Chapter 439: 438, beautiful as jade

Chu Jin’s voice, though faint, was filled with penetrating power that resonated with each word.

The caregiver had been working in Capital City for years, her husband had passed away a long time ago, and her son would occasionally visit the rental room to check up on her. On most days, she lived there alone—where would a third person come from?

Yet, recently, she had felt that something about the rental room was not quite right.

Moreover, the wrist Chu Jin held sent waves of coolness, invigorating and refreshing, as if to clear the mind, dispelling the clouds of gloom that shrouded her heart, seemingly vanishing in an instant. She felt as though she had been given a new lease on life.

But how did Chu Jin discern this?

Seeing the caregiver’s confusion, Chu Jin continued, "Auntie Wang, your complexion is sallow, and a trace of blackness has infected your hall of impression. If I’m not mistaken, you must be living on the 18th floor, right? It’s a cheap rental, and it hasn’t been rented out for a long time before you moved in. Listen to me, there’s something wrong with the house—move out quickly, or within three months, you will encounter a violent misfortune."

A violent misfortune is a horrifying term no matter where it is mentioned.

It makes one’s heart flutter with dread.

Especially when those words come from the mouth of a girl who is only eighteen years old, it becomes all the more eerie. And yet, as she spoke these words, her expression remained indifferent, her features delicate like jade, a stark contrast to the ominous message, almost endearingly so.

The sunlight streamed through the window onto her, casting a light golden sheen, as if she had stepped out of a painting.

Like an unblemished angel.

She emanated a tranquil, orchid-in-a-secluded-valley aura, particularly pleasing to the eyes. She bore an air of tempered composure not typically found in a girl in the bloom of her youth.

The caregiver’s face was a picture of shock, as what Chu Jin said was spot-on. It took a while for her to recover her voice, "Miss Chu, how did you know?" Could it be that Chu Jin had looked up her information beforehand?

But she was just a humble caregiver, and Chu Jin had no reason or motive to investigate her.

Indeed, she had rented a very cheap, well-furnished apartment months ago. It had all the household appliances one could need, yet the rent was only 800 yuan per month. In the expensive city of Capital City, this was like a pie falling from the sky.

However, not long after she moved in, she began to feel that something was very wrong.

She was lethargic and spent her days in a haze.

She slightly narrowed her eyes, her long, thick lashes casting a fan-shaped shadow on her face, concealing her eyes’ expression. She then spoke, "Move out."

"Move out?" The caregiver’s expression turned somewhat dismal. She was already 45 years old, with a son in university, and the high cost of the prestigious school meant that most of her monthly salary went to her son. The rest, a small fraction, was spent on rent, utilities, and other living expenses. Although the rent was cheap, the cost of living in Capital City was high, leaving her with hardly any spare money each month. If she were to move out, where could she find such affordable accommodation again?

Given the current housing prices in Capital City.

With her financial situation, she simply couldn’t afford it.

Her son’s father had passed away early on, and for years she had been the sole support for her family. If something were to happen to her now, what would become of her son? How would he survive? At all costs, she needed to witness her son setting up a family and establishing his career before she could leave this world with peace of mind.

Chu Jin sighed softly and took an envelope from her bag, handing it to the caregiver, "Here’s some money; take it and use it for now. Get a different place. You can never earn enough money, but only with a healthy body can you support a complete home. Your son doesn’t wish for anything to happen to you either."

Looking at the caregiver in front of her, Chu Jin momentarily saw her own grandmother.

The old lady had toiled her entire life to raise her, and in the end, she had let her grandmother down.

Unfortunately, she had not been reborn in the time when her grandmother was still alive.

"Thank you, Miss Chu." The caregiver took the envelope, her eyes filled with gratitude. At that moment, she almost felt an illusion that the person standing before her was not an eighteen-year-old girl, but a wayfarer who had braved the vicissitudes of life.

"Don’t mention it," Chu Jin said with a faint smile, a ripple of light dancing in her eyes and her dimples deepening. In the blink of an eye, she reverted to the girlish demeanor she ought to exhibit.

Her grace and posture were impeccable.

How could such a soul be confined to a modest boudoir?

"Auntie Wang, I have other matters to attend to and must go ahead. I’ve already transferred this month’s salary to your card. If there’s anything you need, you can call me." Chu Jin picked up her backpack to bid farewell to the caregiver.

In half an hour it would be 12 o’clock, and Shen Lingtian had arranged to meet her at West Meet Sunshine Cafe.

"Alright, take care, Miss Chu." The caregiver smiled as she saw her out.

Outside, the sunlight was intense, without the slightest breeze, both stifling and hot.

Passersby hurried along, their faces beaded with sweat.

Chu Jin opened her umbrella and stepped onto the sidewalk, strolling neither fast nor slow, in stark contrast to the hurrying crowd.

The rustic oil-paper umbrella obscured most of her face, leaving only her lithe figure visible.

The beauty evoked jade, drawing the gazes of many as she walked by, adding a touch of coolness to the scorching summer day.

About 20 minutes later, Chu Jin walked up to the entrance of the cafe and stopped.

As soon as she entered, a uniformed waiter approached her, "Hello, Miss Chu, this way, please."

Chu Jin nodded slightly, "Okay."

West Meet Sunshine was a very high-class cafe, well-known for its simple European-style decor and pleasant ambiance. It was always packed at any time of the day, but today, as she walked in, she noticed there wasn’t a single customer in sight.

The waiter led Chu Jin directly to a corner seat, where Shen Lingtian was already sitting.

Most of the coffee in his cup had been drunk, suggesting that he had arrived quite early.

"Jin Jin, you’re here," Shen Lingtian adjusted his glasses, smiled warmly at Chu Jin, and looked every bit the refined scholar.

Chu Jin offered a soft smile, "Mister Shen."

Shen Lingtian glanced at her then immediately said to the waiter, "A Blue Mountain."

The waiter went off to fulfill the order.

Chu Jin leaned forward to sit across from Shen Lingtian and got straight to the point, "May I know why Mister Shen has asked to meet me?"

Shen Lingtian fondled the Buddha Beads on his wrist and spoke gently, "Jin Jin, there’s no need for us to be so distant. You can just call me by my name."

"I’d rather stick with Mister Shen," Chu Jin said, brushing stray hair behind her ear, her tone cool.

Shen Lingtian chuckled, "It’s just a form of address, whatever makes you happy." He had looked into Chu Jin’s background and found out she was nothing more than a pauper heiress, orphaned by her father and injured by her mother. At the age of seven, she started living off others’ benevolence.

According to the investigation, she was a good-for-nothing who couldn’t even recognize the 26 letters of the English alphabet.

But the girl before him didn’t seem at all like the person described in the report.

"Jin Jin, I came today to thank you," Shen Lingtian continued, "The Buddha Beads you sold to me last time were truly useful. Ever since I wore them, those strange incidents stopped occurring." Not only that, but ever since he had worn the beads, he felt energized, as if filled with vitality.

"No need to thank me," Chu Jin said with a slight smile, "The Buddhist Sect believes in the principle of cause and effect. The fact the beads were bought by Mister Shen is due to your affinity with them."

Three lifetimes of causes and effects, six realms of reincarnation.

It’s not that karmic debts won’t be repaid; the time simply hasn’t come yet.

Chu Jin watched the Buddha Beads on Shen Lingtian’s wrist, her eyelashes trembling slightly. A bright light flickered in her otherwise serene eyes, pure and unblemished.

The intricacies within those Buddha Beads were massive.

Not only could they dissolve feng shui misfortunes, but they could also...

Shen Lingtian, as if oblivious to the cold undertones in her words, continued with a smile, "You’re right, Jin Jin, it’s all because of fate. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to buy these beads. In the end, I am fortunate because of you,"

Chu Jin lowered her gaze and took a sip of her coffee without responding.

This Shen Lingtian truly remained as shameless as ever, not afraid of tarnishing his reputation as a devoted love.

His first wife had been dead for just over a hundred days, and here he was, brazenly flirting with an eighteen-year-old girl.

She, from a past life, must have been blind to have fallen for such a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

"To express my gratitude, Jin Jin, this is a gift prepared especially for you. I hope you won’t find it offensive." Shen Lingtian handed a delicate gift box to Chu Jin.

The box was very small, its exterior studded with a circle of sparkling rhinestones that emitted a dazzling light under the cafe’s illumination; one could tell at a glance that inside must be a pricey jewel.

In fact, Shen Lingtian’s intention was clear: he wanted Chu Jin to become one of his many women.

Men always have a desire to conquer beautiful women.

Especially a girl like Chu Jin who possessed an air of aloofness, with delicate features and a seemingly hard-to-approach demeanor—beautiful from afar but untouchable. Sleeping with such a woman would have a unique flavor.

Moreover, Chu Jin was nothing but a down-and-out heiress living under someone else’s roof. She must be tired of that repressive life, and at this moment, he was willing to rescue her from distress, to offer her endless money, a big villa to live in, and the status of a lady of the house. She should be overjoyed by such an opportunity, for chances like these are rare.

Any sensible person would cling tightly to a benefactor like him.

Chu Jin smiled as she accepted the gift box from Shen Lingtian. In front of him, she opened the lid and, upon seeing the contents, immediately covered her mouth in a gesture of surprise, "Mister Shen, this item is too precious. I cannot accept it."

But Shen Lingtian saw something else in the depths of her eyes; he knew that no woman could resist the lure of fame and diamonds.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read