“In the end, it will all be in vain.”
He Jingnian hadn’t forgotten the person who came to the villa today.
That man had a deep connection with the Liu family.
In other words, it wouldn’t take much to find out which branch of the He family the Lius were close to.
“It’s good that you’re unharmed. That young friend of yours is impressive, Jingnian. Hold onto her, and you’ll be safe for life.”
He Jingnian’s lips curled slightly. “She will always be herself.”
As for the rest, he believed in letting things take their natural course.
Li Qiao had saved his life yet again.
Meanwhile, after returning home, Li Qiao was subjected to Li Shaoyang’s subtle probing about her relationship with He Jingnian.
The answer remained the same as before.
Li Shaoyang didn’t press further.
“Second Brother, how have your investments been lately?” Li Qiao suddenly asked.
She was well aware of Li Shaoyang’s infamous streak of bad luck in the investment world.
At the mention of this, Li Shaoyang sighed.
Clearly, things weren’t going well.
That shouldn’t be the case!
She had been helping him reverse his fortune.
Though he still carried some lingering misfortune, it shouldn’t have led to continuous failures.
The Li family’s circumstances had improved—that was an undeniable fact.
“Second Brother, go rest for now.”
“Goodnight, Qiaoqiao.”
Feeling disheartened, Li Shaoyang went to bed with a heavy heart.
He had hoped to provide a better life for Li Qiao, but now it felt like that dream was slipping further away.
Lying in bed, Li Qiao pondered Li Shaoyang’s situation. She’d have to wait until morning to get to the bottom of it.
Scrolling through WeChat, she checked Li Man’s Moments.
[Greedy people will go bankrupt sooner or later.]
Tch. Her sister was cursing her again.
Deliberately, Li Qiao left a comment:
[Ah yes, some people who lurk in the shadows will never find happiness.]
Li Man replied instantly:
[Are you jealous of me? You always comment on my posts. What, you want to return to Xiaxia Village? Too bad—we don’t want you.]
[Tsk tsk, dear sister, who’s the jealous one here? If you have something to say, just say it. All this passive-aggressiveness—if you weren’t a woman, I’d think you were obsessed with me.]
[Li Qiao, who do you think you are? Don’t get cocky. If you have the guts, don’t delete me. I’ll wait for the day you kneel and beg me for a chance at a better life. Let me tell you, one day I’ll be the daughter of a billionaire, while you’ll be nothing but a broke loser.]
Li Qiao narrowed her eyes.
Something was off.
Ever since she woke up in Xiaxia Village, Li Man had openly revealed her true identity, leading to their current arrangement.
She had assumed it was a butterfly effect from transmigrating into the book.
But now, it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Li Man’s words carried an eerie certainty, as if she knew exactly what would happen in the future.
Li Qiao sat up abruptly.
Was Li Man a regressor?
If so, everything made sense.
In her past life, Li Man must have taken the original host’s place as the true heiress, only to end up miserable in the wealthy family.
Li Man repeatedly claimed the Li family would go bankrupt.
So—
In her past life, the Li family did go bankrupt!
After regressing, Li Man changed tactics, refusing to take the heiress identity this time.
But—
This was nothing like the novel she’d read!
Li Qiao suddenly remembered a note from the original author: Read the official version for the complete story.
She felt as if lightning had struck her.
Back then, she’d been reading a pirated version that had been stalled for months. She thought the author had abandoned it.
Now she realized—the official version was still updating, while the pirated site had only scraped partial content and butchered the plot.
No wonder the story’s progression was nothing like the novel she’d read! Piracy ruins everything!
Li Qiao clutched her chest in frustration.
Whatever. Now that she knew Li Man was a regressor, as long as she didn’t interfere, Li Qiao could pretend not to care.
At least she had returned to the Li family and gained many loved ones.
Xiaxia Village
Li Man cursed Li Qiao under her breath.
Li Dazhi returned home with a friend, carrying two bottles of liquor.
“Manman, go cook a couple of dishes. Your Uncle Huang and I have important business.”
Huang Youde, standing beside Li Dazhi, grinned.
His gaze lingered on Li Man with unsettling interest.
Though wary, Li Man held back.
She knew Huang Youde was the one who would help Li Dazhi strike it rich.
So—
She obediently went to cook.
She was waiting for Li Dazhi to become the province’s richest man.
Once he succeeded, her good days would come.
“Dazhi, your daughter’s quite the looker.”
“Hah! Of course. Good genes.”
Huang Youde kept glancing at Li Man in the kitchen, his eyes gleaming.
Li Dazhi, already drunk despite the lack of food, didn’t notice.
Soon, Huang Youde slipped into the kitchen.
He eyed Li Man’s figure. “Niece, cooking?”
His sudden appearance startled her.
“Uncle Huang, it’s smoky in here. Go drink with Dad. The food will be ready soon.”
Though disgusted, Li Man forced herself to stay polite.
Huang Youde took her compliance as encouragement.
He grabbed her, pushed her into the haystack, and groped her until Li Dazhi’s drunken shouts interrupted them.
Disgusted, Li Man spat and cursed.
If not for Huang Youde’s future role in Li Dazhi’s success, she’d never have let this old creep touch her.
His son was even older than her—disgusting!
She blamed Li Qiao for her humiliation.
That bitch!
Furious, Li Man viciously chopped meat, imagining it was Li Qiao.
…
The Next Morning
Li Qiao rose early and studied the Li family’s faces at breakfast.
At first glance, nothing seemed amiss.
But their fortunes, which had been improving, were now regressing—worse than before.
Her expression darkened.
Li Shaoyang noticed. “Qiaoqiao, what’s wrong?”
After breakfast, he pulled her aside.
“Qiaoqiao, what did you see? Tell me. I can’t relax like this.”
She patted his shoulder. “Second Brother, don’t panic. It’s just a minor issue.”
“What minor issue?”
“Our family grave has been dug up.”
Li Shaoyang nearly jumped.
“Qiaoqiao, you call that minor?!”
