Chapter 32: Li Qiuya's Fear

At this moment, the upper echelons of the Yang family in Jiangcheng were gathered, discussing urgent matters. The family patriarch sat at the head of the table, his brows tightly furrowed, his expression grim.

“Father, I’ve already sent people to search every corner of Jiangcheng, but we still haven’t found Yang Fan,” Yang Tianhong said helplessly.

In their quest to find Yang Fan, the Yang family had mobilized all of their local forces, yet he remained missing, as if he had vanished from the face of the earth.

“The Zhang family already knows it was Yang Fan who stole the spirit stone. We must find him before they do, or the consequences for our family will be dire,” Yang Zhenhong said in a deep voice.

“Third brother, haven’t you been able to find Lu Xingrong’s daughter?” Yang Tianrong asked.

He recalled that Yang Fan had married Lu Xingrong’s daughter and lived with her.

“They’ve had a falling out and are living apart,” Yang Tianhong sighed. “Lu Yuxi is also looking for Yang Fan, but there’s been no news at all.”

When he’d gone to ask Lu Yuxi about Yang Fan, Yang Tianhong had gotten the full story: the two had separated, and Lu Yuxi had no idea where Yang Fan had gone. Seeing how haggard Lu Yuxi looked, he could tell she was deeply heartbroken. What puzzled him was why she was so desperate to find Yang Fan.

“Keep searching. We must find Yang Fan,” Yang Zhenhong ordered.

Yang Tianhong and the others had no choice but to obey, sending people in all directions to hunt for Yang Fan.

———

After finishing his morning cultivation, Yang Fan went to the pharmacy to collect medicinal herbs, then returned home.

Back at Huiyuan Community, he stepped into the elevator and was about to close the doors when a hand blocked the way.

“Hold on,” Li Qiuya called out, then stepped into the elevator.

When she saw it was Yang Fan inside, she froze for a moment. Running into Yang Fan again, she thought to herself how unlucky she was.

She retreated into the corner, putting some distance between them.

Yang Fan glanced at her and noticed her face was rather pale and she looked unwell.

Sensing his gaze, Li Qiuya tensed up.

“Hey, haven’t you ever seen a beautiful woman before?” she snapped at Yang Fan.

In her eyes, Yang Fan’s gaze was full of ill intent—the look of a lecher. She was well aware of her own beauty. If a man didn’t react to her, it meant he was either gay or uninterested in women altogether.

Yang Fan said nothing, his eyes fixed on Li Qiuya as he walked toward her.

Seeing him approach, Li Qiuya grew visibly tense and fearful. If anything were to happen in the elevator, there would be nowhere to escape.

As Yang Fan’s gaze lingered on her, despair welled up inside her—she was convinced she had encountered a pervert.

Terrified, she dared not scream, afraid he might do something even more outrageous.

“D-don’t come any closer, or I’ll call the police,” she stammered in fear.

Yang Fan stopped in front of her, his eyes settling on her chest, a look of curiosity in them.

When she saw his gaze fixed on her full bosom, Li Qiuya was certain he was a lecher through and through.

At that moment, Yang Fan reached out his hand toward her chest.

“Don’t you dare!” Li Qiuya said, her face pale with fright.

But Yang Fan’s hand did not stop.

Li Qiuya squeezed her eyes shut, arms crossed protectively over her chest, unable to face the pervert before her.

Amused by her terrified reaction, Yang Fan refrained from touching her at all. Instead, he took hold of the jade pendant she wore around her neck and examined it.

The pendant was carved with a fierce-faced Buddha. Holding it, he could sense an eerie, chilling aura—it was somewhat sinister.

Li Qiuya opened her eyes and saw that Yang Fan was only looking at the jade Buddha at her neck. She let out a silent sigh of relief.

“That bastard, he scared me half to death,” she cursed inwardly.

Could it be that he was interested in her jade Buddha?

Li Qiuya was suspicious.

“I advise you to get rid of that jade Buddha,” Yang Fan said as he let go of it.

He had felt a malicious energy within the pendant; wearing it too long would harm the body. From the moment Li Qiuya entered the elevator, he had sensed an uncomfortable aura. Upon closer examination, he realized the problem was with the jade Buddha at her neck.

“Hmph, why should I believe you?” Li Qiuya retorted with a sneer, her face full of contempt.

She was convinced Yang Fan was after her jade Buddha and wanted to scare her into discarding it.

How could she fall for such a trick? After all, she’d spent a considerable sum on the pendant at an ancient temple. She’d been told it had been blessed and had spiritual properties that would calm the mind and spirit. There was no way she would simply throw it away.

“Have you not been sleeping well recently?” Yang Fan asked.

“My sleep is none of your business,” Li Qiuya shot back, rolling her eyes at him.

Yang Fan shrugged and said nothing more.

He had given his warning; whether she listened was up to her. He was mostly surprised to encounter a defective spiritual talisman in this world. It meant there were cultivators here as well. Yang Fan was now curious—how powerful were the cultivators in this world? If the opportunity arose, he’d like to see for himself, perhaps even spar with one.

The elevator doors opened and Yang Fan stepped out, returning to his apartment.

Li Qiuya went back to her own place, sat on the sofa, and stared at the jade Buddha around her neck in a daze.

Recalling Yang Fan’s words, confusion clouded her mind. Ever since she started wearing the pendant, she had not slept well, suffering from insomnia night after night and waking up exhausted. She was groggy throughout the day, unable to focus on her work. The seller had promised the jade Buddha would calm her spirit, but not only had it failed to help, it had made things worse.

After some thought, she took off the pendant.

“I’ll take a shower first,” she said, putting the jade Buddha aside and heading for the bathroom.

After her shower, Li Qiuya found herself feeling much more refreshed, her energy restored. The drowsiness and fatigue had vanished, and she felt like humming a tune and enjoying her newfound sense of well-being.

Could it be the jade Buddha really was the problem? Remembering Yang Fan’s warning, she quickly retrieved the pendant. The moment she held it, she felt a strange sense of agitation. When she put it down, the feeling disappeared.

“What on earth is going on?” she wondered, baffled.

Maybe that guy really did know something about it?

With that thought, Li Qiuya picked up the jade Buddha and went to Yang Fan’s apartment door. After a moment’s hesitation, she knocked.

Yang Fan had just finished cooking when he heard the knock and went to open the door.

Li Qiuya stood outside, wearing nothing but an oversized T-shirt and no pants, her long, fair legs exposed to the air. When Yang Fan’s gaze drifted upward, he noticed two distinct points beneath the shirt—she wasn’t wearing a bra.

He felt nothing in particular, simply asking in a neutral tone, “What is it?”

Li Qiuya didn’t answer immediately. She sniffed and caught the scent of food wafting from inside.

“That smells delicious. Are you cooking?” she asked curiously.

Yang Fan was speechless.

“What do you want?” he asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.

Just then, Li Qiuya’s stomach rumbled, and she looked a bit embarrassed. It was no wonder—the aroma was too tempting, and she hadn’t eaten all day, so her hunger got the better of her.

“Um, maybe we should talk inside,” she said, pushing the door open and walking in.

Seeing her invite herself in, Yang Fan furrowed his brow, unsure what this woman was up to, and closed the door behind her.