Chapter 150: Which Link Went Wrong?

The speaker lowered their voice, and Wu Qinglu couldn't make out what came after; her intuition told her things weren't simple, so she didn't leave, crouching, she lightened her steps and approached the door, pressing her ear to the panel and holding her breath.

There were two people in the restroom; they knew Xia Xi was by the pool and planned to 'accidentally' bump her into it. That way, her makeup would smudge, her skirt would soak through, and she'd be embarrassed in front of everyone.

Wu Qinglu didn't recognize either voice, couldn't tell who they were, and their conversation continued.

One of them spoke with a hint of worry: 'What if she sees through it?'

The other, bolder, let out a cold laugh and said, 'By then she'll be unable to defend herself—what can she do?'

'She doesn't seem easy to provoke.'

'Come on, with so many people around, we'll say it wasn't intentional. If she makes a fuss, what will everyone think of her? They'll just see her as petty and narrow-minded. Even if she's angry, she'll have to swallow it and act magnanimous, or else she'll lose favor.'

'That actually makes some sense.'

'Trust me, it's foolproof.'

Footsteps drew near, growing clearer—they were about to come out. Wu Qinglu froze for a moment, startled, her heart skipping two beats; fearing discovery, she hastily covered her mouth and nose, darted to the side of the wooden cabinet on the restroom's right, pressed her back against the wall, drew her legs in, and made herself as small as possible.

With a 'pat', the restroom door opened, followed by the crisp sound of heels fading away.

After they'd gone far enough, Wu Qinglu cautiously poked half her head out, glanced sideways, and saw one in blue, one in red, arms linked like sisters, chatting and laughing as they walked toward the pool.

Wu Qinglu patted her chest, went limp, slid down to sit on the floor, and gasped for air.

She'd almost been exposed—what a close call……

After a while, Wu Qinglu pulled herself out of that tension, her breathing steadier. Reflecting a moment, she suddenly recalled the two women's outfits—they seemed familiar; the one in blue was probably Zhou Xiaoyu, and the one in red was her close friend Zhao Yinshu.

She'd never interacted closely with them, only seen them a few times, so she couldn't identify them by voice alone.

Zhou Xiaoyu and Xia Xi had a grudge; Xia Xi had told her that Zhou Xiaoyu had repeatedly targeted her maliciously, even costing her the head of the External Relations Department, a resentment she still held. Even when Zhao Yinshu and Xia Xi had competed for cheerleader captain, it had been to help Zhou Xiaoyu vent her anger.

These two rotten fish and shrimps have finally teamed up.

Worried that Xia Xi had fallen for their scheme, Wu Qinglu scrambled to her feet, brushed off her skirt, and hurried back to the indoor pool, nearly bumping into someone.

The other person grabbed her arm; she lifted her head and saw a delighted face: 'Xi Xi!'

'Why are you running so fast?' Xia Xi released her hand; Wu Qinglu's face was flushed, unsure if from heat or something else, her forehead sweating, 'I went to the restroom and took so long—I thought something had happened to you, I was about to come find you.'

Her words reminded Wu Qinglu that she'd forgotten to use the restroom—no wonder she felt so uncomfortable.

But she had no time for personal matters; she grabbed Xia Xi's hand and rushed to a secluded spot, swallowed, and urged urgently, 'Listen to me—don't go to the indoor pool, and if you must, stay away from the edge; Zhou Xiaoyu is scheming against you.'

Xia Xi blinked, confused: 'Scheme against me?'

'I just happened to overhear Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhao Yinshu outside the restroom plotting how to deal with you—they intend to pretend it's an accident and bump you, actually to push you into the water and embarrass you publicly.'

Wu Qinglu thought, 'Thank goodness she went to the farthest restroom; if she hadn't known their plan beforehand, Xia Xi would have been in trouble! She can swim, but soaked in a skirt would be utterly humiliating.'

Their plan causes little harm but is extremely humiliating.

After hearing her, Xia Xi's face darkened, anger flaring to her crown, but she quickly calmed. Only a fool would sit and wait for doom; she was smart, and of course she would strike back.

'I can't hold it—I need to use the restroom.' Wu Qinglu rubbed her abdomen; she'd overeaten at dinner and felt uneasy. Before leaving, she especially reminded Xia Xi, 'Keep an eye out, don't fall for their trick.'

Xia Xi patted her arm: 'Go on, don't make yourself sick holding it.'

Wu Qinglu ran off.

Xia Xi lingered where she was, hearing laughter and splashing from the indoor pool; turning her head, she saw more and more people gathering there—even those playing billiards and screen‑projection games had gone over.

The butler brought several rounds of fruit drinks in, letting them enjoy themselves to the fullest.

Xu Yanfeng was also in there, not joining the immature boys in any swimming competition. He sat at the side of a lounge chair, posture somewhat relaxed, palm up holding a highball glass—not wine, but sparkling water. He was talking to Fu Li, with Ling Yan standing beside him; not knowing what she'd said, he glanced up at her, then resumed chatting with Fu Li.

Suddenly he seemed to realize something, scanning the surroundings—he looked like he was searching for someone.

Who was he looking for?

Xia Xi stood where she could see the indoor pool while those inside couldn't see her, silently observing Xu Yanfeng's every move—could he be looking for her?

Her lips twitched slightly, her mind racing, and a plan formed.

Against an enemy ambush, fighting back is nothing special; truly smart people don't just turn danger to safety—they also harness the east wind to achieve their goals.

Xia Xi snapped her fingers, turned, first went to the front hall to get her bag, pulled out her cosmetics, held a small mirror to touch up her makeup, sprayed two layers of setting spray, waited for it to film, then lightly pressed a layer of loose powder for optimal water resistance.

She raised her arm, loosening the tied‑up strands a bit, keeping them in a state where a light touch would make them fall apart.

Xia Xi gave her reflection a light brow lift, thoroughly pleased with her handiwork, neatly packed her things, returned the bag to its spot, and strolled leisurely to the indoor pool.

Passing a cart laden with fruit‑alcohol drinks, she snagged a glass of white wine, pretended not to see Xu Yanfeng, and walked straight to the poolside, acting as if she knew nothing of their scheme, merely showing keen interest in the swimming competition.

Having delivered herself to their doorstep, Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhao Yinshu had better not disappoint her.

Zhou Xiaoyu could barely contain her delight, desperately pressing down the corners of her mouth, then silently shoved Zhao Yinshu and exchanged a look. She had been worrying how to get Xia Xi near the pool edge—after all, if Xia Xi didn't go, the plan couldn't proceed. Who knew she'd walk over on her own; it seemed heaven was secretly helping.

Zhao Yinshu, doing this for the first time, was a bit nervous, her face unnaturally tense, her clenched palms sweating nonstop.

'What's there to fear? Just do as I told you before—I guarantee no problems.' Seeing her unease, Zhou Xiaoyu barely moved her lips, squeezing out a sentence from between her teeth, quite cautious.

Zhao Yinshu inhaled, exhaled: 'Okay, all right.'

Zhou Xiaoyu instantly switched expressions, playing her part, shouting 'Go, Du Yu!' as she walked toward the poolside, then turning to yell at Zhao Yinshu, 'Come quick and look—Du Yu's swimming so fast!'

Zhao Yinshu ran over, feigned a slip, didn't stop in time, bumped into Zhou Xiaoyu, who stumbled back and collided with Xia Xi beside her. The scheme was Zhou Xiaoyu's idea, flawless. The poolside tiles, wet, are naturally slippery; girls in thin heels sliding there is a completely normal mishap.

With so many eyes watching, no one would suspect they were acting.

Xia Xi had long been prepared; feeling the push, she knew it wasn't strong—even if Wu Qinglu hadn't warned her, given her years of training, she might not have fallen in.

But she had her own little trick; she immediately tilted her body and toppled into the water, sending up a huge splash.

Wu Qinglu, returning from the restroom, was utterly dumbfounded:???

Hadn't she told Xia Xi not to play in the indoor pool or get near the edge? How could she still have been shoved in by those two little pests, Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhao Yinshu?

Where did the link go wrong?