After entering the internet and feeling wide awake from a refreshing nap, Yan Qi didn’t waste any time.
Soon, she located her target using the IP address she had noted down earlier that morning.
In the next second, she traveled at near-light speed into a distinctly girly phone inside a massive villa on Luojia Mountain in Shanghai.
“So this is Ma Fangfang’s home? It’s huge! I had no idea she was a little rich girl.”
Using her skills and innate abilities, Yan Qi quickly took control of all the electronic devices in the villa. As she observed the scene displayed on the surveillance feed, she couldn’t help but mutter in surprise.
“Well, never mind whether Ma Fangfang is rich or not—let’s see where she hid that cultivation manual.”
Unfazed by the luxurious villa on the screen, Yan Qi focused on her mission. She activated the camera of the laptop beside the phone, which was angled toward the bed.
Soon, the full view of Ma Fangfang’s room appeared before her.
“No one on the bed?”
Noticing the empty bed, Yan Qi sounded puzzled. She scanned the room but couldn’t find anyone.
“Weird. It’s this late, and Ma Fangfang isn’t sleeping in bed—where did she go?”
Unable to figure it out, Yan Qi pulled up Ma Fangfang’s selfies from her cloud storage and used the villa’s surveillance cameras to track her down.
It didn’t take long before she spotted the girl in the footage.
“Is she in the dining room?”
Through the camera feed, Yan Qi saw a lavish spread of dishes in front of Ma Fangfang, along with a maid in a frilly uniform and an expensively decorated interior.
Having never witnessed such a scene before, Yan Qi couldn’t help but think to herself:
“Huanhuan-jie, why isn’t Dad back yet?”
Sitting at the table, Ma Fangfang stared at the empty seat across from her with a dejected expression as she addressed the maid beside her.
Hearing her question, the maid named Huanhuan quickly replied, “Miss, the master must still be busy with work. He probably won’t be back for a while. Should I reheat the dishes so you can start eating?”
“He promised me earlier that he’d have dinner with me tonight, but now he’s gone back on his word again. Ugh, he must be possessed!”
For some reason, Ma Fangfang spoke angrily to the maid.
“Miss, please don’t say things like that! If the master heard, he’d be heartbroken,” Huanhuan urged.
But Ma Fangfang, recalling the grievances she’d endured lately, continued in an indignant tone:
“I’m not exaggerating! Dad is definitely possessed. Just a month ago, he came home on time every day to have dinner with me. No matter how expensive something was, he’d buy it for me himself. If I wanted to go out, he’d turn down other invitations just to take me. But now? He hasn’t eaten with me for a whole month! When I ask him to buy me things, he doesn’t go himself anymore. And when I want to go out, he just sends you with me instead. Tell me—doesn’t that sound like he’s been cursed or something?”
Huanhuan didn’t know how to respond to this outburst and could only force a strained smile.
“Miss, I really don’t think the master’s behavior is due to… possession.”
Watching the exchange through the surveillance feed—which included audio—Yan Qi couldn’t help but make a face like the infamous “confused old man on the subway” meme.
“How old is she, throwing a tantrum like a kid? Can’t she act a little more mature? Whatever, not my problem. Since the young miss won’t be back anytime soon, I should hurry and find that cultivation manual, take photos, and get out of here.”
Muttering this to herself, Yan Qi seized the opportunity. She disconnected from the internet and materialized inside Ma Fangfang’s room to begin her search.
…
While Yan Qi focused on locating the manual, Ma Fangfang was still complaining to her maid about how her father had “stopped loving her” and must be “possessed.”
Suddenly, familiar footsteps echoed from the dining room entrance.
Recognizing the sound, Ma Fangfang immediately stopped talking. She crossed her arms and put on her best “I’m upset and need to be pampered” expression, waiting for the footsteps’ owner to enter.
Seeing this, Huanhuan stepped aside to make way for the master of the house.
“Sorry for coming home late.”
A middle-aged man in a sharp suit, his tie loosened, walked in and addressed his daughter with detached politeness before taking his seat. He served himself rice and began eating the now-cooled dishes without a second thought.
“Sir, the food has gone cold. Should I have it reheated?” Huanhuan asked, stepping forward.
“No need. My good brother and I were swamped today—barely had lunch. This is fine.”
“Understood, sir.”
Huanhuan retreated without another word.
Meanwhile, Ma Hongxin continued eating without so much as glancing at his sulking daughter across the table.
Realizing her father was outright ignoring her—something he hadn’t done even once since his sudden personality shift a month ago—Ma Fangfang flared up in anger.
“Dad! Can’t you see I’m upset?”
“Hm? Yeah, I see it. What about it?”
Ma Hongxin looked up at her, his tone indifferent, as if the girl in front of him were a stranger.