Chapter 29: How Did Jiang Zhiyue Get Inside?
Page 1 of 3
The man bared his teeth in what seemed to be a delighted grin, his face trembling with laughter.
“Miss Jiang, right? My name is Liu Qiang, and the apartment you’re renting belongs to me. I’m terribly sorry I couldn’t come during the day because of work, so I had the agency bring you here first. I just came to ask how you’re settling in. Is there anything you need help with?”
So he was the landlord...
Jiang Zhiyue finally understood, though she felt nothing in particular about it.
“Oh. Hello, Mr. Liu. I don’t need any help.”
The man before her had a face covered in coarse flesh, unruly brows, and a crooked nose.
When praising someone’s appearance, people often said they had well-balanced features. Conversely, a person whose features were crooked was believed to radiate wickedness.
Judging by his appearance, her landlord certainly did not seem like a good man.
Liu Qiang did not notice her coolness in the slightest. He peered into the apartment with a smile.
“Do you live here alone, Miss Jiang? A young woman living by herself must be especially careful. I live right below you, so come to me anytime you need anything. You can just call me Brother Qiang. ‘Mr. Liu’ sounds so distant, doesn’t it?”
“All right, Mr. Liu.”
“Oh, right. The agency told me you’re an orphan. You poor girl. How about this? I’ll reduce your rent by another two hundred a month from now on. You can live here without worry.”
Jiang Zhiyue’s eyes lit up at the mention of reduced rent.
But then she remembered that starting next month, she would be enjoying free food and lodging, and her expression fell. She would not be able to benefit from the two-hundred-yuan reduction after all.
“By the way, Miss Jiang, what kind of work do you do?”
After thinking it over, he seemed to realize that the question was somewhat abrupt, so he added with a smile, “Don’t misunderstand. The agency told me you haven’t found a formal job yet. I was just thinking that, if you need one, I could introduce you to my factory.
“You know the Lu family, right? The Lu Group is one of the leading enterprises in the country. Countless graduates from top universities fight tooth and nail for a chance to get in, and most of them still fail.
“I’ve been with the company for quite a few years, though. If you need help, I can put in a good word for you.”
At the mention of the Lu Group, the corner of Jiang Zhiyue’s mouth twitched.
“No need. I have a job. I read fortunes and practice feng shui.”
Liu Qiang’s spirits lifted.
“I never would have guessed Miss Jiang could read fortunes and practice feng shui! To be honest, I’ve felt unusually unlucky lately. Would you be willing to come to my place and see whether there’s something wrong with the feng shui?”
“Perhaps another time. It’s too late today. I’ll come take a look for you next time.”
Liu Qiang licked his lips, his eyes narrowing into slits with amusement.
“Great! Then it’s settled. I’ll get off work early tomorrow. Since you live alone, why don’t you come to my place for dinner while you’re there?”
Page 1 of 3
Page 2 of 3
“Sure,” Jiang Zhiyue agreed without hesitation.
There was a faint trace of yin energy clinging to Liu Qiang. It would do no harm to pay his home a visit.
After receiving her answer, Liu Qiang gave Jiang Zhiyue a meaningful look before leaving with satisfaction.
Once she closed the door, she was surprised to discover that the female ghost, who had obediently been clinging to the refrigerator to cool herself, was now trembling behind the sofa.
Jiang Zhiyue walked over and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”
“Bad... bad... bad man!”
“So scary! So scary!”
“No!”
“I want to go home! Let me go home!”
...
Jiang Zhiyue knitted her brows. She stepped forward and pressed her index finger against the female ghost’s brow. A thread of golden light flashed past.
Before long, the ghost gradually calmed down and finally stopped trembling.
She stared blankly at Jiang Zhiyue.
“What happened to me just now?”
Jiang Zhiyue walked over to the sofa and sat down.
“Forget it. You washed the dishes and cleaned the apartment for me, so the two of us are now bound by karma. Tell me, what’s your name? Why haven’t you gone on to reincarnation?”
The female ghost scratched her head and thought hard. Then she shook it.
“That’s strange. I can’t remember. When I became conscious, I was already in this neighborhood. No matter how I try, I can’t leave through the gates. I don’t even know how to reincarnate.”
“Hmm?”
Jiang Zhiyue studied the female ghost’s face carefully. Without her name and birth details, there was only so much she could determine.
From the girl’s features alone, it was clear that she must have been born into a decent family. The area associated with her parents was full and healthy-looking, while the corners representing the sun and moon were rosy and bright, indicating that both her parents were still alive.
When the girl turned twenty-five, fate had held a calamity of life and death in store for her—a romantic calamity.
Jiang Zhiyue therefore concluded that the girl’s death must have been connected to a disastrous romance.
“Do you remember your boyfriend?”
The female ghost scratched her head awkwardly.
“I don’t remember.”
Page 2 of 3
Page 3 of 3
“Uh...”
Jiang Zhiyue waved her hand.
“Never mind. Go over there. Since you’ve agreed to work for me, I’ll find a way to send you into reincarnation.”
“Oh.”
The female ghost looked at Jiang Zhiyue with an expression of partial understanding, then returned to the refrigerator.
Jiang Zhiyue watched her retreating figure for a moment before heading toward her room.
She truly had not expected that, having just set out to make her own way in the world, she would encounter so many troublesome matters.
As far as she knew, evil practitioners did possess methods capable of erasing the memories of those who had died unjustly.
They did so to prevent their victims from becoming malevolent ghosts and returning to seek revenge after death.
If that was what had happened, then the female ghost in her apartment must have suffered a horrifying death. In that case, it might be better not to recover her memories. Jiang Zhiyue could find another way to send her into the cycle of reincarnation.
Even so, the wicked person responsible still had to receive the punishment they deserved.
Just as Jiang Zhiyue was seriously considering how to help the industrious female ghost, the atmosphere inside the Jiang family villa had grown unusually tense.
“You’re saying Jiang Zhiyue went to the auction today to choose a gift for Grandpa Lu?” Jiang Chen exclaimed loudly.
Jiang Qingyan nodded timidly.
“Mm. I ran into her when I went there with Brother Yan.”
“Hmph! I knew Jiang Zhiyue was scheming. On one hand, she pretends to be above worldly concerns and stages some ridiculous runaway act; on the other, she’s been racking her brains to find a way to please Grandpa Lu!”
Jiang Qingyan smiled.
“Fifth Brother, don’t say that about Sister. After all, Grandpa Lu has acknowledged her as his granddaughter-in-law. He must truly like her. Since it’s his birthday, it’s only right for Sister to put some thought into preparing a gift.”
Jiang Chen looked disdainful.
“Grandpa Lu likes her? Don’t make me laugh. He acknowledged her not because she’s so wonderful, but because he values loyalty and affection! The person Grandpa Lu acknowledged was merely the true daughter of the Jiang family.”
After saying this, Jiang Chen seemed to realize that he had misspoken and hurriedly explained, “Qingyan, don’t misunderstand. In my heart, blood ties and all that don’t matter at all! What matters are the eighteen years we’ve spent together. In my heart, you’re my real little sister!”
Nearby, Jiang Qingyan’s father sat upright in the center of the sofa, his back straight and his presence imposing as he looked at the others.
“You said Yueyue went to an auction?” he asked skeptically.
Jiang Qingyan nodded.
“Yes, Dad.”
He swept his gaze over her face.
“An auction like that requires an invitation from the organizer, and attendees must also prove that they have sufficient funds upon entry. How did Yueyue get in?”