Chapter 20: Too Pretty to Be Innocent

The low hum of Kai's computer filled the dimly lit apartment. Multiple screens flickered, casting blue light onto his sharp features as his fingers danced across the keyboard. The air smelled faintly of stale coffee and the remnants of takeout—neither of which had been touched since they started digging into the new mystery.

On the couch, Lin Xuan twirled a lollipop between his fingers, his usual carefree expression replaced with something more serious. His dark eyes stayed fixed on one of the screens, absorbing every word and image. Meanwhile, Lin Yuxi sat perched on the edge of her seat, her chin resting on clasped hands, eyes sharp and focused. The tension in the room was palpable, hanging in the air like a tightly coiled spring.

Then—

"Got them," Kai murmured, his voice slicing through the heavy silence.

Yuxi's gaze sharpened instantly. "The twins?"

Kai nodded, his eyes narrowing. "Tang Zhenyu and Tang Zhenqi. Final-year students at Royal Crest."

Lin Xuan sat up straighter, leaning in, to peer at the screen. "That's it? No pictures? No detailed records?"

Kai's jaw tightened as he scrolled through the files. "Nothing. No childhood history, no school transfers, no extracurriculars—hell, not even a club registration. It's like they only exist within Royal Crest and nowhere else."

Yuxi frowned, tapping her fingers against the armrest. "That's not just unusual. It's intentional."

Kai leaned back, running a hand through his hair, frustration flashing in his usually composed eyes. "Exactly. Someone wiped their records clean. Not just anyone—this was done at a level I can't breach without triggering multiple alarms." His voice dropped slightly. "We've been running into this kind of situation a lot since coming to Baicheng. First the Qin family, and now these Tang twins."

Yuxi leaned back, her thoughts spiraling into sharper focus. This wasn't a coincidence. Someone—no, multiple people—had gone to great lengths to keep certain identities buried. But why?

And how were they all connected?

Lin Xuan rolled onto his stomach, kicking his feet up behind him. "So, what do we do? Bribe someone in administration? Blackmail a professor? Maybe stage a hostage situation?"

Kai turned and shot him a look. "Xuan, this is real life, not one of your crime dramas."

Xuan grinned. "Real life is boring."

Yuxi exhaled, mentally running through her options. "If their school records are wiped, the next best way to find them is through their family connections."

Kai nodded, quickly pulling up a list of Tang families in Baicheng. The screen filled with names—business tycoons, politicians, and prominent figures in various industries.

"The problem," Kai muttered, "is that none of these families have twins."

Yuxi's fingers curled slightly. "Which means they're either using an alias… or their real identities are buried even deeper."

A beat of silence passed.

Then—

Xuan, lazily scrolling on his own device, spoke up. "What if they aren't originally from Baicheng?"

Yuxi and Kai exchanged a glance.

Kai cursed under his breath. "That… would explain a lot."

If they weren't just hiding something, but someone else entirely before arriving at Royal Crest, it made them infinitely more dangerous.

The tension lingered thickly until Xuan decided to lighten the mood.

"Hey, Kai," Xuan said, tapping his chin. "What if the twins are actually spies? You know, like those secret agents who infiltrate elite schools?"

Kai rolled his eyes. "Xuan—"

"Or underground mafia heirs here to settle an old family feud!"

"Xuan."

"Or… maybe they're time travelers!"

A pen flew across the room, hitting Xuan squarely on the forehead. He grinned, unfazed.

Yuxi hid a smirk, watching the familiar banter unfold. Despite everything, these moments were precious—the rare times they could still be themselves, joke around, and pretend life wasn't a web of lies and danger.

Then, the moment passed.

Kai's tone turned serious again. "Jokes aside, we need to be careful. If Qiao Ling was telling the truth, she's in real danger."

Yuxi's eyes darkened. "Or she already was the moment she stole that file for the twins."

And they didn't have to wait long to find out just how true that was.

The air on campus was thick with tension. Chaos erupted early that morning. A body had been found in the girls' dormitory.

Qiao Ling.

Her lifeless form was discovered in her room, sending shockwaves through the entire university. Whispers spread like wildfire:

"Was it suicide?"

"Or was she… killed?"

"Didn't she steal something recently? Could it be related?"

Yuxi arrived at Royal Crest, her steps measured and calm, her face composed as ever. But inside, her thoughts raced. I expected retaliation, but not like this.

Near the dormitory entrance, Su Ruoyan stood with her arms crossed, her usual playful smile nowhere to be found.

Ruoyan spotted her and raised an eyebrow. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

Yuxi met her gaze evenly. "What happened?"

Ruoyan exhaled, folding her arms tighter. "Qiao Ling was found dead this morning. No official cause yet, but… people are saying it doesn't look like suicide."

Yuxi's fingers twitched. "Who found her?"

"A dormmate. She didn't come out all morning, so they checked her room. The door was locked. They used a spare key and…" Ruoyan trailed off.

Yuxi didn't need her to finish.

"Any suspects?"

Ruoyan shook her head. "Not yet. But I overheard some professors talking. The administration thinks it's related to the missing file."

Of course, they did.

Yuxi remained silent, absorbing the information.

Qiao Ling had been terrified. And now, she was dead. Was it a punishment? A warning? Or something more sinister?

Ruoyan let out a slow breath, glancing at the crowd of students whispering among themselves. "We should stay out of this mess, Yuxi. It's spiraling out of control."

Yuxi's gaze flickered. "I agree. It's getting too complicated."

Ruoyan studied her for a moment, then scoffed. "You say that, but I bet you're already knee-deep in it."

Yuxi smiled—sweet, innocent. "I'm just an innocent bystander, Ruoyan."

Ruoyan rolled her eyes. "Sure you are. And I'm the dean of Royal Crest."

The murmuring crowd quieted almost instinctively as Qin Lei appeared, flanked by Jiang Cheng and Lu Bei. His sharp gaze swept over the scene, commanding without effort. His expression was unreadable as he approached Yuxi.

"Is it true?" His tone was calm but carried undeniable weight.

Yuxi nodded, her calm facade never wavering. "If you mean Qiao Ling… yes."

Jiang Cheng exhaled a long breath. "Damn. That's rough."

Lu Bei let out a low whistle. "Whoever did this wasn't messing around."

Qin Lei's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "And yet, we still don't know who 'they' are."

Yuxi met his gaze steadily. "We will."

A silence stretched between them—tense, heavy.

Then—

A shift in the air.

It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but Yuxi felt it immediately. The hairs on the back of her neck rose.

A presence.

Wrong. Too still. Too quiet.

Her instincts sharpened. Slowly, deliberately, she turned—

Two figures stood a few feet away. Their identical faces were expressionless, their bodies unnervingly still, like statues that had suddenly decided to move.

The Tang Twins.

For a fleeting second, Yuxi's first thought was: Too pretty.

Tall and poised, their movements were deliberate and graceful, almost unnatural in their precision. Their features were eerily mirrored—flawless porcelain skin, dark eyes that gleamed like polished glass under the harsh light. Their matching black uniforms only enhanced the illusion that they were one person reflected in a mirror.

They looked more like beautifully crafted dolls than real people.

And then, they smiled.

It wasn't a warm smile. Or a polite one. It was too slow, too deliberate, stretching across their faces a fraction too wide, just a little too knowing.

That's when Yuxi realized—

They weren't just watching.

They were waiting.

The crowd seemed to retreat unconsciously, leaving a circle of space around the twins as if driven back by something primal and unseen. Even Jiang Cheng and Lu Bei, usually unfazed, grew tense.

Jiang Cheng cleared his throat, shifting his weight uneasily. "Well, that's… unsettling."

Lu Bei muttered under his breath. "Great. Just what we needed."

The twins remained perfectly still—rooted in place like statues, their presence heavy and suffocating.

Yuxi's face was a picture of calm curiosity, though her pulse quickened. Beneath her serene mask, her mind raced.

Finally showing themselves.

For now, they made no move to speak or even shift their posture. They just stood there, eyes locked on her—unblinking, watchful, assessing.

A silent game of patience.