Surprise! The Fake Heiress is Actually an Ancient Master of Metaphysics! - Chapter 3

Through the rolled-down car window, the man’s cold, pale skin and sharply defined features came into view. His deep black eyes were indifferent and unreadable, his straight nose leading down to thin lips pressed slightly together.

Noble, refined, and breathtakingly handsome—his beauty was not just skin-deep but etched into his very bones.

When those profound black eyes turned toward her, they carried an aloof detachment. Yet, Tan Lingyin couldn’t shake the feeling that she had seen those eyes somewhere before…

The next second, an overwhelming surge of purple energy, tinged with faint traces of deathly aura, crashed into her vision, disrupting her thoughts.

She tightened her grip on the umbrella handle, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.

Purple dragon energy was the mark of a natural-born emperor, a man of immense fortune—one even ordinary spirits feared. So why was there deathly aura clinging to him?

And worse, his death calamity was imminent. He was about to die.

Li Heng quickly stepped forward to open the car door. “Get in, we’ll take you to the hospital.”

Tan Lingyin climbed inside, folding her umbrella and placing it at her feet. She turned to the man beside her and said, “Thank you for your help. Good deeds like this will surely be rewarded.”

Huo Jingyan glanced at her sideways and replied coolly, “You’re welcome.” Then he closed his eyes, resting without another word.

Meanwhile, Li Heng, sitting in the passenger seat, kept twisting around to stare at Tan Lingyin. “Miss, are you really not in pain? You were just sent flying by that car!”

Tan Lingyin smiled politely. “Maybe I’m just tough. It’s nothing serious.”

Instantly, Li Heng whipped his head toward Huo Jingyan. “President Huo, she says she’s tough!”

Huo Jingyan lifted an eyelid to give him a sidelong glare. “Mind your own business.”

Li Heng immediately fell silent.

From their exchange, Tan Lingyin caught a whiff of something unusual. But since neither spoke further, she couldn’t just outright ask.

She stole a glance at the man beside her and couldn’t help but swallow hard.

The dense purple dragon energy radiating from him filled the cramped car interior. Just breathing the air here made her feel the mystical energy inside her recovering at an astonishing rate.

Her originally weak Xuanling Bone was rapidly strengthening.

Tan Lingyin had once been the founding ancestor of the celestial Xuanmen sect. Though she still remembered its techniques after descending to the mortal realm, her physical body was no different from that of an ordinary novice mystic.

If she could stay by this man’s side from now on, she would undoubtedly rise to the pinnacle of the Xuanmen world again and safely transcend her tribulation!

At the hospital, Tan Lingyin underwent a full-body examination, which confirmed she had only minor scrapes.

When Li Heng paid the medical bill, he double-checked—just scrapes, not even a hairline fracture.

He handed the report to Huo Jingyan. “President Huo, she really is tough! She went flying through the air and only got a few scratches! Weren’t we just looking for a tough woman here in Nancheng?”

Huo Jingyan skimmed the report before turning his gaze to the girl sitting obediently in the chair.

Tan Lingyin met his eyes and flashed him a sweet smile.

For a moment, the air between them seemed to freeze.

Huo Jingyan felt an inexplicable stirring in his chest.

Could this be the destined woman Master Xuanqing had foretold?

How could he keep her by his side?

At the same time, Tan Lingyin was thinking: How can I latch onto him?

Once back in the car, Tan Lingyin spoke first. “Let me introduce myself—I’m Tan Lingyin. May I know your name, so I can repay your kindness in the future?”

“Huo Jingyan.”

Almost as if compelled by some unseen force, he extended his hand.

Just as he thought the gesture might be too forward, the girl’s cold, pale fingers wrapped around his.

Tan Lingyin’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she felt the purple aura from Huo Jingyan rapidly flowing into her fingertips, nourishing her body.

She decided that even if she had to cling shamelessly, she would stick to him!

Li Heng interrupted the two of them from the side, “I’m Li Heng, Assistant to President Huo! Miss Tan, let’s exchange contact information! If you ever need to repay President Huo in the future, you can just reach out to me directly!”

Huo Jingyan felt the icy coolness at his fingertips fade as Tan Lingyin had already turned to rummage through her backpack for her phone.

The phone was bought for her by Liu Yun, who needed to constantly track her whereabouts and remind her to come straight home after school to do chores.

Tan Lingyin was thrilled to add Li Heng—after all, having the assistant’s contact would make it easier to get close to Huo Jingyan in the future.

Unexpectedly, a pale, large hand reached over from the side.

Huo Jingyan held out his phone, the screen lit up. “Add me instead.”

“Huh?” Tan Lingyin let out a soft sound of confusion.

She hadn’t expected Huo Jingyan to personally give her his contact.

People like him usually didn’t casually share their personal information.

Huo Jingyan glanced at her indifferently. “Problem?”

“None at all!” Tan Lingyin was more than happy to add him.

She took his phone, saving each other’s numbers and even adding his WeChat.

A dragon’s flesh within reach—she absolutely couldn’t let it slip away.

Huo Jingyan took his phone back and asked, “Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”

Here it was!

The perfect opportunity to play the pity card!

The car fell into silence.

Huo Jingyan turned his head to look at her and saw her hanging her head, not speaking.

Two glistening teardrops fell onto her pale hands, stark against her skin.

“Why are you crying?”

“I… I don’t have a home.” Tan Lingyin lifted her head, her fox-like eyes brimming with tears. “I was adopted by my parents, but they found their biological daughter… and kicked me out in the middle of the night…”

She began to sob softly, wiping at her tears.

Huo Jingyan pressed his lips together, studying her—the cheap white dress stained with mud, the worn-out backpack, the complete lack of jewelry, the dirty canvas shoes.

She looked like a stray girl wandering the streets.

And that umbrella—when she had closed it earlier, he’d noticed three holes in it.

Quite pitiful.

“So heartbreaking! I could cry too!” Li Heng turned around and exclaimed. “Kicked out in the rain and then hit by a car—what a tragedy!”

Seizing the moment, Tan Lingyin cried even louder, continuously wiping her tears while sneaking glances at Huo Jingyan.

Li Heng blinked at Huo Jingyan, his eyes urging. “President Huo, let’s take her in!”

Huo Jingyan rubbed the obsidian ring on his finger and replied, “Fine. Take her to the villa.”

With his agreement, the car immediately sped up.

When they got out, Tan Lingyin opened her tattered little umbrella, while Li Heng held one for Huo Jingyan.

Huo Jingyan had intended to call her over, but he noticed that despite the heavy rain, not a single drop fell on her.

He frowned. “Wasn’t your umbrella broken?”

Tan Lingyin chuckled lightly. “Yeah, but I fixed it.”

She raised the umbrella, revealing the three holes. “See? Doesn’t leak.”

Huo Jingyan’s gaze darkened, realizing this girl was anything but ordinary.

She might have been sent by someone with ulterior motives—he’d have to investigate thoroughly.

Entering the villa, Tan Lingyin was stunned to find it even larger than the Tan family home.

And this was just a secondary residence, meaning Huo Jingyan didn’t live here often.

A man bathed in purple aura truly had a destiny of wealth and nobility.

Li Heng arranged a room for Tan Lingyin. “Miss Tan, you can rest here tonight. There are clean pajamas in the closet—please make do with them for now. I’ve already sent someone to buy new ones.”

Tan Lingyin thanked him and promptly closed the door to take a shower.

In the living room, Huo Jingyan was examining the tattered yellow umbrella.

A talisman was pasted on its surface.

The paper was dry, showing no signs of being wet.

Was this a purchased talisman, or was she actually a mystic?

No—what kind of master would draw such a pointless and useless charm?

He beckoned Li Heng over. “Send someone to investigate her background. Verify whether what she said is true.”

“Also, contact Master Xuanqing and ask him to come over.”

Li Heng nodded. “I’ll arrange it right away.”

Huo Jingyan placed the umbrella back where it belonged before heading to his own room.

In the bathroom, Tan Lingyin soaked in the tub, reflecting on her experiences over the past thirteen years.

Enduring misfortune in place of Tan Yayue for thirteen years—it wasn’t just bad luck, it was downright cursed.

Every time she stepped out, she encountered some new calamity. Getting stuck at every red light on the way to school was routine, and being sideswiped or rear-ended by reckless drivers was practically expected.

During exams—whether midterms or finals—she was guaranteed to be late. Even if she arranged for a driver to take her early, she’d still miss the first test.

Then there were the minor misfortunes: tripping for no reason, choking on water, twisting her ankle on the stairs…

In short, the most mundane things turned into disasters for her.

And that wasn’t even counting the ghosts that haunted her every night. Though she wasn’t afraid, sleeping in an aura of yin energy left her perpetually anemic.

Every time she looked in the mirror, her face was as pale as a ghost’s.

Now that Tan Yayue had returned home, her streak of bad luck had finally lifted.

At that thought, Tan Lingyin picked up her phone. The time read 1:59.

Almost 2 a.m.

She was certain Tan Yayue wasn’t asleep yet.