"Qinglian, you’re here," Mu Yufei smiled.
Yi Qinglian nodded, a gentle smile on her face. "Sister Yu Fei, long time no see."
Yi Qinglian blinked. When she saw Chu Hao, she noted he was about her age and decent-looking. He was staring at her, dumbfounded—a reaction she was used to.
Sister Yu Fei’s friend is actually the superstar Yi Qinglian?
Although Chu Hao wasn’t a celebrity-chaser, mainly because he couldn’t afford it, many of his classmates adored Yi Qinglian; it was impossible not to know of her.
Yi Qinglian was a paragon of exquisite beauty and wisdom. A child star from her early years, she had acted in countless hit movies and was a household name.
Yi Qinglian extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."
Yi Qinglian didn’t seem bothered by Chu Hao’s intense gaze; instead, she was polite and pleasant.
Chu Hao held her soft, smooth hand, slightly reluctant to let go. "Nice to meet you too."
Yi Qinglian’s skin was incredibly fair, like flawless white jade. Having done countless skincare advertisements, she possessed a remarkable elegance. The three of them sat down.
Mu Yufei made the introductions. "Ah-Hao is my friend. He saved my family once. Qinglian, let him take a look at your problem."
Yi Qinglian clearly trusted Mu Yufei and nodded. "Alright. Here?"
Dining with a superstar! This will be something to boast about back at school, Chu Hao thought.
At this moment, Yi Qinglian stood up and began to remove her jacket.
Whoa, whoa... What are you doing? I’m not that kind of guy!
She first took off her jacket and laid it aside neatly. Underneath, she wore a white short-sleeved shirt that perfectly accentuated the tantalizing outline of her bust.
Then, with her back to Chu Hao, she started lifting her shirt.
She really lifted it.
Her slender waist, revealed as she did so, glowed like beautiful jade, without a hint of excess flesh or blemish—utterly perfect.
What in the world is going on?
Arousal surged through Chu Hao, and he blurted, "Wait... Even though I’m ridiculously handsome, I can’t handle this! Let’s be more discreet and find somewhere private."
Yi Qinglian looked at him, puzzled, and whispered, "No one will come in here."
Seriously, superstar? Are we not on the same page here?
Or am I just too innocent?
But do you really have to lift your clothes the moment we meet? How am I supposed to face anyone after this?
At that moment, Mu Yufei let out a soft chuckle, and both of them looked at her.
Mu Yufei stuck out her tongue. "Sorry, Qinglian. My dear sister, I didn’t tell him about your specific situation."
Yi Qinglian’s face turned red in an instant. She was only eighteen, but not naive. She had assumed Mu Yufei had already explained the situation to Chu Hao, which was why she had started lifting her shirt as soon as she came in. No wonder he looked so shocked! He must have thought I was... Oh, this is so mortifying!
Chu Hao quickly asked, "Sister Yu Fei, what’s the situation?"
Mu Yufei was laughing so hard she was nearly in tears; she had clearly done it on purpose.
Yi Qinglian stamped her foot. "Sister Yu Fei, you... why would you do this? This is so embarrassing!"
The superstar is beautiful even when she’s angry, Chu Hao mused. Her skin looks so soft and supple; I want to reach out and touch it, but I wouldn’t dare. And those eyes... they’re like a fox spirit’s, captivating enough to topple nations.
Mu Yufei laughed for a while longer before saying, "Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Ah-Hao, here’s the thing! Qinglian has a very strange pattern on her back, and she wants you to take a look and see what’s going on."
Sister Yu Fei is pretty wicked, Chu Hao thought. I like it.
Chu Hao wiped cold sweat from his brow. "You nearly scared me to death! Lifting your shirt as soon as you came in... I thought... you were propositioning me."
Yi Qinglian’s face flushed deeply; she had none of the airs of a major star and just felt overwhelmingly embarrassed by what had just happened.
"Go ahead and lift it. Let me have a look," Chu Hao said gravely.
Blushing, her snow-white skin flushed such a deep crimson it looked as if it were about to bleed, Yi Qinglian felt an embarrassment like never before.
She closed her eyes and slowly lifted her top. Indeed, on her back, there was a faintly visible pattern.
The pattern was neither too large nor too small, covering one-third of her smooth, jade-like back. It truly felt like a sacrilegious violation of something exquisite.
The more Chu Hao looked, the more it resembled a human face. It sent a shiver down his spine. He searched his memory of the Ghost Sutras, but found nothing that matched.
Chu Hao said, "System, come out. Are there things not recorded in the Ghost Sutras?"
System replied, "The Ghost Sutras only record ghosts from the last thousand years. For more ancient entities, you need the Ancient Ghost Scripture."
"Purchase it," he commanded.
"DING! Host has purchased the Ancient Ghost Scripture, consuming 20 Pretentiousness Points."
A flood of information poured into his mind. Looking at the pattern again, he couldn’t help but frown.
There were too many corresponding patterns, at least a thousand. He already had a suspicion. He stood up, stepped forward, and lightly placed his hand on Yi Qinglian’s bare back.
"AH!" Yi Qinglian cried out, whirling around sharply to face Chu Hao. "What are you doing?"
When Yi Qinglian turned, Chu Hao nearly had a nosebleed. With her shirt lifted, what had been hidden from his view when her back was turned was now shockingly clear.
Her snow-white skin was tender and alluring, emitting a faint, fragrant scent.
How old is she really? How did she develop so well? Countless people would die of envy!
The sight was too tempting; Chu Hao found it hard to cope.
Yi Qinglian quickly lowered her top, glaring at Chu Hao and biting her lip, her expression a captivating blend of anger and embarrassment.
Chu Hao said, "Don’t misunderstand. I just wanted to see if it was growing out of the flesh. It seems I was right; it’s exactly as I suspected."
Yi Qinglian continued to glare at him, as if she wouldn’t let him off without a perfect explanation.
Mu Yufei stepped in to diffuse the awkwardness. "Ah-Hao, do you know what it is?"
Chu Hao replied, "Don’t you two think it looks like a human face? Although it’s still blurry, you can make out the general outline."
Both women felt their skin crawl. A human face!
Especially Yi Qinglian; she looked like she was about to cry from fright. Finding a human face growing on one’s back was hardly something anyone would take calmly.
"If you must have a name for it, it’s called the Jade Maiden Picture."
The Jade Maiden Picture had a very startling origin. According to the Ancient Ghost Scripture, it represented a person’s past life.
"A past life!" The two women were astounded.
Chu Hao nodded. "The Jade Maiden Picture is very rare. Once it fully develops, it will absorb the consciousness of the current life, causing a regression to the past life."
Yi Qinglian’s complexion turned pale. "Why do I have a Jade Maiden Picture on my back?"
"Unfulfilled desires turn into resentment. When resentment reaches an extreme, the soul, upon reincarnation, seeks to complete unfinished business from a past life. This intense resentment manifests within the body of the current life," Chu Hao explained.
Unfinished business from a past life?
Mu Yufei also grew anxious. "Ah-Hao, please think of something."
Chu Hao patted his chest confidently. "It’s just a Jade Maiden Picture. This Taoist Master can sort it out in minutes. However, it’s not convenient to perform the ritual here."
Yi Qinglian quickly suggested, "Let’s go to my apartment. It’s very quiet there."
"Alright," Chu Hao agreed.
The three of them set off for Yi Qinglian’s apartment.