In Chibe Village, there was indeed a section of the riverbank where a large banyan tree grew. The tree leaned at an angle, half-dangling over the water.
The place was remote, close to the village’s burial grounds, surrounded by fields with few residents—an eerie and desolate spot.
Luo Xiaoyu didn’t dare waste a single moment, leading the group straight to the banyan tree.
"Under the banyan tree, under the banyan tree…" Su Linhai muttered incessantly, nearly diving into the water himself.
The team leader quickly stopped him, cautioning, "Some of the tree’s branches are submerged, making it difficult to search. And it’s been over a decade—even if the river’s current isn’t strong, there’s still a chance the remains could have been carried elsewhere."
Su Linhai took a deep breath, his eyes red, and nodded.
The salvage team marked off an area and began their work.
The sun blazed hotter, the summer heat like a furnace, baking everyone until sweat poured down their backs—though it did dispel some of the chilling atmosphere.
Luo Xiaoyu stood to the side, arms crossed. If they actually found something, then The Diary of a Wealthy Family would truly be something extraordinary.
She opened the Scream app and revisited Chapter Two. She hadn’t finished reading the previous night, and now she was eager to continue.
Unfortunately, the author’s updates were sparse, and the chapter ended on a cliffhanger.
She scrolled to the comments section, surprised to see quite a few reactions.
【Even the production team’s donkey is faster than you: Wow… this is a plot twist I never saw coming. Are we shifting into supernatural horror now?】
【A Tree of Red Blossoms: The female lead’s playing ghost tricks? How boring.】
【Laughing Myself to Death: Author, I know you’re trying for a supernatural theme, but could you take notes from others? A dream message just doesn’t have the same thrill as a full-on revenge spree.】
【XX’s Dad: That little boy’s story is heartbreaking. I hope his father finds out soon.】
【Pear Blossoms in the Mist: Is no one talking about the invisible person?】
Luo Xiaoyu pursed her lips as she skimmed the mostly critical comments. If she hadn’t witnessed the eerie parallels between the novel and reality herself, she’d probably have left similar remarks.
But now, she felt a strange, almost smug satisfaction—like she alone knew the truth.
Perhaps fate had finally smiled upon Su Linhai.
After nearly an hour of searching, a shout rang out: "Is that—bones?!"
Everyone rushed over.
Luo Xiaoyu stood at the edge of the crowd, gripping her phone, her heart pounding.
The bones had been found about two meters from the banyan tree. The salvage team focused their efforts, eventually unearthing the skeleton of a child.
Su Linhai collapsed to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
Though scientific confirmation was still pending, Qi Quan’s precise calculations had already convinced him.
Luo Xiaoyu was utterly stunned.
The salvage team exchanged bewildered glances. How had Su Linhai known there was a child’s skeleton in Chibe Village’s river? And how had he pinpointed the exact location so suddenly?
It defied logic.
With Su Nuanuan’s comforting presence, Su Linhai gradually regained his composure. He paid the salvage team in full and immediately contacted the police.
When the officers arrived, Luo Xiaoyu, as an uninvolved bystander, was sent home.
On her way back, she wrestled with her thoughts before finally leaving a comment under the novel:
【If You See Me, Tell Me to Prep for Class: The location in the story is real. I happened to witness a salvage team pulling a child’s remains from the river.】
Luo Xiaoyu often commented on stories she read, and her username was familiar to many readers, especially those who frequented the app’s popular lists.
Her comment quickly drew replies.
【Random Bystander: OP, blink twice if you’re being held hostage…】
【123: Hahahaha OP’s clearly in cahoots with the author.】
【Male Virtue Enthusiast: OP’s got jokes.】
【Pythagorean Theorem: OP, go prep for class already!】
Luo Xiaoyu: "…"
Fine. It wasn’t like anyone would believe her anyway.
She quietly followed the author’s profile, discovered they had a Weibo account, and followed that too.
Then she tossed in a few more virtual "thunder coins" to calm her nerves.
This was one story she had to keep up with.
Qi Yuan had been poked and prodded all night, yet no traces of illicit substances were found in his blood, nor were there signs of mental instability. By dawn, he was finally allowed home—only to be confined to his room.
"I didn’t take anything! I’m not sick! I’m completely sane!" Qi Yuan snarled, frustration and desperation etched on his face. "Let me out! I promised her we’d meet today!"
Qi Lin replied coldly, "Cancel via text. You’re not going."
"I don’t even have her contact info!" Qi Yuan shot back, lunging for the door.
Qi Lin shoved him back onto the bed, his voice icy. "Stay put."
From childhood, Qi Yuan had always been intimidated by his elder brother. That fear now outweighed his so-called "love," and he slumped back obediently.
Once the three Qi family members left the room, Gu Qiao fretted, "Since when did Yuan’er have a girlfriend? And why is he acting so…" possessed? She left the last word unspoken.
"I’ll contact a more experienced psychiatrist," Qi Lin said before striding off.
Qi Changrong, exhausted from the sleepless night, massaged his throbbing temples.
Gu Qiao urged, "Get some rest. I’ll keep an eye on him."
"No," Qi Changrong waved her off. "You rest. The company needs me, and there are enough people here to watch him."
Gu Qiao nodded reluctantly.
After instructing the staff to guard Qi Yuan, she retreated to her room. A few hours later, a call from a socialite friend drew her out again.
The villa fell into silence.
In her room, Qi Quan listened to her system’s report:
【"Forest Sea" just donated another 100,000 coins, and another reader gifted six thunder coins. Your collection count is now 514—definitely enough to monetize!】
【Current reputation points?】
【Over 200,000—that’s 200 days of lifespan converted! You’re incredible, Boss! Just two chapters, and you’ve earned half a year’s worth!】
Qi Quan asked, 【Is there a cap on convertible lifespan?】
【Nope! The more reputation you earn, the longer you can extend your life.】
Cultivation could prolong life, but even that had limits. This system, however, offered endless extension—a treasure beyond mortal dreams.
Of course, Qi Quan had little grasp of the struggles ordinary writers faced. For most, amassing enough reputation points before death was nearly impossible.
She spent the day meditating, emerging only for meals. Though Qi Yuan was still in the house, his meals were delivered to his room to prevent escape attempts.
In other words, he might as well not exist.
At dinner, Qi Quan’s gaze lingered on the young maid serving the dishes—a girl in her early twenties with delicate features and dimples when she smiled.
Ding Mei shrank under the scrutiny, quickly setting down the dishes and scurrying back to the kitchen.
Upstairs, Qi Yuan had no appetite. He picked at his food until his phone buzzed—a message from Qian Kun:
【Qian Kun: Bro, you missed out big time today! You won’t believe what just went down at Royal Club!】
Qi Yuan’s brow twitched. 【Spit it out!】
【Qian Kun: Du Jiaming, Yang Su, and Zhang Chengyan got into a public brawl—it was so intense that blood was drawn! The police were even called, and now they’re being questioned at the station!】
Qi Yuan’s heart skipped a beat.
He and Ruoruo had agreed to meet at the Royal Club. He hadn’t shown up—what if she’d been caught in the chaos and gotten scared?
It was all his fault for being so useless!
No, Ruoruo must still be waiting for him at the Royal Club. He had to go find her!
Qi Yuan abruptly stood and rushed to the window.
His bedroom was on the second floor, overlooking a secluded corner of the garden. If he climbed down from here, he could avoid the servants and finally escape!
He smacked his forehead in frustration—why hadn’t he thought of this sooner? A whole day wasted!
Mimicking the escape methods he’d seen on TV, Qi Yuan tore his bedsheet into strips, tied them into a rope, secured it to the bedpost, and carefully lowered himself down from the second floor.
Downstairs in the dining room, Qi Quan heard the commotion from above but pretended not to notice. He took a bite of tender shrimp paste, savoring the flavor with a contented sigh.
By the time the servants went upstairs to collect the dishes, Qi Yuan was long gone.
The villa erupted into panic.
Unfazed, Qi Quan leisurely returned to his room, opened his document, and began typing tonight’s update.
