Chapter 51: Did You Really Think I Was Here to Be Your Main Course?

Brilliance Restaurant.

Inside the VIP private room.

Lan Jin’s eyes, large and lively, darted about restlessly.

She had noticed something odd: Qin Youyou had initiated conversation with Ah Wei many more times than with herself—at least a dozen times more. It was as if two chairpersons of publicly listed companies met to discuss a project, only for one of them to chat with the other’s receptionist about domestic trivialities.

Logically, in order to avoid provoking the Lan family’s wrath, Qin Youyou should have tried to cozy up to her, the heiress. Why focus on a bodyguard instead?

“Could it be that Ah Wei’s standing in the Lan family outweighs mine?” she mused. “Or… is this woman plotting something else?”

A flash of insight shot through Lan Jin’s mind.

“I see now!” Her eyes gleamed with renewed intelligence. “Ah Wei is Grandfather’s most trusted confidant. The reason to get close to him is clear.”

“I treat you as a professor, but you wish to become my grandmother?”

“How deep is this woman’s scheming? How vicious her intent?”

Lan Jin felt that Ah Wei was on the first level, Qin Youyou on the second, and she herself, Lady Lan, on the third—a perfect example of a dimensionality reduction strike!

“Ah Wei, you seem to have eaten enough. Go fill up the car with gas for me!” Lan Jin gave the order, her tone commanding, determined to show Qin Youyou who truly held the highest cards in the Lan family.

But to her shock, Ah Wei, who always obeyed her every word, remained seated, unmoving.

“Ah Wei, did you not hear what I said?” Lan Jin’s voice carried a hint of displeasure, a strong feeling of frustration from her attempt to show off falling flat.

“Miss, the Master ordered me to stay by your side and protect you without leaving.” Ah Wei’s words were resolute, his meaning clear—her orders were ineffective.

Lan Jin’s delicate brows furrowed. Her voice turned cold: “Do you believe I can have Grandfather fire you right now?”

She raised her phone, unmistakably threatening.

“I don’t believe it!” Ah Wei blurted out.

“Damn it, you’re getting bold, aren’t you?” Lan Jin seethed. “Is my temper not enough to handle a mere bodyguard?”

She grew more irate, nearly ready to overturn the table.

But when her furious gaze met Ah Wei’s eyes, Lan Jin was struck by an indescribable dizziness.

Moments later, what she saw was no longer the bodyguard’s eyes, but two miniature black holes slowly spinning.

As the black holes spun faster, a wave of intense drowsiness washed over her.

Her eyelids felt impossibly heavy, impossible to keep open any longer. About five seconds later, Lan Jin slumped onto the table, unconscious.

Chen Mingjun was terrified, about to ask what had happened, when he too met Ah Wei’s gaze.

Moments later, Chen Mingjun followed Lan Jin’s fate.

Witnessing this bizarre and almost supernatural scene, even Qin Youyou, who had some suspicions about Ah Wei’s true identity, instantly heightened her alertness.

Qin Youyou gripped her knife and fork, ready for confrontation.

“Who exactly are you…” Her voice was low, intending to probe Ah Wei’s real identity.

She saw him gesture for silence.

“Walls have ears!” At the same time, Ah Wei mouthed the warning.

Qin Youyou immediately raised her voice: “Are you really Lan Miss’s bodyguard? You won’t even obey her orders?”

Her response was quick, seamlessly fitting the earlier exchange between Lan Jin and Ah Wei, while also picking up her previous unfinished question.

“Professor Qin is right, so now even I can’t command you?” “Mr. Ah Wei, I suggest you follow Miss Lan’s orders. You haven’t even drunk alcohol—why are you suddenly speaking nonsense?” “Heed advice and eat well, but Miss, could you let me eat a bit more? You can’t expect the horse to run and not feed it, can you?”

Though the voices belonged to three different people, they now came one after another from Ah Wei’s throat. His performance left Qin Youyou exclaiming internally.

Qin Youyou almost wondered if she was experiencing auditory hallucinations.

But as Ah Wei continued to switch between all three voices, even mimicking her own, she finally dismissed the idea of hallucination.

“This is nothing less than a human voice-changer!” Qin Youyou marveled.

“Don’t ask any more questions, just listen to my instructions. Your safety depends on it.”

Taking the phone offered by Ah Wei, Qin Youyou saw a line of text on the notepad app.

She nodded solemnly.

Though she still didn’t know who Ah Wei really was, his abilities meant he could harm her easily if he wished—there was no need for such elaborate measures.

“What do you want me to do next?” Qin Youyou quickly typed.

The two began exchanging fake spoken words to cover their real conversation, which took place via typing on the phone.

“Play me well!”

Seeing these four words, the always clever Qin Youyou was momentarily bewildered.

Ah Wei gave no further explanation, instead observing her intently, scanning her as if he were some human imaging device. Qin Youyou felt chills under his scrutiny.

After a moment, Ah Wei rummaged through a black plastic bag beside the stool, then turned away, busying himself with something before dabbing something on his face.

When he turned around again, Qin Youyou nearly cried out in shock.

Ah Wei’s previously ordinary face now looked almost identical to her own.

“How is this possible?” Qin Youyou was utterly astonished, quickly covering her mouth to stifle her gasp.

“Who are you?” After a moment, she gathered herself and typed her greatest question.

Her “other self” smiled brightly at her.

“From now on, I am you, and you are Ah Wei. Don’t ask why—there’s no time to explain.” “Time is short. Hurry, take off your clothes!”

Qin Chuan quickly typed these two sentences.

Yes, this was Qin Chuan disguised as Ah Wei.

“Take… take off my clothes?” Qin Youyou’s expressive eyes were full of disbelief.

“Quick!” Qin Chuan signaled her with a secret gesture they’d used as children.

Qin Youyou didn’t move, instead mouthing, “Brother, is it you?”

Qin Chuan tensed, but didn’t admit it directly, only urging her to hurry, and he began to remove his jacket.

It was not yet the best time for a heartfelt reunion. If he could use this opportunity to expose the mastermind, then they could recognize each other later.

Yet Qin Chuan’s slight hesitation and expression did not escape Qin Youyou’s notice. She already had her answer.

“Alright!” she mouthed, then began to undress.

She was nearly certain this was her brother—the one who had been so good to her in childhood.

“My brother Chuan is alive—thank goodness!”

Qin Youyou was overwhelmed. If not for concern about eavesdroppers, she would have rushed into his arms and wept.

“Doing as Brother Chuan says is always right.”

It was the lesson from countless childhood escapades she’d gotten away with thanks to his guidance.

Qin Chuan’s mouth twitched at the sight, quickly turning away, thinking to himself that she was no longer a child—how could she still act like she was?

Clearing his mind, Qin Chuan swiftly removed his own shirt, continuing the preparations for their identity swap.

But when he picked up an auxiliary prop, he couldn’t help but laugh and cry at once.

“Damn, you bought one this big—do you think I’m supposed to eat it as a staple?”

He looked at the steamed bun, as big as a baby’s head, and silently sent a heartfelt, somewhat expletive-laden greeting to his younger brother Ah Wei.