The Fake Heiress's Guide to Self-Rescue - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: I Hope This Is My Illusion and I Don’t Dare to Open My Eyes

The night in H City was as black as ink. A black Maybach sped down the highway toward the suburbs, its headlights reflecting the neon glow.

“Mom and Dad are holding a party for you at the old estate the day after tomorrow. They’ve invited the Jiang family’s closest friends and some business partners. You’ll stay at my place tonight, and I’ll take you there directly tomorrow.”

The young man driving had a head of fiery red hair and piercings in his ear cartilage that reflected the weak light of the dashboard. His ripped T-shirt revealed glimpses of a black tattoo.

“Okay, thank you, brother,” the girl in the back seat slowly opened her eyes, her gaze tinged with confusion. She didn’t show any panic or scream, and her expression quickly returned to normal.

The moment Jiang Qing opened her eyes, she was in the back seat of this Maybach. Relying on the residual memories of the body’s original owner, she could temporarily handle this “free” older brother.

When she transmigrated, the screen of the phone in her hand was still on. It showed a famous Q&A website, where an anonymous user had asked a question ten minutes ago: My parents adopted a girl who’s the same age as me. Will they share their love with her?

The answers were diverse, with the top-voted replies being especially scathing.

[Is it possible that she’s the illegitimate child of one of your parents?]

[Just a passerby, but I think your parents must be hiding something from you. Why else would they adopt a girl so old instead of a baby?]

Almost no one comforted her. The original poster was so frustrated that they rebutted every answer, saying: My mom and dad are very in love and they love me very much. They said they can’t tell me about this, but it’s definitely for my own good.

Of course, netizens didn’t believe this narrative and mocked the original poster for talking nonsense.

How boring. Jiang Qing turned off the phone and rubbed her brow.

This body was not yet used to sitting for a long time, but since she had arrived here inexplicably, she could only wait and observe for now.

The thought that she, a third-rank Celestial Master of the dignified Qingwei Sect and the personal student of Master Luo Yuan, had died from a tetanus infection after stepping on a bear trap while descending a mountain, made Jiang Qing’s face burn with embarrassment.

Her master’s wife had repeatedly warned her to bring her magical tools and not to get distracted while capturing ghosts. She never expected that what would ultimately defeat her was not a magical attack but a physical one. It truly made her stand out comically among all the other fallen Daoist friends.

Thinking of this, Jiang Qing grinned and let out a dry laugh. She wondered how speechless her master was when he saw her body. He must have been so ashamed.

Jiang Zhiyu heard the laughter from the back and was about to ask what was so funny. But he looked in the rearview mirror and saw the girl’s eyes were tightly closed and the phone in her hand was off. He shook his head, thinking she must be an idiot.

Jiang Qing closed her eyes, trying to find clues about her transmigration. The original owner’s remaining memories surged into her like a tide.

The owner of this body was named Jiang Qing as well, and she had grown up in an orphanage. The director was a kind old lady who always made delicious food for her and the other children.

Although she rarely got to wear new clothes or had many toys, the director and her friends made her feel the warmth of a family.

The original owner lived a simple life until she turned eighteen and got into H City University. Then a well-dressed couple appeared before her, saying they were willing to adopt her and take her to live in the Jiang family home.

The director wanted her to have a wealthy life and earnestly persuaded her to agree. Mr. and Mrs. Jiang also promised to leave her a portion of their property. After thinking for a few days, Jiang Qing agreed.

She felt a bit nervous sitting in her new brother’s car, knowing she would meet her new parents tomorrow. Then, when she opened her eyes again, Jiang Qing had arrived here.

Jiang Qing’s emotions were complicated. She felt like a thief who had stolen someone else’s rightful happiness, but it wasn’t something she had done on purpose.

The car soon drove into a villa and stopped steadily at the entrance.

“This is a property I own. It’s close to the old estate, so you can rest here tonight,” Jiang Zhiyu got out of the car, thoughtfully opened the car door for Jiang Qing, and introduced her to the house.

Jiang Qing followed him into the living room, subtly observing the layout.

The house was rectangular with no noticeable missing corners. The master bedroom was in the “Greedy Wolf” position in the southeast, with the door opening to the north. A small snake plant was placed inside. The villa’s main door was in the “Kan” position, following the custom of facing north and south. The inner wood meeting the outer water signified a lucky house for gathering energy and wealth.

The only bad spot was the large dressing mirror placed on the east side. The smooth surface reflected directly into the entrance hall, acting like a small knife that cut through the flow of wealth, causing a “loss of flowing wealth.” However, with the Jiang family’s financial power, Jiang Zhiyu probably couldn’t spend it all in this lifetime.

“The guest room hasn’t been used. I’ve prepared new pajamas and toiletries for you. I’m going to rest now. If you need anything, just ask the housekeeper,” Jiang Zhiyu said, then waved and went upstairs.

Jiang Qing looked around and found no anomalies, so she also went to the second floor.

The guest room showed almost no signs of being lived in. New silk pajamas lay on the bed, their delicate texture shimmering with a moonlit silver frost.

Jiang Qing went into the bathroom to take a shower. Under the countless drops of water, her tense nerves temporarily relaxed. The sound of the water echoed in her ears, gently tapping at her strained nerves. This usually calm young woman suddenly felt a deep sense of helplessness and bewilderment.

She put on the pajamas and got onto the bed, crossing her legs to meditate. A few slivers of moonlight seeped through the gap in the curtains, casting a flickering light on her face.

A familiar feeling surged from her dantian, spread to her chest, and permeated her limbs.

Jiang Qing slightly cupped her hands, and a hazy ball of energy gathered in her palms.

This is my original Qi!

She felt the Qi that filled her body with a strange wonder. The color of the Qi was a moist and icy cold, no different from the Qi in her original body. It was as if she had simply gotten a face-lift; this body was practically her own.

Suppressing the confusion and fear in her heart, Jiang Qing continued to circulate her Qi to inspect the body. The Qi flowed through every meridian. Oddly, all of the Qi scattered a bit when it reached her head, as if there was a crack in the top of her head releasing the Qi outward.

Jiang Qing opened her eyes. She felt the traces of the original owner’s soul being violently ripped out. This meant that someone had chosen this body and forcibly pulled the soul out just to make it a container for her own soul.

How incredibly cruel. The method is extremely evil.

Her eyebrows were tightly furrowed. Even the forbidden books that her master’s wife had explicitly forbidden her from reading did not contain such a wicked technique. This kind of action was simply inhumane and intolerable by the world.

Jiang Qing didn’t know who the mastermind was or what their purpose was. Were they treating her as a guinea pig for an experiment, or was there another motive?

Jiang Qing’s brows knitted into a deep furrow. Her thoughts were like a stirred-up pool of water; the more she tried to clear them, the more chaotic they became.

A sharp wail seemed to still echo in her ears, as if it came from a very distant place. It was a cry of bl00d, reverberating in her mind. The sight of Jiang Qing’s soul being forcibly stripped away was imprinted in every pore of this body, soaked into the deepest part of the marrow with resentment and unwillingness.

She suppressed the fear in the depths of her soul and silently recited the Cleansing Heart Mantra. Her breathing gradually calmed down.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and in less than half an hour, Jiang Qing was fast asleep.

The next morning, the housekeeper knocked on Jiang Qing’s door to call her down for breakfast.

Jiang Qing didn’t sleep well last night. All sorts of guesses about the mastermind kept appearing in her mind, followed by a lapse in cultivation. All the tossing and turning had kept her up until late.

She got up early, as soon as the first morning light appeared, and got ready.

She went downstairs wearing the clothes Jiang Zhiyu had prepared for her and found him just sitting down at the dining table, yawning as he brought a cup of soy milk to his lips.

Jiang Qing greeted her “free” older brother and sat down across from him.

Breakfast was very rich. Jiang Zhiyu wasn’t used to eating greasy food in the morning, so the table was mostly filled with salads, sandwiches, and steamed dishes.

Jiang Qing took a basket of shaomai and a bowl of porridge, eating with great relish.

When she was at the Daoist temple, her master’s wife didn’t eat meat often. She said meat had an impure energy that would affect cultivation. Jiang Qing was still young and often craved meat. She would always secretly buy some steamed buns and shaomai to satisfy her cravings when she and her senior brother went down the mountain for ceremonies.

The housekeeper’s porridge was made with seafood and ham broth, and it tasted so delicious it made her eyebrows twitch. Jiang Qing drank two bowls in one go and leaned back in her chair, feeling very satisfied.

“Let’s go. Mom and Dad said to bring you over early,” Jiang Zhiyu finished his last bite unhurriedly, wiped his mouth, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the door. Jiang Qing followed behind him and went out.

The Jiang family’s old estate was magnificent. Its thousands of square feet made Jiang Qing gasp in the car. The thousands of square feet of the estate stood under the dusk, like a sleeping palace. When the carved iron gate slowly opened, she heard Jiang Zhiyu scoff quietly beside her, “It’s all just flashy, impractical decorations.”

Jiang Qing thought: Brother, you are a bit strong.

The car stopped at the main gate of the grand house. The butler helped Jiang Qing open the car door, his gloved hand steadily supporting Jiang Qing’s wrist as she stepped out of the car.

Jiang Qing looked at the antique gate in front of her. Two stone lions stood on either side, looking very majestic. The door opened from the inside. Jiang Zhiyu walked in front, and the butler led the way for them.

After walking through a covered walkway and passing a red sandalwood screen, Jiang Qing saw a heavy, dark wooden door.

The black door was heavy but had a certain gentle quality. Jiang Qing placed her hand on the handle, but before she could turn it, the door opened by itself.

“Zhiyu, you brought your sister home! Hurry and come in, everyone is waiting for you.”

A beautiful woman stood at the door. She was wearing a white, form-fitting dress with a dark blue triangular shawl draped over her shoulders. Time had not left many marks on her face, only a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes.

Ms. Jiang affectionately pulled Jiang Qing’s hand and led her inside, leaving Jiang Zhiyu outside to protest his mother’s favoritism.

Her hand was very warm and had no calluses. Jiang Qing lowered her head. This hand was delicate and smooth, unlike any she had ever seen.

Ms. Jiang led her to the living room. Two men and a girl her age were sitting on the sofa.

The man with some gray hair had a serious expression, but when he saw her, his lips curved slightly, making him look a bit silly.

The young man sitting next to him looked identical to him; he was a younger version of Mr. Jiang. He stood up, smiled gently, and greeted her.

The girl, ever since Jiang Qing came in, had kept her mouth turned down and her eyes filled with caution. Only after the young man nudged her arm did she reluctantly stand up and greet her.

Ms. Jiang introduced the family members one by one. Besides Jiang Zhiyu, the Jiang family had two other children: the eldest, Jiang Yizhen, and the third, Jiang Qianqian.

Jiang Yizhen had taken over his father’s subsidiary company and was expanding into new areas.

Jiang Zhiyu was a video game streamer on a live-streaming platform. He had a huge argument with his father when he decided to become a streamer and moved out. Their relationship only began to thaw last year, and he now occasionally came home for dinner.

Jiang Qianqian had just finished her college entrance exams and got a good score. She didn’t want to live too far from home, so she applied to a local 211 university, which happened to be the same one Jiang Qing was attending.

“Hello, I’m Jiang Qing. I can’t believe we’re going to the same university; what a coincidence,” Jiang Qing extended her hand, trying to greet Jiang Qianqian in a friendly manner.

Jiang Qianqian’s brow furrowed slightly as she looked at the outstretched hand. She opened her mouth but didn’t say anything, simply placing her hand on top of Jiang Qing’s.

“I’m Jiang Qianqian.” Her voice was cold and distant. Then she nodded to everyone in the living room. “I’m not feeling well. I’ll go upstairs now.”

What a soft hand, like a piece of mutton-fat jade.

Jiang Qing was still dazed from the soft touch when she heard the words. By the time she looked up again, she only saw a retreating back walking toward the stairs on the second floor.

She understood Jiang Qianqian’s feelings. She had been the apple of her parents’ eyes her whole life, and then suddenly at eighteen, she was told that her parents were adopting a girl her own age. Anyone would find it hard to accept.

Ms. Jiang apologetically embraced Jiang Qing and told her that she had tried to persuade Jiang Qianqian, but the girl was just too stubborn and might not be able to accept it for a while.

Jiang Qing’s body stiffened slightly from Ms. Jiang’s affectionate gesture. She turned her head, trying to subtly pull her arm away, but she found Jiang Qianqian’s retreating back looked strange.

She squinted and looked closely, seeing that an aura of death seemed to be faintly radiating from Jiang Qianqian’s body.

This is not good. Jiang Zhiyu had said before that his sister, although she had been spoiled since childhood, had a very cheerful personality and shouldn’t have any major psychological issues.

Jiang Qing felt something was wrong. Using the excuse that she wanted to go see Jiang Qianqian, she had the housekeeper lead her upstairs.