Chapter 16: The Substitute

Strolling along the tree-lined avenue, Ying fell silent for a moment before speaking in an ethereal voice:
“Actually, my name is Yang Qing.”

“‘Ying’ isn’t really a name; it just represents my identity. There are others called Ying as well, all bearing the same responsibilities as I do. As for Ouyang Lin, she is the one inside. She has always been Ouyang Lin, while I… occasionally take that role.”

Yang Qing seemed to have made a firm decision and confessed what she had concealed at the hotel that day.

Shen Xing looked at her in surprise, feeling it somewhat unreal:
“You’re her double? Has technology really advanced to the point of making such lifelike masks? And the voice too—it’s flawless.”

Yang Qing smiled bitterly:
“It’s not as advanced as you think. The technology isn’t that sophisticated; it mainly relies on manual work. Didn’t you notice how similar our figures are? My appearance isn’t as beautiful as hers, but our bone structures are alike. With makeup and a bit of touch-up, it can be indistinguishable. As for the voice, it’s just specialized training—nothing extraordinary.”

Shen Xing nodded:
“Alright. So when do you need to act as her double? Is this similar to some kind of secret agent profession?”

Yang Qing looked at him with a playful smile and joked:
“Not similar—I am a secret agent. As for when, that involves state secrets. Are you sure you want to hear it?”

Shen Xing gritted his teeth, cursing:
“I knew it! I had a feeling your identity wasn’t ordinary, and those people across weren’t common criminals! I prayed so hard and still got caught. Fine, tell me—now that I’m involved, I have no choice but to face it.”

“You’re perceptive. Didn’t I tell you my name yesterday? I wanted you to stay out of it. You saved me once; I don’t want to harm you. But the situation is worse than I expected. You can’t extricate yourself anymore. So I think it’s better to tell you and prepare you mentally.”

Yang Qing sighed apologetically, and Shen Xing felt goosebumps rise all over.

“I’m Ouyang Lin’s double, or you could say her body double in the most final sense. As the name implies, I show up in her place when she might be in danger. Like… yesterday. But my abilities are far inferior to the real Ouyang Lin, which is the biggest flaw. If it had been her there yesterday, no one on the other side would have walked away alive.”

Shen Xing’s pupils contracted sharply at the words “body double.”

“There’s such a profession?! That’s just… just too…”

“Too cruel?”

Shen Xing nodded.

“Maybe. But that’s the fate of this profession. Except for not knowing how long you’ll live, the rest isn’t so bad. Don’t you think it’s a job filled with a special sense of mission? Life, in essence, might be equal, but with different attributes, it has different values. Talents like Ouyang Lin are rare and require luck and care to cultivate. People like me, on the other hand, are everywhere. Using an ordinary life like mine to secure the safety of such high-value talent—isn’t that worth it?”

Shen Xing frowned:
“I understand what you mean. I can’t argue with you now, but I don’t agree either. If there’s anything to blame, it’s this era.”

Saying that, Shen Xing took out a small vial of antidote from his pocket.

“Here, the antidote back to you.”

Yang Qing’s eyes flickered, and she didn’t immediately take it but asked:
“You’re returning it already? Aren’t you afraid I might reveal your secret? Besides… what if I make up stories to deceive you?”

Shen Xing shook his head:
“I trust my instincts. If you really fooled me, I’m willing to accept the loss. Your work is already dangerous enough; I can’t add the worry of poisoning. If the poison acted at a critical moment, that would be like me killing you. I don’t want that.”

Yang Qing took the vial, rolled up her sleeve, and injected it into her vein.

“I thought you might say you’ve fallen for me.”

“Ah?”

“Heh, just kidding. Yesterday, you managed to control yourself even with Ouyang Lin’s face. Facing someone of my lesser looks, naturally, there’s no temptation.”

Yang Qing laughed self-deprecatingly.

Shen Xing said nothing, for it was true.

If Ouyang Lin was a top-tier star in beauty, Yang Qing was more like the girl next door—not unattractive, but not stunning.

“All right, staying out too long isn’t good. Let’s go back. The main reason I called you out this time was to warn you to be careful of the people from ‘Dawn’ from now on.”

Yang Qing finished injecting and stopped walking.

“Dawn?”

“Yes. The person you killed was a member of ‘Dawn.’ They probably won’t trace it back to you, but it’s better to be cautious. Once they target you, you’ll never have a peaceful life again.”

“Who exactly are they?”

“That’s hard to explain. You can think of them as a terrorist organization made up of lunatics and geniuses. Their nature is definitely malevolent, though their actions haven’t yet crossed every line. So the authorities tolerate them for now. But this line isn’t about good or evil—you should understand what I mean. So as an ordinary person, it’s best not to draw their attention.”

“How do I tell who belongs to ‘Dawn’?”

Yang Qing shook her head:
“That’s indeed difficult. They don’t have any unified traits. If I had to say, it’s a special kind of feeling. Think back to how you felt when you faced that person up close. Next time you meet someone who gives you that feeling, they’re probably one of them.”

Shen Xing tilted his head, thought for a moment, and nodded:
“I see. I was actually thinking about this today.”

Yang Qing smiled and extended her hand to him:

“Let’s say goodbye! We’ll be leaving here in a day or two. The world is so big; we probably won’t meet again.”

Shen Xing looked at her but didn’t reach out. Instead, he opened his arms:

“Let’s hug instead. A handshake feels too formal.”

Yang Qing was taken aback, then smiled warmly and embraced Shen Xing gently.

As they parted, Shen Xing sighed:

“A long time ago, I dreamed of having an older sister. But that never happened, and eventually, I forgot about it. Thank you for reminding me of that feeling again.”

Yang Qing was surprised:

“You want to take me as your sister?”

Shen Xing thought for a moment but shook his head:

“No, that would be a burden for you. You’re right—this might be the last time we meet, so no point in pursuing something that won’t end well.”

Yang Qing looked at him and reached out to touch his head:

“Hearing you say that, having a little brother doesn’t sound so bad. But since you didn’t insist just now, let it be.”

They exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.

…

By the time they returned, the meal was already underway.

The atmosphere was pleasant.

It was as if no one noticed they had left before, and no one cared when they came back now.

After a while, the guests were satisfied and full.

Ouyang Lin chose not to stay long, exchanging a few pleasantries before taking her leave.

Before she left, Yang Qing glanced back once.

But there were too many people seeing them off, and she couldn’t spot Shen Xing at a glance.

Feeling a little melancholic, Yang Qing followed Ouyang Lin into the car.

With the engine roaring, the car sped away into the distance.