Spellbound Hearts - Chapter 30 - The God of Death

Wu Shu made it sound so simple. Ji Xuan stared at her through the video call, her face a clear display of utter despair.

Seeing her expression, Wu Shu leaned closer to the screen. “I’m serious. You should at least consider it.”

Ji Xuan replied, “Do you think Song Zhaoli is some kind of brick? Just pick him up and place him wherever you need?”

Wu Shu burst out laughing at the analogy. “Isn’t he?”

Ji Xuan shook her head decisively. “No.”

Wu Shu teased, “Then what is Song Zhaoli, in your opinion?”

Ji Xuan declared firmly, “A god.”

Wu Shu raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You hold Song Zhaoli in such high regard?”

Ji Xuan let out a dry laugh. “A ‘God of Death.’ I’m just worried that inviting him in will be easy, but sending him away will be a nightmare.”

Wu Shu laughed even harder. “I’m just throwing ideas out there. Besides, even if you’re willing, Song Zhaoli would have to agree, and that’s a whole other story.”

Given Song Zhaoli’s status and position, the idea of him playing along in a charade for a woman was as likely as pigs flying.

The two chatted late into the night but failed to come up with any viable solution.

Finally, Wu Shu offered a half-baked idea. “Oh, I have a cousin who works at Song Group. He’s single. How about I ask him to play the role for you?”

Ji Xuan frowned. “Would that be appropriate?”

Wu Shu, ever confident, replied, “What’s inappropriate about it? Helping out a beautiful woman is an honor for him.”

Ji Xuan quipped, “Having a cousin like you is truly his blessing.”

Before ending the call, they agreed on the plan: Wu Shu’s cousin would step in to help. The price? Ji Xuan owed Wu Shu two lavish meals.

After hanging up, Ji Xuan lay in bed, tossing and turning.

In the middle of the night, just as she was about to drift off, her phone buzzed twice on the nightstand.

Years of dealing with demanding clients had conditioned her to respond instinctively. She reached for the phone and glanced at the screen. It was a text from an unknown number.

[Did you know Xiao Jin was out with President Wang’s wife at Shunwei tonight?]

Her eyelids were heavy with sleep. Seeing that it was from an unfamiliar number, she didn’t give it much thought. She turned off the screen and placed the phone back on the nightstand.

That night, Ji Xuan slept restlessly, plagued by chaotic and suffocating dreams.

First, she dreamed of the day the Ji Family went bankrupt. She and Mother Ji were cornered in the Ji Family’s office building.

The uncles and family friends who had once been close to them now turned hostile, their aggression palpable, as if they wanted to strip them of everything.

Mother Ji, accustomed to a life of luxury, could do nothing but cry in despair.

Ji Xuan stood in front of her mother, shielding her. She appeared calm, but inside, she was overwhelmed by helplessness and anxiety.

Then the scene shifted to Xiao Jin’s infidelity.

Despite being the one at fault, he pointed a finger at her, accusing her of being unfaithful.

The two of them stood by a floor-to-ceiling window, locked in a heated argument. Suddenly, Xiao Jin sneered coldly, reached out, and shoved her hard. She fell backward out of the window.

Ji Xuan jolted awake, her body drenched in cold sweat.

She grabbed her phone to check the time. It was six in the morning.

Ji Xuan had always been a light sleeper. Once awake, there was no going back to sleep.

She stared at the ceiling for a while before getting up to take a hot shower.

Mother Ji had a habit of going to the market early in the morning, rain or shine, 365 days a year.

When Ji Xuan came out of the bathroom, Mother Ji still hadn’t returned. She walked to the water dispenser, poured herself half a glass of water, and took a couple of sips. Suddenly, she remembered the text message from the night before.

Who could have sent it?

A colleague of Xiao Jin? A competitor? Or just a well-meaning stranger?

Lost in thought, she finished the glass of water without realizing it.

Afterward, she returned to her bedroom, sat on the edge of the bed, and casually picked up her phone. She noticed a new friend request on WeChat.

Curious, she tapped on it. It was from Qiu Lin.

Both the profile picture and username were unmistakably his.

Ji Xuan hesitated for a few seconds before accepting the request.

No sooner had she accepted than a message popped up: [Manager Ji, did you know Xiao Jin was out with President Wang’s wife at Shunwei last night?]

Ji Xuan replied: [Assistant Qiu, were you the one who sent that text last night?]

There was a long pause before Qiu Lin responded.

After a few minutes, his reply came: [Manager Ji, if I told you I possess the noble quality of selfless dedication, would you believe me?]

Whether Qiu Lin truly had such noble qualities, Ji Xuan couldn’t say.

But one thing she did know: for someone like Qiu Lin to reach the position of an assistant to the president, minding his own business must be a fundamental skill.