IMGH Chapter 67

A Fate That Cannot Be Divined

Chen Yuhe’s expression grew grave as she furrowed her brow and asked, “Jiang Yi, do you think Qiu Rui likes you?”

Jiang Yi’s hand stiffened for a moment as he cut the vegetables, then he smiled faintly and said, “He should like me, I think.” Though it was an affirmative answer, it lacked the certainty he usually carried.

Chen Yuhe suddenly fell silent, lowering her eyelids as her mind filled with doubt. She quietly turned her palm behind her back and began silently forming hand seals.

How could this be? Why can’t I divine Jiang Yi’s fate?

Chen Yuhe tried changing her method of divination, but the result was the same every time.

Chen Yuhe grew increasingly uneasy. She had a vague feeling that something was not quite right, and as she gazed at the man across from her busying himself with cooking, her eyes filled with worry.

“Little girl, what are you doing standing there? The cooking smoke is thick — go inside!”

Jiang Yi’s voice carried over the roar of the range hood. Chen Yuhe snapped back to her senses and said anxiously, “Jiang Yi, I want to go take a look at the Qiu family’s main residence.”

Jiang Yi’s hands didn’t stop moving as he asked with a puzzled look, “What would you go there for?”

“The formation’s eye is at the Qiu family’s main residence. To be safe, I want to find an opportunity to go and check on it.”

Chen Yuhe hadn’t spelled it out plainly, but Jiang Yi caught the deeper meaning behind her words. Yet he didn’t share her concern, and he laughed it off, saying, “Yuhe, you don’t need to go. There won’t be any problem with the Soul-Binding Formation.”

The problem might be with Qiu Rui’s feelings for him…

Jiang Yi hadn’t said it aloud, but it was already understood without words.

Chen Yuhe gazed quietly at the distracted man, the doubt in her heart growing larger and larger.

Had Qiu Rui not said those words just now, Chen Yuhe would certainly have agreed with Jiang Yi’s view.

Qiu Rui clearly liked Jiang Yi — so why was the Soul-Binding Formation still active?!

Exactly where had something gone wrong?

After a moment of quiet contemplation, Chen Yuhe hesitated and asked, “Jiang Yi, are you really that certain there’s no problem with Taoist Cao?”

“What do you mean?” Jiang Yi glanced at Chen Yuhe in surprise, then said with confident assurance, “Impossible. The plan was so thorough. With Taoist Cao’s abilities, there’s no way he wouldn’t notice that the formation had been changed.”

In all her years of studying the craft, Chen Yuhe had never encountered a fate she couldn’t divine. She knew well how dangerous the situation was, and she frequently cast divinations for Jiang Yi — she knew his life chart like the back of her hand.

But the result of today’s divination left Chen Yuhe deeply worried. She had a vague feeling that something had deviated from the plan in an unforeseeable way. Chen Yuhe suspected there was a problem with the Soul-Binding Formation, and until she could reach a definitive conclusion, she didn’t feel it was right to tell Jiang Yi the truth — she didn’t want to add unnecessary fear to his burden.

“The Eight Banner Soul-Binding Matrimonial Formation is a secret technique documented in ancient texts. None of us truly knows what its effects are.” Chen Yuhe’s delicate brows knitted tightly together, her voice laced with concern. “If what was recorded in the texts was incomplete, or if there was something we missed when we set up the formation… Things have reached such a critical point now. We absolutely cannot afford any more mistakes.”

“Yuhe, you’re overthinking it. Our plan was thorough — how could anything possibly go wrong?” Jiang Yi smiled carelessly, feeling Chen Yuhe was making a mountain out of a molehill. “Rui’er hasn’t fully accepted me yet, so it’s perfectly normal that the formation hasn’t broken. We still have time anyway — let’s just wait a little longer.”

“Jiang Yi, even though there’s still quite a bit of time before the half-year deadline, caution is what keeps a ship sailing for ten thousand years. This matter concerns not only whether Qiu Rui’s soul can return to his body, but also whether your life can be preserved. So we cannot afford any deviation from the plan whatsoever.”

Chen Yuhe insisted again and again. Jiang Yi had no choice but to relent, and said, “Yuhe, in a few days Qiu Chen will be meeting with me. When that time comes, I can find an opportunity to get into the Qiu family residence. You absolutely must not act rashly in the meantime.”

Noticing Chen Yuhe’s eyes darting about with her own ideas in mind, Jiang Yi warned with unmistakable concern, “Put away those little schemes of yours. The Qiu family residence — do you think it’s a place you can just come and go from as you please?”

Chen Yuhe refused to give up. She raised an eyebrow and smiled confidently. “Jiang Yi, you’re actually underestimating me! Even the White House in M Country wouldn’t be a problem for me to get into.”

“You are not going.” Jiang Yi’s tone was firm in a way that left no room for argument, with not the slightest possibility of negotiation. “You’ll come with me to meet Qiu Chen. There’ll be an opportunity to get into the Qiu family residence then.”

Chen Yuhe twisted her fingers together and said uneasily, “My identity is unusual — it’ll arouse Qiu Chen’s suspicion.”

Jiang Yi laughed lightly. “Even if you don’t go, Qiu Chen is probably already investigating us by now.”

“What?” Chen Yuhe exclaimed. “I’ve already been so careful — how could Qiu Chen still suspect us?”

“Did you think Qiu Chen grew up eating free meals? Qiu Rui asked me to approach Han Yuancheng in the capacity of Wellman’s China representative — that reason alone is enough for Qiu Chen to investigate me. You’ve been in frequent contact with me recently, and you just so happen to be an employee of Shengqiu International. How could things be such a coincidence? Qiu Chen is no fool. He was able to scheme against Qiu Rui without making a sound — he clearly has some ability. And he’s naturally suspicious by nature. He worked so hard to reach his position, so he naturally wouldn’t allow anyone to threaten his standing.” Jiang Yi analyzed the current situation in careful detail for Chen Yuhe.

“So what do we do now?” Chen Yuhe twisted her fingers nervously. “If even Qiu Chen finds us suspicious, could Qiu Rui also be suspecting us?”

Jiang Yi remained entirely composed, without any of Chen Yuhe’s worry. He said calmly, “Qiu Rui had his suspicions about me before, and he probably had Han Yuancheng investigate me as well.”

Jiang Yi paused for a moment, then said with composure, “I’ve already arranged everything. The current Jiang Yi is nothing more than a web novelist.”

Jiang Yi gave Chen Yuhe a light pat on the shoulder, signaling her not to be tense. “Yuhe, Qiu Rui won’t suspect me any further now. As for Qiu Chen — I’ll make him dismiss his suspicions about us very soon.”

With the threat eliminated, Chen Yuhe’s tense nerves gradually settled back into calm.

“Stay home and be good these days. Don’t go wandering all over the place.” Jiang Yi made sure to remind her again. “And whatever you do, don’t go to the Qiu family’s main residence.”

Chen Yuhe nodded obediently in agreement — but then immediately grew tense again. She looked at Jiang Yi with restless unease and said, “Jiang Yi, there’s something I haven’t told you.”

“What is it?”

Chen Yuhe lowered her head and stammered for quite a while before saying, “I… a while ago, I ran into Han Yuancheng.”

“What?” Jiang Yi’s expression turned sharp in an instant. His five fingers clenched tight, and the green pepper he’d been holding in his palm had already been crushed to pieces. “When did you see Han Yuancheng?!”