"Yanran, what have you been up to lately? You barely contacted me after I arrived in the capital. Did you forget about me?"
"Of course not! I just didn't want to interrupt your family reunion. How's everything going over there?"
Du Yanran's voice carried not a trace of guilt—if anything, she sounded smug.
Jian Dan smiled faintly. She had no real intention of staying in touch, but some groundwork needed to be laid. Otherwise, things wouldn't be as fun.
"Father has been treating me well—no complaints about food or clothes. But I only just found out that my half-brother has a health issue. He needs a kidney transplant. I'm not sure if I can help. I got tested today, but the results aren't out yet."
"What? Did they force you, or did you agree to it? What are you thinking?"
"They begged me. They said close relatives have a higher match rate. If the test is positive, they promised they wouldn't force me—it'd be entirely my choice. But I'm still nervous. He is family. Part of me wants to help, but another part hopes I'm not a match. Do you think that's selfish?"
"Not at all. Everyone looks out for themselves—that's just human nature. But he is your father, your closest blood relative. If—and I mean if—you're a match, you might want to consider it. If you donate, he'll be even more grateful, more guilty. He'd compensate you handsomely, and your status in the Zhao family would rise. Even your stepmother would have to treat you like royalty—after all, you'd be her son's savior."
A cold glint flashed in Jian Dan's eyes, her lips curling into a faint sneer.
In her past life, Du Yanran had said the exact opposite.
Back then, Yanran had vehemently warned her not to donate—that it would ruin her health, that it was a stupid sacrifice. She'd been the one to comfort Jian Dan after her humiliating retreat from the capital, helping her recover. That was why Jian Dan, upon discovering the path to immortality, had shared it with her without hesitation.
But people change.
This Du Yanran wasn't the loyal friend from her past life. And Jian Dan? She was no longer that naive girl. She was a cultivator who had survived the brutal trials of the immortal path.
"Jian Dan? Did you hear me?"
"Mm. I did. After thinking it over, you're right. I'll take your advice. I feel much better now—talking to a friend really lifts the weight off my chest."
"Of course! Anytime you're conflicted, just call me. We're best friends, after all."
"Right. I'll keep in touch."
As the call ended, Du Yanran's face broke into a triumphant grin. She couldn't suppress her satisfaction.
"Everything was going according to plan."
Jian Dan was still following the same trajectory as before. Even if her reactions differed slightly, the overall direction remained unchanged. This time, though, Yanran would be the only one to seize those hidden opportunities—and climb higher than ever.
With that thought, she settled into a meditative posture and began cultivating. The spiritual energy in the city was pitifully thin. Even with her efforts and the help of a marrow-cleansing herb, she'd only just reached the first level of Qi Refining.
The spiritual energy in her artifact's space wasn't dense either—most of it was reserved for nurturing herbs. She could only tap into it when breaking through bottlenecks.
"Looks like I'll need to visit the mountains soon."
Closing her eyes, Du Yanran immersed herself in cultivation, slowly circulating her energy.
Two days later, Jian Dan received a call from Zhou Bing, updating her on the artifact recovery progress.
"I've screened all the antiques leaked from Zhao Mufeng's collection. About a dozen bear the Jian family's mark, and most have been retrieved. A few are held by top-tier families in the capital—gifts from Zhao Mufeng, not sales. Those will be harder to recover."
"That's fine. Get back what you can. Also, check if Zhao Mufeng has any other storage sites for antiques. These pieces are a far cry from what my family originally handed over. Don't alert him. Oh, and arrange my school suspension."
"Understood. I'll keep you updated."
"One more thing, brother Zhou I need you to arrange an accidental meeting with the youngest son of the Gu family."
"That… might be tricky. The Gu family treats their young master like a priceless jewel. Countless eyes are always on him."
"Start with his fan clubs. Those girls are always scheming to get close to him. I don't plan to do anything—just observe him from afar."
"Got it. I'll handle it."
After hanging up, Jian Dan fell into deep thought.
She had met the current head of the Gu family before.
Judging by his physiognomy, he was fated to have only one son—one destined to die young. Yet the Gu family's youngest heir was now eighteen.
Something didn't add up.
Her best guess? The Jian family had traded an Elixir of Longevity to the Gu's in exchange for ten years of safety for Jian Rou and herself.
"But wouldn't it have been easier to just have the Gu's crush Zhao Mufeng back then?"
Looking at it from an outsider's perspective, though, the reasoning became clear.
Yes, eliminating Zhao Mufeng would've been simple—but the Zhao family had already grown powerful by then. Toppling an entire clan wasn't something the Gu's would do lightly, especially not for a woman who wasn't yet their priority.
Moreover, Jian Dan suspected her mother had used the Zhao's as a shield. By letting them absorb the Jian family's assets, she'd diverted danger away from herself and her daughter. Instead of becoming a pawn in a future political marriage, Jian Dan had been raised in peace—her existence all but forgotten by the capital's schemers.
Her mother's retreat had been a tactical move—sacrificing the family's burdens while preserving its true legacy.
"She must have known about the secrets hidden in the magnolia jewelry set."
Generations had tried and failed to unlock its mysteries, passing it down as an heirloom, waiting for the right descendant to awaken its power.
Jian Dan sighed.
In her past life, none of this had concerned her.
She'd fled the capital in disgrace, never knowing who ultimately benefited from her downfall.
Fate truly had a cruel sense of humor.