He Jingnian?
Every time Li Qiao told him he was about to die, his feelings were… complicated.
“Shanchuan, is this the daughter you recently found? She looks just as striking as your wife,” Wang Qinglin remarked, eyeing Li Qiao.
“Yes, my girl is truly beautiful,” Li Shanchuan replied, puffing his chest with pride.
Wang Qinglin sighed. “Finding her is a blessing. Your family’s fortunes will surely improve now.”
“My daughter is a lucky charm.” Li Shanchuan’s mood was buoyant. Seizing the moment, Wang Qinglin brought up investment opportunities.
The Li family’s financial struggles were no secret.
Li Shanchuan needed to consider carefully.
He didn’t agree outright. After a pause, he said, “I’ll need to think it over.”
“Of course, Shanchuan. But this is a rare chance. If you seize it, the Li family could turn everything around.”
Li Shanchuan understood the implication.
He escorted Wang Qinglin out.
On the sofa, Li Qiao glanced at the Five Emperor Coins on He Jingnian’s wrist—no cracks.
How strange.
Why was his death approaching faster again?
Li Shanchuan returned, grinning—until he noticed how close He Jingnian was sitting to his precious daughter.
A twinge of discomfort struck him.
He Jingnian’s bad luck could affect her. What if something happens?
Masking his concern, Li Shanchuan casually planted himself between them.
Internally, his heart pounded.
This man was the heir of the He family, a powerhouse. Offending him wasn’t an option.
…
“You shouldn’t invest with him.”
Li Qiao’s blunt statement made Li Shanchuan pause.
“Qiaoqiao, you have reservations?”
“Not reservations—certainty. If you invest with him, you’ll lose everything.”
“Really? Qinglin has a sharp eye for investments.” Li Shanchuan was no fool. He caught her subtext. “You think he’d betray me?”
Li Qiao nodded.
Li Shanchuan laughed, waving it off. “Impossible. Qinglin and I go back to high school. We’re like brothers.”
“His life palace is sunken—narrow-minded, torn between competitiveness and insecurity. Worse, his aura’s tainted with black energy. He won’t live long. Stay close to him, and you’ll either end up crippled… or dead.”
Her first impression of Wang Qinglin? Malicious.
Li Shanchuan froze, then pressed a hand to her forehead. “No fever…?”
“I’m serious. It’s all written on his face.”
Suddenly, Li Shanchuan’s eyes brimmed with sorrow. He pulled her into a hug.
“Qiaoqiao, Mom and Dad will protect you now. We’ll… schedule a hospital check-up. You’ve suffered so much in the countryside.”
Li Qiao: “…”
This father has quite the imagination.
She glanced away—only to lock eyes with He Jingnian.
The usually icy man’s gaze held a flicker of amusement.
…
A phone call soon dragged Li Shanchuan away.
He Jingnian broke the silence. “He doesn’t believe you.”
“Wang Qinglin won’t live to see next month.”
Her casual pronouncement deepened the shadows in He Jingnian’s eyes.
Then he asked, “Earlier—what did you mean by ‘I’m dying faster’?”
“Your fate is being stolen. Not all at once, but siphoned slowly. Like a gourmet dish, you’re being savored bite by bite until nothing remains.”
She paused. “Whoever’s doing this started before you were born. They’ve been draining you since infancy.”
A trace of pity crossed her face.
He Jingnian’s lips curved. “Thank you.”
After he left, Li Qiao retreated to her room. Her mother, Liu Yusi, entered with fruit, catching her mid-talisman.
“Qiaoqiao, who taught you this?”
“Mom… I’m a Daoist disciple. I—”
“You called me ‘Mom’!” Liu Yusi kissed her cheeks tearfully.
Li Qiao: “…”
Priorities, Mother.
…
Later, Liu Yusi gasped as Li Qiao demonstrated an “Expansion Talisman”—fitting a suitcase’s worth into a tiny purse.
“This could make us a fortune!” Li Qiao’s eyes sparkled. “You know wealthy socialites. We’ll sell these!”
Liu Yusi teared up again. “You’re trying to help the family…?”
“We’re in this together.”
Moved, Liu Yusi called Li Shanchuan—who, despite his pride, still muttered about “brain scans”…
…and earned a scolding for his trouble.
Meanwhile, across town:
“Shanchuan, was that your wife?” Wang Qinglin asked.
“Just family matters. Now, about that investment…”
