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At that moment, in the capital.

Xu Mengrui was waiting with her mother, Jiang Xiang, for Xu Hanrui to come home for dinner.

After being sarcastically mocked by Yu Zhenghui, she had asked her mother as soon as she returned home, “Mom, when are you and Dad going to register your marriage?”

Jiang Xiang was busy preparing dinner. At that, she paused and said, “Your father hasn’t mentioned it.”

“What are you still waiting for? He’s already divorced that woman. The position of Mrs. Xu should be returned to you.”

“Well… perhaps it’s because your grandparents still haven’t accepted me…” Jiang Xiang lowered her head timidly.

At the mention of this, Xu Mengrui became even more upset. Her grandparents—the parents of Xu Hanrui, the emperor and empress dowager of the Xu family—were precisely the two old relics who had once torn her parents apart, causing her endless suffering in her previous life.

In her previous life, by the time she learned that she was Xu Hanrui’s daughter, the elderly couple had already died, and she had never met them. In this life, she had been reborn six years earlier and returned to the Xu family while the two old relics were still alive. At last, she had witnessed just how despicable they were.

Song Ruo was from an ordinary family, just like her mother. In fact, Song Ruo’s background was even worse than her mother’s—she had been an orphan, raised in a welfare home. Yet the old couple had thought highly of that woman in every possible way and treated Xu Luofu, their vicious granddaughter, like the apple of their eye. Toward her and her mother, however, they were cold and disdainful, finding fault with them at every turn. Because of this, they had nearly disowned even Xu Hanrui, their own son.

She truly could not understand why. Jiang Xiang indeed had little ability and could not help Xu Hanrui in the business world, but wasn’t Song Ruo merely a housewife as well? Why the blatant difference in treatment?

Fortunately, Xu Hanrui had a backbone. He had completely ignored their threats, divorced Song Ruo, driven her out of the house, and brought his true love and her daughter back instead. The elderly couple had been so enraged that they were hospitalized, and they still had not been discharged.

“Dad doesn’t care about them at all. He probably just got held up by something. When he comes back tonight, remind him, Mom. We have to settle your status properly.”

“Well… all right.” Jiang Xiang’s face flushed shyly.

Thinking of the legitimate status she would have once her parents registered their marriage—and how, in this life, she would be able to marry Mo Yu as the Xu family’s heiress, never again suffering the endless misunderstandings and hardships of her previous life—Xu Mengrui could not help smiling in anticipation.

Just then, she suddenly received a message from Tao Yuzhe. Her scalp went numb, and the heart that had just been soaring sank at once.

She leaped up from the sofa, hurried upstairs, rushed into her bedroom, locked the door, and called Tao Yuzhe to ask what had happened.

Following Li Chongjing’s instructions, Tao Yuzhe replied, “I don’t know. It just happened all of a sudden.”

“I told you to keep an eye on him. Where were you keeping watch? Every time I ask, all you say is that you don’t know. What use are you?”

Tao Yuzhe had already spent the entire day both startled and terrified, all because of Xu Mengrui. Now, hearing her berate him in that dog-handler’s tone, his own temper flared. He snapped, “Do you think I’m a surveillance camera or a secret agent? Am I supposed to watch someone every minute of every day for you? You’ve watched too many movies! If you’re so capable, keep an eye on him yourself!”

With that, he angrily hung up.

Xu Mengrui stared at the disconnected call, furious. But she had no time to deal with a minor underling like Tao Yuzhe.

Why had Li Chongjing shown signs of taking an interest in Xu Luofu? Hadn’t he just witnessed Xu Luofu beating someone? Or had something happened somewhere Tao Yuzhe’s useless eyes had failed to see?

Xu Mengrui felt intensely anxious. In her previous life, Li Chongjing had left a considerable shadow over her. Though she was unwilling to admit it even to herself, if Li Chongjing had not died suddenly back then, she had no confidence that she and Mo Yu could have defeated him.

Of course, she was a person reborn. She was the protagonist of this world, possessed every advantage of foresight, and Li Chongjing was still nothing more than an ordinary high school student. She had countless ways to deal with him.

But no matter what status or position Li Chongjing might one day attain, she could not bear to see him fall in love with Xu Luofu as he had in her previous life—toiling for her like an ox and horse, becoming her utterly devoted sycophant.

A vicious woman like Xu Luofu did not deserve such steadfast, passionate, single-minded love. The thought made Xu Mengrui deeply uncomfortable.

Wait. Could it be that he had never seen the letter she sent him? Besides, although Xu Luofu had beaten them, Yu Mingwan and the others had attacked first. Xu Luofu had been the victim. Perhaps that was why he had not formed a negative impression of her.

It was very possible.

With that thought, Xu Mengrui sent Tao Yuzhe another message, asking him to find Li Chongjing’s WeChat account.

When Tao Yuzhe had asked her previously whether she wanted it, she had inexplicably felt nervous and had never made up her mind. Now, she could no longer afford to worry about anything else.

Since she had just quarreled with Tao Yuzhe and feared he might drag his feet and delay her plans, she even transferred two hundred yuan to him.

Tao Yuzhe cautiously glanced at Li Chongjing.

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Li Chongjing gave him his WeChat ID. “Send it to her. Keep the money.”

Tao Yuzhe accepted the money and was secretly delighted, only to hear Li Chongjing add, “Transfer it to me.”

Tao Yuzhe: “…”

After accepting the money and seeing a new friend request appear on his account, he confirmed that it was Xu Mengrui’s account. Li Chongjing then bid farewell to the trembling Tao Yuzhe.

Li Chongjing boarded the bus home.

He was extremely cautious and did not immediately accept Xu Mengrui’s friend request. Too many strangers added him—students from his own school and from other schools alike—and he generally never accepted such requests lightly. If the person on the other end were deeply calculating, they might infer from how quickly he accepted the request that he was fishing for information.

Familiar scenery drifted slowly past the clean lenses of his glasses outside the bus. He stood toward the back, gripping a handrail. His clear, handsome face and sharply defined features were reflected in the window, while the white cord of his earphones hung over his chest.

He sensed that the girl sitting diagonally behind him was secretly photographing him. It had happened too many times, and he was already too lazy to care. He merely glanced over before withdrawing his gaze. His cool, indifferent expression made the girl who caught the edge of his eyes feel somewhat embarrassed.

Li Chongjing was still somewhat unsettled.

After hearing the entire story from Tao Yuzhe, he was almost certain that the person who had written him the letter was Xu Mengrui, though he could not understand how Xu Mengrui knew him.

He had asked Tao Yuzhe to send Xu Mengrui that WeChat message precisely to see how she would react. He had not expected her to call Tao Yuzhe immediately and interrogate him, then promptly add Li Chongjing as a friend—as though… as though she were genuinely terrified, and firmly believed that he truly might fall in love with Xu Luofu.

What was going on? Could that letter not have been nonsense after all, but a genuine letter of prophecy?

…

By the time Xu Hanrui returned home, the dishes had long since gone cold. The moment she saw him, Jiang Xiang hurriedly ordered someone to reheat them. Xu Mengrui had no appetite for dinner; she was anxiously waiting for Li Chongjing to accept her friend request. She used the excuse that she had already eaten at school and did not come downstairs, leaving Jiang Xiang and Xu Hanrui to dine alone.

Under Auntie Wang’s disdainful, disgusted glances from the corner, Jiang Xiang served him attentively and timidly. Remembering her daughter’s words, she asked him shyly about registering their marriage. At their age, she did not expect a wedding, but marrying the man she had loved for so many years was still something she eagerly anticipated.

Xu Hanrui looked at her. It was true that Song Ruo and Jiang Xiang had once resembled each other somewhat, but now there was hardly anything alike about them.

After more than a decade of a pampered, privileged life, Song Ruo’s cheeks were full, her features large and exquisite, and her skin fair and delicate, without the slightest blemish. She was like a smooth, plump, snowy-white pearl, beautiful and noble, radiating a soft, enchanting glow.

Jiang Xiang, despite having carefully nourished herself over the past year, was still thin, just as she had been more than a decade ago. There was little flesh on her cheeks, making her eyes appear even larger. She resembled a small cabbage that had grown without sufficient nourishment.

Perhaps that was precisely why she had pulled him back to the days of more than a decade ago, allowing him to glimpse his former self and remember the anger, pain, and regret he had felt when his parents had forced him to make choices against his will.

That was simply how people were. No matter how beautiful the present might be, they still dwelled on what they had failed to obtain and what they had missed, always longing for a perfect life without regrets.

Why couldn’t Song Ruo understand him? Why had she indulged their daughter in this farce? There had clearly been better, wiser ways to handle the matter—why had she chosen the worst possible one?

At that thought, his expression darkened again. Looking at Jiang Xiang, he said, “We’ll talk about it later. I’m very busy right now and don’t have time.”

“…All right.” Jiang Xiang immediately felt awkward. She lowered her head, her hands and feet curling inward.

Xu Hanrui had no time to concern himself with her. Every so often, he glanced at his phone, waiting for Song Ruo to send him messages of regret, submission, and pleas for reconciliation. As long as she admitted her mistake and lowered her head, the position of Mrs. Xu would still be hers, and Fufu would remain Xu Hanrui’s only beloved jewel.

…

Having achieved a resounding victory in her war against the great demon Yu Mingwan and displayed overwhelming strength, Xu Luofu was no longer avoided by her classmates. Those who had previously been too afraid to speak to her began approaching her of their own accord. Some even started ingratiating themselves with her, either out of personal desire or at their families’ command.

“Fufu, would you like some milk tea? I just bought it.”

“Fufu, your hair clip looks so beautiful today. What brand is it?”

“Fufu, I know how to do manicures. Would you like me to do your nails?”

Xu Luofu had been accustomed to being fawned over since childhood. Being surrounded and flattered by everyone did not make her uncomfortable in the slightest. She found it pleasant and enjoyable, and much of the dissatisfaction in her heart faded.

During the lunch break, she extended her beautiful hands and allowed an eager female classmate to do her nails. Listening to the constant stream of praise around her, satisfaction and delight appeared in her proud, beautiful eyes.

Xu Luofu’s original deskmate had been Jiang Fangfang, who, like Yu Mingwan and the others, was recuperating at home and had not come to school. Even if she had, however, it was uncertain whether she would still have dared to sit beside Xu Luofu. In any case, her seat had already been taken.

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Although Jiang Fangfang and Zhang Wenli were not scholarship students, neither did they come from wealthy families. One family ran an online retail business, while the other had made a fortune through demolition compensation. Both had suddenly become rich a few years earlier, after which their parents had sent them to the elite school to build connections. Within Yuling International High School, they occupied the lower end of the social hierarchy. It was only because they had become Yu Mingwan’s lackeys that they had dared to throw their weight around at school.

Now, even Yu Mingwan could not afford to provoke Xu Luofu. In this class, Jiang Fangfang and Zhang Wenli had plainly lost the right to speak loudly. Naturally, they had to retreat to a corner and keep to themselves.

Most of the people surrounding Xu Luofu now hoped to follow in Jiang Fangfang and Zhang Wenli’s footsteps—to attach themselves to Xu Luofu, become her followers, and borrow her authority to intimidate others.

How could Xu Luofu not know what they were after? Becoming one of her true followers was not so easy. They would have to compete for the position, and so far, she had not taken a liking to a single one of them.

Wherever Xu Luofu went, she inevitably became the focus of attention. With her popularity at its peak, there was talk of her throughout the school.

There were plenty of people who disliked Xu Luofu. After all, her haughty, overbearing manner, as though her eyes were fixed above her head, made it remarkably easy to stir up resentment.

“What is she acting so arrogant about? My mother has already looked into it. She may be Xu Hanrui’s daughter, but she’s been thrown out of the family. Does she really think she’s still the Xu heiress?”

“Exactly. I have no idea what those people are sucking up to her for. It’s hilarious. She may be able to rely on the Xu heiress’s former prestige to protect herself for a while, but can it protect her forever?”

“She only gets to act so powerful because there aren’t many people in the second-year class with truly impressive family backgrounds. Let her try that in the third-year classes!”

“Why wait for the third-year students? Since you’re all so impressive, why don’t you go teach Xu Luofu a lesson yourselves?”

A languid voice came from behind them, startling the group. They turned around and saw Chu Rao grinning broadly beside the expressionless Li Chongjing.

“W-We only said that because she’s being too arrogant.”

They simply could not stand watching a phoenix fall from the heavens and still refuse to lower her head or show humility.

“Exactly. I think she’s terribly arrogant too, so why don’t you teach her some humility?” Chu Rao took out his phone with great enthusiasm. “I’ll arrange a challenge with her on the forum for you!”

“No, no, we were only joking!”

Terrified, they scattered like startled birds, afraid that their words might truly reach Xu Luofu’s ears.

“And they were scared that easily? How boring.” Chu Rao put his phone away in disappointment. He turned to Li Chongjing, who was staring coldly at the neighboring classroom building.

Following his gaze, Chu Rao saw Xu Luofu standing in the corridor of the opposite building, enjoying the breeze. Several people surrounded her. Among them was a boy who was eagerly offering her a drink. Xu Luofu clearly rejected it impatiently, but he began rummaging through a plastic bag full of snacks and pulling them out one after another…

That was the same boy who had boasted on the forum not long ago about being ordered by Xu Luofu to do her homework. He had even put on a falsely helpless tone, as though he had not wanted to do it at all.

What a despicable creature. His face alone marked him as an oily, scheming, rotten man. The moment he found an opportunity to get close to Xu Luofu, he had begun leading her astray—making her stop doing her own homework and constantly stuffing her with junk food, harming her health. His intentions were sinister, his heart utterly malicious!

And what was that girl doing? Why was she wearing such an arrogant expression? Was she planning to use Xu Luofu’s name to bully others the way Yu Mingwan’s group had? Was she trying to ruin Xu Luofu’s reputation and make enemies for her everywhere?

Chu Rao spoke cautiously. “A-Chong, did you… did you just see your father’s killer?”

Li Chongjing ignored him. Beneath his glasses, his elegant, classical phoenix eyes remained fixed ominously on the boys and girls clustered around Xu Luofu.

Terrified, Chu Rao nudged him. “A-Chong!”

Li Chongjing blinked once, as though suddenly awakening from a dream. His expression shifted, and he turned around and hurried back to class.

Throughout the next lesson, Li Chongjing wrote furiously across more than a dozen pages, his expression solemn, serious, and devout, as though he were copying Buddhist scriptures.

Curious, Chu Rao leaned over to look. He saw page after page filled with beautiful, forceful characters spelling out the word “money,” each stroke cutting deep into the paper.

Emptying his wallet, committing every imaginable misdeed, the prophetic letter… Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

Money, money, money, money, money, money…

Money coming from every direction.

Chu Rao: “…”

Good heavens. He was about to forget what the word even looked like.

After a while, Chu Rao became even more bewildered.

Wait a second, brother. Haven’t you noticed that your “money” has gradually turned into “Xu Luofu”?

Why are you writing Xu Luofu’s name? Should I remind you?