[...
Lately, I’ve been encountering strange incidents, so I decided to visit a Taoist temple in the suburbs to pray.
On the way, I unexpectedly spotted an abandoned factory not far from the temple. Oddly enough, a thick, dark mist seemed to gather around it.
I didn’t dare look too closely.
When I returned home from the temple, the atmosphere felt off.
My mother was sitting on the sofa, crying, while my father gazed at me with a complicated expression. My eldest brother, however, surprised me by saying, “You’ve got quite the imagination.”
Dazed, I retreated to my room.
This house isn’t a place I can stay in much longer. Maybe I should move into the villa Uncle Su gave me—at least I’d have some peace alone.]
Third-floor master bedroom.
Qi Changrong and Gu Qiao set down their phones and exchanged glances.
“I remember there’s a villa in the western suburbs. Why don’t we transfer it to Xiao Quan?” Gu Qiao suggested.
Qi Changrong nodded. “Tomorrow, have Lin take her to pick out a few cars and hire a driver.”
“Nature Jewelry just released a new collection. I’ll order some sets for her.”
“We should also introduce her to more social circles, let her meet promising young men… Wait, is she really planning to run away from home?”
The couple tensed, picking up their phones again to read the latest update.
Gu Qiao’s voice wavered. “Does she really resent us that much?”
Qi Changrong sighed in agreement, then suddenly had a thought. “Honey, are there any famous Taoist temples in our city?”
“Lingxu Temple, probably,” Gu Qiao answered without thinking—she’d heard Ma Yinglan mention it too many times to forget. “It’s on the mountain in the northern suburbs. Why?”
“Northern suburbs…”
A chill ran down Qi Changrong’s spine as he reread the passage in the novel. After following the story these past few days, one thing was clear: nothing in Qi Quan’s writing was ever superfluous.
The land he’d been eyeing was in the northern suburbs—and sure enough, there was an abandoned factory there!
If dark mist really surrounded it, the place might be cursed.
Then he recalled Huang Qifeng’s visit the day before, along with the “two guests” mentioned in the novel. His unease deepened.
He’d been puzzled earlier—why was Huang Qifeng, of all people, pulling strings to help him secure the land when so many others were competing for it?
Qi Changrong had never been close to Huang Qifeng. Years ago, he had simply taken pity on the man's down-and-out state and given him some money to survive. Later, Huang Qifeng rose swiftly in Longjiang City's business world, making a name for himself.
Though he couldn’t compare to families like the Dus, Songs, or Yangs, he’d still achieved considerable success.
Would Huang Qifeng really go to such lengths for him just because of that old favor? What was his relationship with the ghost by his side? Did he know about the anomalies on that northern suburban land?
Unlike his careful deliberation, the Su family reacted swiftly after reading the update.
Su Linhai declared immediately, “I’m withdrawing my bid for the northern suburban land.”
“Dad, I support you!” Su Nuanuan cheered. “Following Sister Qi Quan’s lead is always the right move!”
Mrs. Su teased her, “I’ve never seen you so invested in someone before.”
“Well, I never badmouthed her behind her back either,” Su Nuanuan said, relieved she hadn’t joined the other rich kids in gossiping about Qi Quan.
Of course, Qi Yuan rarely mentioned Qi Quan, which helped.
The group chat buzzed incessantly.
[Qian Kun: Everyone’s read the update, right? Question—is the abandoned factory with the dark mist the one in the northern suburbs?]
[Peng Peng: My mom mentioned that plot of land before. She said the competition was too fierce and gave up.]
[Sun Yu: I think so. It’s definitely near a Taoist temple.]
[Qian Kun: Holy crap, my dad still wants it!]
[Sun Yu: That’s insane. You actually believe this stuff?]
[...]
[Su Nuanuan: My dad’s backing out.]
[Qian Kun: Big Miss! Unblock me, please?]
[Peng Peng: Did Sis Nuan blacklist you? What awful thing did you do?]
[Sun Yu: Did your dad really give her money and a house?]
Su Nuanuan ignored them, dropping one last message before vanishing.
While Qian Kun and the others were just high school graduates with no say in family matters, Du Jiaming and his peers—closer to Qi Lin’s age—were different.
They’d already started handling family business and had access to more insider information. The “dark mist” described in the novel only earned their scorn.
[Du Jiaming: That woman’s just pretending to be mystical. @Qi Lin, control your sister!]
[Yang Su: What if this is the Qi family’s strategy?]
[Zhang Chengyan: Did you forget the bad luck we had at the temple today? We passed that area—I’m kind of freaked out now.]
[Du Jiaming: @Yang Su, Damn, the Qis are playing 4D chess! They spun this whole tale just to scare us off!]
[Yang Su: Modern problems, modern solutions. @Qi Lin, respect for the innovative tactics.]
[Song Lin: ?]
Yang Su: Well, well, look who graced us with his presence! Here to defend your future in-laws, Young Master Song?
[Song Lin: What tactics?]
[Du Jiaming: You haven’t heard? Your fiancée got dragged hard in that novel.]
Someone shared a link to the story.
Song Lin, after a busy day: ???
A few days away, and the world had gone mad—even the spoiled rich kids were reading web novels now.
He didn’t usually bother with online fiction, but since it involved his fiancée, he reluctantly clicked in.
After skimming, he cared little for the supernatural elements but worried about Qi Yingxue’s feelings. He called her.
“A-Lin?” Her voice sounded hoarse.
Song Lin frowned. “Did I wake you?”
“No, I was still up.” Qi Yingxue softened her tone. “Calling so late… did you miss me?”
“Mn. Still filming?”
“Yeah, it’s been hectic—lots of night shoots lately.”
He’d meant to comfort her, but realizing she might not know about the novel, he didn’t want to add stress. Changing tack, he simply said, “Get some rest. Goodnight.”
After hanging up, he messaged Qi Lin privately: [You know about the novel?]
[Qi Lin: What about it?]
[Song Lin: She’s slandering Yingxue, and you’re just letting it slide?]
[Qi Lin: Slander?]
[Song Lin: Don’t play dumb.]
[Qi Lin: Neither of us were there. Without evidence, you can’t prove she’s making it up.]
Song Lin laughed coldly: [You’re seriously claiming her ghost story isn’t fabricated?]
[Qi Lin: Fiction blends truth and imagination.]
[Song Lin: …]
[Song Lin: Set up a meeting with her tomorrow. I’ll talk to her myself.]
He’d resolve this before Yingxue returned—no way would he let her get hurt.
[Qi Lin: Arrange it yourself.]
[Song Lin: …]
After collecting another wave of reader reactions, the system had grown numb. It asked Qi Quan: [With your skills and mindset, you could’ve easily avoided those tragic backstory elements that stir controversy.]
The comment section was now a battleground over the rights and wrongs of the “real vs. fake heiress” trope.
Qi Quan replied: [The original owner died unjustly. She’s already reincarnated, but someone still needs to clear her name.]
What she wrote were the original’s true experiences and buried emotions—not for pity, but for justice.
Should the wronged stay silent?
That wasn’t how the world worked.
Neither she nor the system had expected that the next morning, right after breakfast, before she could even bring up moving out, Qi Changrong would beat her to it.
Qi Changrong handed Qi Quan a stack of documents printed overnight and said, "Qi Quan, these are our heartfelt gifts for you. Take them."
Qi Quan: "..."
System: "..."
Was this the unexpected reward for playing the victim? Or had Qi Changrong and Gu Qiao been provoked by the Su family's extravagant gestures?
Of course, Qi Quan refused.
Her expression was calm, leaving no room for argument.
"No need. I'm moving out today."
