Volume One, Chapter 13: The Mind’s Awakening of the Celestial Eye

The crowd, originally busy watching the commotion, all turned in unison toward Zhou Huaijing standing at the door.

Zhou Huaijing was older than them all, carrying an air of calm self-possession. He rarely bothered to mingle with them, finding them noisy and unruly, so encounters were few and far between.

They seldom interacted and were hardly familiar with one another. Now, he appeared like an uninvited guest intruding on the scene.

He cast a sidelong glance at Wen Li, then followed her gaze toward Jiang Chen and clicked his tongue disapprovingly, clearly displeased with his young cousin’s behavior.

With a teasing tone, he remarked, “Impressive—he’s even learned to hit women now.”

Jiang Chen released his grip, and the crowd breathed a sigh of relief.

The eldest cousin truly lived up to his role, fearless of stirring up trouble.

Wen Li looked at Jiang Chen, noting his hands hanging at his sides, veins bulging and tendons defined.

Zhou Huaijing chuckled softly, took a cigarette from his pack, placed it on the back of his hand, and lit it with a flick. “So, who set up this little gathering tonight that got my cousin so worked up?”

“Huaijing, why are you here?” Shen Yuzhi stepped forward at the right moment, handing him a lighter and lighting his cigarette.

His eyes silently pleaded, “Heaven, witness my loyalty and discern the truth.”

The gathering was arranged by him, but the matter at hand was not of his choosing.

“Not exactly welcome, huh?” Zhou Huaijing took the cigarette, lit it, and began to smoke to himself.

The smoke wafted to Wen Li’s nose, causing her to cough unexpectedly, ill-timed and awkward.

Jiang Chen turned his head and instinctively pulled her closer to his side, meeting Zhou Huaijing’s gaze briefly before looking away.

A tense atmosphere, thick with unspoken hostility, lingered in the air.

Shen Yuzhi said, “No, not at all.”

Having only one Buddha statue would be dull; two brought a more profound aura. Besides them, there was also a South Sea Guanyin statue on the scene.

He could at best be considered a humble seeker of wisdom.

“What were you all shouting about outside? What’s got everyone so lively?” Zhou Huaijing, dressed in a suit, said as he picked a nearby sofa and sat down conveniently between Wen Li and Jiang Chen, acting as an ornamental divider much like a celestial empress casually tracing the Milky Way with a hairpin.

Crossing one leg, he casually picked up a hand of cards placed on the table, interlacing and playing with them with interest.

His demeanor and aura were completely out of place among those gathered, resembling a parent summoned to handle children caught fighting, simultaneously inquiring about the responsible and the wronged.

“Someone said you and Wen Li were secretly involved behind people’s backs and together you cheated on your cousin Jiang Chen.”

Just as the tension seemed to subside, a meddler in the audience added fuel to the fire.

Zhou Huaijing stopped shuffling his cards, as if hearing such nonsense for the first time in ages, raising an eyebrow. “Behind whose back? Whose back are you talking about?”

The eager spectator lowered their gaze and, as if adding insult to injury, pointed toward He Qianqian. “She said it, not me.”

Not daring to meet Zhou Huaijing’s piercing eyes, the person mistakenly pointed at Qi Min standing next to He Qianqian, then sheepishly shifted their finger after realizing the error.

“You’re the one saying this?” Zhou Huaijing glanced in the indicated direction, his smoking hand motionless. “Are you the reincarnation of Erlang Shen with a third eye on your forehead? Which eye saw this?”

The person trembled, unable to respond, finally stammering, “It’s not me.”

Zhou Huaijing said, “Looks like you’re not very popular. After all these years, even people in your circle would accuse you to your face. What do you expect from people?”

“If you don’t fit in, don’t force it.”

Though addressed to He Qianqian, the remark bore a double meaning.

Wen Li’s social standing was indeed poor, especially among men; she had never been well-liked, enduring countless schemes and slanders since childhood.

Such female rivalry sounded absurd, but it happened all too often.

Jiang Chen was well-liked, frequently surrounded by friends. When Wen Li was his girlfriend, she reluctantly mingled with them, always trying to accommodate his feelings.

With Jiang Chen as her protector at home and as the second young lady of the Wen family outside, apart from occasionally indulging in sharp verbal barbs, no one dared cross her line.

This was the first time she felt such overt hostility from those around her.

The enthusiastic spectator failed to catch the underlying meaning of Zhou Huaijing’s words and stiffly said, “Why would I lie about her? Everyone heard it, right?”

Quick to turn against Wen Li.

He Qianqian said, “I only heard it from others.”

Zhou Huaijing asked, “Heard from whom? Be specific. I’m very petty and like to get to the bottom of things.”

Seeing her hesitate without naming the origin of the rumor, he added, “Who dares install electronic surveillance on me? They’d know every detail of my private life.”

“It was Wen Li who deliberately stirred things up.”

He Qianqian clung to her last line of defense, tears welling up in her eyes as if she were the victim, not the instigator.

Oh? Is that so?

Ling Dan pointed at He Qianqian angrily. “You can’t handle the consequences of your actions. You’re all talk and no guts.”

Weren’t you just so arrogant? Why back down now?

If you can talk the talk, you should be able to walk the walk.

Zhou Huaijing, wearing a kindly expression, scrutinized He Qianqian before shifting his gaze away. “The girl’s quite pretty, but with such a sharp tongue, no wonder Jiang Chen hit you. I would have lost my temper too.”

“Were your elders not taught to be cautious in public? Otherwise, if you get hit and call the police, you might not get any justice. It could even be considered self-defense.”

His protective tone was unmistakable, clearly signaling a plan to pursue the matter afterward. He Qianqian had really stepped into deep trouble.

It was unclear whether his protection was for cousin Jiang Chen or someone else.

Qi Min looked uncomfortable and said, “Huaijing…”

Of everyone present, Qi Min had the best relationship with He Qianqian, who blindly followed her lead. It was natural for Qi Min to plead on her behalf.

Yet before she could finish, Zhou Huaijing cut her off mercilessly. “Enough. I don’t like people trying to claim family ties casually. Once you’re officially with Jiang Chen, then you can call me brother.”

He Qianqian, furious and humiliated, gave up all pretense and pointed a finger at Wen Li, cursing loudly, “So what if I said it? There’s photos and witnesses. If you have nothing to hide, why did you break off your engagement with Jiang Chen?”

“Speak up.”

It was a no-win situation—before you die, you’d better take someone down with you.

Everyone’s gaze shifted again to Wen Li, focusing on her.

Including Jiang Chen, but excluding Zhou Huaijing.