Pei Jingchuan drove the Maybach into Minlai Apartment in downtown South City.
Minlai Apartment sat beside the CBD and was one of the most high-end residences in the city — anyone living there was either wealthy or influential.
After parking, Pei Jingchuan took Jiang Lai’s suitcase and led her upstairs.
They stopped in front of Room 1130. Pei Jingchuan entered the passcode in front of her.
“Remember it?”
“Hmm?”
Jiang Lai looked up at him, worried he might misunderstand.
“I’m only staying here for a few days, not—”
“Just in case. Once the engagement is announced publicly, we’ll inevitably have to put on a show sometimes.” Pei Jingchuan opened the door. “Come in.”
The apartment was decorated mainly in grey and white tones. After preparing a guest room for Jiang Lai, he went to his study.
“Quite thoughtful,” Jiang Lai murmured softly.
She opened her suitcase, took out yellow paper and cinnabar, and began drawing several commonly used talismans.
After what Song Qin and Aunt Wang had done, she had very little usable paper left. Coupled with the thin spiritual energy, only five talismans were successfully completed.
Jiang Lai sighed silently, tucked them into her pocket, and went to knock on Pei Jingchuan’s study door.
He was in the middle of a video conference.
Seeing her sneak in, he paused the meeting.
“Need something?” he asked, glancing sideways at her.
Jiang Lai touched the talismans in her pocket and tested the waters. “Um… I just came to say good night?”
She obviously couldn’t tell him the real reason.
Pei Jingchuan stood up, walked closer, and casually pointed toward her pocket.
“Isn’t it because of this, Miss Jiang?”
Jiang Lai looked down.
The talismans were completely hidden — and Pei Jingchuan knew nothing about the Purple Heaven Destiny.
How did he know?
His light chuckle pulled her back to reality. She found herself looking straight into his dark, ink-like eyes.
“Just teasing you.” He patted her shoulder. “Go to sleep. I’ll treat you to dinner after work tomorrow.”
The moment his hand touched her, gentle spiritual energy flowed into the talismans. Jiang Lai felt a warm sensation against her thigh.
“Okay.”
She turned and left.
Whether he was really joking or actually knew something, she couldn’t tell.
Back in her room, she wrapped herself in the blanket.
Her phone vibrated twice — a message from an unknown number.
She opened it and murmured, “Why is it him…”
She immediately called the number.
Once connected, she demanded, “Fu Baiqing, aren’t you supposed to be cultivating on the mountain with Master? Why are you in South City?”
“Master asked me to handle something.” His lazy voice came through the phone. “You’ve only been down the mountain a year, and you’ve already lost your manners? Don’t even call me ‘Senior Brother’?”
Jiang Lai pulled the phone away in annoyance.
Fu Baiqing was her direct senior in the mystic sect — older, stronger, and forever picking fights with her.
But in her past life, she had no memory of him coming down the mountain.
Could this be related to Liu Guohong and the traitors?
She asked directly, “You’re here for the traitors who stole forbidden techniques, right?”
There was a pause. “Partly. But this isn’t something you should interfere with. Your priority is surviving your fate tribulation.”
His tone carried concern, and Jiang Lai felt slightly moved.
Then he added lazily, “Besides, I don’t want there to be no one left in the sect who can bicker with me.”
Jiang Lai was speechless. “If that’s all, I’m hanging up.”
“Wait — be careful around the He family.”
He warned her.
“And… keep some distance from that person with the Purple Heaven Destiny. Master keeps nagging me, saying he’s afraid you won’t come back.”
Jiang Lai coughed awkwardly.
She was literally living in that person’s house right now…
“I’ll reassure him,” she said guiltily, then changed the subject. “By the way, Senior Brother, help me find a place to live. I’ve moved out of the Gu family.”
“Alright.” Fu Baiqing sounded surprised but didn’t press further.
The next evening, at Lanting Restaurant.
Pei Jingchuan handed his car keys to the attendant and went aside to return a call from his secretary. Jiang Lai went upstairs first.
As she stepped out of the elevator, she heard Gu Qianhe and Lin Sihui talking in the hallway.
“Qianhe, your parents really spoil you — you can book a Lanting private room so easily. I’m only here because of you.”
“Huihui, don’t tease me. The owner only gave the reservation because of Jingchuan-gege… otherwise it wouldn’t be so easy.”
Gu Qianhe looked shy — then froze when she saw Jiang Lai.
“Sister… why are you here too?”
Lanting had been established for nearly a century. The head chef’s ancestors had cooked for the imperial court. They only served twenty guests per month — reservations were notoriously hard to get.
Gu Qianhe had waited a full month for this booking.
Jiang Lai glanced at her coldly. “Does it concern you?”
Lin Sihui scoffed, “Qianhe, country girls really have no manners. Is she like this at work too?”
“Huihui, my sister has only been back a year — don’t say that,” Gu Qianhe said softly, pulling on her sleeve.
Then she stepped forward apologetically.
“Sister, why don’t you apologize to Huihui? I don’t want you two to have conflicts…”
Jiang Lai rolled her eyes and prepared to walk past them.
But Lin Sihui suddenly grabbed the corner of her clothes.
“Didn’t you hear what Qianhe said? So arrogant!”
“I’d love to treat you like human beings,” Jiang Lai snapped, yanking her hand away.
“But you have to act like ones first.”
“You—!”
Lin Sihui was furious.
Just an unacknowledged Gu family daughter — how dare she act so boldly in public!
“Jiang Lai, keep being arrogant. Qianhe is the Pei family’s recognized fiancée — once Pei Jingchuan hears about this, he’ll kick you out of South City!”
She kept pressing aggressively, completely missing Gu Qianhe’s increasingly ugly expression.
Jiang Lai stopped, turned back, and looked at them with a half-smile.
“Fiancée? So my sister hasn’t told you the engagement was cancelled — no wonder you’ve been clinging to Pei Jingchuan’s name.”
Lin Sihui hesitated. “Cancelled… what?”
Jiang Lai said calmly:
“My sister and Pei Jingchuan’s engagement was cancelled long ago. It’s been changed to mine.”