Chapter 2: Changing Patrons

Lu Che chuckled, "No way, it's so terrifying here! Sister Jiang, you have to protect me!"

During their last exploration of a haunted house, Lu Che had been present as Jiang Chen's best friend, and he had been thoroughly impressed by Jiang Zhiyue's performance that day. Although everyone claimed she had just done her homework beforehand and was merely playing little tricks to curry favor with Jiang Chen, he inexplicably felt a sense of security whenever she was around.

Seeing Lu Che’s behavior, Jiang Chen found it eyesore-inducing. He forcefully pulled Lu Che’s hand away. "Enough, we’re here now, so don't waste time. Let's go in!"

Without waiting for Jiang Zhiyue’s reaction, Jiang Chen dragged Lu Che toward the cemetery. It was exactly midnight.

Watching the two fearless idiots, Jiang Zhiyue couldn't help but curse under her breath.

"Morons!"

As the two were about to disappear into the night, she gritted her teeth and followed after them. Ahead, Jiang Chen glanced back and a smirk of triumph appeared on his face. He knew it; Jiang Zhiyue was so desperate to please him that she wouldn't dare defy his wishes.

Ten minutes later, the three arrived deep within the cemetery. Seeing that everything remained calm, Jiang Chen grew bolder.

"Did you bring what I asked for?"

Lu Che smiled and patted the black backpack on his back. "Don't worry, it's all here."

He took off the bag, placed it in front of him, and pulled out a stack of colorful paper. As he unfolded the paper, Jiang Zhiyue was shocked to realize it was a paper effigy!

"Are you kidding me?" she asked. "What are you two doing?"

Jiang Chen looked at her. "Didn't you claim to be well-versed in metaphysics? What’s wrong, scared of a little paper doll? What do you think I’d bring a paper doll out here for in the middle of the night?"

The look of horror on Jiang Zhiyue’s face was exactly what he wanted. Jiang Chen nodded with satisfaction; it pleased him.

"As long as you promise to be obedient and stop bullying Yan'an, we won't scare you today. Otherwise, heh heh..."

He pulled a red pen from Lu Che’s bag, his tone dripping with threats. "Otherwise, I’m going to draw eyes on this paper effigy. Do you want to know what happens when you dot the eyes of a paper doll in the middle of the night?"

Jiang Zhiyue gasped, staring at Jiang Chen as if he were a complete idiot. A paper effigy with dotted eyes became a vessel without a master, especially in a place like a public cemetery where yin energy was incredibly dense. If they accidentally attracted some vicious spirit to possess it, it was hard to say which of the three of them would be the first to kick the bucket.

Besides, she was busy working hard just to afford a decent meal; who the hell had the time to bully his precious Yan'an?

The fact that he was threatening her made her skin crawl. Oh, wait—that was just her rebellious streak starting to flare up.

Seeing that Jiang Zhiyue remained silent, Jiang Chen grew impatient and raised the pen to draw on the effigy's face.

Just then, Jiang Zhiyue kicked out, sending Jiang Chen sprawling to the ground. The pen rolled away.

"Jiang Chen! I have tolerated you for a long time. Are you incapable of understanding human speech? I’ve told you so many times, I don’t have the time or energy to bother with your Yan'an! And now you’re threatening me? Dotting a paper doll’s eyes? Go ahead, do it! Since you’re so full of yourself, come back here by yourself another day and dot them until you're satisfied! Just leave me out of it!"

Jiang Chen clutched his stomach, struggling to get up, grimacing in pain. "Jiang Zhiyue, how dare you?!"

"Keep barking and I'll beat you again. Want to try me?"

"So, you’ve finally stopped pretending? You’re just jealous that we dote on Yan'an! I’m telling you, fake is always fake. Yan'an is naturally kind and gentle. A beggar like you, who used to beg on the street, will never compare to her! You even dared to suggest we send Yan'an away—you don’t think you're so special just because you’re blood-related, do you?"

"We will never send Yan'an away. She is the family member who stays by our side day and night, while you—you are nothing!"

Jiang Zhiyue took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, speechless. Money is hard to earn, and the Jiang family’s rice bowl isn't easy to hold onto!

If she had known this, she wouldn't have given up her street stall so early. Three years had passed; she might have built up enough reputation and experience by now to take on big jobs. She felt she hadn't shortchanged the Jiang family while eating their food for these years. Thinking that her own prosperity depended on her "patrons" doing well, she had silently set up wealth-gathering arrays for them. When she sensed her "brothers" had a looming disaster of bloodshed, she would personally draw protection charms and hide them inside their toys and daily necessities.

As for letting Jiang Qingyan leave, that was true. She had divined that the fake daughter’s fate clashed with the Jiang family’s; if she didn't leave, the family’s luck would be slowly devoured. She hadn't done it out of some bullshit jealousy—she just didn't want the patrons she had chosen to go bankrupt so quickly!

Unfortunately, no matter how she explained it, the people in the Jiang family stubbornly believed it was all a ploy to compete for favor. They had even lectured her more than once about being "broad-minded," saying she should be grateful to Jiang Qingyan for bringing so much joy to the house over the years.

Jiang Zhiyue was speechless. So, after suffering for years and finally coming back, she was supposed to be thankful to the fake daughter for fulfilling her filial duties?

Looking at Jiang Chen’s stubborn expression, she felt truly numb. Forget it, she was done.

"Fine, fine, I’m nothing, you’re all so great. I don’t even want to eat the Jiang family’s food anymore!"

She had been playing the submissive role for three years; she couldn't take it anymore. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She gave the paper doll on the ground a frustrated kick.

She would go back, pack her bags, and leave. She was done with this humiliating life! She didn't believe for a second that with her skills, she would starve to death. At worst, she’d change her perspective, marry some guy, sew a wealth-gathering charm into his clothes, and make him wear it every day so he could earn money for her. She didn't believe she wouldn't become rich that way!

Then, wouldn't she be well-fed and well-clothed?

"Sister Jiang, don’t go!" Lu Che urged anxiously from the side.

"Let her go! If you have the guts, don't ever come back to the Jiang house!"

Jiang Zhiyue let out a cold scoff and walked away without looking back, her stride crisp and elegant. Since her patrons were too dense to be guided, she didn't mind replacing them.

Seeing her silhouette disappear into the night, Lu Che wanted to chase after her but was worried about Jiang Chen, who was still sitting on the ground. He could only reach out and carefully help him up. "What should we do, Brother Chen? Did you go a bit too far this time? Did you really scare Sister Jiang?"

Jiang Chen, still in a fit of rage, waved his hand dismissively. "Don't mind her. What does this count for? Did you forget how she framed Yan'an last time? And now she actually dared to kick me? I’ll make sure she regrets this! If she wants to set foot in the Jiang house again, she’ll have to see if I agree to it."

"Then we..."

After standing up, Jiang Chen kicked the paper doll on the ground as well. It had been prepared specifically to scare Jiang Zhiyue, and since she was gone, it was useless.

"Let’s go. Let's go play games."

"Oh, right!"

Jiang Chen and Lu Che left, cursing and holding their flashlights, completely failing to notice that the paper doll Jiang Chen had kicked to the side was slowly, sluggishly standing up. From a distance, it looked as if it were just being blown upward by the wind.

At the entrance of the cemetery, Jiang Zhiyue was hidden in the shadows. Only after seeing the two leave safely did she start walking slowly toward the city of Kyoto.

*Sigh.* Now that she had calmed down, she felt a bit melancholy. She had held back for so long, and while kicking him had felt great, where on earth was she going to find her next long-term patron in such a short time?

As she pondered this, a harsh screech of brakes sounded nearby. She looked up to see a car speeding toward her, swerving wildly and emitting a piercing, grating sound.

As it was about to smash through the guardrail and plunge off the cliff, Jiang Zhiyue waved her hand. The out-of-control vehicle suddenly veered at a strange angle and crashed into the mountain wall on the other side.

In the backseat of the car, a man in a black shirt was struggling to climb out of the window with all his might. The window hadn't rolled down much, and it seemed to have caught the man’s backside firmly in place.