Chapter 37: Rare Initiative from Lord Xiao

Mu Shao was feeling quite bitter. Ever since he arrived in Jiangcheng, everything had gone wrong. It had been over a year of nonstop bad luck—recently, he had even come close to losing his life.

They say that when things reach rock bottom, they can only get better. Wasn’t it finally his turn for things to turn around?

He stared nervously at Yan Qiao, afraid she’d say his bad luck was still ongoing. If she did, he might just cry.

“It’s over, for now,” Yan Qiao said. Considering the generous amount of money he gave today, she was certainly going to give him a reading.

“For now? How long does for now last?” Mu Yunzhe’s feelings were complicated.

Hearing her say it had passed gave him some relief, but the fact that she added a time qualifier in front of “over” made his heart sink again.

“Life is long—there’s no way to predict that precisely. As long as your values are upright, you’re not greedy, free of obsession and envy, then even evil forces won’t be able to find a way in.”

“I’ll give you a good luck charm later. As long as you follow what I said, nothing will happen to you,” Yan Qiao said calmly.

…

…

After all, he was a VIP client, so she explained everything in detail.

Mu Yunzhe nodded. After listening to her, he felt much more at ease.

“Ah Qiao, there’s something like a luck-changing charm? If I carry it around, will I be lucky? Like winning the lottery or passing all my exams?” Yan Hao suddenly became very interested.

As soon as he finished speaking, his mom slapped his arm. “You rascal! Didn’t your sister just say not to be greedy? You’re trying to take a shortcut.”

“Hehe, I was just asking,” Yan Hao replied sheepishly, looking a bit guilty.

Yan Qiao also explained, “That’s not what it’s for. Its only function is to eliminate negative energy. If you want to get what you desire, you’ll have to rely on your own efforts.”

“Okay, got it. Ah Qiao, I was just casually asking. I’m not the type who wants rewards without working for them,” Yan Hao clarified in case his sister misunderstood.

“I know.”

By the time they finished eating, it was already two in the morning.

Li Xiao and Mu Yunzhe left.

The Yan family members also went to their rooms to rest.

Yan Qiao lit incense for the Founder and reported the situation.

“Founder, the other side may be a large sect or organization. What they’re doing is no longer in line with our Daoist ways.”

“I fear a bloodstorm is coming in this world.”

The incense flickered dimly, as if even the Founder sensed the coming challenge.

“But I will definitely fulfill my master’s last wish—and help Dragon Jade Temple thrive!”

“I accepted my first disciple tonight. Third Brother has great talent and is fated with our Dao.”

Her voice was low and cool, filled with unshakable determination.

Only then did the incense burn bright again.

The Next Day.

The weather was beautiful. Even though she had gone to bed late, Yan Qiao still got up on time to meditate.

After finishing, she went to the balcony to breathe the fresh morning air.

She stretched and moved her limbs a bit.

At that moment, a cheerful voice rang out: “Good morning, Ah Qiao.”

Yan Qiao turned and saw Li Xiao holding a cup. It was unclear whether it was water or coffee.

Their villas were right next to each other, and it turned out their balconies were side by side. Though there was some distance between them, it wasn’t too far to talk.

“Morning.”

“What are you drinking?” Yan Qiao asked blandly.

“Coffee.” Li Xiao raised the cup in his hand slightly.

“Drink less coffee. Drink more water, milk, and juice,” Yan Qiao reminded him.

Li Xiao raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth curving into a faint smile. “Okay, I’ll listen to Ah Qiao.”

“The weather is great today. Any plans?” Lord Xiao, taking her advice to heart, immediately put the coffee cup down.

“Scouting and setting up my stall,” Yan Qiao didn’t hide her plans.

“Hm?” Li Xiao didn’t quite understand what she meant.

“Fortune-telling.”

A flicker of surprise passed through Li Xiao’s eyes—his reaction wasn’t too different from that of the Yan family members last time.

But he didn’t question her. In fact, this kind of thing was exactly what he expected from her.

“I’ll go with you?”

“Yunzhe’s parents will wake up at noon. Let’s have dinner together tonight. They’ll definitely want to thank you properly.”

Lord Xiao had already made all the arrangements.

“No need. You have too many bodyguards,” Yan Qiao rejected him. She didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention.

These days, Lord Xiao had gotten used to rejection. Only this girl dared to turn him down repeatedly. And yet, he didn’t even get angry.

“I won’t bring bodyguards when I’m with you.”

“Plus, the weather is great. I want to go out too and get some sun. Didn’t you say I needed more sunshine?”

When Lord Xiao started talking more, it was actually a bit scary.

If Mu Yunzhe were to witness this, he’d probably be stunned again.

A true once-in-a-lifetime sight.

Yan Qiao thought about it for a moment and finally agreed.

“Alright.”

Satisfied with her answer, the smile on Lord Xiao’s face widened. “What time are we going?”

“Around nine, after breakfast.”

“Alright, I’ll come get you then.”

And just like that, it was happily decided.

Yan Qiao stood for a while before heading back to her room to wash up and change clothes.

Everyone had gone to bed late last night, and since it was the weekend, the whole villa was quiet.

The housekeeper had already prepared breakfast.

Yan Zhengtian was also an early riser with a very disciplined biological clock. He had maintained a strict routine for years.

During breakfast, it was just the father and daughter.

Yan Qiao glanced at him, frowning slightly—so subtly it was almost unnoticeable.

“Ah Qiao, come eat. You went to bed really late last night. If you’re still tired after eating, go get more rest,” Yan Zhengtian said with concern.

“I’m not tired.”

“Handsome Dad, did you run into some trouble?” Although she phrased it as a question, Yan Qiao’s tone made it clear she already knew.

Yan Zhengtian’s hand paused as he held the newspaper.

Facing his daughter’s steady gaze, he sighed silently.

In the end, he spoke. “It’s not exactly my issue. It’s a close friend of mine and business partner. You all call him Uncle Chen. Recently, a lot has happened in his family.”

“His son failed in a startup. Just after getting married, his daughter-in-law got pregnant and then they had a car accident. The child was lost, and the couple was seriously injured.”

“I went to visit them yesterday. It’s really heartbreaking. Your Uncle Chen looks like he aged a decade overnight. His wife was hit hard too and fell ill.”

“Every family has its own troubles.”

Yan Qiao nodded. She patted his shoulder, as if brushing something off.

“Ah Qiao, you’re…” Yan Zhengtian froze, his expression changing. Don’t tell him…

“Did you bring back something dirty, Dad?” He hadn’t believed in this stuff before, but he had seen what Ah Qiao could do lately.

“There’s a bit of evil aura. Since the Founder is in this house, those things won’t dare come in,” Yan Qiao said calmly.

“Can you help your Uncle Chen then?” After decades of friendship, Yan Zhengtian genuinely hoped things would improve for him.

“No. Unless he personally asks,” Yan Qiao said with firm principles.

Yan Zhengtian didn’t push. “Alright, I’ll give him a call today.”

“Handsome Dad, are you still carrying the protective charm I gave you?” Yan Qiao asked nonchalantly.

“Of course! I’ve had it on me this whole time!”

As he spoke, he pulled it out from the pocket of his blazer.

But as soon as he looked at it, his face changed drastically. His protective charm had faded!

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