Volume One, Chapter 30: From Impoverished Trickster to Noble Lady

Su Jin snorted, clearly displeased. “It’s nothing but that plot of land in the western suburbs again.”

Qi Huairou frowned in response. “Didn’t you settle that yesterday?”

At the mention of it, Su Jin grew even more exasperated. Negotiations over that plot had dragged on for half a year, and just when everything was finally agreed upon, they were halted right before signing the contract. Now, the other party was demanding he come in person to the western suburbs to sign.

Not wanting Qi Huairou to share his worries, Su Jin patted the back of her hand and spoke lightly, “Huda Real Estate wants me to go sign the contract tomorrow. I’m just annoyed at their last-minute change of plans, that’s all.”

Qi Huairou grew angry as well. “Business is all about trust. If Huda Real Estate keeps this up, they’ll be bankrupt sooner or later!”

Hearing her forthright words, Su Jin felt much of his frustration fade away. “Rou Rou, it’s so good to have you by my side.”

The sudden tenderness brought a blush to Qi Huairou’s cheeks. She shot him a playful glare. “A man your age—still so cheeky.”

Su Jin, feeling soft-hearted, finally noticed the red agate necklace at her throat. “New?”

Qi Huairou smiled—A Jin always noticed the little changes about her.

“Yes! Do you like it?”

Su Jin gazed at her gentle face and nodded. “I do. No matter what, you’re always beautiful.”

Qi Huairou blushed even deeper, giving his shoulder a playful slap. “You’re wrong—I didn’t buy it. It was a gift from a new friend of mine.”

Qi Huairou often went to the beauty salon and had made quite a few friends there.

Knock, knock, knock.

There was a knock at the study door.

“Who is it?”

“Qin Yu.”

Qi Huairou and Su Jin exchanged smiles, warmth lighting up their faces. Qi Huairou, especially delighted, went to open the door.

“Yu Yu, it’s late. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Qin Yu immediately noticed the necklace at her throat—bright as blood, making her neck look even paler and more slender.

“Mrs. Su, Mr. Su. I need to go out tonight for a business matter,” Qin Yu said directly.

Before Qi Huairou could respond, Su Jin objected at once. “Absolutely not! It’s not safe for a young woman to be out at night.”

And what kind of proper business needs to be handled at such an hour?

Su Jin’s face grew stern.

“Mr. Su, I’ve already given my word. I can’t go back on it.”

Su Jin was about to protest further, but Qi Huairou stopped him. “Yu Yu, is it absolutely necessary?”

Qin Yu nodded. “I promised to help someone catch a ghost tonight at midnight.”

Hearing it was ghost-catching, Qi Huairou and Su Jin both relaxed. Though neither wanted Qin Yu to continue with this line of work, she had already promised…

Seeing how earnest Qin Yu looked, Qi Huairou made a silent resolve: she had to find an opportunity to persuade Yu Yu to give up this deceitful business and find a proper way to make a living.

“Then let Uncle Lin drive you tonight.”

Qin Yu nodded. Before leaving, she glanced at the two of them and pulled out two small, triangular talismans from her pocket, handing them to Qi Huairou. “Mrs. Su, Mr. Su. These are protective charms I folded myself. Keep them close—they’ll keep you safe.”

Although Qi Huairou didn’t believe in such things, she accepted them without protest, touched by Qin Yu’s thoughtfulness.

Once Qin Yu had left, Su Jin cradled the talisman, beaming with delight. “Rou Rou, look, our daughter made these.”

He then carefully tucked it into his shirt pocket.

Qi Huairou scoffed at him, but she too put her talisman away carefully.

—

At eleven forty-five that evening, Qin Yu arrived at Anxin Tower.

Lin Jian’an looked up at the towering building, feeling a chill crawl up his legs and spine. He glanced around nervously, his voice trembling. “M-Miss, is there really a ghost here?”

Qin Yu got out of the car with her small bag, and seeing Lin Jian’an swallowing hard, said, “Uncle Lin, just wait here for me. I’ll call you when I’m done.”

But remembering Qi Huairou’s instructions, Lin Jian’an insisted on going with her. Seeing she couldn’t dissuade him, Qin Yu let him follow.

Using the door code provided by Xiao Sun Bufan, Qin Yu entered the building.

As soon as she stepped inside, she could feel the air was thick with a cold, heavy presence.

She glanced at Lin Jian’an, who was trailing her gingerly, and her eyes lit up.

“Uncle Lin, could you help me with something?”

—

The moment Qin Yu started her livestream, five or six hundred viewers flooded in.

“Master, good evening!”

“Wife, send kisses!”

“I’m so scared tonight, I got all my roommates up to watch the stream with me.”

“Jealous of you for having roommates. I have to turn on every light in my room instead.”

“Don’t be afraid, everyone in the stream is here with you.”

Lin Jian’an, holding the phone, watched the barrage of comments and suddenly understood: ghost-hunting livestreams were all the rage online these days. The whole point was to build suspense and satisfy people’s curiosity. He’d liked them himself for a while, until he saw enough to realize it was all just tricks—there were never any real ghosts.

With that in mind, Lin Jian’an felt much braver, and the things around him didn’t seem so frightening anymore.

Xiao Sun Bufan’s office was on the thirteenth floor.

—

The moment they reached the thirteenth floor, Qin Yu could sense the cold, oppressive air was even heavier there. Lin Jian’an, holding the phone for her, was shaking uncontrollably.

“Why is the camera shaking so much? I’m getting dizzy.”

“Me too… ugh.”

Qin Yu took the phone back and fixed it on a tripod.

“Miss, why can’t I stop shivering?” Lin Jian’an was trembling like a leaf, his voice shaking as well.

“It’s your body’s natural response to fear.”

Ordinary people may not see ghosts, but the body can still sense them—what some call the sixth sense.

“Did I hear wrong? Was that a man’s voice? Did the Master bring backup tonight?”

“No, you heard right. That man just called her ‘Miss,’ didn’t he?”

“Miss? Is this a new storyline?”

“???”

“Yes! Scripted! It’s all just a script!”

Qin Yu took some cinnabar from her bag, mixed it with water, and drew a hexagram on the floor. As she finished the last stroke, a faint light shimmered from the hexagram.

“Spirit, halt! Bind the wandering soul, anchor the ghostly form. My command is urgent—appear!”

As her chant ended, golden vines shot forth from the center of the hexagram like budding branches.

Lin Jian’an, who witnessed it all, rubbed his eyes furiously. When he realized it wasn’t a hallucination, his jaw almost dropped to the floor.

Looking at Qin Yu, calm and composed as she cast her spell, he fell to his knees with a thud.

A living deity! He was witnessing a living deity!

Hearing the commotion, Qin Yu glanced at him in confusion—only to see something behind Lin Jian’an.

Her eyes narrowed. “Go!”

At her command, the golden vine shot out from the formation.

Everything tonight was far beyond Lin Jian’an’s comprehension—especially when he saw that golden thing flying straight at him…

His vision went black, and he fainted.