The Fake Heiress's Guide to Self-Rescue - Chapter 26
Chapter 26: Departure for B City [VIP]
“Your situation is truly too bizarre. I have been cultivating for decades, and I have never seen such a case.”
Daoist Master Luo Yuan stood at the door of the villa. It was early morning, and a gentle breeze swept across her cheek, lifting a corner of her robe. After Liu Jin woke up, he had completely lost his mind. After a hospital check-up, he was currently undergoing conservative treatment. Although he wouldn’t be able to communicate normally for a while, at least he had his life, and Aunt Liu no longer cried all day.
Now that the matter had come to a close, Daoist Master Luo Yuan could not stay in the mountains for long. It was time for her to return. She was still puzzled about Jiang Jing’s situation, but she suddenly remembered an old friend in B City. Perhaps they could find the clues they were looking for there.
“Go to Chaoyang Street in B City. There’s an antique shop called ‘Wanxiang Zhai’.” Daoist Master Luo Yuan pressed a finger to her chin, trying to recall the exact location of the shop. “Once you’re inside, tell the person at the counter that you’re looking for Mei Jiu. She will take you to see the shop owner.”
“I’ve already contacted her in advance. When you find her, she has tens of thousands of books in her collection. You might find what you need there.”
Jiang Jing nodded. She understood that, apart from her master, the other members of the Daoist temple were traveling all year round. The temple couldn’t be left unattended, so it was not right to ask her master to accompany them again. With that thought, she bowed to Daoist Master Luo Yuan as a sign of farewell and turned to walk in the other direction.
Jiang Qianqian followed behind Jiang Jing. Last night, they had used the excuse of being amazed by Jiang Daishuang’s abilities to get her contact information, saying it would be convenient for them to seek her help in the future. On the surface, it was to contact Jiang Daishuang, but in reality, it was a way for Jiang Jing to contact Daoist Master Luo Yuan.
“What? You want to go to B City? No, your mother won’t allow it!” Jiang Yuying said, agitatedly patting the armrest. She wasn’t blind. Jiang Jing’s face was as pale as a sheet when she returned. She almost thought the child had some terminal illness.
“Qingqing, it’s not that your mother is being strict, but you and Qianqian have only been home for a few days after your break. What’s more,” Jiang’s mother said, counting the incidents they had encountered in the past month on her fingers. “You went to your classmate’s hometown to play. When you came back, Xiao Liu took a week off for some reason, and his face was awful when he left.”
“Qianqian went to some show and ended up meeting a murderer. You have no idea how scared your father and I were. Now you’ve come back from Aunt Liu’s place looking so terrible, and you still want to go out.”
Jiang Yuying frowned, her tone full of disapproval. If it were a regular trip, she wouldn’t say anything, but in just one month, Jiang Qianqian and Jiang Jing had encountered too many things. Their mental state was visibly deteriorating, and she was genuinely worried.
“This time, we’re really just going to relax. There have been too many things happening in the last two days, and we want to go somewhere far from H City to unwind.” Jiang Qianqian clasped her hands together in a begging gesture, trying to persuade Jiang’s mother to change her mind.
Jiang Jing also made a pitiful face on the side. Her pale complexion, combined with her expression, made her look even more heartbroken. Jiang’s mother closed her eyes and steeled herself. “Uncle Xu, take them back to their rooms to get some rest.”
“Mom—” Jiang Qianqian said in a long, drawn-out voice, calling Jiang Yuying, but she just waved her hand and didn’t look at them again.
With a bang, Jiang Jing and Jiang Qianqian were each sent back to their rooms, and the doors were locked from the outside. According to Jiang Yuying’s instructions, they had to stay in their rooms to “rest” until dinner. Jiang Qianqian knew her mother’s temper. As long as their safety wasn’t at stake, her mother would try her best to fulfill her requests.
This time, her mother was probably genuinely angry. Jiang Qianqian pouted and lay on the bed dejectedly. In truth, she didn’t know why she was following Jiang Jing to B City. This matter had nothing to do with her. She could have spent the rest of her vacation at home, eating, drinking, and having fun. But when she heard the things her senior sister told her and the words Daoist Master Luo Yuan said to Jiang Jing, she couldn’t shake the feeling that these events might be related.
Forget it. After all, Jiang Jing had saved her life before. It wouldn’t be right to just leave her alone. Jiang Qianqian opened her palm and watched the sunlight fall on her face through her fingers. The mark on her wrist suddenly became hot. The color, which had almost become transparent, reappeared. Before she could examine it closely, her vision went black, and she fell unconscious.
…
“You’re awake?”
A familiar voice sounded beside her. Jiang Qianqian struggled to open her eyes and saw the White Crane Boy standing in front of her. Her white, broad sleeves moved on their own without any wind. She hadn’t looked closely at the time, but now that Jiang Qianqian saw the White Crane Boy again, she truly believed that she was an immortal from heaven.
“Senior sister?” she asked tentatively. The White Crane Boy immediately curved her lips and said, “Yes.”
“I’ve come to see how you’re doing.” A crisp voice, like a breeze, entered Jiang Qianqian’s heart. The White Crane Boy raised her hand and patted her on the head. Then, she took a glazed bowl out of her pocket. Jiang Qianqian didn’t understand. Her senior sister seemed to have spiritual tools all over her body, and she could take out a particularly powerful one at any time.
“This is the Heaven-Peeking Mirror,” the White Crane Boy said, pointing to the bowl. “I used this mirror to observe a possible future and came here to warn you.”
Jiang Qianqian looked into the bowl. The water in the bowl began to ripple. After a moment, a blurry figure appeared. It was—herself! In the water, she was covered in bl00d, lying on the ground, barely alive. Her wrists were tied with ropes and hung in the air. The bl00d on her body continuously dripped into a strange formation below.
She turned her head in shock. The White Crane Boy’s expression was calm. She formed a hand seal on the water. The bowl, which had just been full, was put back into her sleeve.
“Master said this matter is very important to you. He told me to warn you to be careful. If this organization succeeds, the consequences will be unimaginable.”
Jiang Qianqian bit her lip and nodded heavily, indicating that she understood. The White Crane Boy didn’t say anything more. She extended her hand, and a wisp of green light was injected into her glabella.
“I’ve cast a Heart-Calming Spell in your spiritual sea. It will protect you from all evil and help you maintain a pure heart at all times.”
The clouds under her feet began to disintegrate again, just like yesterday. Jiang Qianqian fell from the clouds again. But this time, she didn’t reach out. She just stared blankly as the White Crane Boy disappeared into the air. Then, her vision went black again.
…
“Miss, it’s time for dinner.”
The butler’s voice sounded at the door, waking Jiang Qianqian from her dream. She opened her eyes, blinked slowly, said “okay,” and sat up. She changed her clothes and opened the door.
Jiang Jing was already sitting at the dining table, her head lowered, lost in thought. Tonight, it was still just the three of them eating. Jiang Qianqian unconsciously chewed the rice in her mouth, but it felt like she was chewing on wax.
“Neither of you is saying a word,” Jiang Yuying said, laughing to herself as she served some dishes to the two children. They seemed to have planned this. “You can’t even take care of yourselves, and you want to run around like others.”
The two of them still didn’t say anything, just silently ate their rice.
I’m so scared of these two brats, Jiang Yuying thought helplessly. She took out a napkin and wiped her mouth, then slowly drank the water by her side. For a moment, it was silent. The only sound in the dining room was the sound of eating.
“Alright, don’t make those faces. I agree to let you go to B City.”
Jiang’s mother sighed. She saw the two children at the dining table immediately look up, their eyes shining.
“Really, Mom?” Jiang Qianqian asked incredulously. She didn’t expect her mother to give in so quickly. According to their usual habit, she had prepared herself for not being able to go out for the rest of the break.
Jiang Jing was also surprised. They had only been in their rooms for an afternoon and hadn’t even tried to persuade Jiang’s mother to change her mind. In the end, just when she was about to give up and secretly go after school started, Jiang’s mother had a change of heart.
“But I have one condition. You must call me every day to report in. If you forget one day, I’ll have to come to B City to find you myself,” Jiang Yuying said unhurriedly. Jiang Qianqian immediately raised her hands and promised, “No problem. We’ll report in every night.”
Jiang Jing also raised her hand, her expression serious as she agreed, “We’ll be sure to report in on time.”
“That’s more like it,” Jiang Yuying said, nodding in satisfaction. Before going back to her room to rest, she gave them one last warning. “Don’t secretly go to B City, or I’ll freeze both of your cards.”
So scary. Jiang Qianqian shrank her neck in fear. Thinking of herself sleeping on the streets because she didn’t call on time, she decided to bring three power banks to B City so she wouldn’t lose contact due to a dead phone battery.
Jiang Yuying had already gone upstairs to rest. Jiang Qianqian looked at Jiang Jing, who was still eating seriously, and couldn’t help but ask, “When are we leaving?”
Jiang Jing put down her chopsticks when she heard this. After a moment of thought, she took out her phone and started scrolling up and down.
“Are you even going to read a fortune to get on a plane?” Jiang Qianqian looked at Jiang Jing’s actions and remembered how she used to read fortunes in their dorm. She couldn’t help but feel a little speechless.
“No,” Jiang Jing said, turning her phone screen around. The screen clearly showed the words “XX Airlines.” “I’m checking which day has the cheapest tickets within the week.”
“Ahahaha… you’re really… good at saving money.” Jiang Qianqian laughed awkwardly. She then saw a mischievous smile appear on Jiang Jing’s face.
“I was just kidding. I’ve already booked the tickets.”
“Then what were you looking at just now?” Jiang Qianqian asked, confused.
“I was looking for some fun places to visit in B City.”
Jiang Jing swiped her finger to the side and showed Jiang Qianqian the itinerary she had just made for the first two days.
“You’re really going there for a trip.” The dense notes on the itinerary made her dizzy, but she was also excited about traveling with Jiang Jing.
But she wouldn’t say that. With that thought, Jiang Qianqian lightly coughed twice. “Since you’re making a plan, why didn’t you ask for my opinion? What if I don’t like the places you find?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Jiang Qianqian saw Jiang Jing’s expression change slightly. This guy, does she think I’m too much trouble?
She hesitated in her heart, wondering if she should tell Jiang Jing that she was just kidding. It’s all because of my big mouth, she secretly regretted, speaking without thinking.
“You’re right. I’ll make another one. Tell me if there’s anywhere you want to go.”
Jiang Qianqian looked up sharply and saw Jiang Jing nodding in agreement. She then created a new note. She carefully observed Jiang Jing’s expression. There was no trace of impatience. Instead, she seemed more enthusiastic about finding new travel tips and attractions.
She’s kind of like the Border Collie my mom used to raise.
Jiang Qianqian looked at the person next to her, who was seriously making plans, and felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in her heart. Now that she thought about it, in all the time they had known each other, she had never seen Jiang Jing get angry. She was like a big, emotionally stable dog. Jiang Qianqian felt very safe whenever she was with her.