Chapter 665: Senior Sister, We’re in Big Trouble

But that’s only if they try a brute-force attack.

If they wanted to break the array to get in, well, I’m afraid even a Tier Seven might not be able to crack it.

This was the best array Jiang Zuo could set up in such a short amount of time.

That was about it.

Jiang Zuo stood on the balcony, gazing into the distance. After a moment’s thought, he tweaked a few more details.

As for Sister Jingyue’s garbage array, Jiang Zuo didn’t even touch it.

After taking out an Array Stone to serve as the control hub, Jiang Zuo wrote up some basic instructions.

He also left a Fire Rune on the instruction sheet, which would cause it to self-combust after a certain amount of time.

Once he had done all this, Jiang Zuo tossed the items to Qing Lian.

‘These Cultivators really have no guard up at all. If I wanted to kill them, I could do it without anyone ever knowing.’

Then, Jiang Zuo left.

Meanwhile, Qing Lian, who had been standing by the door the whole time, was suddenly startled. She saw something flying toward her.

She caught it instinctively and saw it was a piece of paper and an Array Stone.

She looked at the paper and realized they were instructions for the array.

Qing Lian was stunned. The description of the array was incredibly exaggerated, and it even came with operating instructions.

Qing Lian was skeptical. She hadn’t seen anyone set up an array, and something this powerful would surely require a major effort.

Still, she decided to figure things out before jumping to conclusions. It wouldn’t do to wrongfully accuse someone.

After studying the instructions, Qing Lian began to test the control hub Array Stone.

She just wanted to try something simple, like generating some Mist.

She felt something ripple from the control hub Array Stone, and then a Mist appeared, enveloping the entire villa.

Qing Lian was stunned.

Immediately, the Trapping Array activated.

Then, she heard people shouting from the courtyard.

“Heavens, why am I in a desert? It’s so hot.”

“I’m drowning! Help me!”

“Fairy Qing Lian, we don’t want to break the array anymore! I give up! Please undo the array!”

“Fairy Qing Lian, please undo the array. I withdraw.”

“…”

This time, Qing Lian was utterly stunned. Everyone had been pulled into an Illusion Realm—one of the Trapping Array’s functions.

She didn’t dare test it any further. She deactivated the array, and the Trapping Array vanished as the Mist dissipated.

The other Cultivators then bid farewell to Qing Lian. There was no way they could break that array.

Qing Lian couldn’t believe it, but she quickly finished reading the instructions, spurred on by the first line she had read:

This instruction sheet will self-destruct shortly.

Soon, she saw the signature: Po Xiao.

‘Quite an unfamiliar name.’

At that exact moment, the instruction sheet instantly burst into flames, turning to ash in a flash. There was no way to stop it.

Qing Lian sighed in relief. Good thing she’d finished reading, or she would have been in trouble.

Then, she dialed Jingyue’s number.

At this time, Jingyue was still wandering around Department Two. No one was paying her any mind.

Jingyue just went wherever she saw people, but to her disappointment, she hadn’t seen Jiang Zuo at all.

An idea suddenly struck Jingyue. ‘I can’t ask about Po Xiao, but that doesn’t mean I can’t ask about Jiang Zuo.’

‘I couldn’t get a photo of Po Xiao, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try using a photo of Jiang Zuo.’

‘But there’s a big problem: I still can’t ask too many people.’

‘Just one person would be best. But who would be the right one to ask?’

‘Another big problem: she didn’t have a picture of Jiang Zuo. Taking one was out of the question, and asking his pouting wife for one would surely raise suspicion.’

‘Why does such a simple problem have to be so difficult for me?’

Just then, Jingyue passed by the Assessment Department and smiled.

‘I’ve thought of the perfect person to ask.’

‘Po Xiao has been here before, and the receptionist must have seen his work ID, so she definitely knows who he is.’

‘After all, the man is famous.’

‘So, she’s the most suitable person to ask.’

‘I’ll just pretend to be an older sister checking up on her younger brother. That shouldn’t be a problem.’

‘Besides, people from Tianhe Group wouldn’t refuse to answer. (Under normal circumstances, they aren’t so easy to get answers from.)’

‘Now all I need is a photo. Ideally, one with me, his pouting wife, and Jiang Zuo in it.’

‘If I go ask with a photo like that, there won’t be any problems at all.’

Just then, Jingyue’s phone rang.

She saw it was a call from Qing Lian.

Jingyue was in high spirits. She’d finally found a major breakthrough. Although the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Technique reduced the chances, nothing was confirmed yet, so no one could say for sure.

Whether Po Xiao was Jiang Zuo or whether Po Xiao was practicing the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Technique—there was still a chance for things to turn around.

“Qing Lian, what’s up?” Jingyue asked.

Qing Lian said, “Sister Jingyue, something big has happened! You need to come back, quickly!”

Jingyue frowned. “What is it?”

Qing Lian said, “Someone already set up the array.”

Jingyue was surprised. “They broke my array? That quickly?”

Qing Lian said, “No, not that.”

Jingyue asked, “If they didn’t, then what array are you talking about?”

Qing Lian said urgently, “Oh, just come back first, Sister Jingyue! All I can say is, it’s a huge deal!”

“Alright, alright, I get it.”

With that, Jingyue left. She had her breakthrough, anyway. Now she just had to get the photo.

‘Worst case, I’ll just have to wait a few more days.’

But after Jingyue left, a woman carrying a file walked up to the Assessment Department’s front desk and said, “Personnel transfer.”

***

Jiang Zuo was already home. It was noon, and he had come back for lunch.

The moment the door opened, Su Qi saw Jiang Zuo and looked rather surprised. “You’re actually back this early today?”

Jiang Zuo paused, then silently closed the door. ‘Maybe it’s better if I just eat out.’

Su Qi shouted, “Get back here.”

She stopped teasing Sweet Potato and the others.

Jiang Zuo opened the door again. “I have to go back to work this afternoon.”

Su Qi said, “I never said you couldn’t.”

Then Su Qi stood up. “Have a seat. I’ll go cook you some noodles. We happen to have all the ingredients.”

Jiang Zuo agreed and sat down, then turned on the TV.

‘If she’s just making noodles, she won’t need my help.’

‘Su Qi’s noodles are actually pretty good.’

Just as he turned on the TV, Jiang Zuo said, “I bought you a new phone. Your old one is being repaired. It’ll take two days.”

Su Qi called back from the kitchen, “Then can you put the SIM card in for me and download all the usual stuff?”

Then Jiang Zuo heard Su Qi complain, “Argh, I got some on my pants. I should’ve just worn a shorter nightgown.”

Jiang Zuo called back, “No one’s stopping you.”

Su Qi said, “You’re not home, so who would I be wearing it for?”

‘You get tired of things if you see them too much,’ he thought. ‘Of course, I could never say that out loud.’

But Su Qi suddenly asked, “Are you thinking, ‘You get tired of things if you see them too much’?”

Jiang Zuo was astonished. “How did you know?”

Then Jiang Zuo froze. “…”

It was a completely reflexive answer.

‘Is it too late for regrets?’

Just then, Su Qi looked at Jiang Zuo. “Care to explain?”

Jiang Zuo said, “Would explaining even help?”

Su Qi replied, “How will you know if you don’t even try? What if it works out really well? For example, you could start by admitting you were wrong.”

Jiang Zuo said, “I was wrong.”

“Oh, so *now* you know you were wrong? What were you doing just a moment ago? Were you unhappy that I was wearing less? Are my boobs too small, my waist too thick, or my legs not pretty enough? Mr. Jiang Zuo is so different now, with his impossibly high standards.”

Jiang Zuo: “…”

‘I’m done talking to her. She’s being completely unreasonable, just trying to stir up trouble.’