With not a moment's hesitation, Jin Huan left.
It was half past two in the early morning. The streets were deserted, while the elegant street lamps atop the white, towering pillars cast a warm orange glow.
The only things she took with her were her ID card and the bank card that held not a single penny in deposit, leaving even her mobile phone behind.
Ji Yan had been following her all along. Feeling rather irritated, Jin Huan simply resorted to her power and froze time.
Consequently, after emerging from that corner, Ji Yan lost sight of Jin Huan in an instant. A wave of boundless panic surged through his heart. "Huan'er! Huan'er! Jin Huan, where are you? Come out! Huan'er!"
"Huan'er, I'm sorry. Please don't hide from me, okay? Huan'er!"
That night, someone crumbled in the dead of night, weeping inconsolably, scouring aimlessly like a headless chicken for what seemed an eternity, yet finding nothing at all.
She had abruptly shown up in his life and then just as suddenly vanished from it. Shen Jin Huan, I love you. Shen Jin Huan, I hate you.
...
Jin Huan had no money on her, and the pawnshops were still closed at this late hour. All she could do was endure the cold wind outside.
After all, she was currently too feeble, with her powers yet to be unsealed.
There was an overpass up ahead. She wavered, unsure whether to ascend it, as the howling wind didn't make for a pleasant experience.
Perhaps she should try fortune-telling?
This skill was taught to her many, many years ago by a man surnamed Lai. Later, that man entered the imperial court and became the state preceptor, and their interactions grew scarce.
It turned out, though, that this trick came in handy.
Naturally, in her prime, she wouldn't have needed it, but it was just right for her present situation.
After doing the divination, hmm, she had to go up on the bridge. The divination results indicated that she was about to come into an unexpected fortune.
She trudged up the bridge, suitcase in hand. The wind was howling ferociously, and the salty tang of sea air permeated the atmosphere.
Simultaneously, an overwhelming sense of yin energy came rushing at her.
Jin Huan caught sight of a middle-aged man scurrying over in a panic, his body trembling, stuttering out cries of "Ghost! There's a ghost!"
Could this be the opportunity for that unexpected fortune?
"Arghhhhhhhhhhh!"
The man stumbled and fell heavily to the ground, the thud suggesting a rather nasty tumble.
Just as the malevolent ghost was about to devour him, an orange starburst of light materialized, instantly shielding him from the ghost and binding it in place.
The man was already as pale as a sheet, his legs too weak to support him.
Despite the shrieking wind, Jin Huan's high heels stood out conspicuously in the darkness.
"Click-clack, click-clack," the sound of her steps, strangely reassuring.
Yuan Dahai turned his head. With her back to the light, she approached him, carrying a leather suitcase in the style of the Republic of China era, looking every bit like a bodhisattva descending to save mortals from the jaws of peril.
He was still quaking with lingering fear after his narrow escape. When he snapped back to reality, he hastily adjusted his posture and dropped to his knees, expressing his gratitude profusely.
Jin Huan looked down at him imperiously. "Someone put a yin-attracting charm on you."
Yuan Dahai froze on the spot, then quickly realized that since she could see through it and had saved him, she must have a way to deal with it!
"Master, please save me! I'll be forever indebted to you and will serve you with all my heart!"
"Serving me isn't necessary. Just settle the bill." She held up five fingers. Jin Huan wasn't greedy; fifty thousand would do.
Yuan Dahai was overcome with gratitude, thinking what a kind-hearted master she was, charging such a modest fee for saving his life. "Sure, sure. I'll transfer the money right away!"
Jin Huan was quite pleased. This man was rather sensible. She casually recited her bank card number, knowing she could check the account balance at the bank later.
After all, the ATM was open 24 hours a day.
"I've transferred it, Master. Five million, not a penny short!" Yuan Dahai announced.