Jiang Lai had no idea what lingering, complicated thoughts were passing through Pei Jingchuan’s mind.
She held the communication talisman tightly in her palm. Warm, pulsating spiritual energy coiled around her fingertips.
So this was the power of the Zixiao destiny — just a few seconds of contact had stirred such a strong resonance in her talisman!
Back in her room, Jiang Lai locked the door, took out cinnabar and yellow paper, and activated the communication charm.
A translucent old man slowly opened his eyes and let out a weary yawn.
Jiang Lai immediately told him everything strange she had encountered today.
“Master, long-lost secret techniques of the metaphysical sect have appeared here… could those traitors who fled back then also be hiding in this world?”
The old man instantly lost all sleep. His fingers moved rapidly as he calculated and divined, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
In all his years in the mysterious arts, this was the first time he had encountered something he simply could not read.
And of all times, it had to happen while Jiang Lai was descending the mountain to pass through her tribulation. He could not tell whether this was tied to her fate — or whether someone was deliberately manipulating events from behind the scenes.
“Disciple, I will discuss this matter thoroughly with the elders of the sect. This secret art appearing here is too suspicious. For now, your top priority is breaking your destined calamity.”
The old man floated around her in midair as he spoke, his tone serious.
“Don’t worry, Master.” Jiang Lai met his gaze calmly. “But this matter involves Grandma, so I will still investigate it to the end.”
“You stubborn girl! Now that you’re far away, do you think your master can’t control you anymore?!”
The old man grumbled endlessly beside her ear until the communication talisman’s time ran out and his voice finally faded.
Jiang Lai rubbed her temples helplessly.
He didn’t need to worry so much — having died once already, she would cherish her life far more this time.
The Next Day
By the time Jiang Lai woke up, it was almost noon.
She went downstairs in slippers. Sitting at the dining table were Gu Qianhe, Song Qin, and a slightly overweight middle-aged man.
When he met Jiang Lai’s eyes, he instinctively avoided her gaze.
“Lai Lai, you’re up.”
This was her biological father — Gu Anchang.
Old Master Gu had been a legendary figure in Nancheng’s business world, but Gu Anchang was nothing more than an incompetent heir. Ever since he took over Gu Corporation, the company had faced several near-collapse crises and survived only because of its deep foundation.
A dying camel was still bigger than a horse.
“Mr. Gu,” Jiang Lai greeted him coldly and sat down.
A servant quickly brought her bowl and chopsticks.
“Have you been comfortable living here recently?” Gu Anchang asked politely while placing food into her bowl.
“It’s fine.”
Jiang Lai replied casually — and when she saw the shrimp he had placed in her bowl, she pushed them aside with her chopsticks.
“Didn’t you always love shrimp? What are you making a fuss about?” Gu Anchang frowned slightly.
“I’m allergic to shrimp,” Jiang Lai said flatly, setting down her chopsticks. “The one who likes shrimp is my sister, right?”
When she first returned to the Gu family in her past life, Gu Anchang had also served her shrimp like this.
She forced herself to eat it, only to be rushed to the hospital that night by the driver and servants. On the way there, she even went into anaphylactic shock and nearly died.
Even the servants remembered her allergy — yet her own father acted like he had amnesia.
“If you didn’t tell me, how was I supposed to know?” Gu Anchang said coldly, then turned and served shrimp to Gu Qianhe instead. “You’re being dramatic. It’s just shrimp — it’s not like it would kill you.”
Jiang Lai lowered her head and silently ate her rice, not bothering to argue.
Gu Anchang then spoke again in a serious tone:
“I’ve been discussing with your mother recently. Because of your plagiarism scandal with your graduation thesis, your school forced you to suspend your studies. No one knows when — or if — you’ll be allowed back.”
“If you can’t get your diploma, you’ll just make the Gu family a laughingstock.”
He continued:
“The best solution now is to send you abroad. I’ve already contacted a university in the U.S. — they reviewed your materials and agreed to let you transfer in.”
Study abroad?
Jiang Lai didn’t even bother to look up.
In both lives, they always used “for your own good” as an excuse to control her.
Now, she would think rationally instead of being manipulated.
“I’m not going,” Jiang Lai said calmly as she wiped her hands with a napkin. “I’ve already graduated.”
Song Qin slammed her chopsticks down.
“Graduated? Jiang Lai, you can’t just lie so shamelessly!”
“Madam Gu doesn’t believe me?”
Jiang Lai smiled faintly, went upstairs, and returned with a blue booklet which she placed in front of Song Qin.
Nancheng University Graduation Certificate — the gold lettering nearly blinded her.
Gu Qianhe glanced at it from the corner of her eye, her smile freezing on her face.
How was this possible?!
Jiang Lai had been permanently disqualified from her thesis defense — so where did this diploma come from?!
Gu Qianhe bit her tongue hard to stay composed.
“Sister… your plagiarism scandal was all over campus. What’s the point of making a fake diploma to deceive us?”
Jiang Lai looked at her calmly.
“Whether the plagiarism was real or not… don’t you know better than anyone?”
Months earlier, she had shared her thesis ideas with Gu Qianhe. When she submitted her paper, the department accused her of plagiarism.
Gu Qianhe had bribed everyone involved. No matter how Jiang Lai appealed, no one listened.
She was forced to wear the label of “plagiarist,” while Gu Qianhe played the innocent victim.
In the end, her supervisor fought for her and negotiated with the school, giving her three days to submit a brand-new thesis — one of even higher quality — so she could graduate.
She never told the Gu family any of this, fearing it would worry them.
Jiang Lai took back her diploma and said calmly:
“I plan to work at Gu Corporation.”
Gu Anchang’s eyelid twitched.
“Lai Lai, working at the company isn’t a small matter. You may have graduated, but your experience is still limited.”
“I can start from the bottom,” Jiang Lai replied firmly.
Gu Corporation was Old Madam Gu’s life’s work. Under Gu Anchang’s foolish management — and with Gu Qianhe secretly siphoning the family’s fortune — the company was already in danger.
If she continued to stand by and do nothing, the consequences would be disastrous.
“Let’s wait until Xingyun comes back from his business trip in the U.S. There’s no rush,” Gu Anchang said dismissively, brushing the topic aside.
Then he pulled out a bank card and slid it across the table to Jiang Lai.
“There are three thousand yuan in here. Use it for now.”
Jiang Lai glanced at the card, her expression turning cold.
“One set of my sister’s pajamas costs more than this. How did you even have the nerve to hand me three thousand?”