In the top-floor office of the Shen Group building, Shen Zhentian was reviewing a document.
His secretary spoke cautiously beside him.
“Mr. Shen, Madam just called. She said Miss Mengqi has caused trouble at school again—she smashed a classmate’s drawing board.”
Shen Zhentian rubbed his temples and sighed wearily.
“Understood. Have the driver pick them up. We’ll discuss it at home tonight.”
He set down the document and looked out the window.
His daughter, Shen Mengqi, had been spoiled since childhood, and her temper was growing increasingly willful.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to discipline her, but the company had been so busy these past few years that he simply couldn’t spare the time.
Little did he know that a small, shabbily dressed child was, step by step, making her way toward him.
That child was his true biological daughter.
Xiao Qingxuan stood before the Shen Group building, craning her neck to look up at the towering skyscraper.
She couldn’t help but exclaim, “So tall! Even taller than the mountain at our temple!”
[The energy in this building is so chaotic. So many people are hiding things in their hearts.]
Lingfeng wrinkled his nose and sniffed.
[There’s someone whose aura feels a bit similar to Xiao Tuanzi’s.]
Xiao Qingxuan’s heart stirred. She tugged at the security guard’s sleeve by the entrance and asked,
“Uncle, I’m looking for Shen Zhentian and Lin Wanrong. Are they here?”
The guard looked her up and down, taking in her faded cloth dress and the old bundle on her back.
She didn’t look like she could be related to any important figures, so he replied impatiently,
“Don’t cause trouble, kid. Do you think you can just meet Mr. Shen and his wife whenever you want? Move along!”
Just as Xiao Qingxuan was about to say more, she suddenly heard the sound of a car horn.
A black sedan pulled up to the entrance. The door opened, and out stepped a woman in an elegant dress, her demeanor gentle and graceful—it was Lin Wanrong.
Behind her followed a little girl about Qingxuan’s age, wearing a beautiful princess dress but pouting with a displeased expression—Shen Mengqi.
[Mom is so annoying! It was just a stupid drawing board. Why did she have to drag me home!]
Shen Mengqi grumbled inwardly, her eyes wandering around until they landed on Xiao Qingxuan standing by the entrance.
Her brow immediately furrowed.
Where did this wild girl come from, dressed so shabbily!
Lin Wanrong also noticed the little child. Though the girl wore old clothes, she was clean and tidy, with a rosy-cheeked face and large, clear eyes like a fawn’s.
For some reason, Lin Wanrong felt an inexplicable fondness for her.
She stepped forward and asked gently, “Little one, who are you looking for?”
Xiao Tuanzi looked up at Lin Wanrong and said earnestly,
“Auntie, I’m looking for Shen Zhentian and Lin Wanrong. My name is Shen Qingxuan. I’ve come to find my mom and dad.”
Lin Wanrong froze.
Behind her, Shen Mengqi shrieked, “You’re lying! I’m Mom and Dad’s daughter! You’re a liar!”
As she spoke, she reached out to push Qingxuan.
Caught off guard, Qingxuan stumbled and nearly fell.
Xiaobai leaped out from her arms, baring his teeth at Shen Mengqi with a threatening growl.
[How dare this brat push Xiao Tuanzi? I’ll scratch her face up!]
Lin Wanrong quickly pulled Shen Mengqi back. “Mengqi! Stop making trouble!”
Xiao Tuanzi also held Xiaobai back.
“Master said we mustn’t hurt people.”
Then, setting Xiaobai aside, she rolled up her sleeves and pushed back.
“But I’m different—I’m a child. When us kids fight, adults should stay out of it!”
Shen Mengqi refused to back down, and the two of them immediately tumbled into a scuffle.
Lin Wanrong couldn’t hold them back any longer and had to let the bodyguards behind her separate the two.
Neither of them held back, and both ended up with a few bruises on their faces.
Just then, Shen Zhentian also walked out of the building.
Seeing his daughter’s condition, he didn’t say much. He simply picked her up and headed straight for the hospital.
Before leaving, he turned to Shen Qingxuan and said, “Whose child are you, coming to my company’s entrance to pick a fight?”
Shen Qingxuan planted her hands on her hips. “Yours!”
Shen Mengqi, cradled in her father’s arms, struggled angrily, wanting to get down and hit her.
“You little beggar, how dare you claim someone else’s parents!”
Shen Zhentian quickly carried his daughter away.
Seeing this, her mother had no choice but to follow.
The security guard at the entrance, seeing how tiny she was, couldn’t bring himself to give her a hard time and let her go.
【Don’t be sad, Xiao Tuanzi. They’ll find out you’re their real daughter.】
Lingfeng stretched out a little paw and patted her shoulder.
【Exactly, that little brat is too mean. Next time we see her, I’ll help you beat her up.】
Xiaobai said angrily from the side.
“Huh? I’m not sad. I must have lost because I was hungry!”
Xiao Qingxuan wasn’t upset at all. She had grown up being pampered by everyone on the mountain.
What bothered her was just that it seemed like she hadn’t beaten that little girl.
She patted her belly—it was flat.
It must have been because she was hungry that she didn’t win.
The two little ones also patted their bellies.
Gurgle, gurgle—they were all hungry.
“Let’s go find something to eat.”
Xiao Qingxuan led the two little ones along the street.
Their stomachs growled with hunger, and everything smelled delicious.
When they passed by a barbecue shop, none of the three wanted to leave.
The waiter at the entrance saw her and greeted her with a smile.
“Little girl, would you like some barbecue?”
Xiao Tuanzi nodded, her eyes sparkling. “Yes! Eat meat!”
The waiter smiled. “Where are your parents?”
Xiao Tuanzi planted her hands on her hips. “I am the adult!”
The waiter suppressed a laugh. “Alright, alright, you’re the adult. Do you have any money?”
Xiao Tuanzi reached into her pocket.
She pulled out the bills the fat man had given her that morning.
That man was quite wealthy and had simply handed her all the money from his wallet.
The waiter was startled to see her pull out such a thick stack.
He hurriedly pressed her hand down and stuffed the money back into her pocket.
“Little girl, you don’t need that much.”
【Huh? This person is surprisingly nice.】
Lingfeng often sneaked down the mountain and had seen a lot of the world.
Xiao Tuanzi patted Lingfeng’s head and giggled. “Yeah, there are lots of good people in the world.”
The waiter noticed she had two little pets with her.
He led her to sit outside near the entrance of the shop.
“Little girl, pets aren’t allowed inside. You can eat here. Choose whatever you’d like.”
Xiao Tuanzi didn’t know many characters, and most of the talismans she drew were in traditional script.
She grabbed a pen with her little hand and checked off all the meat options.
“All of them!”
The waiter was taken aback. He looked at the tiny girl, then at the little white fox and white cat beside her.
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Little one, are you sure you want this much?”
Shen Qingxuan patted her belly firmly. “Our bellies are all flat.”
The waiter thought, it’s fine. If they can’t finish, they can pack it up for these little ones to take home.
Surely there are adults at home who can eat it.
Soon, plates of tender meat were brought to the table.
The three little ones devoured everything like a whirlwind and even ordered more meat several times.
In the end, they ate a total of thirteen or fourteen pounds of meat.
And that’s not counting staples like rice or vegetables.
【Wow, this barbecue is so much tastier than the wild game on the mountain!】
Xiaobai mumbled indistinctly while chewing on meat.
“Hmph, if it weren’t for Xiao Tuanzi leading the way, how could we have eaten such delicious food.”
Lingfeng licked his paws, contentedly saying.
Just as they were speaking, the waitress walked over.
Holding the bill in hand, she paused for a moment when she saw the number on it.
She looked down at Qingxuan, then glanced at the stacked empty plates on the table, unable to hold back a laugh.
“Little girl, you and these two little ones sure can eat—you’ve polished off over ten pounds.”
Xiao Qingxuan tilted her round face upward, her expression full of satisfaction from eating and drinking.
“Because the meat at your restaurant is delicious, sister.”
The waitress was amused by her and reached out to ruffle her hair.
“Since you’re so well-behaved, I’ll round down the bill for you—thirty yuan less.”
Xiao Qingxuan’s eyes lit up, and she quickly handed over the money from her pocket: “Pretty sister, you’re a really, really good person!”
The waitress took the money and went to get change.
Xiao Qingxuan thought to herself, her master had said, one should not accept unearned rewards.
So she moved her fingers up and down, performing a divination for the sister.
It was fine not to calculate, but once she did, her eyes grew clear and bright.
The main hexagram fell into emptiness, and it happened to be the third quarter of the hour of You.
A calamity of bloodshed, with nine deaths and one chance of survival.