When Nie Bing simultaneously revealed the three sets of answers to the assembled crowd, the entire hall fell into complete silence.
All eyes darted back and forth between the two sheets of paper, not a single sound escaping the tense atmosphere.
The first question was: When Aya was a child, what was the name of her favorite toy her mother bought her?
Little Ya's mother's answer read:
A talking cat doll dressed as a thief, its name was Cipher, I think.
"Aya's" answer read:
A talking Phantom Thief Cat doll. Its name is Cipher, which sounds a bit like Contestant Cifera.
The moment Little Ya saw her mother's answer, her first thought was, Mom's so clever! She even managed to slip Cifera's name into a toy!
A cat doll dressed as a thief, coupled with the name Cipher—a clear reference to Cifera—meant that even if Cifera had guessed the Phantom Thief Cat's appearance without cheating, she would never have gotten the name right.
But... Cifera's answer actually matched perfectly?
This was utterly absurd... A miracle had truly occurred!
No! This wasn't a miracle—there had to be a method behind it!
But how had she done it?
I really want to know!
Little Ya's disappointment over Cifera's apparent lack of effort vanished instantly, replaced by an overwhelming surge of excitement.
She didn't even need to see the remaining two pairs of answers to know they would match perfectly.
Meanwhile, after reviewing the first pair of answers, Nie Bing maintained a calm expression, but her mind was exploding inside.
How could Aya's favorite childhood toy share such striking similarities with Cifera? What are the odds of that?
A wild idea suddenly flashed through Nie Bing's mind:
What if Aya is Cifera, and Cifera is Aya? What if they're fundamentally the same person?
But Aya is real, while Cifera is fake—just an alias? An identity Aya created, inspired by her beloved toy, Cipher?
All along, the Contestant Cifera the Pursuit Team has been hunting... is actually Aya?!
This would explain why her sixth sense had been screaming warnings, yet every physical examination of Aya had revealed no evidence of disguise...
Because Aya is Cifera's true form! Of course there wouldn't be any clues!
It all clicked into place. Everything!
But could this actually be true? Or was it just an incredible coincidence?
No, I can't think about it anymore. Any more and my brain will explode!
I can't tell! I really can't tell anymore!
Nie Bing felt like her head was about to explode. But if she froze up at this crucial moment, it would be utterly humiliating.
This was my own validation method, and I can't just shut down halfway through! she thought. What kind of impression would that make?!
Forcing herself to suppress the chaotic storm of thoughts in her mind, Nie Bing resolved to complete the validation process no matter what.
But she already knew the outcome of this validation no longer mattered.
Lu Yue, though equally surprised that Sister Aya's favorite toy was a Phantom Thief Cat named Cipher, didn't overthink it like Nie Bing did. He simply chalked it up to coincidence.
He glanced at Nie Bing's expression and noticed her forced composure. He smirked inwardly.
What's this? Finally realized how wrong you were?
Stop struggling, Officer Nie Bing! Courageously admit your mistake!
Failure isn't shameful! What's shameful is refusing to accept defeat!
In stark contrast to the tense silence on set, the live stream's Bullet Comments were erupting with heated discussion:
[It's undeniably a match! But Sister Aya's favorite doll is a Phantom Thief Cat, and its name is Cipher? Oh my god! Aya and cats are just meant to be!]
[Is this really not scripted? The coincidence is just too much!]
[A Phantom Thief Cat doll named Cipher? Aya and I are about the same age—how have I never heard of it?]
[Maybe it's a high-end custom piece? For the wealthy, anything is possible.]
Next came the second question: What was the first household chore Aya helped her mother with as a child?
Little Ya's mother's written answer read:
"I helped prepare 'Special Tuna Dinners' for all our feline overlords. I accidentally sprinkled catnip instead of seasoning, which led to an all-night 'Purr-ty Frenzy' at home."
"Aya's" written answer read:
"I helped Mom make tuna dinners for the cats, but... well, let's just say it didn't go well."
After reading both answers, Little Ya's conviction grew stronger.
Even with her mother's wildly exaggerated answer, Cifera had still managed to match it perfectly. It was now glaringly obvious—Cifera was using some kind of unknown cheating method.
However, for the third question, her mother had changed her strategy. Surely Cifera wouldn't be able to handle this one, right?
How could you possibly have written your answers beforehand and still match Mom's? Unless you can actually read minds!
After reading the first answer, Nie Bing felt numb inside and mechanically continued reading.
Lu Yue, however, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, Sister Aya, you were quite the mischievous little troublemaker when you were young! I can't even imagine you doing something like that.
"If it were Little Ya, it would make much more sense."
He couldn't resist teasing Little Ya at the end, but she was too preoccupied with figuring out Cifera's cheating methods to pay him any attention.
[Pfft! A catnip party! The visuals are hitting hard!]
[Sister Aya's summary is spot-on! "It didn't go well," hahaha!]
[Confirmed! They're definitely mother and daughter! Even their shared black history is remembered in perfect sync!]
[The cats who partied all night that day: "Hear me say thank you~ Because of you~ The seasons feel warm~"]
[Haha! Case solved! So that's why Sister Aya is so popular with cats!]
Finally, the third question: What is the thing Aya has done that makes her mother most proud?
Little Ya's mother wrote on her paper:
"As long as my daughter grows up healthy, lives a happy life, and doesn't harm others or break the law, I'll be proud of her no matter what she does."
Aya's answer, written on her paper, was:
"As long as I don't make Mom angry, stay healthy and happy, she'll be proud of me no matter what I do."
When this final set of answers—distinct from the earlier ones in its warmth and hope—was revealed, and Aya and her mother once again shared a "soul resonance," the entire program reached its climax!
[Waaah... I'm crying! The mother's love is so heartwarming!]
[Sister Aya understands her mother so well!]
[Tears in my eyes! This is what mother-daughter relationships should be! This is what family truly means!]
[Look! Little Ya and her mom rushed to hug Aya! The three of them are embracing—it's so touching!]
[Little Ya's dad was a step behind, left standing on the side, glaring helplessly, ha ha!]
[Little Bingbing, stop being stubborn! Announce it already—Aya is innocent!]
[Exactly! This is irrefutable proof! Aya is Aya!]
[Little Bingbing, let go of your obsession and be good friends with Sister Aya from now on!]
On the screen, once all three answers matched, Little Ya and her parents' eyes lit up as they rushed toward "Aya."
Earlier, Little Ya's parents had shared her doubts, believing Cifera might struggle with the third set of answers.
But to their astonishment, Cifera seemed to read their minds, writing down the same answer Little Ya's mother had yet to complete.
If this wasn't a miracle, what was?
A miraculous cat who could perform such trickery right under the Cat's Eye Clan's noses—this was the perfect moment to shower her with affection!
Watching the heartwarming scene of "Aya" surrounded by her loving family, Nie Bing took a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled.
She walked up to "Aya" and her family, straightened her posture, and bowed solemnly, almost ninety degrees, her eyes filled with remorse and relief.
"Miss Aya! I sincerely apologize!
"I was wrong! Utterly and completely wrong!
"I shouldn't have doubted you! Please forgive my ignorance and stubbornness!
"It was thanks to your invitation that I was able to uncover the truth!"
Nie Bing's words were sincere. Though a wildly improbable possibility had emerged in her mind, she recognized that it was precisely Aya's invitation that had made her realize it.
If this absurd possibility turned out to be false, then Nie Bing's apology would naturally be warranted.
But even if this absurd possibility were true, her apology would still be valid.
Because she had indeed been mistaken earlier.
The "Aya" standing before her was not Cifera in disguise... Cifera was Aya all along!
They were two facets of the same being, inseparable and indistinguishable.
Driven by her sixth sense, Nie Bing unconsciously leaned toward believing this utterly absurd yet most plausible explanation.
However, she knew she couldn't openly verify her suspicions without tipping her hand.
She was certain the Production Team was unaware of this secret, making a direct arrest and verification impossible.
After being repeatedly outmaneuvered by Cifera—no, Dongfang Yamiao—Nie Bing realized it was time to learn patience.
To catch such a cunning contestant, brute force wouldn't work; she would have to play the long game.
Now that she had offered a sincere apology, Aya would surely no longer suspect Nie Bing of questioning her identity.
This was currently her only advantage, and she had to cherish and exploit it to the fullest!
At that moment, Nie Bing felt she had grown.
-
At the same time, a dark figure gradually approached the manor from outside. It was Kawaguchi Tokushi, who had finally tracked them down.
He was now clad in a black ninja suit.
"Don't think you can shake me off so easily! The real show is just beginning!
"In my ninja suit, I'm invincible! Heh heh heh~!"
Meanwhile, inside the manor's main house, Cifera, surrounded by Little Ya and her parents, seemed to sense something. The corner of her lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.
-
Spy- Bro wtf is this ninja guy (≖_≖ )