Volume One, Chapter 40: Three Secrets Hidden Within One Household

Before Qin Yu could say anything, Su Nianxin hurried to speak first. “Dad, don’t worry, I will do my utmost to teach Sister!”

Su Jin and Qi Huairou both nodded in satisfaction.

After dinner, Su Jin, smiling, wrapped his arm around Qi Huairou and went upstairs.

Only Qin Yu and Su Nianxin remained on the sofa.

“The unlucky fellow you sent has already been dealt with.”

With no one else in the living room, only the two of them could hear these words.

Su Nianxin was surprised, but only flustered for a second before quickly putting on an innocent expression. “Sister, what are you talking about? What unlucky fellow?”

Qin Yu felt a wave of disgust in her heart. “Stop pretending. It’s just the two of us here.”

Su Nianxin’s eyes immediately filled with tears. “Sister, I know you’re jealous that I’m monopolizing Dad and Mom, but I didn’t mean to, it’s not something I could choose!”

Qin Yu rolled her eyes so hard they could have circled the globe, muttered “idiot” inwardly, and got up to return to her room.

Su Nianxin waited for Qin Yu’s figure to disappear at the end of the staircase before dropping her hand from her eyes.

She returned to her own room, glancing back every few steps.

She didn’t turn on the light. In the darkness, she muttered softly to herself...

“Didn’t you say it was foolproof? How did Qin Yu know about the unlucky fellow?”

“So what now? Didn’t you promise to get rid of her?”

“What do you mean, don’t rush? Didn’t you see how smug she was at the dinner table? If I don’t finish her off soon, will there be any place left for me in this house?”

“...”

—

Qin Yu had just entered the room when she sensed a familiar presence. Her eyes curved, joy lighting up her face.

“Mu Ling, you’re finally back! I promise I’ll never be mean to you again!”

The sudden enthusiasm made Mu Ling break out in a cold sweat; his most immediate reaction was for his dark, shadowy body to explode in alarm.

Qin Yu was just about to reach out to give him a bear hug, but Mu Ling dodged quickly, retreating to the corner of the wall.

“Qin Yu, act normal, I’m really scared.”

Qin Yu awkwardly withdrew her hand, gifting him an eye roll. “Where have you been these past days?”

Mu Ling breathed a sigh of relief. This was the Qin Yu he knew—perfect.

“I had some personal matters to deal with.”

Seeing that he wasn’t keen to elaborate, Qin Yu didn’t press further.

“Xiao Yu, wait—”

The little black ball bounced around Qin Yu.

He had sensed from the moment he arrived that something was missing from her, and now he could see it clearly.

“What happened while I was gone? Why are your merits diminishing rather than increasing?”

Qin Yu blinked. “How should I know? It’s not something I can control.”

Mu Ling nodded, thinking: It must be because I wasn’t around, so Xiao Yu couldn’t focus on cultivating!

“Xiao Yu, I never imagined you cared so much about me! I’ll do my best for you from now on!”

Qin Yu: ???

Wait, what’s gotten into this ghost?

“Enough, I’ve been flying all day, I’m going to get some sleep.”

Before Qin Yu could stop him, Mu Ling’s ghostly wail exploded inside her head.

“Ahhh! A female ghost! Why is there a female ghost on my bed? Qin Yu, explain this!”

Qin Yu rubbed her nose. “She’s someone I’ve taken in. On the fifteenth next month, I’ll send her to reincarnate. For now, she’s temporarily staying with you.”

Mu Ling: ...

“I refuse!”

“I’ll make you something tasty tomorrow.”

“I’ll consider it.”

“Newest style clothes.”

“Deal!”

With Mu Ling settled, Qin Yu went to wash up.

When she came out, the floor-to-ceiling window was still open.

Qin Yu walked over, and under the shadowy moonlight, saw the water ghost standing up in the fountain pool. Noticing her gaze, his doughy face split into a bizarre smile.

Before bed.

Qin Yu opened the Bean Sprout app.

From hundreds of messages, she found one from “Xiao Song Doesn’t Eat Candy.”

The message time was this afternoon, during her livestream.

She remembered she owed her a reading.

Xiao Song Doesn’t Eat Candy: “Master, sorry, I’ve been busy these days, only now had time to leave you a message. Not sure if you’ll see it.”

Xiao Song Doesn’t Eat Candy: “I want to ask when I’ll be able to pay off my debts? I’m barely holding on.”

Bamboo Autumn: “Is it convenient to video chat? I need to look at your face.”

Almost instantly after sending the message, the video call came through.

Qin Yu accepted.

The girl in the video still wore plum blossom makeup and ancient costume. Seeing Qin Yu, she explained, “Sorry, I just finished filming the last scene, haven’t had time to change. My name is Song Yuzhi.”

Qin Yu smiled, unconcerned, but as she scrutinized Song Yuzhi’s face, she frowned.

Even with the most exquisite makeup, her face couldn’t conceal the aura of death.

“Stop all your work immediately and rest well, or you’ll die.” Qin Yu was unusually stern.

Song Yuzhi had followed Qin Yu since she said “Everything is the best arrangement.”

Qin Yu’s optimistic energy could fill people with hope, exactly what someone trapped in darkness needed.

She hadn’t watched many of Qin Yu’s livestreams, and didn’t know how accurate Qin Yu’s readings were. Asking her about debts was merely seeking a glimmer of hope.

Song Yuzhi gave a helpless smile. “I owe a lot of money. If I don’t pay it off, the company won’t let me rest.”

Qin Yu’s fingers moved swiftly, calculating.

“You don’t owe them.”

“But I signed a contract...”

“That contract is illegal!”

“Really? Is that true?”

“Tomorrow, take all the contracts to the Labor Bureau for arbitration.”

“But, I’m scared...”

Qin Yu smiled, saying little more.

Song Yuzhi, seeing her smile, felt a surge of courage within. She nodded solemnly. “Thank you, Master, I will fight for myself!”

“Wish you success!”

Perhaps influenced by the fans in today’s livestream, Qin Yu searched online for Candy Girls.

Candy Girls was a seven-member group, with leader Song Yuzhi being the most famous. Second in popularity was Li Mengdie, whose surgically enhanced face had made her infamous.

Qin Yu then looked up their signing company...

—

Elsewhere.

Su Jin and Qi Huairou’s bedroom.

Su Jin finished showering and found Qi Huairou applying a face mask with her back turned.

Su Jin, in a good mood, hugged his delicate wife from behind. “Rou Rou.”

But as soon as his fingers touched her, Qi Huairou suddenly jumped away. The instinctive reaction startled even herself.

“Ah Jin, I...”

For a moment, she didn’t know how to explain.

Su Jin assumed he had startled her and, while slapping his own hand, said, “It’s all your fault, you scared my Rou Rou.”

Qi Huairou was amused by his antics, giving a soft laugh. “Stop hitting yourself, it’s my own cowardice.”

She reached out to stop him from hurting himself, but just before touching him, her hand bounced back on its own.

Qi Huairou suddenly realized something was wrong.

Her body seemed to be rejecting Ah Jin?