“Shameless, acting young at your age.”
Xiao Qingbei took the chance to mock her.
Everyone already knew about her little secrets by now.
Liu Yulan felt utterly embarrassed in front of the younger generation.
Just wait. Sooner or later, they would come begging her for help.
After she left, Li Qiao and Xiao Qingbei stepped into the living room. When Mrs. Meng saw Li Qiao, she happily went over and held her hand.
“Qiao Qiao, what have you been up to lately? I haven’t seen you in so long.”
“She’s my daughter. Don’t be thinking about my daughter all the time.” Don’t think he didn’t know what Mrs. Meng was up to.
Hmph, his precious little treasure was a gold nugget.
No pigs from outside were going to get their snouts near his cabbage!
“A sweet kid like Qiao Qiao… who knows, maybe she’ll become part of our family one day.”
“Don’t even think about it.”
…
They were all old friends, and they loved to bicker the most on ordinary days.
Li Qiao just gave a polite smile.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she went upstairs to bring out the ancestral master’s spiritual tablet.
Li Qiao and Xiao Qingbei came and went in a hurry.
When Li Qiao’s parents saw this, they had a guess in their hearts. Li Shanchuan hesitated for a moment, then said, “I think it’s safe here.”
Liu Yusi: “…Chicken.”
He Jingnian lay stiffly on the bed, straight as a board.
Li Qiao placed the ancestral master’s spiritual tablet inside the room.
A little later, Li Qiao came back out.
“How’s it going with Daoist Qingxu?”
“He’s on his way here!” He Yi replied.
“Go prepare these things.” Li Qiao handed him a shopping list. He Yi took it and immediately left to get everything ready.
After he left, Xiao Qingbei asked, “Qiao Qiao, He Jingnian isn’t going to die, is he?”
If he died, the He family would become a problem.
They all said He Jingnian was doomed to die young. He could die at any time, but it would be best if he didn’t die here.
He didn’t want Qiao Qiao to get into trouble.
Li Qiao patted his shoulder and said very firmly, “Fifth Brother, trust me. He won’t die.”
Besides, she wasn’t going to let He Jingnian die.
With her saying that, Xiao Qingbei’s anxious heart settled down. He suddenly thought of Wang Song from the temple.
He immediately asked about him.
“Wang Song uses evil arts to harm people. He’ll eventually suffer the backlash. As for why he took this path… I need someone’s help with that.”
Li Qiao sent a text message to Ding Xiaozhou.
Ding Xiaozhou, who was making pancakes, saw the message and forwarded it to Shao Rong.
When Shao Rong arrived at the door, Li Qiao glanced at the text. She hadn’t sent it to the wrong person, had she?
Shao Rong said coldly, “Xiaozhou is on an undercover assignment. He didn’t have time to come.”
“Okay, Officer Shao, please come in.”
It didn’t matter who came.
Xiao Qingbei was eating an orange. He turned his head and his eyes widened instantly. “Shao Rong… you… Qiao Qiao, you called him? When did you two meet? How come I didn’t know?”
“…”
Li Qiao was just as confused.
Shao Rong, on the other hand, sat down very calmly in a chair, took out his phone, found a photo, and handed it to Li Qiao.
“What you want is in here.”
“Thank you.”
Shao Rong glanced at Xiao Qingbei and said, “Miss Li is a VIP client for reporting cases.”
Li Qiao: “…” There was no need to put it so bluntly.
Xiao Qingbei looked at the two of them and suddenly understood. “So Qiao Qiao is the amazing person who helped you get promoted?”
Li Qiao’s mouth twitched slightly.
The expressions on both their faces were quite something.
Xiao Qingbei’s hearty laughter echoed through the living room.
After Li Qiao finished looking through the photo files, she handed the phone back to Shao Rong. The moment their fingers touched, Shao Rong quickly pulled his hand away!
Xiao Qingbei, sitting across from them, noticed their reactions. The smile gradually faded from his lips.
“Qiao Qiao, Shao Rong is a childhood friend of mine. You can call him Brother Shao.”
“This… I don’t…”
“Since she’s Qingbei’s sister, she’s my sister too.”
Xiao Qingbei raised an eyebrow slightly.
He stared at Shao Rong with an unreadable expression.
Li Qiao: “Okay, Brother Shao.”
This man exuded an air of righteousness. She was only going to have more dealings with him in the future, not fewer.
“Wang Song filed a police report ten years ago. The technology back then wasn’t as advanced as it is now. The leads on his sister Wang Yuan went cold a long time ago.”
Now, they only had Wang Yuan’s basic information on file.
Ten years is a long time. People change a lot.
Besides, the police had been following up on it, but there was still no news.
“Wang Yuan isn’t dead.”
“Where is she?” Shao Rong was slightly excited.
“I need Wang Yuan’s birth date and time, and an old item she once used. I’ll have to trouble you, Brother Shao, to go after Wang Song. He’s seriously injured.”
“Okay, wait for my news.”
With that, Shao Rong left.
Xiao Qingbei rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
“My friend… my friend… long time no see.”
Daoist Qingxu burst in energetically. He was about to give Li Qiao a warm hug when Xiao Qingbei stepped forward and blocked him. Qingxu ended up hugging Xiao Qingbei instead.
The old man and the young man stared at each other awkwardly.
Daoist Qingxu sheepishly pulled back his hands.
“Daoist… please follow me upstairs.”
“Alrighty.”
After they went upstairs, He Yi returned from shopping. He was carrying incense sticks, an incense burner, candles, some sandalwood bracelets, and some red paper.
Li Qiao and Daoist Qingxu arranged the positions.
The red umbrella hung above He Jingnian.
Even though the bell was swaying, it made no sound at all.
Li Qiao said, “When the bell rings, the soul returns. This candle must never go out!”
She gave the instruction seriously.
“Yes.”
“Daoist, let’s begin.”
“My friend, remember, no matter what happens, you must come back within one stick of incense’s time.”
Daoist Qingxu looked very worried.
Then Li Qiao glanced at He Jingnian beside her. She lay down next to him and slowly closed her eyes.
Daoist Qingxu chanted the incantation softly. With a flick of his horsetail whisk, a flash of golden light appeared above Li Qiao’s head.
“Daoist… can Miss Li really find Ninth Master?”
“Those two are fated.” It was a destiny determined by heaven. Li Qiao would definitely find He Jingnian.
When Li Qiao reappeared, she saw a place with beautiful scenery and clear waters.
Up ahead was a small bamboo house.
Li Qiao walked towards it slowly.
She looked around her. She heard footsteps behind her and slowly turned around.
The He Jingnian before her was wearing a dark green long robe, carrying an armful of firewood.
Even in ancient clothes, that face of his was still so handsome.
Li Qiao looked at He Jingnian, and he looked back at her.
“Miss… you are?”
Li Qiao stared at him, a smile playing on her lips.
“Just passing through.”
She kept her eyes on He Jingnian, then glanced around. With a slight movement of her fingers, the barrier around them flickered briefly.
Her eyes shifted. She stepped forward and grabbed He Jingnian’s arm.
“M-miss…” He was so nervous he stuttered, his ears turning a little red. A hint of amusement sparkled in Li Qiao’s eyes.
Wow, He Jingnian was really shy back then.
Without him noticing, she moved her fingers, and a talisman spun above his head.
Li Qiao herself faintly glowed with a red light.
“Miss—”
He Jingnian looked at Li Qiao curiously, but she returned to normal in an instant.
She understood now.
Li Qiao stood up and smiled slightly. “He Jingnian, do you want to leave?”
