Shen Hong’s appearance was somewhat unexpected—even Su Mo hadn’t anticipated that someone of her status would come to this restaurant.
Huo Jingshu and Xia Qingqing didn’t know her and simply assumed she was a friend of theirs. Su Mo couldn’t help but wonder what their reaction would be if they found out the true identity of this rather unconventional older sister.
After leaving the restaurant, Shen Hong invited them to her home, but Su Mo politely declined. Instead, they exchanged contact info on Green Bubble.
Only after Shen Hong had walked away did Xia Qingqing finally let out an excited “Wow!”, her big eyes sparkling with delight. “Qingyi, I can’t believe it—you two are actually together! As your best friend, I have to say a few things.”
She cleared her throat and fixed Ye Qingyi with a solemn stare. “Okay, so you’re kinda handsome, and you managed to win over our Qingyi, but if I ever find out you’ve mistreated her—”
The most effective threats often only need half a sentence—the other half is left to the imagination.
Seeing Xia Qingqing so fiercely protective of “Ye Qingyi”, Ye Qingyi (currently in Su Mo’s body) felt a warm glow in her heart and immediately reassured her, “Don’t worry, I’ll treat Qingyi well.”
Internally, she added: Of course I’d treat myself well.
“Good.” Xia Qingqing seemed satisfied with her response.
Not long after the four of them left, a man quietly approached the spot where they had been standing. His eyes swept the area before he continued to follow them.
…..
Since they were in Jiangcheng, there was no need to stay at a hotel. Su Mo took them to a villa and prepared separate guest rooms for them.
“So this is how the rich live…” Huo Jingshu marveled as she stepped into the kind of luxury mansion she’d only ever seen on TV, her excitement tinged with cautious awe.
Even Xia Qingqing, usually so lively, moved with uncharacteristic restraint, as if afraid to make a wrong step.
Su Mo couldn’t help but laugh. “Relax, you’re not in a stranger’s house.”
“Ah, right, we’ll get used to it…”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
While Su Mo gave them a tour of the villa, Ye Qingyi—now in Su Mo’s body—effortlessly slipped into what used to be her bedroom (now his) and sprawled across the bed, enjoying the familiarity.
Huo Jingshu accidentally caught sight of her entering Su Mo’s room with such ease, and her expression instantly turned scandalized, her face flushing bright red.
“Jingshu, what’s wrong? Why is your face so red?” Xia Qingqing touched her forehead, then her own, puzzled. “You don’t feel feverish.”
“Maybe I’m just a little excited…” Huo Jingshu lied, too embarrassed to admit that her mind had just wandered into very inappropriate territory.
Just then, the sound of a car horn blared outside the villa.
Normally, this wouldn’t be noteworthy—except Su Mo’s phone rang at the same moment.
An anonymous text. Just four words:
“Come out and talk.”
Su Mo glanced out the window and spotted a black sedan parked by the roadside, its horn still echoing. Without hesitation, he walked out.
“What’s wrong?” Ye Qingyi emerged from the bedroom, frowning at his serious expression.
“Someone’s looking for me.”
Ye Qingyi understood immediately. “Want me to come with you?”
“No. Even if they meant me harm, they wouldn’t try anything in a place like this. I’ll handle it alone.”
“Alright.”
After Su Mo left, Ye Qingyi’s eyes flickered with a faint golden light as she gazed in his direction.
“Still nothing.” She then assessed Huo Jingshu and Xia Qingqing’s fortunes—both showed great auspiciousness. Only then did she relax.
…..
Outside the villa.
As Su Mo approached, a man stepped out of the black sedan—none other than Wang Er.
“Uncle Wang?”
“Second Young Miss.” Wang Er’s expression was calm.
“Why did you text me from an anonymous number?”
Wang Er coughed awkwardly. “Forgot my phone.”
Su Mo remained skeptical, his trust in the man still shaky. “Let’s talk inside. It’s cold out here.”
“No need. I just came to tell you one thing—if you run into any trouble in Jiangcheng, you can always come to me.”
There’s more to this, Su Mo thought.
He couldn’t tell if Wang Er’s words carried hidden meaning, so he simply nodded for now.
“There’s one more thing.” Wang Er paused. “It’s important—I had to tell you in person.”
“What is it?” Su Mo couldn’t imagine anything that crucial involving him.
“The Ye family is in danger. The Hundred Immortals Sect is targeting them.”
“What?!” Su Mo’s voice sharpened in shock.
This was major—and it did concern him.
“I don’t know the details yet, but I’ll update you as soon as I learn more.” Wang Er turned to leave but hesitated. “I know you don’t fully trust me, but I’ll prove myself through action.”
His tone was sincere, almost enough to make Su Mo feel guilty for doubting him.
As the car drove off, Ye Qingyi hurried out, sensing something was wrong. “What happened?”
“Do you trust Wang Er?” Su Mo asked instead of answering.
Ye Qingyi thought for a moment. “Based on what you’ve told me, I think he’s mostly trustworthy.”
Su Mo nodded. “Then maybe we can start with him.”
“You mean interfering with the Green Rain Society’s affairs?”
“Exactly.”
They had already agreed to deal with this after returning. Now was the perfect opportunity.
Su Mo decided to take the gamble.
He pulled out his phone and sent Wang Er a message:
“Let’s discuss in detail when you’re free.”
Knowing Wang Er didn’t have his phone on him, Su Mo didn’t wait for a reply, simply slipping his phone back into his pocket.
“Oh, one more thing.” Su Mo’s expression turned grave.
Ye Qingyi smirked. “Knew it. Out with it.”
“The Hundred Immortals Sect is moving against the Ye family.”
Ye Qingyi hadn’t expected that. She froze for a moment before forcing a dismissive shrug. “The Ye family has plenty of strong cultivators. What’s there to fear?”
“You are worried, aren’t you?”
“Of course not! None of them ever treated me well—why should I care?”
But blood ran thicker than water. No matter how much she resented her family, as long as they were still her flesh and blood, she couldn’t truly ignore them—especially her parents.
Su Mo knew she was just putting up a front. “How about we go back for a visit?”
“Go back?”
“Yeah. Together—as a couple.”
Ye Qingyi rolled her eyes. “We’re just pretending for outsiders. Don’t take it seriously. You know we can’t actually be together like this.”
Her voice softened toward the end, carrying an almost reluctant note.
Then she realized how strange her words sounded—almost as if…
Ugh, why did I say it like that? What if he misunderstands?
For some reason, when Su Mo heard her say “we can’t actually be together like this,” something in his chest burned hot, and the words spilled out before he could stop them:
“Then what if we switch back someday?”
Ye Qingyi’s entire body stiffened, her heart pounding violently.
She stared at him, dazed. “W-What do you mean by that?”
Some things were hard to say—but once the first words were out, adrenaline took over, and the rest came easily.
Su Mo gripped Ye Qingyi’s shoulders, locking eyes with her as he spoke, slow and deliberate:
“I’m saying—if we can switch back one day… can we really be together then?”