Chapter Twenty-Five: Dance in My Hands, Puppet

“Do you really think I stand a chance?”
A sudden light flared in Li Yang’s eyes; deep within, a faint voice was whispering that perhaps Liu Mengchao truly understood him.
Of course I don’t think so. I just didn’t expect you to cooperate with me so well.
Liu Mengchao smiled faintly, exuding the air of a ruler certain of his victory. He knew he couldn’t follow Li Yang’s lead at this moment. From a psychological perspective, Li Yang’s question was, in fact, a challenge.
No matter how he answered, Li Yang could find grounds to refute him. After all, few are willing to bare their souls and reveal their most hidden secrets. For those without secrets, in the end, can only be manipulated like puppets.
Next, he would pretend not to hear Li Yang’s words and continue his cold reading, letting the man be tossed about in the stormy sea of his own emotions.
“Though we haven’t known each other long, I understand you, Li Yang. When you’re lost, you seek my opinion, but deep down, you already have an idea—you’re just waiting for someone to affirm it.”
Go on, say what’s really on your mind!
An affirmation…
Li Yang felt as if he were sailing through a raging tempest. Liu Mengchao’s words were an endless storm, and his little boat could capsize at any moment.
He couldn’t let himself be led by the nose. Liu Mengchao couldn’t possibly read his mind; he was a newcomer to the cycle, just like him. Psychology was just a trick—he couldn’t see through him!
He must never, ever reveal his true thoughts!
Li Yang forced his eyes wide open, keeping his face rigid and tense, subtly lowering his head to look at Liu Mengchao’s feet.
This way, Liu Mengchao couldn’t draw conclusions by observing his facial expressions.
At that moment, Li Yang felt blood slowly pooling in his legs. If he told Liu Mengchao, the man would definitely smile and say it was a flight reaction triggered by fear—psychological and physiological alike. He would also tell him that resistance was futile, for they weren’t even on the same level.
“I… am not lost.” Li Yang kept his head down, fighting to control his emotions, unwilling to let Liu Mengchao see his true heart.
“Oh? Is that so?”
Liu Mengchao’s eyebrows arched ever so slightly, his tone dripping with amusement. For he had observed a telling micro-reaction: Li Yang’s left shoulder had twitched just a little.
A quick shrug of both shoulders is a defiant gesture—someone confident and trusting of their own words. But a partial or single-shoulder shrug almost always betrays disagreement, evasion, or even deceit.
Li Yang, is your heart flooded with the anxiety that comes from lying? Or do you simply find it stressful to deceive someone who understands you so well?
Liu Mengchao didn’t need to analyze the specifics. He only needed to keep applying pressure, like bombarding a stone wall without knowing exactly where the cracks might lie.
“Li Yang, sometimes you doubt your past choices and actions,” Liu Mengchao said, watching Li Yang’s face and body language, “You’ve failed before because of rash decisions. If you’d had a little more patience back then, things might have turned out better. But even so, what you learned from those failures is a priceless treasure for you.”
As he spoke, Liu Mengchao leaned forward abruptly—not to play the role of a confidant, but to assert himself as a leader.
He would create greater psychological pressure, and thus control him!
“You’re a person who values feelings, so it’s hard for you to move on. It’s like a shattered eggshell—it can’t simply mend itself.”
“Ah!?”
Li Yang could no longer restrain himself and cried out in shock.
“You already made up your mind long ago. You have the resolve. You are someone with goals, and though you don’t want others to know, you’ll strive for them all the same!”
Li Yang’s round, chubby face nodded unconsciously.
Got him!
Liu Mengchao smiled silently.
The prize pool, too, seemed to be celebrating Liu Mengchao’s maneuver.
Prize pool value: 14,000!
Sink deeper into the abyss!
“To others, you seem easygoing and good-natured. But deep down, that’s not who you are. When your bottom line is crossed, you won’t budge an inch. Your courage is much greater than people imagine.”
“Yes!”
Li Yang could no longer contain his excitement and shouted aloud.
“You’re gentle, but not because you’re afraid. You simply don’t want to hurt others. You want to protect her.”
“Yes! Yes!” Li Yang listened, standing tall and straight like a fearless warrior. “No matter what happens, I will protect her. I will protect Zhang Qingqing!”
Oh?
Liu Mengchao was finally surprised to hear the name that burst from Li Yang’s lips. How could it be her?
Fortunately, Li Yang was not a master of psychology, just an ordinary homebody, oblivious to the brief flicker in Liu Mengchao’s expression. He mistook the pause for encouragement.
Everyone craves confession, especially in this terrifying cycle world. Secrets buried deep will, in the end, crush a person entirely.
So it was with Li Yang. From the moment he first opened his eyes and saw Zhang Qingqing, he carried a secret in his heart—one he could finally pour out now, to his great relief.
“I first saw Zhang Qingqing online. Someone had shared a microfilm she starred in, and she won Best Actress for the first time. From that moment, I thought she was adorable.”
Li Yang spoke with a smile spreading on his lips.
“Later, I learned her school was right next to mine. From then on, I’d often sneak over, stand in her school’s teaching building, and secretly watch her from afar.”
Li Yang let out a long sigh. He had bottled these words up for a long time.
“My biggest wish was just to watch her from a distance.”
Oh? Liu Mengchao pursed his lips, knowing Li Yang was lying, but this was not the time to interrupt the homebody’s monologue. He chose to listen.
“When I woke up in the cycle space, I thought I’d arrived in paradise. For the first time, I could see my goddess up close. I’d do anything for her!”
Still lying, Li Yang. Liu Mengchao smiled, but he didn’t cut him off, for he could sense the genuine emotion beneath the words.
Li Yang truly was happy when he saw Zhang Qingqing.
“But then I saw Liu Li. He should die. He deserves to die!” Li Yang suddenly raised his head, fixing Liu Mengchao with a fierce stare. “I can’t let anyone hurt Zhang Qingqing. No one!”
That was the truth.
Sometimes, silence is the most powerful catalyst. Liu Mengchao waited quietly for Li Yang to lay his soul bare.
“I don’t know what to do, Liu Mengchao. You think I should protect Zhang Qingqing too, don’t you? You think I should protect her, right?”
Li Yang gazed at Liu Mengchao with pleading eyes.
Liu Mengchao said nothing. He nodded slightly, encouraging him to go on.
“I’m not a coward. I really am not!”
Ah… Whether you ever were or not, now you aren’t. Now you’re just a puppet with strings in my hands.
Liu Mengchao smiled approvingly at the man before him—or rather, his new puppet.
“Show him your courage.”
A fruit knife lay quietly in Liu Mengchao’s palm.
“Use it well. You can protect Zhang Qingqing—I know you!”
Tears instantly welled up in Li Yang’s eyes. Choking back a sob, he took the knife from Liu Mengchao’s hand.
Do you really believe I understand you, Li Yang? Watching Li Yang turn and walk away, Liu Mengchao shook his head. When you think someone understands you, their words can mislead you—making you believe they’re your own true thoughts.
Because, in your subconscious, you trust that person knows you best, so what they say must be what you most deeply want to do.
“Keep rising, prize pool. I can’t wait to see the outcome—the fate of the cycle’s participants.”
Prize pool value: 15,000!
――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
1. For those in the chat group who shout for loli, she really is a boy—please, you must believe her!!! (Group number: 1,6,9,0,1,3,5,8,0.)
2. An author who doesn’t have explosive moments isn’t a good author. It’s the fourth day of the New Year, no need to go visiting, and to celebrate two thousand recommendation votes, I’ll post the drafts I wrote burning the midnight oil. Let’s shout together: full author stamina, ten thousand words a day!~~~~
Lastly, please save to favorites, please recommend. Now that we have another featured chapter, we can add more highlights—so awesome!