Arrival

The sports car sped down the highway, and Li Wei's soul felt like it was trailing behind.

After Jiang Han overtook her for the umpteenth time, she finally couldn't take it anymore. "Are you crazy?"

Jiang Han ignored her, pressing the accelerator even harder.

The intense G-force pressed Li Wei firmly into her seat. The scenery outside blurred into a streak, and the roar of the engine was deafening.

She was stunned for a moment, then her anger flared. She raised her hand and slammed it onto the center console storage box.

"Jiang Han, that's enough!"

Her shout was sharp and urgent, carrying the authority she used to wield as a leader of the kids back in the orphanage.

It seemed to have an effect. Jiang Han gritted his teeth, and the car finally slowed down.

Li Wei turned to glare at him, scrutinizing his expression.

As she looked, she realized something was off.

This guy… seemed to be sulking? Throwing a tantrum?

"If you're unhappy about something, just say it. Who are you putting on a show for?"

Li Wei felt a chuckle rising. This "little brother" was too childish.

Having lived two lives, and now inhabiting Jiang Xue's body, she found it surprisingly natural to lecture him with an "older sister" tone.

Hearing her words, Jiang Han's fingers tightened, and the steering wheel creaked under his grip.

After holding back for over ten seconds, he finally exploded, "Say it? What's the point of saying it? What else can you do besides mock me, scold me, and put me down?"

Li Wei's forehead was covered in black lines. Great, Jiang Xue, you really messed up being a person.

She pressed her temples and sighed dramatically. "I was young and foolish back then. It's been four years; people change, right?"

"Change?" Jiang Han sneered. "If you'd changed at all, you wouldn't have agreed to the Gu family's engagement!"

Huh? What does he mean by that?

Li Wei's heart skipped a beat.

Didn't Liang Qiushi say that only the Jiang family's old matriarch and Jiang Xue's parents knew the truth?

Everyone else should just think that "Jiang Xue" had returned to "give birth" to Gu Jinzhi.

In the High Martial era, relationships were even more open than in her previous life on Earth.

With "Jiang Xue's" status, even if she had been married and had a child, and even if Gu Jinzhi had "died," there would still be plenty of suitors.

But Jiang Han's tone… did he know the inside story?

Had the plan gone wrong? Li Wei's heart pounded, and she decided to probe him first.

She feigned ignorance and said, "Why shouldn't I agree? You know I like…"

The words caught in her throat.

After all, she was a man inside. Even knowing it was an act, saying "I like Gu Jinzhi" was just too… difficult to utter.

Damn it, where did the courage I had to talk about sleeping with Cheng Hao go… As expected, unless pushed to the absolute brink, people still want to maintain some dignity.

But Jiang Han knew "Jiang Xue" too well; it was as if he knew what she was about to say.

He gritted his teeth and violently swerved the steering wheel. The sports car weaved like a snake, throwing the unsuspecting Li Wei around.

"You want to say you like Gu Jinzhi?" he asked mockingly, with a hint of disappointment. "You like him, but does he even pay attention to you? Can't you just be more sensible? Stop acting like a fool, chasing after men all day! Love-struck fools end up digging wild vegetables, you know?"

Your actual sister is incredibly shrewd. Her persona is just a persona; she knows exactly what she's doing!

But, remembering her promise to Liang Qiushi, she had to continue the act.

Li Wei gripped the door handle, suppressing the disgust in her heart, and said righteously, "So what if he doesn't like me? It's enough that I can marry him!"

"Unreasonable!" Jiang Han hit the steering wheel again. "Don't you think about it? If this marriage was above board, why wouldn't Mom and Dad have given it to Jiang Yao instead of you?"

"I'm engaged to Jinzhi," Li Wei said, mimicking Jiang Xue's voice, pinching her throat and exaggerating her expression. "Why should she snatch him from me?"

"Since childhood, haven't you had enough of Jiang Yao snatching your things? Mom and Dad's hearts are completely biased! Jiang Xue, can you use your brain for once!"

Jiang Han's neck turned red as he yelled.

He took a few deep breaths, suppressing his anger, and softened his tone. "At the gathering a few days ago, I heard from my buddies that the Gu family wants you to go to the battlefield in Gu Jinzhi's place this time."

Holy crap, he knows already? Aunt Liang, your security measures are so good, even MI6 would offer you a cigarette…

The news has spread this far; can the plan still succeed? Or are they just guessing?

Forget it, I can't concern myself with the affairs of important people. I need to take care of myself first.

Li Wei could only continue to play dumb.

She put on an indifferent expression. "He just graduated from Martial Arts University, what battlefield is he going to?"

"Don't you know about the Mobilization Act?! Don't you know about the feud between the Gu and Zhang families? Don't you know the Western Frontier is Zhang family territory? You don't know anything, and you dare to come back?" Jiang Han's handsome, roguish face was filled with speechlessness.

"I was wondering, why is Gu Jinzhi so calm and collected every day, even knowing the Zhang family is targeting him?"

"Well, it turns out there's a fool named Jiang Xue waiting to be his scapegoat. Then what does he have to fear?"

Li Wei pretended not to care, mimicking Jiang Xue's high-pitched voice, "Brother Jinzhi isn't that kind of person~"

The steering wheel creaked again. Jiang Han gritted his teeth and said, "Are you going to die if you speak normally?"

"Don't you dare imitate my speech!" Li Wei was furious.

"How am I imitating your speech?" Jiang Han asked, surprised.

Li Wei: "..."

Damn, I got into character.

After sulking for a while, Li Wei was the first to back down, placating him, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. This marriage..."

She raised her left hand, pinching her thumb, middle finger, and index finger together. "It's easily handled."

"You? Handle it?" Jiang Han scoffed. "First, think about how you're going to deal with Jiang Yao when we get back. Her Vitality is 81, and her Physical Body is at Minor Perfection. She definitely won't miss the chance to beat you up this time."

"Huh?" Li Wei froze.

Quasi-Martial Artists experienced a significant leap in strength with each major breakthrough.

Although Li Wei didn't know the exact gap between Minor Perfection and Muscles and Bones Ringing in Harmony, she had fully experienced the transformation in strength when her physical body crossed the Muscles and Bones Ringing in Harmony stage during her stat point allocation.

A Quasi-Martial Artist with 70 Vitality could easily defeat three to five Quasi-Martial Artists with 69 Vitality.

The difference wasn't just 1 point of Vitality; it was a qualitative leap!

Good thing I learned Cold Pond Sinking Wall.

Li Wei quickly asked, "Does Jiang Yao know 'Cold Pond Sinking Wall'?"

Jiang Han sneered, "What, you're scared now?"

"Stop the nonsense and just tell me if she knows," Li Wei pressed.

Jiang Han's face darkened. "No."

Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking about the "Consecration of Power Transmission," she couldn't help but ask, "Didn't Grandmother consecrate power to her?"

Jiang Han turned his head, looking her up and down. "Jiang Xue, you're acting strange! Jiang Yao never really pleased Grandmother since she was little, you know that? Consecration consumes so much energy, and Grandmother is so badly injured, how could she possibly consecrate power to her?"

Huh? But they said Grandmother would consecrate power to me when I got back...

Never mind, I'll take it one step at a time. With Cold Pond Sinking Wall, I should be able to handle myself.

Besides, I need to find opportunities to kill Abyssal Monsters. The stronger I am, the better!

Li Wei wanted to ask Jiang Han where she could find Abyssal Monsters to kill, or even just watch others kill them.

Before she could speak, the sports car passed through the tree-lined avenue and entered a grand gate with intricate metal carvings.

Rounding a central fountain, a massive Western-style manor came into view.

The Jiang Family residence.

Gu Garden, secret chamber.

A pair of twin sisters sat opposite each other, Liang Qiushi and Liang Chunhua.

"The person is back?" Liang Chunhua asked coldly.

"Mhm, just arrived," Liang Qiushi replied.

Liang Chunhua nodded and asked again, "Aren't you worried that the people outside have guessed your true intentions pretty much?"

Liang Qiushi narrowed her eyes and smiled, "If I don't move, I have no flaws. At most, I'll be warned by my father-in-law, husband, and son, which won't hinder my plan."

"Is it worth it?" Liang Chunhua mused for a moment.

Liang Qiushi smiled, "For Jinzhi, it's worth it!"