She's a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist's Halo-Chapter 117

Yan checked the time. Though they’d slept in later than usual for a school day, it was only just past eight.

The power of a biological clock is terrifying. She felt wide awake, unable to sleep even if she tried.

She wondered if He Xing was up yet. Back in the dorm, He Xing always woke up a little later than Yi Zhi—impressively disciplined.

After freshening up, Jue Jue slipped into his usual composed demeanor once dressed.

Hand in hand, they headed downstairs. "The breakfast buffet is on the second floor," Zhu Jue said, checking the room key’s instructions.

"Any plans for today?" he asked softly.

Yan shook her head, the pearl tassels on her earrings swaying. "No idea."

"We’ll figure it out after breakfast."

"Next month, we could go to Yangzhou—‘spring in March, a trip to Yangzhou’ for their famous morning tea!" she blurted excitedly before grimacing.

Bin City had direct high-speed rail to Yangzhou, but a weekend trip would mean battling tourist crowds.

As they chatted, the elevator reached the second floor. After checking in at the restaurant, they entered a space filled with round tables for groups and cozy window-side seating for four.

They snagged a spot by the window before heading to the lavish buffet spread.

At the Western food station, Yan eyed the sausages, fried eggs, baked beans, and crispy bacon. After a moment’s thought, she took a little of each.

Normally, breakfast at school was meat-stuffed buns, wonton soup, or congee—today was a chance to switch things up.

There were separate stations for Chinese and Western dishes, another for desserts and juices, and even a live cooking counter serving scallion oil noodles, pork chop noodles, and clear broth noodles.

But what surprised Yan was the dedicated "healthy options" station.

Boiled shrimp, broccoli, beef, chicken breast, eggs, and kale-oat bowls were all grouped together.

Wait, didn’t the hotel reviews say this place was mostly for business travelers? Since when are they all health nuts?

Not on a diet or a muscle-building spree, Yan had no interest in bland food. She quietly grabbed a few pieces of broccoli—drenched in salad dressing—before heading back to their table.

She left her plate there and went to wait for freshly squeezed orange juice, leaving Zhu Jue to pick out fruit.

Carefully balancing the juice, Yan was halfway back when another guest suddenly stumbled. Thanks to her quick reflexes and good balance, she sidestepped just in time, avoiding a citrus disaster.

"Are you okay?" Yan asked.

The person seemed dazed for a second before replying, "Fine," then turned to glance at Yan—and froze.

Yan’s breath hitched. She’d seen that face recently… on an encyclopedia page.

Fu Yao.

Holy crap. THE Fu Yao?!

Yan’s gaze instantly darted to where Fu Yao had been looking—He Xing, dressed in black, was checking in at the restaurant entrance.

Biting ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‍back a gasp, Yan hurried back to their table, heart racing.

Oh my god. Oh my GOD!

Scanning the room, she noticed several round tables occupied by guests with distinct, almost regal poise. Then it clicked.

The cast of "Goddess of the Luo River" is staying here too!

Did He Xing know and book this hotel on purpose?

That health station must’ve been arranged specially for the performers!

Zhu Jue returned with fruit and immediately noticed her expression. They huddled together, whispering and observing, breakfast forgotten.

"Should we find Zheng Yi?" Yan murmured.

The suspect is right here!

From their angle, they couldn’t see Fu Yao’s face clearly.

Do we wave He Xing over and act normal? Or pretend we know nothing?

"Zheng Yi’s here," Zhu Jue said, spotting the officer entering the restaurant.

Yan nearly choked on her orange juice. "She left after dropping us off last night, didn’t she?"

Yesterday, Officer Zheng Yi dropped the three of them off, and the car drove away without even hinting that she would also be staying at this hotel.

"Maybe she received the check-in info? Or maybe she just didn’t plan to tell us," Zhu Jue remarked.

"Or maybe she’s secretly protecting Senior He Xing," Yan guessed.

The two of them stuffed food into their mouths while casually turning their heads as if nothing was going on.

"I regret it—we should’ve sat over there," Yan grumbled, now full of regret. She and Jue Jue were seated by the window, far from the action, and the restaurant was way too spacious!

Zhu Jue chuckled. "If something really happened, you’d regret not sitting farther away."

Yan huffed and shot him a glare. There was an art to finding the perfect distance for both spectating and avoiding trouble.

Mostly, she never expected this morning’s twist in the first place!

He Xing carried her tray, spotting her roommate Yan and Yan’s boyfriend, but she had no intention of joining them. She wasn’t fond of playing third wheel.

The two had woken up much earlier than she’d anticipated.

What kind of young people don’t sleep in?

He Xing’s plate was simple—high-protein, muscle-building fare from the health food station.

Though dressed in plain black, the stark contrast made her fair skin glow. With delicate features, she wasn’t the type to stun at first glance, but something about her compelled a second look, and then another, until her beauty became undeniable.

For those in the know, her poise was unmistakable.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

"Is there another group staying here?"

"She looks so familiar… I swear I’ve seen her before."

"I feel the same."

At a nearby round table, actors whispered among themselves.

"Is she…?" Finally, one dancer couldn’t resist and approached He Xing’s solitary table.

"Excuse me—are you He Xing? The He Xing?"

He Xing glanced up as if by chance, meeting the gaze of the young dancer she didn’t recognize.

She set down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and offered a faint smile.

"Yes, I’m He Xing."

The young dancer clenched her fists in excitement, immediately waving to her table.

"It’s her! He Xing, the one who performed ‘Lotus’ at the Taoli Cup! I’ve watched the recording so many times!"

The dancer rubbed her hands nervously, wanting to ask more but hesitating.

At that moment, Zheng Yi plopped down at the table with a heaping plate of mixed breakfast foods, taking one of the seven empty seats—two spots away from He Xing. She yawned lazily, looking like she’d just rolled out of bed and was merely there to share a table.

Zheng Yi dug into her meal without a word. He Xing glanced at her briefly, then picked up her chopsticks again.

"Sorry, I won’t disturb your breakfast," the dancer said quickly before scurrying back to her own table.

The murmurs grew hushed but more fervent.

"That prodigy He Xing? Didn’t she disappear three years ago—?"

"Shh, she’s right there—how rude. Looks like she’s recovered, though."

"Haven’t heard anything about her in ages."

"He Xing from Bin City Dance? Hey, Yao Yao, weren’t you two in the same company before?"

He Xing finished her meal calmly, never once looking back at the other tables or speaking to Officer Zheng Yi.

By the time she and the other dancers left, Yan and Jue Jue, who’d been watching from afar, hadn’t witnessed any drama.

"Nothing happened," Yan said.

She stroked her chin, turning to Zhu Jue.

"But I feel like…"

"Silence speaks louder," Zhu Jue finished.

Yan nodded. He Xing’s presence here felt like a declaration.

She hadn’t done a thing—and yet, she’d done everything.

I’m back. That’s all.

The other actors were clueless, brushing it off as coincidence—but Fu Yao must’ve understood.

"Eat up. Your food’s gone cold from all the gawking," Zheng Yi chimed in, plopping down beside them with another plate of fruit.

"Why are you staying here too?" Yan whispered.

"My travel budget covers it," Zheng Yi said.

Yan pouted, but Zheng Yi continued, "There are tickets for the matinee and evening shows. You two going?"

Yan and Zhu Jue shook their heads. "Nah."

It was good, but after everything with He Xing, their enthusiasm for the dance performance had waned.

Zheng Yi sighed. "Guess it’s just me and the team, then."

Such refined cultural enrichment had to be shared equally among the squad.

The afternoon show was at two. By then, Yan and Zhu Jue had already checked out and, with no clear next destination, headed straight to Chu Shen’s little eatery.

They made themselves at home on the second floor like it was nothing.

"Hey, you two heading back to campus tonight? If not, you’re eating here, right?"

Around four in the afternoon, Chu Shen called out to the couple, who were glued to their phones, absorbed in whatever they were scrolling through.

Ever since he’d crashed at their place over winter break, he’d grown a lot more relaxed around them.

"What’s for dinner tonight?" Yan asked, glancing at her phone.

"Yangzhou fried rice—it’s not on the menu yet. Just testing it out," Chu Shen replied.

Hearing it was something new, Yan and Jue Jue responded in unison, "Sounds good, we’ll go with whatever you decide."

The two were currently engrossed in scrolling through Xiaohongshu.

Whether it was due to eavesdropping or their recent search history, the algorithm kept pushing freshly posted reviews of the dance drama The Goddess of the Luo River every time they refreshed.

"Jue Jue, oh my god, there are so many complaints. People are absolutely tearing it apart," Yan exclaimed, shocked.

[National Dance Theater, are you so desperate for money that you’d cast a B-list lead blind? What the hell was that performance? How many mistakes did the principal dancer make? Even the ensemble danced better than her. The set design, lighting, and scale were all stunning—and the ensemble was flawless. But she single-handedly ruined everything! This wasn’t just an off day—it was a disaster. Were the rave reviews from last week’s Ning City show even real, or just paid promotions?]

[Avoid at all costs—The Goddess of the Luo River B-cast. After reading yesterday’s glowing reviews, my expectations were sky-high. Instead, I got this train wreck. What a joke. Refund me—I paid 1080 for this? National Dance Theater should be ashamed. Is this really a B-cast? I didn’t rush to book center-row seats just to watch a rehearsal.]

[The matinee show of The Goddess of the Luo River absolutely destroyed me. Congratulations to Fu Yao, the B-cast actress playing the goddess—I’ll remember your name forever. Anything with her in it, I’m boycotting for life.]

"How bad was it?" Yan wondered aloud. Audiences in China were usually pretty forgiving unless they felt blatantly scammed. Just how terrible was this performance?

Curious, she sent a message to Officer Zheng Yi for an on-the-ground report.

[Yan]: Zheng-jie, what’s going on with the show?

[Zheng Yi]: Soon.

Yan scratched her head and showed the message to Jue Jue.

"What does ‘soon’ mean?" Zhu Jue asked, baffled.

The next second, Officer Zheng Yi sent another message.

[Zheng Yi]: Case.

So… put together, it meant the case was progressing?

What was happening? Not being there to witness the drama firsthand really left them out of the loop!

So frustrating!