Jian Xi stooped down to pick up the bottled mineral water that had rolled to her feet. She twisted off the cap and gulped down several mouthfuls, glancing at Song Min. "Little sister, remember not to accept things from strangers, okay?"
Song Min looked at Jian Xi with a bewildered expression, clearly not understanding her words.
Jian Xi uttered two words, "Jade bangle."
"Jade bangle?" Song Min seemed to recall something and looked down at her wrist.
The jade bangle that an elderly lady had gifted her half a month ago on her way to school was gone.
She had encountered the old lady who had insisted on giving her the bangle despite Song Min's initial refusal. When the old lady stumbled and fell, with no one around, Song Min hurried to help her up. The old lady held onto her, refusing to let her go, saying she had to express her gratitude by giving her the jade bangle. Song Min tried to take it off to return it, but the old lady said that would be an insult to her gift. In their tussle, the old lady's nails even scratched Song Min's wrist, drawing blood that stained the bangle.
Eventually, seeing the old lady's firm stance and the bangle's beauty, Song Min accepted it.
As they bid farewell, the kindly old lady reminded Song Min that the jade bangle had protective powers and would keep her family safe as long as she wore it close to her body.
Thinking of her father who was often on the road, Song Min thanked the old lady and kept the bangle.
Of course, all of this was what Song Min and Song Zhou recounted to Jian Xi after she left.
After saying those words to Song Min, the retired Jian Xi took Tang Xingyou with her to drive to the driving school for her test.
Jian Xi was the first to finish the test despite being one of the last to enter the exam room.
She was indeed quite exhausted that day and fell asleep in the car as He Qingchen drove her home.
She slept straight through until the next morning.
When she first woke up, she was a bit dazed and went to take a shower.
She entered the bathroom with one eye closed and started undressing. Halfway through removing her nightgown, she suddenly paused, looked down at her clothes, and snapped fully awake.
It was empty!
Empty!
Jian Xi didn't know how she managed to finish that shower, as her mind was in a daze the entire time.
Even after going downstairs, the flush on her face hadn't subsided.
It was Saturday, and she didn't have work. He Qingchen hadn't gone to the office either.
During breakfast, Jian Xi seemed hesitant to speak, and He Qingchen noticed, suddenly feeling playful.
"You slept so soundly last night that I didn't wake you up and just took you back to the bedroom. I also changed your clothes for you."
Jian Xi took a sip of her porridge, feigning nonchalance with an "Mmm," thinking, "I'm not blind. I can see, can't I? Why remind me again?"
The next second, He Qingchen lazily uttered five words that made Jian Xi spit out the porridge she had just taken, "The feel was pretty good."
"Cough, cough, cough, He Qingchen!" Jian Xi gritted her teeth as she called out his full name.
At first, He Qingchen only laughed softly, but seeing Jian Xi's flushed and awkward expression, he couldn't help but burst into raucous laughter.
Jian Xi refused to acknowledge him, puffing out her cheeks. After finishing breakfast, she went upstairs to study how to activate her Celestial Eye.
It wasn't until noon, when He Qingchen took Jian Xi out for a delicious meal, that he managed to placate her.
For the next two days, Jian Xi either cuddled with He Qingchen or researched ways to activate her Celestial Eye, though it didn't seem as easy as she had imagined.
When He Qingchen learned that she was studying the Celestial Eye, he returned the third Emperor's Coin talisman to Jian Xi, but she refused to accept it. She had already given him the talisman, and she wouldn't take it back. Plus, the Emperor's Coin could protect him, putting her mind at ease.
Since she could activate the Celestial Eye, she didn't need to rely on that particular method. With plenty of time, she could take it slow and keep researching.
So, she spent her mornings fortune-telling, her afternoons practicing for her driving test, and her evenings studying the Celestial Eye. Finally, half a month later, she succeeded in activating her Celestial Eye!
For this, she nearly turned the books and secret manuals left by her ancestors inside out.
In fact, she had taken a detour. Initially, due to her young age and shallow cultivation, she needed to rely on talismans to enhance her cultivation and open the Celestial Eye. But now, her cultivation was strong enough to support activating the Celestial Eye on her own. However, she was stuck in a fixed mindset, always thinking the Celestial Eye had to be aided by talismans.
It wasn't until she read a line in the last page of the first ancestor's notebook that she understood the true nature of the Celestial Eye. It said, "For those who can open the Celestial Eye, the Celestial Eye is the window to the heart. Remain calm and receptive, merge and unite, and only then can you perceive the past and future."
That's when she realized that activating the Celestial Eye didn't require external aid.
However, the ancestor had also highlighted an important point, just as her master had told her: It was easy to observe the past with the Celestial Eye, but observing the future came at a price. Unless it concerned life and death, one should not use it lightly.
Seeing those words, Jian Xi felt as if she could hear her master's admonitions.
Now that she knew she could open the Celestial Eye without the Emperor's Coin talisman, Jian Xi decided to start practicing.
But before she could begin, Chief Song from the Special Security Bureau called her, saying that at the end of the month, each local bureau would send representatives to attend an exchange conference at the Metaphysics Association. Each city had to send three people.
Chief Song also mentioned that the annual exchange conference didn't have a fixed location. This time, it would be held in City H, quite far from B City, and he asked if she had time to travel there for the event.
Upon hearing about the Metaphysics Association exchange conference, a glimmer of excitement flashed in Jian Xi's eyes. She eagerly asked, "Will the chairman of the Metaphysics Association be attending?"
Wang Jian'an didn't assume she was a fan of Ye Ze. A while back, those few young officers had reported to him in detail how Jian Xi had dealt with the parasitic ghost, and he was overjoyed, nearly jumping on the spot.
He couldn't believe he had managed to unearth such a formidable expert. She had successfully integrated eighty percent of a parasitic ghost while preserving the host's soul intact. With just a single needle, she had revived the host. In the current metaphysical world, who else could match her?
That's why Wang Jian'an arranged for Jian Xi to attend this exchange conference. Though it was called an exchange conference, it was really just a competition organized by the higher-ups. In previous years, his bureau could only achieve mediocre results. But this time, with the formidable Jian Xi on their side, they could definitely hold their heads high and show those old-timers a thing or two!
"Chief Song? Chief Song?" Jian Xi's voice from the phone pulled Wang Jian'an back to the present.
"Ah? Ye Ze? He'll definitely make an appearance."
"Alright, I'll go." Jian Xi agreed, as this would allow her to see her second master brother whom she hadn't seen in months. She truly missed him.
