In the broadcast studio, Host Qiu Qiu's smile froze, her mouth forming a perfect "O," and she remained speechless for what felt like an eternity.
The confident grin completely vanished from Nie Junfeng's face, replaced by an utterly complex expression: shock, disbelief, embarrassment, and a hint of "seeing a ghost."
He stared in disbelief at the screen, where Aya, the real Aya, had just appeared in the venue, feeling his lifelong worldview shattering before his eyes.
No... no way!
Could it be... am I really cursed with this "Poison Milk" ability, where my words become reality?!
But how is that even possible?!
Nie Junfeng's mental processor completely overloaded, plunging him into a deep spiral of confusion and self-doubt.
Seeing Nie Junfeng's state, Host Qiu Qiu felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It reminded her of the time Cifera had "crashed" Nie Bing like a malfunctioning machine.
Like father, like daughter, I guess.
But how do you resolve this again? Cifera's method seemed to involve... spanking their butt?
Host Qiu Qiu quickly shook her head, refusing to dwell on the thought.
Inspector Nie, you'd better snap out of it yourself!
After a moment of stunned silence, the live stream's bullet comments erupted in a nuclear-level frenzy!
[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ! ! ! !]
[SHE'S HERE! ! ! ! ! !]
[Sister Aya! ! ! She's still here! ! ! She didn't leave! ! !]
[Look at the Nie Family Patriarch's face! Hahahaha! He's questioning his entire existence!]
[Patriarch! ! ! Forever a god! ! !]
[The Poison Milk persona remains undefeated! Nie Junfeng speaks, and reality bends to his will!]
[I'm laughing so hard my downstairs neighbor's car alarm went off! I'm probably going to get reported for noise again!]
[Hey, the guy who asked the Patriarch to make a wish earlier! Looks like you're about to take off! Remember us when you're rich and famous!]
[And the guy who promised to live stream himself washing his hair upside down—get that video up ASAP!]
[o Aya really is an independent entity?]
[This is so awkward now! Lord Lin and Old Liu were so adamant earlier that Aya was just Cifera.]
[Epic plot twist! This show's entertainment value is off the charts!]
[Give the screenwriter a bonus chicken leg! Who could have predicted this plot?]
[Director: I wish we had a screenwriter, but this show doesn't even have one!]
At the auction venue...
Under the gazes of countless shocked, puzzled, and probing eyes, "Aya" maintained her innate grace and composure.
She delicately lifted the hem of her gown and walked back to her place among the models, a look of confusion on her face. In a soft voice, she asked the other models, each with their own distinct expressions:
"What's going on? Has the auction even started yet? And... why is everyone staring at me like this?
"I only went to the restroom and touched up my makeup. How did the atmosphere outside become so strange?"
Xiao Wen, the model closest to her, immediately excitedly grabbed Aya's arm, her voice dropping to a hurried whisper:
"Sister Aya! You missed it! You missed the most incredible part! Cifera! It was Cifera! She just appeared and stole the Starry Light!"
"Aya" showed an extremely shocked expression, covering her mouth with her hand.
"What?! Cifera actually appeared? And she stole the Starry Light?
"This... this can't be possible! The security was so tight! And I wasn't gone for long at all! How could she have stolen it in such a short time?"
Another model rushed to say:
"It's true! Cifera didn't just appear—she appeared stepping on moonlight, like a goddess herself!"
"We were all completely stunned at the time. We even thought, Sister Aya, you weren't a human at all, but a Starry Goddess from the cosmos!
"But then she transformed back into her true form—yes! She even made all the jewelry float in the air! Finally, she grabbed the Starry Light, pierced through the glass dome, and a pair of wings whooshed out from her back as she soared away!"
The surprise on "Aya's" face deepened, tinged with undisguised regret.
"Oh my... was it really that... magical? I completely missed it! What a pity!"
She paused, as if suddenly realizing something, and her tone shifted subtly.
"Wait... are you saying that when she first appeared... she was disguised as me?"
"Exactly! She looked exactly like you, even perfectly replicating your entire style!"
Another model chimed in:
"The Pursuit Team's experts analyzed it and concluded that Cifera used a hyper-realistic projection to disguise herself as you! But later, they changed their story and claimed that the 'Aya' identity was actually fabricated by Cifera! Meaning... you are Cifera!"
Upon hearing this, "Aya" froze momentarily, then burst into a clear, melodious laugh as if she'd heard something utterly hilarious.
The director had already switched the live stream's camera to her. This remarkably human smile from the Starry Goddess, "Aya," sent the live stream audience into a frenzy, with Bullet Comments flooding the screen: "I'm dead," "Mom, I'm in love," "My wife is so cute."
"Me? A fabricated identity created by Contestant Cifera?"
"Aya" shook her head, her smile laced with absurdity and amusement. "This is too... fascinating. I just went to the restroom, and suddenly I'm a fictional character? The Pursuit Team experts certainly have quite the imagination."
Her demeanor was so natural, as if she were merely an outsider amused by the absurdity of the situation. Her composure, ease, and frankness instantly dispelled any lingering doubts among the surrounding models—
How could Sister Aya possibly be the wall-scaling Kitty Phantom Thief?
Meanwhile, Lu Yue, seated nearby, was secretly observing "Aya."
To be honest, when he saw "Aya" reappear, he nearly jumped for joy.
The reason was simple: he desperately didn't want Aya to be Big Sister Cifera!
After hearing Lin Zhiyuan's analysis earlier, he had genuinely believed Aya was Cifera.
The thought that Cifera might have known Little Ya all along—or worse, that Little Ya had instructed Cifera to mimic her appearance and enter the competition to sabotage him—made him feel like the sky was falling! He felt an unbearable ache in his gut.
He knew Little Ya, his arch-rival, all too well. From childhood, she had relentlessly tormented him, reveling in his misery to satisfy her twisted desires. She was the kind of super-pretentious person who would do something that harmed both others and herself, just to show off!
Fortunately, Aya's appearance now proved that Cifera wasn't her, clearing the air!
For Lu Yue, Cifera's series of moves to steal the Starry Light had been blindingly magnificent.
Such dazzling and inscrutable tactics filled him with envy and jealousy, yet also with a profound sense of helplessness and frustration!
He had believed that even Big Sister Cifera would have to retreat before his "Ironclad Defense," yet she had shattered it with unparalleled finesse!
The Pursuit Team and Starry Security were left utterly helpless, forced to watch her escape with the Starry Light!
This is too incredible! It's a god-tier move I could only dream of pulling off!
And Big Sister Cifera just executed it flawlessly in reality!
She truly lives up to her reputation as the Big Sister Cifera I admire and must surpass!
After witnessing Cifera's technique firsthand, Lu Yue understood the gap between them even more clearly. There was no way he could win against her in his current state.
Acknowledging this disparity ignited an even greater fighting spirit within him. With such a powerful role model before him, he would strive harder to catch up!
His earlier fear stemmed from the possibility that Cifera might be Aya. If they were the same person, his Arch-Rival and role model would be allies, placing him under immense pressure.
While Little Ya was already a formidable opponent, Lu Yue still considered her to be a step below Big Sister Cifera. But if they were working together, with Cifera's support, defeating Little Ya would become nearly impossible...
Now, however, all those worries were gone. Big Sister Cifera wasn't Aya. He could now draw inspiration from Cifera as his role model, learning from her relentlessly, growing stronger, and finally crushing that detestable showoff Little Ya!
Once he had Little Ya crushed beneath his feet, his Dao Heart would finally be perfected!
Only when he was at his peak condition would Lu Yue truly have the right to challenge Big Sister Cifera.
And the day he finally defeated her would undoubtedly mark the moment he became the world's ultimate Phantom Thief!
He, Lu Yue, would become the sole legend in the Way of the Thief!
Having resolved everything in his mind, Lu Yue decided not to act tonight. The Starry Stage belonged to Big Sister Cifera; he didn't even have the right to stand on it.
Yet Lu Yue didn't feel his trip had been in vain—quite the opposite, it had been invaluable!
Through Big Sister Cifera's personal demonstration tonight, he had truly confirmed the direction of his future efforts!
Thank you, Big Sister Cifera!
To repay your guidance, I will dedicate every ounce of my being to defeating you!
Just as Lu Yue's inner Chuunii spirit flared once more, Liu Shanhe and Nie Bing approached, their expressions grave.
All eyes immediately focused on them, knowing they had come specifically for "Aya."
Would they apologize to "Aya" for their earlier mistaken deduction? Or had they uncovered new evidence, reaffirming their belief that "Aya" was Cifera?
This is getting more and more interesting!