Chapter 148 – Domineering and Obsessed Jade Spirit VS Ascetic, Cleanliness-Obsessed CEO (02)
Mu Junhao’s life changed significantly with the magical jade plaque. He quickly transformed from someone with nothing into a business tycoon. Zhong Xiaoyu, who had always supported him, grew closer, and they eventually developed feelings for each other.
Later, with the help of the jade plaque and Zhong Xiaoyu, Mu Junhao managed to take revenge on Gu Yang, who had taken over the entire Mu family business, and regained control of the Mu family. However, it was not a perfect ending.
Success and smooth sailing made the protagonist a bit arrogant, leading to a falling out with Zhong Xiaoyu after a heated argument. Zhong Xiaoyu left, leaving Mu Junhao devastated, and he turned to alcohol to ease the pain of his breakup. While he was drowning his sorrows in alcohol, he didn’t notice that the jade spirit was secretly absorbing his aura, growing increasingly stronger.
The jade spirit, Mo Yan, had no intention of leaving after helping Mu Junhao regain the Mu family. Realizing the benefits of staying with him, he continued to absorb the protagonist’s aura, becoming more powerful. Once he broke the seal completely, he revealed his true intentions—taking over Mu Junhao’s body.
Mu Junhao resisted fiercely, refusing to give in. Fortunately, just as the jade spirit was about to succeed, Zhong Xiaoyu appeared in the nick of time. He rushed into the room, grabbed the jade plaque, and shattered it, destroying the jade spirit.
With the jade spirit gone, Zhong Xiaoyu saved the protagonist. After this incident, Mu Junhao realized his mistakes and admitted them to Zhong Xiaoyu. They reconciled and later married, running the Mu family business together.
The plot came to a close with this ending, and Mu Jin found the storyline straightforward with a touch of fantasy.
Typically, his lover played the role of the antagonist in the small worlds, but in this world, there seemed to be two villains—Gu Yang, their uncle, and Mo Yan, the jade spirit.
Mu Jin had already met Gu Yang, the seemingly kind middle-aged man who gave off an eerie vibe. He didn’t think Gu Yang could be his lover because of his appearance and his past marriage to their aunt.
After experiencing multiple worlds, Mu Jin knew his lover never had romantic entanglements with anyone else. This left Mo Yan, the deceitful jade spirit, as the possible target.
After discussing with 003, the system also felt that Mo Yan was a likely candidate. However, since Mo Yan was still sealed in the Mu family shrine, the system couldn’t precisely determine if it was his lover’s soul.
Despite this uncertainty, Mu Jin believed that Mo Yan was likely the target. Typically, in ordinary planes, the system would only focus on souls that belonged to his lover, so it was likely that Mo Yan was the target.
With this understanding, Mu Jin delved deeper into Mo Yan’s backstory. He found that the jade spirit’s story was not as simple as it seemed.
Mo Yan spent his early years deceiving the protagonist and had no intention of letting him go. His reason for this was a grudge against the Mu family.
Several hundred years ago, when the Mu family wasn’t prosperous, an ancestor of the Mu family obtained a jade plaque with spiritual properties. After centuries of cultivation, the jade plaque developed into a sentient being, but its intelligence was quite naive.
The Mu family ancestor exploited this naivety, using a master of mystic arts to seal Mo Yan into the jade plaque and placing it on a special formation. Over the years, the Mu family used this formation to extract energy from Mo Yan, enabling their growth and prosperity. Meanwhile, Mo Yan, trapped and drained, grew resentful, longing to destroy the Mu family.
Had Mu Junhao not been the male protagonist, the ending might have taken a much darker turn.
With Mo Yan as the probable target, Mu Jin’s current identity became complicated because he was a descendant of the Mu family and the protagonist’s elder brother.
He never expected to be placed on the opposite side from his lover, causing him a bit of discomfort. However, he knew that if he found himself in this position, he’d have to make the best of it and work to appease his lover.
Regarding his lover, Mu Jin had complete confidence. He believed that no matter what identity he had, as long as his lover was himself, they could always find a way to a happy ending.
The original protagonist’s parents had died early, leaving him and his brother to depend on their grandfather. Fortunately, their grandfather took good care of them; otherwise, as young children, they would have had a tough time.
The grandfather’s education had been successful, and the original protagonist had grown into an accomplished businessperson by age 30. He was respected for his keen investment instincts and decisive actions.
Although Mu Jin maintained his original appearance in this life, the original protagonist’s character had a severe cleanliness obsession. He was very particular about not being touched by others. Apart from his brother and grandfather, the original protagonist kept everyone else at a distance.
With this revelation, Mu Jin understood why he instinctively recoiled from Gu Yang’s touch on his shoulder, feeling a deep sense of aversion.
This also explained why the original host, despite reaching this age, had no romantic relationships. On the one hand, not everyone could handle a Platonic relationship that didn’t even involve hand-holding. On the other hand, the original host’s cold and strict demeanor, always dressed in formal attire year-round, made him difficult to approach.
Nonetheless, due to his decisive work style and strong judgment, the original host commanded great respect. The Mu family recognized him as their new head, and a few years ago, the grandfather had already entrusted the Mu family business to him for management.
Under his leadership, the Mu family business thrived. His decisive and sharp decisions made him a highly respected leader, earning admiration from others, including Mu Junhao, who looked up to him as a role model.
Unfortunately, according to the original plot, the original host would have died in a car accident after leaving the funeral. Mu Jin found out through hidden plotlines that Gu Yang was behind this car accident.
With the grandfather’s death and the eldest brother’s unexpected demise, only the naive Mu Junhao remained, allowing Gu Yang to gradually seize control of the entire Mu family business.
When Mu Jin asked 003 about the original host’s wish, the answer surprised him. Despite the original host’s formidable and cold appearance, he was actually a laid-back person.
The original host had no real interest in managing the Mu family. However, he was the eldest brother with business talent and had to take on the role to protect the family. He truly wanted a peaceful and quiet life, feeling lonely despite his brother’s company. Mu Junhao’s childlike nature didn’t understand his elder brother, leaving the original host hoping for a kind-hearted companion who could fill his emotional void.
Mu Jin thought the original host’s wish was straightforward—train his brother to become the successor. After all, he’d guided an emperor in another world, so raising a family business heir was a simpler task.
Mu Junhao, as the male protagonist of this world, might be immature, but he just needed some experience to grow. The essential thing was that he had a good heart, which mattered most.
Regarding romantic companionship, Mu Jin was confident his lover would excel. Was there anyone more nurturing and considerate than his lover?
Mu Jin was grateful to 003 for the warning, which helped him avoid the car accident. However, he knew Gu Yang wouldn’t stop there and would likely have other plans. Yet, with Mu Jin in the mix, he would ensure this treacherous man wouldn’t succeed and that justice would be served.
After sorting through all the plotlines, Mu Jin took a deep breath and stepped back, bowing respectfully to the gravestone.
Though this was the original host’s elder, Mu Jin silently promised the black-and-white photograph that he would run the Mu family well and ensure Mu Junhao would lead it to greater heights.
Afterward, he gestured to Mu Junhao, saying, “Junhao, let’s go home.”
Mu Junhao nodded, bowing deeply to the gravestone before obediently following his older brother, both heading toward the Mu family home.
The cemetery was far from the Mu family’s house, but Mu Jin and Mu Junhao chose to walk back, allowing Mu Jin to clear his thoughts and get a feel for the new world.
Mu Junhao was in a low mood, walking behind his brother, gazing at the passing scenery and expressing his feelings.
As soon as they returned home, Mu Jin heard from an attendant that the car meant to transport them had been involved in an accident.
Mu Junhao, alarmed, felt relieved that his brother had decided to stay at the cemetery a bit longer. Otherwise, it could have been them in the accident. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he said to Mu Jin, “Brother, it must have been grandfather watching over us.”
Mu Jin nodded, advising Mu Junhao to rest, then returned to his room.
Inside his room, Mu Jin walked to a corner, opened a door to a narrow inner room where the original host’s memory recalled a shrine. The shrine, handed down by the grandfather, was sacred to the Mu family and contained the jade plaque where Mo Yan, the jade spirit, was sealed.
Upon seeing the intricate symbols on the shrine, Mu Jin recognized them as seal scripts. The jade plaque was at the center of the shrine, the very object that housed Mo Yan.
Mu Jin released a bit of his divine sense to inspect the shrine. Initially, he intended to check on Mo Yan’s condition, but he discovered that the symbols around the shrine had been tampered with, seemingly by human hands. If not corrected, the seal might soon be significantly weakened.