Success or failure is known to have no fixed pattern.

The night draped low as orange streetlights flickered on one by one, then gradually faded outside the car window. Sister Qin hummed a tune while deftly steering the wheel, her cheerful mood reflected in the leisurely pace of the vehicle.

Li Guanqi sat upright in the passenger seat, her expression calm, though her gaze kept darting toward Sister Qin, as if trying to decipher the woman’s thoughts.

Indeed, this scrutiny was entirely deliberate.

Suddenly, the humming stopped.

"Su Cheng took quite a hit last time he went to the coast," Sister Qin mused, pausing thoughtfully before abruptly shifting her tone. She turned to Li Guanqi and asked directly, "What’s happened to him this time? Don’t tell me… he got his heart broken?"

Sister Qin only knew fragments of the story. She remembered dropping Su Cheng off at the park earlier that afternoon, only for him to rush back to the coast hours later, just like when he’d first discovered his heart condition. It wasn’t hard to guess he’d encountered another misfortune.

"I’m sorry, but that involves personal privacy. I can’t discuss it," Li Guanqi replied softly, shaking her head before adding, "Besides, it touches on sensitive matters—classified information."

Sister Qin nodded in understanding and didn’t press further, refocusing on driving.

Li Guanqi turned her attention to the window, only to realize the car had veered off its intended route.

She tilted her head slightly, puzzled. "Sister Qin, where are we going?"

No sooner had she spoken than the car pulled over in a secluded stretch of countryside.

"Let’s talk outside first," Sister Qin said, pushing the door open and stepping out. Li Guanqi followed, her brow furrowed.

The two stood side by side, surveying the open fields around them.

With a click, Sister Qin lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled slowly, tendrils of smoke curling around her face.

"From the moment you got in the car, I could tell you were wary of me—even trying to fish for information. Is it because you don’t trust Su Cheng? Or me? Or is this just the natural suspicion of rich kids like you?"

After delivering this pointed remark, Sister Qin flicked ash from her cigarette and fixed Li Guanqi with a piercing stare, waiting for her response.

Li Guanqi brushed a loose strand of hair from her temple, her tone calm and measured. "You’ve misunderstood, Sister Qin. My caution stems only from concern that certain… undisclosed forces might be watching our every move."

"I see."

Sister Qin seemed to grasp something. "So, you and Su Cheng’s fiancée have tensions, but it hasn’t escalated to her taking action against you—just surveillance?"

"You and Su Cheng must be quite close."

Li Guanqi lowered her hand from her hair, her gaze steady on Sister Qin, lips pressed into a thin line. Her voice was so neutral it was impossible to read. "Given that your phone number changed, I had reason to be suspicious. But even now, I can’t say for certain."

"You provoked me just to test that?" Sister Qin took another sharp drag, exhaling a thick cloud before rubbing her temples and stubbing out the cigarette on the ground. "Seems like if I want to keep this job, I’ll have to prove my innocence myself."

"I just want the truth as quickly as possible," Li Guanqi admitted frankly. "This concerns my personal interests, so I hope you won’t take offense. I’ll make it up to you properly afterward."

"You’re sharp as a tack, kid." Sister Qin chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "Anyone handpicked by that young mistress is a top-tier elite—they’d walk through fire to get the job done. Did you really think a few probing questions would make me spill? Sounds to me like this is just messy personal drama. As the saying goes, 'Even an honest official can’t settle family disputes.' You youngsters should keep your romantic entanglements to yourselves—don’t drag me into it."

"I’m afraid it’s too late for that."

Li Guanqi’s expression darkened. "The moment you let me into your car, they’ll assume we’re working together."

Sister Qin arched an eyebrow. "Oh? So you’re the type to act first and ask later? Fine, then—if I help you, can you guarantee I won’t face retaliation?"

Li Guanqi hesitated before answering apologetically, "I can’t promise that with absolute certainty, but I’ll do everything in my power."

"Tch. If you’re not even sure, then I won’t expect much." Sister Qin took one last drag, her eyes sharp as blades. "Give me enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life. For a rich young miss like you, a hundred million must be pocket change, right?"

Li Guanqi shook her head helplessly. "I’m sorry, I don’t have that kind of money on hand. I’d need time to arrange it."

Sister Qin sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. Since you’ve already dragged me onto this pirate ship, I might as well play along. What do you need from me?"

After a brief pause, Li Guanqi stated her request: "I need you to find a book for me—as quickly as possible."

"What book?"

"The Fundamental Laws of Web Novel Heroines."

"I’ve heard of books for male leads, but heroines? Not a clue." Sister Qin spread her hands, skepticism written all over her face. "What does this have to do with proving my innocence earlier?"

"Everything," Li Guanqi said firmly. "The Ji Family absolutely doesn’t want this book in my hands. As for why, I can’t explain yet. But if you find it and give it to me, I’ll trust you completely."

"Hmm…" Sister Qin tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Have you mentioned this book to anyone else before?"

"I brought it up while talking to Su Cheng," Li Guanqi answered without thinking. "I’ve searched for it myself but came up empty—oh!" Realization dawned on her.

Sister Qin sighed. "See? How can you be so sure the Ji Family’s young mistress even cares about whether you get this book? If she’s monitoring you constantly, why didn’t she stop you when you mentioned it to Su Cheng? Why wait until now, when you’re asking me to find it? Doesn’t that strike you as odd?"

"Your reasoning makes sense, but I still hope you’ll help me look," Li Guanqi pleaded. "What if there’s a breakthrough?"

"Ugh. Today’s my unlucky day."

Sister Qin gave in with a resigned shrug.

No sooner had she spoken than the two climbed back into the car.

About fifteen minutes later, they pulled up in front of an opulent, high-security residential complex.

"Well, well. So this is where you live." Sister Qin’s eyes widened in recognition. "I nearly forgot—this is the place. I picked Su Cheng up here this afternoon and drove him straight to the park."

"Su Cheng was here today?" Li Guanqi’s surprise was palpable.

"Yep. Left with a fat cat in tow."

"A fat cat?" Li Guanqi’s frown deepened, suspicion swirling in her mind.

If she wasn’t mistaken, that cat belonged to Gu Ruoxue. But why would Su Cheng know about it—let alone take it away?

At this, she was utterly perplexed and could only cast a bewildered glance at Sister Qin, silently awaiting her explanation.

Unexpectedly, Sister Qin turned the tables, mimicking Li Guanqi’s earlier tone as she shook her head and said, "Sorry about this, but I can’t go into details. Let’s just say the waters run deep here—it involves personal privacy, so it’s best not to pry."

Li Guanqi fell silent for a long moment before finally letting the matter drop. She urged Sister Qin, "I’ll head home first. Please do your best regarding the book. If there’s any progress, let me know right away."

"Don’t worry," Sister Qin assured her.

...

The moment she stepped through the door, Li Guanqi first greeted Li Zhaohao before scouring the house inside and out for any sign of the raven. Yet, even after turning the place upside down, the bird was nowhere to be found.

Had it returned to Gu Ruoxue’s side?

The thought brought an involuntary pang of disappointment. But then again, the raven had originally belonged to Gu Ruoxue—it was only natural for it to return to its former owner out of loyalty.

Li Guanqi steadied her emotions and headed upstairs to freshen up. Just as she reached the steps, however, she heard the sound of a television coming from her bedroom.

She hurried to the door and pushed it open, only to find the raven perched atop the TV remote, switching channels.

The sight left Li Guanqi momentarily stunned, her surroundings fading from awareness.

It wasn’t until the raven flapped its wings and flew to her feet, dropping a pair of slippers in front of her, that she snapped back to reality.

"Yaya, you’re really... so thoughtful." For such an extraordinarily intelligent bird, Li Guanqi was at a loss for words.

"Caw!" Yaya tilted its head and let out two sharp cries, as if urging her to hurry up and change into her slippers.

Li Guanqi quickly complied, giving the raven an affectionate pat on the head. But then a new worry surfaced—she hadn’t yet prepared food, supplies, or even a nest for Yaya.

"Be good and watch TV for a bit. I’ll go out and get some essentials." Just as she was about to leave, her phone rang inconveniently from her skirt pocket.

She pulled it out, and her frown deepened. The caller ID displayed Sister Qin’s name...

"That book you wanted, The Fundamental Laws of Web Novel Heroines—I’ve searched everywhere online and asked all the bookstores I know, but it’s nowhere to be found," Sister Qin said helplessly over the phone.

"Alright, I understand. Please meet me at the compound gate tomorrow at 6:30 a.m."

With that, Li Guanqi hung up and stared blankly at her phone’s home screen, lost in thought.

Sensing her distress, Yaya fluttered onto Li Guanqi’s shoulder and craned its neck to peer at the phone screen, its beady eyes darting as if deep in thought.

Finally, its gaze landed on the ring—identical to Gu Ruoxue’s.

Suddenly, it let out a rapid series of caws.

"What’s wrong?" Li Guanqi suppressed her dejection and spoke softly to soothe the raven.

"Caw!" Yaya abruptly spread its wings and tapped the back of her hand with a wingtip.

"Huh?" Instinctively, Li Guanqi put away her phone and raised her hand for a closer look. Yaya mirrored the motion, lightly brushing its wing against the ring on her finger.

In that instant—

A book materialized out of thin air on the back of her hand before slipping off and landing on the floor with a soft thud.