Lulu Lu knew full well that her next move would decide the entire plan’s success or failure.

Logically, she should’ve felt nervous. After all, she was just a middle schooler—no way to stay one hundred percent calm under her homeroom teacher’s questioning.

Reverence for teachers was hardwired into every student’s bones.

Yet right now, Lulu held not a single thought of backing down.

All because she thought of Lily Liu.

Lily Liu, waiting for her alone in the basement at this very moment.

Obedient, sweet, utterly charming—the girl as delectable as cake, as sweet as chocolate.

For Lily Liu, Lulu would give anything.

For Lily Liu, Lulu could destroy everything.

For Lily Liu, she could do *anything*.

Her face showed no trace of panic. Instead, she asked in a voice tinged with confusion and surprise:

“Teacher… Lily didn’t come to school today?”

The homeroom teacher nodded. “That’s right. Lily’s mom said she spent the whole weekend at your place and never went home. Lulu, do you know where she is?”

Lulu shook her head, deliberately flustered—as if stunned—letting genuine worry flicker across her features.

“I don’t know, Teacher… Lily *did* stay two nights… b-but she went home last night!”

Too much panic would expose her. Too much calm would raise suspicion.

Right now, Lulu had fully hypnotized herself. She’d rewritten the lie—*Lily went home alone last night*—into her own perceived reality.

Every word she spoke stemmed from that truth. To avoid slips, she’d even deceived herself.

Only by fooling herself could she fool others. Becoming the role—that was acting’s pinnacle.

The teacher frowned slightly. “She left last night? What time?”

“W-we were studying… until seven—no, eight. Then Lily went home by herself!”

Lulu let her voice tremble. It wasn’t hard—the stress hormones flooding her middle schooler’s body made the tension real. She channeled it into concern for Lily. The teacher already knew how close they were.

“Teacher… c-could something have happened to Lily on her way home?”

“We’re not sure yet… but it’s possible.” The teacher’s expression turned thoughtful. “Lulu, how did she get home?”

Lulu hesitated. “Sh-she probably took the bus…”

“Don’t worry. Just calmly tell me what happened last night. Be clear.”

Lulu nodded and recounted her carefully prepared story—but left gaps. Made the teacher ask twice.

Fluency would seem suspicious. Stammering, struggling to recall? Perfectly natural.

After finishing, she whispered with raw self-blame:

“I’m sorry, Teacher… I just felt lonely, so I invited Lily… You know my situation… But I truly don’t know where she went after leaving my place. I’m so worried… What do we do…?”

Tears fell—*plop, plop*—streaming down her cheeks. Her tone, her trembling lips, the frantic worry in her eyes… she perfectly embodied a girl terrified for her best friend.

The teacher’s suspicion vanished. She reached out to comfort Lulu.

“Don’t worry, Lulu Lu. I’ll call Lily’s mom and the police right away. They’ll find her soon.”

“Lily… Will Lily be okay?”

“I hope so. But Lulu, I need to call your older sister. The officers may want to speak with her and you. Is that alright?”

“Mm!” Lulu nodded vigorously, hope shimmering in her eyes—as if she truly believed it.

…

…

Lulu never expected her half-baked plan to unfold this smoothly.

Truth was, though it seemed careless and full of holes, without knowing the truth, no one could see through it.

Who’d believe gentle, kind-hearted Lulu Lu had kidnapped her best friend Lily Liu and hidden her in a secret basement?

Their friendship was legendary in class—known by teachers, parents alike. The moment Lily vanished, suspicion would fly *away* from Lulu. Everyone would assume Lily was abducted on her way home.

Any unease Lulu showed? Just worry for her friend.

To outsiders, she had zero motive. Just a fragile eighth-grade girl, seemingly incapable of harming a fly. What *could* she do?

The teacher called the police and Lulu’s older sister.

Yanyan Lu rushed to school, scolded Lulu fiercely for hosting a classmate without permission—and causing this mess—then questioned Lulu and the teacher about last night. She waited with Lulu for the police.

When officers arrived, Lulu played the part perfectly: tearful, repeating “It’s all my fault,” shoulders shaking with guilt. They comforted her, promising to find Lily quickly.

*Only I can find her,* Lulu thought, a secret thrill warming her chest.

Next, the officers asked Yanyan about home security cameras. Hearing “no,” they requested to inspect the house.

Yanyan flatly refused:

“Officer, do you think Lily’s hiding in *our* home? I’ll check myself. But without a search warrant, you can’t enter our residence.”

The officers sighed. “Understood, Ms. Lu. Please contact us immediately if you find anything.”

*My so-called older sister just did me a huge favor…*

Lulu glanced at her, silently giving her a mental thumbs-up.