When she received the message, Jiang Yunlu was completely dumbfounded.
Was it time for a showdown?
If she wants to meet, then let's meet!
Who's afraid of who!
Deep down, Jiang Yunlu didn't actually have any grievances against Xie Yuling, but she just felt that Xie Yuling was her rival.
Even though they had eaten together and slept in the same bed.
That didn't mean their relationship would improve.
However, in her eyes, perhaps she thought Jiang Yunlu was no longer paying attention to Lin Mo, which meant her own chances would be greater.
This thought wasn't entirely impossible.
Before Lin Mo left, the three of them had been in a cold war mode at school.
So Jiang Yunlu didn't know if Lin Mo and Xie Yuling had completely made up.
But Xie Yuling knew that Jiang Yunlu and Lin Mo had already reconciled.
After all, Xie Yuling possessed divine sense and could easily see what everyone was doing on their phones.
It was just that Xie Yuling didn't have a habit of voyeurism.
After school in the afternoon.
The school gate was crowded with people, and the honking of cars echoed one after another.
Jiang Yunlu didn't say a word and walked straight toward a black sedan parked by the road. Xie Yuling followed unhurriedly, half a step behind her.
A thin veil of silence hung between them, and neither wanted to pierce it.
Finding a cafe to sit and chat had been the original plan.
But what Xie Yuling wanted to say was truly unsuitable for any place with a third ear listening.
Jiang Yunlu's family car was undoubtedly the best choice.
An absolutely enclosed and private space.
Click.
Jiang Yunlu pulled the car door open. The warm-colored leather interior came into view, along with a figure sitting right in the middle of the back seat.
Situ Yunshu.
Xie Yuling didn't even bat an eyelid, showing not the slightest bit of surprise.
As early as when they were walking over, her divine sense had already taken in everything inside the car.
Getting into the car, the back seat was spacious. Even with three people sitting there, there was more than enough room.
The moment the car door closed, the noise from the outside world was completely shut out.
This is my mother.
Jiang Yunlu's voice was a bit dry as she took the initiative to introduce her, If you don't want her to hear what you have to say, my mom can go sit in the front.
Jiang Yunlu put on a look of complete magnanimity.
Hearing this, Situ Yunshu immediately put on a gentle and proper smile, nodding slightly at Xie Yuling.
She was wearing an exquisitely tailored suit skirt. Her every movement exuded a carefully maintained aristocratic demeanor (faked), as if she were trying hard to play the role of a perfect mother.
But this perfect facade shattered the moment Xie Yuling spoke her next sentence.
I have met you before, Auntie.
Xie Yuling's tone was very flat, as if she were commenting on the nice weather today.
At the Situ family.
These few words were like invisible steel needles, instantly piercing the oppressive atmosphere that had just been built up inside the car.
The smile on Situ Yunshu's face visibly stiffened. It was the astonishment of having a carefully painted mask exposed on the spot.
Even Jiang Yunlu abruptly turned her head to look at Xie Yuling, her breath stopping for a second.
Xie Yuling, however, acted as if she hadn't seen their reactions. She took a small slip of paper from her pocket and casually tossed it upward.
The slip of paper hovered eerily in the cramped space, spinning slowly, and finally floated back into her palm like a feather that had lost all its weight.
That night, when we were saving Auntie, I was actually there too.
It's just that none of you could see me. But I was definitely there.
These words rolled across Jiang Yunlu's heart like muffled thunder, stirring up an indescribable bitterness.
So she was there that day too.
Situ Yunshu took a deep breath. That stiff smile on her face finally vanished completely, replaced by a complex sense of relief.
She looked at Xie Yuling, her eyes holding a bit of scrutiny and a bit of understanding.
I knew it.
Situ Yunshu's voice was a bit hoarse. Last time at school, the way you looked at me wasn't right. I guessed right then that you definitely knew me.
Xie Yuling nodded noncommittally, having no intention of dwelling on this topic.
She just checked the time, remembered she had to go home for dinner, and not wanting to drag things out, said directly:
That's enough idle chatter.
Xie Yuling withdrew her gaze and finally cut to the chase.
I came to find you today to talk about Wang Qin.
Hearing this, Jiang Yunlu's thoughts were quickly pulled back.
Wang Qin?!
The moment this name came out, Jiang Yunlu instantly snapped back to reality. The sight of Wang Qin looking like she had lost her soul all day immediately surfaced in her mind.
Do you know what happened to her?
The air inside the car seemed to quiet down a bit.
Xie Yuling's gaze fell outside the car window, her voice lacking any fluctuation: It's Zhou Nianqian. He probably used some shady methods to force Wang Qin to betray you. From the looks of it, Wang Qin herself is still wavering.
She paused, turned her head, and her gaze landed on Jiang Yunlu's face.
With your family's capabilities, it won't be hard to investigate clearly.
Xie Yuling said these words straightforwardly, without any superfluous emotion, as if she were merely stating the fact that the weather was nice today.
I understand. Jiang Yunlu nodded heavily, already forming a plan in her mind.
As she spoke, she looked up at Situ Yunshu.
Situ Yunshu consistently wore that calm smile. Receiving her daughter's gaze, she merely nodded gently, Don't worry, your dad and I will definitely support you fully, and we aren't afraid of him playing dirty.
Situ Yunshu indeed had the strength to say such things.
After all, nowadays, the entire Situ family's properties in Yangcheng, along with those deeply rooted overseas assets, had long been directly transferred into Situ Yunshu's name under the operations of Liu Zheng and the others. It was just that outwardly, Situ Dingyi was still at the helm.
Whether it came to fists or deep pockets, they were not afraid.
Seeing that the message had been delivered and her goal achieved, Xie Yuling decisively pushed the car door open, got out, and headed home for dinner.
The entire process was as smooth as flowing water, without a single word of nonsense.
Hey, you...
Jiang Yunlu had just wanted to open her mouth to ask for more details, but a warm hand rested on her arm. It wasn't heavy or light, but it prevented her from making any further movements.
Don't press her.
Situ Yunshu withdrew her hand, her tone carrying a bit of playfulness. She has no obligation to explain everything clearly to you. Nannan, on this point, you fall short of her by more than just a little bit.
With that, she reached out and pulled Jiang Yunlu into her arms, rubbing her hair just like when she was little.
Jiang Yunlu lifted her head from her mother's embrace, feeling a bit unconvinced.
How do I fall short of her?
In many ways.
Situ Yunshu chuckled softly and pinched her daughter's cheek. Take just now, for example. She faced the two of us, mother and daughter, at the same time with such composure, not to mention the decisiveness with which she left as soon as she finished speaking.
From beginning to end, she controlled the rhythm and always held the upper hand, my silly Nannan.
Jiang Yunlu felt even more aggrieved, her mouth slightly puffing up in a pout.
Didn't you just say I only fell short by a little bit?
Situ Yunshu looked at her daughter's appearance, her smile deepening.
Well, all of these added together count as a little bit.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
