Chapter 4: Replacing Your Life (4)

Ye Xu’s efficiency was remarkably high.

After taking her medication and drifting off to sleep due to drowsiness, Tong Ling discovered upon waking that a new smartphone with a SIM card inserted, along with her replacement identification documents, were neatly placed on the bedside table. This had occurred within just two short hours since she made her request.

“Is this the power of Male Deuteragonist—always ready to solve the female lead’s troubles?” Tong Ling mused, her opinion of him as a convenient tool character rising yet again. Though these were small gestures, they saved her the trouble of obtaining fake documents—a significant convenience indeed.

Unable to resist sharing the information, m577 reported. It knew its host harbored issues, but now it was permanently bound to Tong Ling—a relationship where their fates rose or fell together. Regardless of its reservations about her, it understood the work it needed to perform diligently.

Tong Ling smiled knowingly. “I’ve always been meticulous. Even in my sleep, I maintain perfection.”

Even her sleeping posture and expression were meticulously planned to avoid any embarrassing or unbecoming scenes.

Alright then, it seemed m577 had overthought things.

The fever medication worked effectively; after breaking into a sweat, Tong Ling felt considerably better. As soon as her energy returned, she picked up the phone from the bedside table, logged into various social media accounts with minor adjustments, and diligently checked all incoming messages—a display of remarkable industriousness.

“You hacked Yu Yurou’s accounts?!” m577 exclaimed in shock.

“What do you mean ‘hacked’? These accounts are mine now,” Tong Ling nonchalantly replied.

To utter such words with such audacity—no wonder m577 considered her the most shameless human it had ever encountered!

Not content with usurping the female lead’s identity, she also seized control of her accounts, effectively cutting off the heroine entirely from her network abroad!

It was undeniably a despicable yet practical move to conceal her true identity!

m577 strongly wished to rebuke Tong Ling for this reprehensible behavior. However, remembering how the male protagonist had been immediately rushed into surgery upon his arrival on scene, its rising anger swiftly subsided—Fine, let it go. It’s just a few accounts, after all. At least the female lead herself remained safe.

Unconsciously, m577’s moral standards were gradually lowering…

In the digital age, gaining insights about someone was remarkably easy. By the time Tong Ling finished scrutinizing Yu Yurou’s various social media accounts, there were hardly any secrets left for her to uncover.

Contrary to her innocent outward appearance, Yu Yurou was quite calculating by nature.

Her contact list resembled a vast networking platform, filled with numerous individuals’ details. It included helpful seniors from school, enthusiastic colleagues she met while working part-time, and accomplished men she encountered at gatherings…

Yu Yurou had an incredibly rich social life, often enthusiastically engaging in various events. Meeting someone like Ye Huan was the result of this meticulous effort on her part.

However, simply becoming Ye Huan’s girlfriend wasn’t enough. Yu Yurou knew that without coming from a privileged background or having substantial resources, their relationship was akin to a castle in the air—fragile and uncertain. To secure herself a better future, she needed more backup options besides him.

Indeed, Ye Xu was one such backup option for Yu Yurou.

Within her contact list, Ye Xu’s name was prominently placed under the category “Important Contacts.”

Apart from Ye Xu, Tong Ling noticed two other significant individuals on Yu Yurou’s contact list—both with substantial roles in the story’s plot.

From the chat records, it was evident that Yu Yurou maintained close relationships with these people as well.

Tong Ling didn’t find fault with Yu Yurou having multiple backups; rather, she regretted that Yu Yurou hadn’t cultivated even more. After all, each of these individuals could serve as useful tools for her purposes!

Yu Yurou managed her social media account quite effectively, regularly updating her feed with photos. She often shared scenic images or personal selfies, occasionally interspersing them with reflections on life that painted a picture of serene contentment.

However, once Yu Yurou went abroad, her updates ceased entirely.

Her last post before leaving featured a picture of blue skies and fluffy clouds, without any caption. Several friends messaged to inquire about her absence, but Yu Yurou wasn’t secretive. She only agreed with Shen Man not to contact Ye Huan while maintaining normal interactions with others.

Fortunately, during the first few days after moving overseas, Yu Yurou had been busy finding accommodation and handling study-abroad procedures. The hectic lifestyle temporarily left her little time for idle conversations.

Since she had inherited Yu Yurou’s account, Tong Ling didn’t intend to let it go unused. Instead of directly messaging people with something as foolish as “I haven’t gone abroad,” she simply took a photo of rain outside her window and paired it with a melodramatic caption: Rain falls in my world.

Then, all she needed was patience.

Barely seconds after posting, a comment appeared, making one wonder if the commenter had been constantly monitoring her feed for updates.

Song Xingyi: [Yurou-jie, what happened? Are you at the hospital now?]

Perhaps feeling that his message wasn’t enough, he immediately called her instead.

Tong Ling answered casually, hearing a hushed yet urgent voice from the other end: “What occurred, Yurou-jie? Did you fall ill while overseas? Is there anyone taking care of you nearby? Honestly, I wish I could reach you right away…”

The fact that this young man so swiftly grasped the crux of her posted image suggested great potential! In her photograph, Tong Ling deliberately included details of hospital equipment within the frame. Anyone observant would realize upon closer inspection that she was indeed at a hospital.

The caller, Song Xingyi, was Yu Yurou’s second-most cultivated backup option—a strategic spare tire, if you will. Naturally, anyone favored by Yu Yurou would have significant status to match. As the young master of the Song family, Song Xingyi hailed from a clan with substantial influence in the renewable energy sector. Their enterprises had even garnered notable support from national departments, making them one of the top powerhouses within their industry.

Yu Yurou’s acquaintance with this scion came as something of a surprise. With poor academic performance, Song Xingyi’s family had hired a private tutor for him. Coincidentally, the tutor happened to be Yu Yurou’s senior at university. The networking connections she’d been nurturing over time proved useful soon enough. When her academically gifted senior resigned as a tutor due to studying abroad, he recommended Yu Yurou to the Song family.

Initially, the Songs were hesitant about hiring a female instructor. However, Yu Yurou appeared sweet and innocent, far removed from cunning schemes or ulterior motives. Thus, they decided to give her a chance.

This trial period lasted nearly two months—throughout an entire summer vacation. Every day, Yu Yurou devoted half her time to tutoring the young Song heir’s studies.

Over two months of interaction, Song Xingyi had quickly grown fond of this gentle elder sister. Inspired to attend the same university as Yu Yurou, his academic performance skyrocketed—a fact that greatly pleased the Song family with her tutoring prowess.

Having such an affluent admirer was a source of pride for Yu Yurou. Unfortunately, she herself held little interest in Song Xingyi beyond their mentorship relationship. The primary reason being his age—he was only 18 years old, too young in her eyes. Often, she found him rather childish; without considering his status as the young master of the Song household, Yu Yurou likely wouldn’t have been so patient or caring towards him.

Thanks to Yu Yurou’s earlier efforts, Tong Ling now reaped the benefits directly. She didn’t hesitate speaking candidly with Song Xingyi, her voice slightly nasal yet soft as she said, “I’m alright, just a minor cold and slight fever. Rest should help me recover.”

“How can you say it’s nothing? I could hear your voice is hoarse!” Holding the phone close to his ear, concern etched deep lines on Song Xingyi’s face. “Why don’t you take better care of yourself? Make sure to drink plenty of warm water!”

At the mention of “drink plenty of warm water,” Tong Ling couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “That line is so stereotypically male,” she teased gently.

Perplexed, Song Xingyi replied, “But I am stereotypically male—what’s wrong with that?” His confusion was palpable, reflecting his genuine lack of understanding about why such advice might be seen as cliché or unhelpful by some women.

Tong Ling was thoroughly amused now. She finally understood why Yu Yurou had no interest in Song Xingyi; compared to Ye Huan or Ye Xu, he seemed like a child who never quite grew up—a complete novice when it came to romance.

“That’s nice,” Tong Ling said with a smile in her voice. “I do prefer straightforward guys.”

Song Xingyi’s face instantly flushed crimson. Clutching his phone tightly, he mumbled with his gaze darting about, “Wh-what did you say…?”

He had never heard Yurou-jie express such interest before; the most common response he received was always, “I only see you as my little brother.” But Song Xingyi had no desire to be just a little brother—he was a man too, after all!

“Do you want me to repeat that?” Tong Ling paused briefly, then leaned closer to the microphone and whispered huskily, “I said, I quite enjoy your directness.”

Now even the tips of Song Xingyi’s ears turned scarlet. Unlike the perpetually gentle Yurou-jie he knew so well, how could this sick Yurou-jie sound so… so seductive! Her whisper felt as if it were right against his ear, and he could almost sense the rhythmic cadence of her breaths—soft puffs caressing his skin. His ear tingled, sending a warm numbness spreading through half his body…

“Did you hear me clearly?” Tong Ling asked teasingly. “If not, I’d be happy to say it again.”

“I heard, I heard!” Song Xingyi dared not let his thoughts wander further, fearing an embarrassing reaction. He hastily interrupted, “Why are you…”

Tong Ling responded coyly, “Hmm? What about me?”

Embarrassed and slightly annoyed, Song Xingyi asked, “Are you deliberately teasing me?”

Of course, Tong Ling wouldn’t admit to it outright; instead, she changed her tone gently, “I just wanted to comfort you.”

“Why would you need to comfort me?” Song Xingyi should have been angry—Yu Yurou treating him like a child was always irritating. Yet strangely enough, this time he felt no resentment. Instead, he found himself hoping that Yu Yurou would… continue comforting him more.

This peculiar emotion colored his voice, making even his words come out somewhat tender—a stark contrast from his usual assertiveness.

The moment he heard his own weak-sounding reply, Song Xingyi couldn’t help but cover his face with embarrassment. Thankfully, the person on the other end of the call couldn’t see him, preserving at least some shred of dignity.

Tong Ling knew when to stop; pushing the teasing any further could make even a cute puppy bite back.

“Comforting you so you won’t be mad at me,” she said, steering the conversation back to its purpose.

Song Xingyi quickly reassured her, “How could I ever be mad at you!”

“If I lied to you…” Tong Ling began hesitantly.

Taken aback, Song Xingyi asked, “What did you lie about?”

“In truth, saying I’d gone abroad was false.” Tong Ling sighed deeply. “Initially, I planned to keep it hidden from you indefinitely. But seeing how concerned you were, I realized I had to tell you the whole truth.”

Touched by Song Xingyi’s sentiment, Tong Ling spoke with genuine sincerity, “I don’t want to deceive you.”

Song Xingyi was both surprised and overjoyed. “So you didn’t actually go abroad?”

How could he be angry? He was only thrilled to hear this news! As for her previous deception, Song Xingyi dismissed it entirely from his mind.

“You just need to promise not to lie to me again,” he said softly.

Tong Ling promptly agreed. Then, she repeated the explanation about how her younger sister had gone abroad in her place—a tale that unfolded before him like a carefully crafted narrative.

Song Xingyi knew well that Yu Yurou had a boyfriend, but he couldn’t have cared less about that fact. In his view, young love burned passionately, unconcerned with notions of gain or fault. That Ye Huan character wasn’t worthy of his beloved Yurou-jie at all; being with him would only bring her endless heartache!

This situation seemed no different. If not for Ye Huan, how could Yu Yurou possibly end up sent away overseas?

“Please keep my decision to stay here confidential,” Tong Ling pleaded, her voice delicate as fine porcelain. “If Madam Shen finds out I didn’t leave, she’ll surely cause trouble for me.”

Having never seen Yu Yurou display such fragility before, Song Xingyi felt an overwhelming surge of protectiveness rise within him. “No one will harm you while I’m around!” he vowed firmly.

A soft chuckle escaped Tong Ling’s lips. “Xingyi, you’re truly dependable.” Her words carried a warm affection, stirring something deep inside Song Xingyi—one might even call it love—at least, that’s what his heart whispered to him amidst their tender moment together.

Hearing Yu Yurou’s acknowledgment sent Song Xingyi’s heart racing with excitement, nearly overwhelming him. He immediately asked, “Yurou-jie, where are you? I’ll come see you right now!”

“No need,” Tong Ling replied hastily, searching for an excuse to end the call. “As a senior student, you should focus on your studies; don’t worry about me. The doctor is here now, so I have to go. Bye, Xingyi.”

As the dial tone sounded, Song Xingyi felt a sudden emptiness in his chest. Her words—“I quite like it,” and “Xingyi, you’re truly dependable”—seemed to still echo in his ears. He began regretting that, due to his pride, he hadn’t allowed Yu Yurou to comfort him further.

Today, Yurou-jie’s voice was absolutely lovely!

This phone call left Song Xingyi emotionally stirred long after it ended. Fully aware that Yu Yurou was currently too busy to attend to him, he nevertheless rapidly fired off several concerned messages to her anyway.

After sending these texts, Song Xingyi settled into another anxious wait.

Meanwhile, Tong Ling cheerfully took another hot shower, refreshing herself once more. Before she could continue happily browsing her phone, Ye Xu’s knocking echoed from outside the door.

Ye Xu had arrived with a simple message: Ye Huan had awakened.