Volume One, Chapter 77: The Invitation

Jiang Wan paused. She turned back to look at Lin Zhi, confusion in her eyes.

Lin Zhi was still seated, her fox-like eyes gazing at Jiang Wan with a meaningful look.

“What is it?” Jiang Wan asked.

“This Saturday, I’ll be accompanying Auntie to Jing’an Temple for the night vigil. Would you like to come along?” Lin Zhi extended the invitation.

At this, Jiang Wan frowned. She didn’t understand Lin Zhi’s intentions, not until Lin Zhi added, “Last time, when we went boating, we didn’t tell you. I know you weren’t too happy about it, and Auntie felt guilty for quite a while.”

“So I thought I’d let you know in advance this time.”

She smiled at Jiang Wan, waiting for her response.

“No, thank you.” Jiang Wan averted her gaze and gave her answer.

If Ji Jiali wanted her to come along, would she need Lin Zhi to be the one to tell her? Ji Jiali would have started sending her messages days ahead, bombarding her with reminders, coaxing and pleading incessantly. Not like this—not after the plans were already set, with Lin Zhi relaying the message.

They were beginning to resemble a family of three.

The thought made the corner of Jiang Wan’s lips curl in a cold smile. She turned to leave, saying, “Have a good time.”

With these words, Jiang Wan strode away. She reached the doorway when, not far behind her, Lin Zhi’s voice sounded once more: “Don’t regret it later.”

Jiang Wan didn’t turn back. Yet something in Lin Zhi’s tone unsettled her—there was a hint of pride, as if she was reminding her of something, or perhaps warning her.

Her brow furrowed again as she walked away from Lin Zhi’s office toward the elevators, giving no reply.

Before she reached the elevator bay, a group of people entered an elevator in the distance. Amid their conversation, a familiar voice caught her attention.

“What should we get for afternoon tea? How about Fu’an Ji again? Manager Lin loves their glutinous rice cakes.”

“You’re always thinking of Manager Lin.”

“No wonder Manager Lin likes you.”

Their voices faded as they stepped into the elevator. Jiang Wan caught sight of a blurred profile—she’d heard that voice before. It sounded remarkably like the employee she’d bumped into at Renxin Medical last time.

Realizing this, Jiang Wan hurried toward the elevator, but she was too late. The doors had already closed.

She pressed the button anxiously, but the elevator continued its descent.

Her own reflection stared back at her in the closed doors—her eyes filled with urgency, her heart lodged in her throat, tight and uncomfortable.

Was she overthinking things?

How could an employee from a private hospital possibly be working for the Lin Group? And as Lin Zhi’s subordinate, no less.

But before she could dismiss the thought, it surged back with even greater force.

Of all people, it was Lin Zhi.

“Don’t regret it later.” The words Lin Zhi had just spoken echoed in her ears, jabbing at her like a thorn.

Forced to wait for the next elevator, Jiang Wan couldn’t help glancing back toward Lin Zhi’s office.

She wanted her to go to Jing’an Temple—but why?

The question plagued Jiang Wan, and she found no answer.

When Saturday arrived, as Jiang Wan was tidying up, a lucky charm that had been tucked away in her bag suddenly fell out. She bent to pick it up, the embroidered totem and the words “Jing’an Temple” pricking her fingertip, oddly hard to ignore.

A tightness pressed against her chest. She had a nagging feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Unable to suppress it any longer, Jiang Wan decided to message Ji Jiali.

Since her birthday, nearly a month had passed without Ji Jiali reaching out to her. Her social media hadn’t been updated; her whereabouts were a mystery.

Before, Jiang Wan hadn’t thought much of it—their relationship had always been tense, and she’d long since stopped reaching out or caring about her mother’s affairs.

But now...

Jiang Wan stared at their chat window. Their last conversation was about Ji Jiali’s cold, when Jiang Wan had visited her at the Lin family home. That had been over two weeks ago.

After some hesitation, Jiang Wan typed a familiar question.

“Any plans for today?”

She asked, pretending not to know, wanting to gauge Ji Jiali’s attitude.

Several minutes passed before Ji Jiali replied: “What’s up?”

“Are you free today? Want to go shopping this afternoon?”

In the past, Ji Jiali was always suggesting this, hoping to improve their relationship. She envied other mothers and daughters who spent weekends shopping, getting beauty treatments or manicures together.

Jiang Wan deliberately played to her preferences.

As far as she knew, if Ji Jiali were attending a temple vigil, she’d need to arrive by the afternoon. Jiang Wan didn’t know why she was so devout in such matters, but she always took them seriously.

She watched the status—“the other person is typing…”—for a long time before Ji Jiali replied: “I have plans with the other ladies, maybe next time.”

Rejected once again.

Jiang Wan stared at the message, lost in thought. It was just as she’d expected, and that only made her more certain there was something behind Lin Zhi’s earlier invitation.

Why were they going to Jing’an Temple for the night vigil? Why did Ji Jiali lie to her, and what was the reason for keeping it a secret? Why did Lin Zhi want her to come?

These questions churned in her mind, impossible to ignore. Unable to concentrate on anything else, Jiang Wan made a snap decision to go to Jing’an Temple herself.

She slipped the lucky charm and her phone into her pocket, gathered her things, and left.

*

Jing’an Temple stood in the remote outskirts of Rongcheng, built atop a high mountain. Known for granting wishes, it attracted countless visitors every year.

By the time Jiang Wan reached the foot of the mountain, staff members were putting up notices: due to a hardware malfunction, the cable car service was temporarily suspended with no set time for resumption. Visitors would have to ascend on foot, and the round trip would take over two hours. It was already afternoon, so time needed to be managed carefully. The summit was snowy and icy, so everyone was urged to consider whether the trek was manageable.

A staff member repeated the warning through a loudspeaker, turning away a portion of would-be climbers.

Jiang Wan was undeterred, but decided to take an alternate route up the mountain.

This wasn’t her first visit to Jing’an Temple. Whenever she came with her father, he would always lead her up that path—a less-traveled, steeper way, but shorter and faster, cutting the hike nearly in half.

While most visitors took the main trail, Jiang Wan veered onto the secluded path.

It was afternoon, but the sunlight was weak. The sky, already clouded, grew darker as she climbed, the sun swallowed by thick layers of clouds.

The air pressed down, the altitude rising, and the temperature dropping. A cold wind howled, and the steps were covered in snow and slick ice.

Jiang Wan pressed on, teeth clenched, pushing herself to the top without rest.

In less than fifty minutes, she’d climbed from the base to the summit, crossed the mountain pathway, and approached the golden temple.

With the cable car out of service and it being late in the day, there weren’t many visitors at the temple.

It didn’t take Jiang Wan long to find the person she was looking for.