So, she wasn’t in a hurry to find He Jingnian, especially since capturing a Qing-demon ghost was easiest during the day.
Beside her, Xiao Qingbei raised an eyebrow and asked, “You know a lot about this?”
“I’ve heard a little about it.”
Li Qiao became interested.
Her second brother was always afraid of ghosts and monsters—when did he start learning about them?
Under her curious gaze, Li Shaoyang said proudly, “People who do too many bad things are the most likely to run into a Qing-demon ghost. Since He Jingnian ran into one, it shows… Qiaoqiao, you should think twice about this.”
Xiao Qingbei said, “Are you sure you’re not just making that up?”
“Am I that kind of person?”
“Yes.”
“…Damn.”
“What Second Brother said makes some sense, but it’s not complete. A Qing-demon ghost can be considered a type of ghost that has successfully cultivated immortality. It can absorb a person’s spiritual energy, shorten their lifespan, take on human form, pass through walls, and even walk during the day—that’s what sets it apart from other ghosts.”
“So, that’s why you want to look for it during the day, Qiaoqiao?”
“Fifth Brother is right.”
After listening to Li Qiao’s explanation, the two deepened their understanding of Qing-demon ghosts. But was it really looking for a replacement that made it seek out He Jingnian?
There were some things that could only be discovered during the day.
The two chatted with Li Qiao for a while longer before finally heading back to their rooms to rest.
Li Qiao stood before the ancestral tablet, giving it a deep bow.
“Ancestor, please bless me to get rich soon!”
“I’ll use that wealth to build a Taoist temple for you.”
…
Later, lying in bed, Li Qiao scrolled through her Moments feed and came across Li Man’s post again.
It was a photo of a cake.
As luck would have it, a message from Li Man came through again!
[Li Qiao, we’ll be seeing each other very soon.]
[Oh.]
[When you see me, don’t you dare be jealous or envious, after all, the Li family is bound to go bankrupt sooner or later.]
[Oh.]
[Are you mute or what? All you say is “oh, oh, oh.”]
Li Qiao tossed her phone aside and lay down quietly to sleep. This Li Man, even after being reborn, didn’t seem to have improved much.
How miserable was her past life, exactly?
The next day.
When Li Qiao came downstairs, she saw He Yi waiting.
He truly was He Jingnian’s most loyal subordinate.
“Have you eaten breakfast?”
“No, Miss Li, please go ahead and eat. I’m not hungry.”
Li Qiao walked to the dining table and turned her head to say, “Come over, eat.”
“No…” Under her increasingly intense gaze, He Yi obediently came over and ate.
After the family sat down, Xiao Qingbei asked, “So it’s just the three of us?”
“Yeah.”
The rest of the Li family had all gone off to handle their own business.
Biting into a bun, Xiao Qingbei said, “Where’s Brother Shaoyang? He said yesterday he was going to take a day or two off from work.”
“Who’s talking behind my back?”
Li Shaoyang’s voice came from outside.
“I was just stating a fact. You left without a word this morning; we thought you’d gotten lost.”
“Not a chance.”
Li Shaoyang walked in, his eyes fixed on Li Qiao with intense warmth.
He came over and sat down beside her.
Li Qiao glanced up at Li Shaoyang, her gaze clear and indifferent. “Second Brother, you haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
“I ate outside. I brought this tofu pudding back for you.”
Li Shaoyang held up a plastic bag with tofu pudding inside. It looked soft and white, steam rising from it.
“You want me to eat it?”
“Yeah.” Li Shaoyang stared at Li Qiao, his expression unreadable.
Li Qiao, however, said calmly, “I’m not really into tofu pudding.”
“If you don’t want it, I’ll take it. I love tofu.” Xiao Qingbei snatched the tofu pudding from his hand.
