Chapter Twenty-Four: No More Drama! Buddy’s Rich Now!

This young man stood around six feet tall, and Murong Yueyao, standing beside him, was not much shorter. With her own height of five feet nine, and a pair of crystal high heels that brought her to nearly six feet, she stood by his side without appearing diminutive in the least. Her elegantly contoured figure, accentuated by a pale lavender asymmetrical dress, revealed two long, fair legs, making her seem even taller and perfectly showcasing her exquisite form. She stood there, bare-faced, her features cold and delicate as a fairy’s, so striking that one could hardly look away.

In truth, even Lin Yi found his gaze lingering when he first saw Murong Yueyao. He couldn’t help it—she was simply too beautiful. In terms of looks alone, his former girlfriend even outshone An Miaoyi, who was already considered stunning. As for their temperaments, they couldn’t have been more different. An Miaoyi was the graceful, demure type, bordering on the elegance of a lady from a noble family, while his ex was the icy, ethereal goddess, the kind of woman one would think existed only in celestial realms.

At this moment, the woman who could be called a fairy, Murong Yueyao, bore a faint smile on her lips—because of the young man with gold-rimmed glasses standing next to her. Murong Yueyao was smiling. Lin Yi felt a twinge of sourness in his heart.

He stood not far from the entrance of Yu Xiang Fang, while Murong Yueyao and the young man were about to enter from the side, talking and laughing together. Whether it was his lingering gaze that drew their attention, or simple coincidence, just as Murong Yueyao’s lips curved into a smile, her eyes happened to meet Lin Yi’s.

Both froze in place.

Lin Yi gave Murong Yueyao a slight smile. She looked surprised at first, then nodded in acknowledgment. The young man’s attention, meanwhile, never left Murong Yueyao. When she glanced toward Lin Yi, he too noticed him.

Murong Yueyao had been admitted to Qingbei University—the country’s most prestigious institution, renowned in every ranking. The university was located in the capital. Since their breakup in their third year of high school, Lin Yi and Murong Yueyao had not seen each other for nearly half a year.

What was Murong Yueyao doing at Yu Xiang Fang? Shouldn’t she be in the capital? These questions circled in Lin Yi’s mind as he strode over, carrying his bag. Since Murong Yueyao had already seen him, there was no need to avoid her.

It had only been a few days, but with the powerful cheat that was the “God-Slaying Sutra,” and the “Grand Void Scripture” running through his body, Lin Yi had, for no obvious reason, reached the level of an A-rank first-class expert. Most importantly, his finances had soared as well. There was no need for him to sell himself short.

With this new confidence, something intangible—one might call it aura—radiated constantly from Lin Yi, making him appear extraordinary.

“I really didn’t expect to see you here, Murong,” Lin Yi greeted her. “How have you been lately?”

Murong Yueyao looked at Lin Yi, surprise flickering in her eyes before she replied, “You’ve changed a lot. You seem different from before.” The puzzlement in her gaze faded, replaced by her usual cool detachment. “I’m well. Actually, I have something to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now.”

Lin Yi’s expression darkened slightly. Clearly, Murong Yueyao and the young man had intended to enter Yu Xiang Fang, but upon seeing him, decided to leave instead. It needed no explanation—his appearance had made them unwilling to go in.

“Alright, take care then, Murong. Let’s catch up when you have time,” Lin Yi said politely, forcing a smile. Yet, his hand trembled slightly as he carried his bag into Yu Xiang Fang, ignoring the young man beside him.

As Lin Yi passed Murong Yueyao, he failed to notice the flicker of complicated emotion in her eyes—her gaze was not as calm as it seemed. Turning away, Murong Yueyao said to the young man, “Let’s go.” She descended the steps without another word.

The young man narrowed his eyes and hurried after her, then, as if remembering something, exclaimed, “Ah, that’s right—I’ve run out of cigarettes. I’ll go buy a pack. Why don’t you go ahead and wait for me at the car?” Without waiting for a reply, he headed toward a nearby convenience store.

Murong Yueyao frowned, shook her head, then turned to look at Lin Yi’s retreating figure. She quickly looked away, sighed softly, and walked toward a parked Maybach in the lot. By the time she reached the car, her expression had gone cold again, a chill settling on her lovely face.

The young man bought his cigarettes, then turned not toward the parking lot, but made his way back to Yu Xiang Fang, entering through the back entrance rather than the main door.

Inside the store, Lin Yi encountered none of the melodramatic provocations that had occurred last time. As before, he was warmly received. The gold rings and jade pieces he brought, though exuding an ominous aura, shone with dazzling luster and crystalline clarity—eye-catching and attractive. In the end, he struck a deal and sold them for 1,573,000 yuan.

These days, with electronic transfers being the norm, the money arrived in his account swiftly, sweeping away all his earlier gloom.

Just as Lin Yi finished the transaction and was about to leave, he discovered the young man with gold-rimmed glasses standing before him, smiling amiably. He removed his glasses, wiped them with a tissue, then, casting a sidelong glance, said, “I know you—your name is Lin Yi. You dated my younger cousin, Murong Yueyao, back in high school, didn’t you?”

Looking for trouble? That was Lin Yi’s immediate thought upon seeing him. He had avoided melodrama inside the store, only to be confronted with it at the door.

Lin Yi smiled faintly, about to reply when a sudden realization struck him. My cousin? What did the young man mean by that? Lin Yi hesitated, then nodded instinctively.

The young man continued, “I’m Murong Yueyao’s cousin, Murong Xingyao. You have good taste, liking my cousin. But—fate can be cruel. My cousin has little say in her own life. I just hope you don’t resent her. In families like ours, people are often not free to choose. On behalf of the Murong family, I apologize. And—chaos is coming. Take care of yourself, young man!”

With that, Murong Xingyao tossed aside his tissue, put on his glasses, gave Lin Yi a slight smile, and walked away.

Lin Yi stood rooted to the spot. He’d been expecting some cliché drama: a check thrown in his face, a warning to never pester Murong Yueyao again, or some insult about dragons not mingling with snakes. He hadn’t expected this at all.

From his words, Lin Yi realized there was indeed more to Murong Yueyao’s departure from his life than met the eye.

He wanted to talk more with Murong Xingyao, but before he could, something even more unexpected happened. Murong Xingyao turned back and called, “I know your number. I’ll add you on WeChat later. Let’s have a drink and chat sometime…”

Lin Yi was left speechless.

What was with this cousin of Murong Yueyao? Not only did he not slap Lin Yi in the face—nor invite Lin Yi to slap his—he even wanted to share a drink? Had Lin Yi heard that right?

While he stood there in a daze, Murong Xingyao had already left. Still, Lin Yi sensed that there was a rolling energy within Murong Xingyao’s body—he was definitely a practitioner.

Thinking back, Lin Yi realized Murong Yueyao also seemed to have a steady, unusual aura. Could it be that the Murong family was a family of cultivators?

It seemed that if he hadn’t obtained the “God-Slaying Sutra,” he would never have stood a chance with Murong Yueyao—the gap between them was simply too vast. But now, with this powerful scripture, he was no longer an ordinary man. Was there still hope for their relationship? No, no, what was he thinking—he should focus on joining the Paranormal Investigation Bureau first…

With over a million in his account, Lin Yi had become wealthy. The “God-Slaying Sutra” had invigorated his life. Setting aside his cultivation for now, just this newfound wealth confirmed that slaying demons and exorcising spirits was indeed lucrative.

With money in hand, Lin Yi pulled out his phone, ready to look for an apartment—ideally one close to the school and spacious enough.

Suddenly, a piercing cry sounded in the main hall of Yu Xiang Fang.

“Help! Help, someone help!”

Lin Yi, who had just been about to leave, frowned at the commotion. He had already dealt with enough odd events today, yet it seemed trouble followed him even here.

“He’s gone mad, he’s gone mad…”

“It’s Manager Huang… Manager Huang…”

Inside, chaos reigned. Lin Yi looked inside, frowning, realizing this might just be another chance to gain some experience.