveniences; his temperament and skills easily overcame them.

With the added “padding,” Qin Youyou managed to fill out the slightly oversized black suit.

“It’s just that the young lady criticized you a little, why the sudden change of attitude?” Qin Chuan suddenly spoke in Ah Wei’s voice.

“I didn’t! If Miss Lan has any advice, she’s welcome to share it—I’ll gladly accept!” Qin Youyou instantly grasped Qin Chuan’s meaning; the next step was the “face change.”

A faint smile curled Qin Chuan’s lips. After all these years, their tacit understanding remained. This girl had certainly developed the cleverness she’d shown as a child.

Moments later, Qin Chuan pulled a wafer-thin, cicada-wing-like mask from the black plastic bag.

Qin Youyou soon noticed that the “mask” was identical to the face of the previous bodyguard.

“Since you have the right attitude, just stay put and don’t move. Don’t upset our young lady,” Qin Chuan continued, his tone guiding Qin Youyou while casting a glance toward the door; he sensed someone eavesdropping outside.

To avoid exposing themselves, they needed to finish the act quickly, lest the kidnappers become suspicious and change their plans.

Qin Youyou understood immediately, standing perfectly still.

Qin Chuan gently placed the pre-prepared human skin mask on her face and followed it up with various disguise materials.

Three minutes later, gazing at the unfamiliar face in the mirror, Qin Youyou was filled with disbelief.

Then she realized a crucial issue: Qin Chuan could mimic any voice flawlessly, but she couldn’t!

“Ah Wei, you’ve been awfully chatty today! From now until you take me home, you’re not allowed to utter a single word, understand?”

“At your command, Miss Lan. From now on, I’m mute!”

Qin Chuan quickly improvised a conversation between Lan Jin and Ah Wei, patching the bug Qin Youyou had worried would arise.

Checking his own reflection, Qin Chuan made sure there were no flaws in his disguise, then snapped his fingers with satisfaction.

Snap!

Moments later.

Lan Jin and Chen Mingjun both jolted awake as if from a nightmare, bewildered as they looked around.

“Miss Lan, are you alright?” Qin Chuan, now disguised as Qin Youyou, asked with concern.

Lan Jin rubbed her forehead, her mind still foggy. She hadn’t touched any alcohol, yet she felt as though she’d blacked out from drinking.

Chen Mingjun was in a similar state but said nothing, showing no sign of discomfort.

He also realized Lan Jin had purposely targeted Qin Youyou, and given his position, it would be impossible for him to intervene, even slightly.

Rather than risk offending Miss Lan, it was better to remain quietly invisible.

“Ah Wei received a call just now. It seems Master Lan wants you to return home immediately,” Qin Chuan said, deliberately mimicking Qin Youyou’s tone to help her out.

Lan Jin glanced at “Qin Ah Wei,” who promptly nodded.

Lan Jin frowned slightly. Wasn’t Ah Wei chatty just moments ago? Why was he suddenly so tight-lipped?

“Miss Lan ordered Ah Wei not to speak a single word until you got home. It seems he’s truly loyal to you!” Qin Chuan continued to cover for Qin Youyou.

“Did I say that?” Lan Jin couldn’t recall giving such an order, but Qin Youyou and Ah Wei’s behavior suggested she had.

For a moment, Lan Jin fell into deep self-doubt and looked to Chen Mingjun for confirmation.

Chen Mingjun’s mouth twitched. He didn’t remember Lan Jin saying that, but there was no reason for Qin Youyou and Ah Wei to fabricate it.

After all, everyone was fully conscious; any fabrication would be exposed instantly.

“Perhaps it’s age—my memory’s fading. I seem to recall Miss Lan saying that,” Chen Mingjun offered a vague response.

Lan Jin grew even more frustrated.

“Director Chen, you should go drive an olive car,” she said sourly.

Chen Mingjun easily caught the sarcasm, recognizing her jab at his tendency to smooth things over.

“You’re right, Miss Lan. My driving skills are indeed excellent,” he replied, playing along.

Lan Jin rolled her eyes. Clearly, muddling through and playing dumb were vital survival skills for these old foxes.

“Miss Lan, it seems everyone’s finished eating…”

Before Qin Chuan, in the guise of Qin Youyou, could finish, Lan Jin interrupted, “Let’s call it a day!”

She’d long lost any appetite. The entire day had been thoroughly confusing.

First, she learned of Lin Wanyu’s sudden illness and went to visit her, only to be summoned to school to resolve trouble caused by her unlucky brother.

Then she was dragged to lunch, but failed to properly admonish Qin Youyou, and experienced a bizarre blackout despite not drinking.

“Ah Wei, let’s go!” Lan Jin said irritably.

Qin Youyou’s body tensed, instinctively looking at Qin Chuan. Truthfully, she was nervous—she barely knew Ah Wei and had no idea about his habits.

Though she’d managed to bluff her way through Lan Jin, she was sure she’d slip up once they reached the Lan household.

Yet Qin Chuan gave her an unobtrusive reassuring look.

“If Brother Chuan says it’s fine, it must be fine,” Qin Youyou thought, her anxiety dissolving as she followed Lan Jin out of the Glorious Restaurant.

Soon, only Qin Chuan and Chen Mingjun remained in the private room.

With a suddenly grave expression, Chen Mingjun quietly asked, “Professor Qin, was I unconscious just now?”

“Why do you ask, Director Chen?” Qin Chuan was a bit surprised.

Chen Mingjun smiled, “Perhaps you don’t know, but I always check my watch.”

Qin Chuan’s heart skipped a beat. Though Chen Mingjun’s words were only half-spoken, their meaning was clear: he’d checked his watch before being hypnotized.

Qin Chuan’s hypnosis was masterful—afterward, the subject felt only a few seconds of lost consciousness—but the watch didn’t lie.

Fortunately, Qin Chuan sensed no hidden surveillance nearby; the kidnappers’ attention was focused on Ah Wei and Lan Jin.

From their perspective, Ah Wei and Lan Jin had the closest contact with Qin Chuan.

After Qin Chuan entered the Lan family’s old estate, he hadn’t come out, whereas Ah Wei and Lan Jin had gone straight to the sensitive area—Seaside University.

So monitoring Ah Wei and Lan Jin was more critical.

Qin Chuan shot Chen Mingjun a cold look, then suddenly smiled. “What if you simply misread your watch?”

“How could I…”

“If you don’t want to die, you’ll misread it,” Qin Chuan interrupted in a low, dangerous tone.