Chapter 13

Xiao Qiangwei felt like she was a complete idiot.

After cleverly slipping her phone to Rong Jin in the restroom, she returned to the office and happily dove into her work.

With her phone, the boss could call her parents or video chat on WeChat! She was so smart—coming up with a solution in a crisis like that. She was amazing!

Then, it dawned on her too late: the world felt eerily quiet, like everyone had abandoned her.

Without her phone, she couldn’t answer calls, check WeChat, slack off on Weibo— she was like a little boat adrift at sea, helpless and alone. She couldn’t even check the time.

Fine, she’d just focus on work.

A secretary from the secretarial pool knocked on the door. “Special Assistant Xiao, why can’t we get through to your phone? The secretarial office needs you for something.”

Xiao Qiangwei looked up from her work and instinctively reached for her phone on the desk. “Oh, I usually put my phone on silent while working. Hold on.”

Her hand met empty air.

Xiao Qiangwei: “…”

She was screwed.

The little secretary poked her head in curiously. “Special Assistant Xiao, did you lose your phone?”

Xiao Qiangwei kept her cool and said calmly, “Yeah, I lost it.”

The secretary nodded sympathetically. “I lose mine all the time too. Salaries aren’t great anyway. Sigh, who can live without a phone these days? You should go buy a new one quick so it doesn’t hold things up.”

Xiao Qiangwei nodded and slunk downstairs to buy one.

Next to the phone store was a mobile service hall, and she suddenly remembered her SIM card was still in the old phone.

A staff member approached. “Miss, how can I help you?”

“…”

She thought, Su Qingqiu’s house probably had WiFi, so she might not even need her SIM card?

Boss, I’m sorry.

“My SIM card is gone. I need a replacement.”

“Right this way.”

After buying a new phone, swapping in the SIM, and turning it on, she instinctively hit the unlock button, feeling like something was missing.

Oh, right—she hadn’t set a password or fingerprint yet.

Then it hit her: Did the boss know her phone’s unlock password?

She was screwed again.

Xiao Qiangwei once more felt like a complete idiot.

What now?

Maybe she should just wait? Rong Corporation was in Su Qingqiu’s hands now; she’d have a chance to see the boss eventually.

It made perfect sense to her. She settled down and got back to work—until her phone rang.

It was a call from her distant relative: her uncle’s cousin’s grandson, who had inherited five generations of their family’s Taoist lineage. He was a true immortal-like Daoist master, currently secluded at the Shangyun Taoist Temple in the suburbs, making a living by… fortune-telling under overpasses and occasionally collecting entrance fees at the temple.

Xiao Qiangwei had studied with him at the temple as a kid, but she couldn’t handle the austerity and bailed, rejoining normal society. This guy was still holed up there, and honestly, his skills were way better than her own half-baked fortune-telling.

She answered, and a hearty male voice boomed from the other end.

“Erniu, I’ve got good news and bad news. Which first?”

Xiao Erniu snapped, “How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t call me Erniu! Call me Rose!”

The voice replied, “Rouzi! Sigh, we grew up together in the same split pants. What’s with the formality? You hungry? Wanna treat your bro to a meal?”

“Who grew up with you in split pants!” Xiao Rouzi fumed. “And you want me to buy you dinner? Xiao Qin Feng, have some shame!”

Xiao Qin Feng: “Shame? Bro’s so broke I can barely afford rice.”

Xiao Qiangwei grew curious. “What happened to you?”

The Shangyun Taoist Temple in the suburbs was the city’s only one, pretty famous too. Holidays brought crowds of tourists, incense burning bright. A day’s ticket sales could match three months of her salary. Xiao Qin Feng was a well-known Daoist, often hired for feng shui gigs—he shouldn’t be hurting for cash.

“I’ve been chased around by this pretty lady lately, forcing herself on me. It’s killed my business. I’m stuck eating greens at the temple every day; my mouth’s about to go numb. For real, treat me to dinner. I wanna gnaw on some pig trotters.”

“You might as well stew yourself.” Xiao Qiangwei shot back coolly. “Enough chit-chat. Spit it out or scram.”

Xiao Qin Feng finally remembered the point. “Didn’t you ask me the other day if your comatose boss from the car accident would wake up? I divined it. Good news, bad news—which first?”

“Good news: she’s not dead. Bad news: her soul’s not in her body, right?” Xiao Qiangwei said coldly. “Got it. Scram.”

Xiao Qin Feng sounded shocked. “How’d you know?”

Xiao Qiangwei let out a haughty, icy sniff. “I even know where her soul is now.”

Xiao Qin Feng said, “The soul currently in that body—the little girl’s—is fading fast, about to scatter. You know that?”

“I know…” Xiao Qiangwei froze. “What did you say???”

“That little girl’s soul has been lingering, but it’s on its last legs. If it dissipates, the body will decay rapidly. Even the soul possessing it now won’t last long. In other words…”

Xiao Qiangwei blurted anxiously, “In other words, they’ll both die?”

Xiao Qin Feng fell silent, confirming it.

Xiao Qiangwei gripped her phone and slumped into her office chair.

It was over. Everything was over.

Then Xiao Qin Feng added, “But…”

Xiao Qiangwei jolted upright.

“But what!” she yelled. “Spit it all out at once!”

Xiao Qin Feng drawled, “No need to rush. There’s a way.”

“What way?”

“The little girl’s soul is adrift because it has no body. Give it one.”

Xiao Qiangwei straightened up. “What do I need to do?”

“Though soul possession is tricky, since your boss’s soul could enter the girl, the girl’s can go into your boss’s body.” Xiao Qin Feng mused. “Bring someone to the Shangyun Taoist Temple.”

“Who?”

“If you can ship your boss’s body back from overseas, great. Otherwise, have the little girl come ASAP.”

Xiao Qiangwei hung up and paced frantically.

What to do! What now!

The boss had the phone—no password. Even with one, no SIM. Even on WiFi, WeChat and OO needed SMS verification, and Rong Jin’s phone was smashed in the crash—no verification texts!

Screw it. Even if Su Qingqiu found out and the boss’s cover was blown, better exposed than dead!

Xiao Qiangwei yanked open her contacts, scrolled to Su Qingqiu’s number—she’d gotten it after the Rong Corporation handover. Gritting her teeth, she dialed.

It connected quickly. Su Qingqiu’s voice: “Hello?”

Xiao Qiangwei thought, better not blow the cover if possible. But how to phrase it delicately yet understandably…

She racked her brain. Nothing.

Su Qingqiu’s impatience seeped through. “Miss Xiao?”

Xiao Qiangwei: “…”

After a long pause, Su Qingqiu’s patience ran out. “Do you have something to say or not? I’m hanging up.”

Inspiration struck. Xiao Qiangwei blurted, “President Su, your daughter is dying! Take her to…”

Before she finished, the call cut off.

Xiao Qiangwei: “…”

She wanted to slap herself. What kind of stupid thing was that to say!

Undeterred, she dialed again.

Su Qingqiu didn’t pick up, just hung up straight away.

She was clearly pissed, but lives were at stake, President Su!!

No giving up. Xiao Qiangwei kept calling relentlessly.

She called all evening. Su Qingqiu even blocked her once, then unblocked her later.

Seeing the line connectable, Xiao Qiangwei persisted.

Until 11 p.m.

She was exhausted. Truly exhausted.

This was her last call. If no answer, she’d resume tomorrow!

Xiao Qiangwei held her breath. The wait dragged on forever.

Finally, it connected.

Su Qingqiu’s irritated voice: “Miss Xiao, what is it?”

“First you curse my daughter, now you’re harassing me. If you don’t have a good reason, forget your year-end bonus.”

Xiao Qiangwei: “…”

Her heart seized.