Chapter Forty-Three: Illusory Realm

The scene before her eyes had not yet ended, but the remainder was unfamiliar, nothing like what she remembered. She watched as the self in front of her was killed; its original spirit descended into the mortal world and entered the body she now inhabited.

Immediately after, a stream of black gas followed into the same body.

Shen Qingli narrowed her eyes—was that demonic energy?

Before she could ponder further, a voice, intimately familiar, sounded: “Child, hello, I am Shen Qingli’s mother.”

Shen Qingli was shocked—the original owner’s mother?

The woman seemed unconcerned with her silence and continued, “The system inside you is a demonic spirit. Everything it does is to draw you closer to Xie Jinchuan. If I’m not mistaken, its aim is for you to fall in love with him, so he can seize the power within you.”

“You are not a mere manipulative spirit; inside your body runs the bloodline of the Flower Goddess.”

“If Xie Jinchuan is a demon, killing you would allow him to take the Flower Goddess’s power from your body and regain his peak strength.”

“The jade pendant I left in the box is a magical artifact that can block the demon’s ability to spy on your thoughts. Remember, do not trust the system or Xie Jinchuan.”

Shen Qingli was utterly stunned by her mother’s words.

She possessed the bloodline of the Flower Goddess? The system was a demonic spirit? Xie Jinchuan wanted to kill her to steal her divine power?

It was all so bizarre, leaving her speechless, unsure of what to say.

But she could not deny that the system’s tasks were often strange, and upon closer inspection, Xie Jinchuan himself raised many suspicions.

The more she thought about it, the more unnatural it all seemed.

Yet, deep down, she still trusted Xie Jinchuan more, harboring doubts instead towards this mother who seemed to know everything.

Waiting until the woman finished speaking, Shen Qingli asked directly, “How do you know all this? Who are you really?”

Her mother’s voice offered no reply, and the dreamlike scene before her shattered.

“Host, host, are you alright?”

菜菜’s voice sounded in her ears. Shen Qingli opened her eyes, realizing she had been expelled from the illusion.

Recalling everything her mother had said, her feelings towards 菜菜 grew complicated; she responded offhandedly, “I’m fine!”

菜菜 didn’t notice her coldness and was about to say something when Shen Qingli’s phone rang.

She picked up the call—it was Xie Jinchuan.

With a swipe of her finger, she answered, and the man’s anxious voice came through.

“Li, where have you gone? Why aren’t you home?”

Hearing the genuine concern in his voice, Shen Qingli felt momentarily dazed. Did he truly want her dead?

Could a person really disguise themselves to such an extent?

Though she hated to doubt him, the thought that all this tender restraint was simply to kill her made her shudder.

Recalling her mother’s resolute warnings, she decided not to reveal everything to him. If it was true, she would have to kill him herself.

Weighing her words, she said, “My father said he missed me and brought me home for a meal. I was feeling nostalgic for my mother, so I went with him.”

Xie Jinchuan audibly relaxed, then his voice carried barely restrained anger, “Did your father bring you back to beg for mercy? Tell him that’s impossible!”

Surprised by the shift in his tone, Shen Qingli asked hesitantly, “What’s wrong, Jin?”

Xie Jinchuan didn’t hide anything, and briefly explained the events at the Lu residence, where Shen Jingrong drugged him and tried to seduce him. “Li, you mustn’t speak up for them. I won’t let them off.”

After hearing of Shen Jingrong’s actions, Shen Qingli felt nothing but disgust. That woman was like a persistent fly, always scheming to steal her man.

She answered coldly, “I won’t plead for them, Jin! How’s your health?”

Xie Jinchuan brushed it off, told her to hurry home, and ended the call.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingli’s father was pacing anxiously downstairs, unable to stop glancing upward. He wanted to hurry her along but feared angering her and losing her support.

He wandered like a headless fly.

Suddenly, a group of men in suits barged into the hall, startling Shen Qingli’s father.

The leader stated their purpose directly, “Mr. Shen, we’ve received a report that the Shen Corporation has engaged in tax evasion. Please come with us for investigation.”

Cold sweat poured down his forehead. He knew this was Xie Jinchuan’s doing, but stubbornly insisted, “Impossible! The Shen Corporation is a legitimate enterprise. You can’t arrest me!”

Seeing his obstinance, the leading man produced an arrest warrant and identified himself, “We are from the Procuratorate and the Tax Bureau. We will not wrong any innocent person. Please cooperate.”

Shen Qingli’s father refused to listen. He understood that Xie Jinchuan intended to destroy him, and if he left now, he might never return. Besides, the company was hardly as clean as he claimed—any audit would reveal the truth.

He tried to escape. Seeing this, the officers raised their hands and a team of police pinned him down.

He shouted in panic, “You can’t arrest me! The Shen Corporation is clean!”

While he struggled, Shen Jingrong, wounded, returned to the Shen home. Seeing the chaos in the living room, she shouted in frustration, “What are you doing?”

She turned to the frightened servants and bodyguards behind her, “Hurry, save my father!”

Though fearful, the bodyguards and servants, paid for their work, rushed forward to grapple with the police.

The hall became a scene of utter chaos. The prosecutors, facing such uncooperative behavior for the first time, sternly warned, “You dare assault a police officer? I advise you to cooperate, or your charges will multiply!”

Hearing this, Shen Qingli’s father grew desperate. He shouted upstairs, “Qingli, Qingli, help your father!”

Now that Xie Jinchuan was determined to ruin him, only Shen Qingli could save him.

Shen Jingrong froze upon hearing her father call for Shen Qingli.

Recalling Xie Jinchuan’s humiliation of her, she asked bitterly, “Why is she here?”

A voice sounded behind her, “Of course, because Dad asked me to come home!”

The commotion downstairs was impossible to ignore; as Shen Qingli stepped out, she caught Shen Jingrong’s question.

She looked at Shen Jingrong’s bloodshot eyes and curled her lips in mocking contempt.

Upon seeing Shen Qingli, her father reacted as if seeing a savior. He pleaded, “Qingli, help your father. Tell these people to leave. We can discuss the Shen Corporation’s issues with Mr. Xie later.”

As long as Shen Qingli could plead with Xie Jinchuan, today’s ordeal could surely be overcome.