Chapter 7

According to the book she had read, her bracelet was actually a Blessed Grotto that required her blood to activate. This bracelet had been left to Fang Junrong by her grandmother, who had doted on her the most during her lifetime. She had originally kept it securely locked in a safe, but since both her son and daughter knew the safe’s combination, Li Shize had been able to easily take the bracelet.

Her Barbecue Pork Son, Li Shize, had actually stolen this bracelet to give to Jiang Yage. A significant portion of the tragedies that befell her and her daughter in their previous life were because of him. What puzzled her was why Li Shize would steal this bracelet to give to Jiang Yage in the first place. He wasn’t short on money and could have easily bought jewelry for Jiang Yage himself. Unfortunately, the book hadn’t mentioned this detail, only describing how delighted Jiang Yage was upon receiving the bracelet.

She took out a small knife, made a cut on her finger, and smeared the blood on the bracelet. The blood didn’t cling to the surface but instead seeped into it instantly, disappearing without a trace as if it had never been there. At the same time, she found herself once again on that Immortal Mountain.

Strangely enough, after absorbing her blood, the number of legible formulas on the stone tablet increased from two to three.

White Jade Balm: Possesses the ability to regenerate flesh on bones. While it can’t bring someone back from the dead, it can make flesh grow on bare bones.

Beauty Pill: As the name suggests, this formula is for enhancing beauty.

Toxin Cleansing Formula: Can eliminate toxins from the body.

Several ingredients in these formulas didn’t exist in this world, but they were cultivated on the Immortal Mountain. The Beauty Pill even required the use of the Mountain Spring there. In a way, the novel she had read about Jiang Yage had saved her from some detours.

In their previous life, Jiang Yage had managed to gain the support of so many influential figures simply because she was the only one who could prepare these formulas, monopolizing all three medicines.

This time, no matter what, she would definitely keep the bracelet safe. Without this Golden Finger, she wondered how far Jiang Yage could go.

After Fang Junrong gathered several types of Immortal Realm Spiritual Medicine on the Immortal Mountain and left the Blessed Grotto, she was surprised to find that the bracelet she had been wearing was gone. Or rather, it was still there, but had transformed into a faint green mark on her wrist, nearly invisible unless examined closely.

With just a thought, she could enter the space within it at any time.

She breathed a sigh of relief. This was actually better—she wouldn’t have to worry about the bracelet being stolen. Moreover, the bracelet could also serve as a storage space. She placed some of her favorite jewelry, property deeds, and other valuables inside.

The next day, she went straight to one of her properties and personally prepared the three medicines. The process had to be flawless, and after meticulously completing each step, she succeeded. The finished medicines emitted a peculiar, refreshing fragrance. Just a whiff of the Toxin Cleansing Pill made her feel invigorated, as if all her fatigue had been swept away.

Still, Fang Junrong didn’t let her guard down. After all, this was her first attempt, and she wasn’t sure if any mistakes had been made during the process. She bought some small animals and tested all three medicines on them. She had to admit that the Immortal Realm’s formulas were truly extraordinary. The White Jade Balm caused new flesh to grow within a day, and the Toxin Cleansing Pill worked just as impressively—a rabbit that had been poisoned and on the verge of death quickly regained its vitality.

As for the Beauty Pill being eaten by animals, although no effects were visible, seeing the animals still lively and active indicated it was likely harmless. Fang Junrong decided to try it herself—if she really got poisoned, she still had the Toxin Cleansing Pill on hand.  

After taking it continuously for three days, she noticed her skin had become noticeably firmer and fairer, as if a beauty filter had been applied. No woman is indifferent to beauty, and Fang Junrong was no exception. It was easy to imagine the frenzy this medicine would cause once released to the public.  

Fang Junrong was particularly amazed and went to the hospital for a check-up to ensure there were no adverse effects on her body.  

By the time she finished testing all three pills, a week had passed. Since she occasionally went on short trips, her absence for a week didn’t raise suspicions—at most, people just asked her about it briefly.  

When she returned home, her daughter Li Xinyun was sitting on the sofa, her entire demeanor screaming “I’m furious.” Jiang Yage stood nearby with an awkward expression, while Li Wangjin glared at Xinyun, equally enraged.  

“I must have spoiled you too much, which is why you’ve grown so selfish. Can’t you learn a thing or two from Yage?”  

Li Xinyun exploded. “I’ve been preparing for my birthday party for months—why should it be canceled because of her? If I have to be considerate of her, who’s going to be considerate of me? I’ve already sent out invitations to my friends!”  

“Is Yage less important than your friends? You can invite them next year,” Li Wangjin retorted, refusing to back down, veins bulging on his forehead as he clearly reached his limit.  

“What’s going on?” Fang Junrong interrupted the tense atmosphere. Deep down, she already knew—this had happened in her past life as well. Xinyun’s birthday coincided with the death anniversary of Jiang Yage’s parents. Back then, Li Wangjin had canceled the celebration, arguing that it was inappropriate to hold a grand event on such a day, as it would only remind Yage of her grief.  

At the time, she had also opposed the cancellation and argued with Li Wangjin. But he had gone ahead and informed the guests without consulting her. Because of this, Xinyun had grown to despise Jiang Yage and constantly clashed with her.  

Li Wangjin suppressed his anger and said, “Look at her—always talking back. Is this how a child should behave? Clearly, we spoiled her too much, and now she has no respect for her elders.”  

Fang Junrong shot back, “Xinyun has always been filial and considerate in front of me. If you don’t want a daughter like her, I can take her away right now.” She regretted not encouraging Xinyun to go on a trip before leaving—at least then she wouldn’t have had to endure this at home.  

Li Wangjin’s expression blanked for a moment, and his voice softened slightly. “That’s not what I meant.”  

Jiang Yage put on a reasonable front. “Godfather, please don’t argue with Xinyun because of me. It’s my fault.”  

Fang Junrong nodded. “Yes, it is your fault. Before you came, Wangjin never scolded Xinyun like this.” Though Li Wangjin had never been a good father, he had at least maintained appearances before.  

Li Xinyun shot Jiang Yage a glare. “Exactly! Ever since you arrived, Dad’s always finding fault with me. I bet he wishes you were his real daughter instead.”  

Li Xinyun had never been treated like this before.

Perhaps because Fang Junrong was present, Li Wangjin didn’t dare to maintain his earlier attitude and softened his tone considerably. “Xinyun’s birthday is on the 16th of the month, which happens to be the anniversary of Yage’s parents’ passing. So I thought we could cancel this year’s birthday celebration to avoid making Yage sad.”

“Are you suggesting that Yage’s parents were our elders, and our entire family should observe mourning for them?”

Where does he get the nerve?

Li Wangjin choked for a moment. “That’s not what I meant…”

Fang Junrong curled her lips slightly. “Is this your idea or Yage’s?”

Li Wangjin replied, “It’s my personal thought. Yage hasn’t mentioned anything to me.”

Fang Junrong said, “If you haven’t asked Yage, how do you know she wouldn’t be willing? Don’t you always tell me how kind and considerate Yage is? Someone like her wouldn’t bear to see Xinyun heartbroken after looking forward to her birthday celebration for so long, would she?”

“I believe Yage isn’t that selfish.”

She turned her gaze to Jiang Yage, her tone becoming more aggressive. “Am I right, Yage?”

In her past life, when this incident spread, everyone recognized Jiang Yage’s status in the Li family, but it inadvertently trampled on Xinyun’s dignity. Many mocked Li Xinyun, the true young lady of the Li family, for being overshadowed by an orphan living under their roof.

Jiang Yage was truly caught between a rock and a hard place. If she said she couldn’t bear it, she would offend Li Wangjin, who was standing up for her. If she said she could bear it, she would appear as the unkind one disregarding Li Xinyun’s feelings. Yet, in this situation, she had no choice but to opt for the latter and play the role of the compassionate one.

“Xinyun has been looking forward to her birthday celebration for so long. There’s no need to cancel it because of me. I know Godfather is worried about me, but Xinyun’s happiness matters more.”

Truly worthy of Jiang Yage—not only did she quickly make her choice, but she also crafted an image of self-sacrifice and reasonableness. Li Wangjin, who had been somewhat angry earlier, looked at her reddened eyes and immediately felt guilty.

Fang Junrong nodded. “So, Wangjin, you shouldn’t always act so presumptuously and disregard others’ feelings. Look at how poorly you handled this—not only is Xinyun upset, but Yage is also saddened.”

Li Wangjin was utterly stifled.

“You just scolded Xinyun for being selfish. Shouldn’t you apologize to her too?”

Li Wangjin opened his mouth, but the words “I’m sorry” wouldn’t come out. As a father, was he really supposed to bow his head to his daughter? What kind of logic was that? And Xinyun—she should have taken the initiative to give him an out. This child had spent more time with Junrong since she was young, so naturally, she wasn’t close to him.

His gaze fell on Fang Junrong. Was it his imagination, or did Junrong look even more beautiful today? Yet her attitude toward him was colder. Was it because of Yage? But back then, it was she who had proposed adopting Yage in the first place. Why was she unhappy about it now?

Jiang Yage hurriedly said, “Let me apologize on Godfather’s behalf.”

Fang Junrong replied, “Apologies aren’t something others can give for you. Yage, you’re a reasonable person. You shouldn’t fail to understand such a basic principle.”

Jiang Yage could only fall silent.

Li Wangjin still couldn’t bring himself to lower his head and apologize to Li Xinyun. In the end, he could only mutter, “I have a meeting to attend. I’ll take my leave,” forcing an exit for himself.

Fang Junrong watched his practically fleeing figure and couldn’t help but laugh. She suddenly felt that her past self had been utterly worthless—Li Wangjin was ultimately just a hypocrite who wanted both face and substance. As long as she targeted this weakness, it would be enough to leave him suffering in silence.

She turned to Li Xinyun and said, “I bought you some gifts. Let’s go upstairs and take a look.”

Li Xinyun, who had just been thoroughly enjoying watching her mom put her dad in his place, immediately stood up and affectionately linked arms with her. “Okay! Mom treats me the best.”

Jiang Yage wanted to say something but could only watch helplessly as Fang Junrong completely ignored her. She felt wronged—she had already conceded, so why wasn’t she getting any credit for it?

Originally, she had thought that her godmother would treat her well after bringing her here. But now it seemed that there would always be a difference between a biological child and an adopted one. No matter how hard she tried to please or how willful Li Xinyun acted, she could never measure up to Li Xinyun.