translator: honeydew
editor: Milkbiscuit
After the competition ended, everyone returned to their respective homes and searched for their respective mothers.
Before leaving, Xu Ruwang claimed he would definitely win first in the finals. Before Zhou Jiayu could reply, Shen Yiqiong said, “You? Why don’t you get a new phone first?”
Xu Ruwang: “…” He didn’t say a word, turned around, and left.
Shen Yiqiong patted Zhou Jiayu’s shoulder. “Good luck!!”
Zhou Jiayu glanced at him, thinking in his heart that if Shen Yiqiong participated in the competition, things would indeed be very lively. Not to mention anything else, just his mockery skills were already at the max. Anyone would want to smash a brick into his face.
Their flight left at noon the next day. The weather was still unbearably hot, to the point where one felt like they could melt at any time.
It was already afternoon when they arrived home. Zhou Jiayu and Shen Yiqiong carried their luggage back to the wooden house and saw Shen Musi sitting in the living room, reading.
Next to Shen Musi laid the weasel, flattening itself into the shape of a cake. Upon seeing Zhou Jiayu, the weasel rushed to his side, rubbing its soft and smooth fur against his calf.
Feeling tickled, Zhou Jiayu squatted down to stroke it.
Shen Musi spoke: “Since you managed to come back, your performance shouldn’t have been too bad.”
Zhou Jiayu had nothing to say, and expressed admiration for Shen Musi’s way of judging performance.
Shen Yiqiong had dark skin, which absorbed heat. His biggest fear was the summer. Even the small distance it took him to get from the car to the house made him feel like he was about to melt. He whined, “Little fish, I want something cool to eat tonight…”
Zhou Jiayu was in the middle of stroking the weasel, and casually said, “Then I’ll make some cold noodles. Why’s this weasel so clingy?”
Shen Musi put down his book, glanced at the weasel who couldn’t bear to part from Zhou Jiayu, and revealed the cruel truth: “Maybe because it thinks you look delicious.”
Zhou Jiayu: “…”
Shen Musi said, “The more yin someone’s physique is, the more these spirit-bearing creatures are drawn to them.” He touched his chin and gave a comparison to Zhou Jiayu’s action of touching the weasel. “Perhaps, in our perspective, it would be like a big and delicious ice cream touching us.”
Zhou Jiayu retracted his hand, got up, and went into the kitchen, looking disheartened.
When the weasel saw that the ice cream, no, that Zhou Jiayu had left, it quickly chased after him. Before leaving, it even cast a glare at Shen Musi.
Shen Musi spread his hands, eyes full of innocence: “I only told him the truth. There’s no use glaring at me.”
Dinner was Zhou Jiayu’s handmade heartbroken jelly noodles and mung bean congee. In the evening, Lin Zhushui also came over and sat beside Zhou Jiayu. Holding his bowl, Shen Musi asked Zhou Jiayu why the jelly noodles were heartbroken.
Zhou Jiayu said, “It’s not the jelly noodles that are heartbroken, but the people eating the jelly noodles…” He had thought the weasel was so clingy with him because they were destined to be, yet Shen Musi mercilessly revealed that he was on the weasel’s menu.
Shen Yiqiong took a bite, and tears immediately ran down his face. He choked out: “So… spicy…”
Shen Musi thought it wasn’t too bad and said, “It’s alright, you’re exaggerating.” However, a little bead of sweat also formed on the tip of his nose.
Lin Zhushui also took a bite, his expression as unmoving as a mountain. Yet his rosy lips and the way he withdrew his chopsticks exposed his current state.
“Sir, are you also afraid of spicy food?” Zhou Jiayu mustered up his courage and asked.
Lin Zhushui said, “Not really.” As he spoke, his brow furrowed slightly.
It seemed Sir also couldn’t eat spicy food. Zhou Jiayu suddenly wanted to laugh, but suppressed the urge in the end, and said, “Let me serve everyone some mung bean soup.” He got up and went to the kitchen, bringing over the mung bean soup he had originally intended to save for later in the evening.
The mung bean soup was indeed warmly welcomed by everyone.
After drinking a bowl of water, the bright color on Lin Zhushui’s lips faded a little. He said, “Come with me to my family home tomorrow.”
Zhou Jiayu pointed to himself: “Me?”
Lin Zhushui said, “En.”
Upon hearing these words, Shen Yiqiong and Shen Musi both cast strange looks at Zhou Jiayu. Zhou Jiayu wanted to question where this ‘family home’ was, but assumed that Shen Yiqiong and Shen Musi would definitely know, so he held back from asking.
During dinner, the cold noodles that were not as spicy as the jelly noodles were well received. The cold noodles were made from a special base and soaked in ice water after boiling, which made them very elastic. After adding shredded kelp, bean sprouts, and mixed seasonings, it was not only refreshing but also provided relief from the summer heat. Together, the four of them cleaned out an entire large basin.
After they finished the meal and Lin Zhushui left, Zhou Jiayu asked about the family home.
Shen Yiqiong lay splayed on the sofa. He said, “The Lin family’s home.”
Zhou Jiayu asked, “Lin family?”
Shen Yiqiong said, “Yes, even newcomers in the feng shui industry know about the Lin family. You probably don’t know…” He thought carefully and said, “Do you know the Jinhua pagoda in A City?”
Zhou Jiayu said, “I know about it.” Although the building was called a pagoda, it was actually a landmark located in the center of a first-tier city. Almost everyone knew about it.
“The Lin family designed that,” Shen Yiqiong said. “Although Sir is young, he has a high seniority in the family. His parents are both feng shui geniuses, though it’s a pity…”
Zhou Jiayu understood, and didn’t question further.
The next day, Zhou Jiayu showered and changed clothes, freshened himself up, and obediently sat downstairs to wait for Lin Zhushui.
Shen Yiqiong sat in the kitchen, gnawing on a cob of corn, and said, “Jiayu, do you know what you look like right now?”
Zhou Jiayu said, “What?”
Shen Yiqiong said, “Like you’re waiting for your bridegroom…”
Zhou Jiayu: “…”
Shen Yiqiong laughed heartily, and even disgustingly approached to pinch Zhou Jiayu’s face. Zhou Jiayu angrily slapped aside his hands and said, “Take your filthy paws off me! How could my chaste body be defiled by a lecher like you?!”
Shen Yiqiong said, “Haha, little lady, why don’t you scream? Even if you scream until your throat breaks, no one will come to save you.”
Shen Musi watched these two idiots next to him with a disdainful gaze.
As Shen Yiqiong and Zhou Jiayu started to immerse themselves deep in the act, Shen Musi coughed: “Cough, cough! Sir is here!”
Upon hearing the word ‘Sir’, Zhou Jiayu immediately sat upright and looked towards the door. Lin Zhushui had been standing there for who knew how long.
Zhou Jiayu weakly spoke: “Sir, you’ve come.”
Lin Zhushui remained silent.
Shen Yiqiong awkwardly said, “S, Sir, sit, sit down and I’ll pour you some water.” He was about to get up, but Lin Zhushui said calmly, “No need. Zhou Jiayu, come here.”
Zhou Jiayu quickly hurried over.
“Let’s go. The driver is waiting outside,” Lin Zhushui said.
Zhou Jiayu said, “Yes, Sir.” He carefully followed Lin Zhushui as they left.
Shen Yiqiong waited until both of their backs had disappeared before he wilted and said, “How long had Sir been there?”
Shen Musi thought for a moment: “I didn’t pay attention, but when I noticed, you happened to be asking Zhou Jiayu where his man was…”
Shen Yiqiong: “…” He might as well go and die.
Zhou Jiayu obediently left, obediently got into the car, and obediently sat beside Lin Zhushui. Throughout the journey, he wore a cute and innocent expression, with a hint of pitifulness in his attractive peach blossom eyes. If Lin Zhushui could see his appearance, even his frozen heart might have softened.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Unfortunately, Lin Zhushui was blind, so his voice remained as cold as usual: “We’ll be there soon. Do whatever I tell you to do and don’t be scared.”
Itbe Aljse rjlv, “Tfr, Vlg.”
Olc Itertel rjlv, “Sc.”
Ktf cfza qjga bo atf pbegcfs kjr lcmgfvlyis delfa. Ktf vglnfg lc atf ogbca aegcfv bc atf gjvlb, qijslcu bqfgj werlm rboais. Itbe Aljse kjr jmaejiis offilcu j ilaaif riffqs, jcv delfais qlcmtfv tlr atlut klat tlr tjcv, yjgfis xffqlcu tlwrfio jifga. Lf tjv atbeuta atf Olc ojwlis tbwf kbeivc’a yf abb ojg jkjs, yea joafg vglnlcu obg jiwbra jc tbeg, atfs ralii tjvc’a gfjmtfv atflg vfralcjalbc.
Zhou Jiayu gave a small yawn.
Lin Zhushui spoke: “Are you sleepy?”
Zhou Jiayu whispered embarrassedly, “Just a little.”
Lin Zhushui said, “There’s still an hour. Sleep for a while.” He then asked the driver to slightly increase the air conditioning temperature.
Zhou Jiayu was deeply moved. He felt Sir was really a person who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Leaning against his seat, he fell asleep.
An hour later, Zhou Jiayu hazily woke up, feeling that the car had stopped. His head seemed to be pressed against something hard.
“Awake?” Lin Zhushui’s voice came from the side.
Zhou Jiayu said, “En…” He rubbed his eyes and realized that he was actually leaning against Lin Zhushui’s shoulder. This realization made Zhou Jiayu’s entire face instantly turn red. If Lin Zhushui could see, he surely would’ve discovered his embarrassment.
Lin Zhushui said blandly: “Since you’re awake, sit up and wipe your drool.”
Zhou Jiayu: “…” He sat up silently and wiped the corner of his mouth with a hand. He thought Lin Zhushui was joking, but there was indeed a suspicious dampness at the corner of his mouth.
But what really made Zhou Jiayu die inside was that after stepping out of the car, he noticed that a patch on Lin Zhushui’s shoulder was also wet…
Zhou Jiayu had a face full of helplessness.
Lin Zhushui didn’t say anything, and led Zhou Jiayu into the building in front of them.
The Lin family’s home was located in a private garden. Most members of the Lin family lived there. However, Lin Zhushui had a unique situation and left the Lin family early on; he could be considered as having set up his own faction.
Despite this, his status in the Lin family was still very high. This was obvious from the moment he brought Zhou Jiayu into the house, as someone warmly welcomed them.
“Uncle, you’ve returned.” The person greeting them was a handsome man, probably around thirty years old, yet still he called Lin Zhushui ‘Uncle’. It seemed that Shen Yiqiong’s claim that Lin Zhushui had high seniority was not unfounded.
“Are you Zhou Jiayu?” asked the man. “Hello, my name is Lin Po.”
“Hello.” Zhou Jiayu shook Lin Po’s outstretched hand.
But Lin Po’s attitude wasn’t too enthusiastic. His hospitality seemed to be reserved for Lin Zhushui alone. After smiling at Zhou Jiayu, he said, “Uncle, you came just in time. Lunch is already prepared, so let’s head over.”
“En.” Lin Zhushui’s expression didn’t change much, as cold as ever.
Lin Po brought the two of them to walk toward the dining room. Halfway there, he suddenly said, “Ah, Uncle, why is your shoulder wet?”
Lin Zhushui spoke calmly: “Sweat.”
The culprit standing next to them, Zhou Jiayu, lowered his head in shame.
Lin Po was puzzled: “Sweat? Uncle, I thought you didn’t sweat during the summer…” Although he was a little confused, once he saw that Lin Zhushui had no intention of answering, he gave up.
Zhou Jiayu breathed out a sigh of relief and quietly glanced at Lin Zhushui’s shoulder. Feeling disheartened, he said to Jiba, “I even drooled on Sir’s shoulder. Sir must despise me very much.”
Jiba spoke: “Don’t be so discouraged. Think of it this way: you might be the first person whose bodily fluids Sir has come into contact with.”
Zhou Jiayu: “…”
Jiba spoke: “You’ve beaten everyone else to it.”
Zhou Jiayu: “…I feel like a fool.”
Jiba: “Aren’t you one?”
Zhou Jiayu fell into silence.
The three of them quickly arrived at the entrance of the dining room. As soon as Lin Zhushui entered, all the people seated at the table, who had been engaged in conversation, stood up with great respect.
Zhou Jiayu was startled, but Lin Zhushui seemed used to it and said, “Sit down. We are family, there’s no need to be polite.” Only after he spoke did the people in the room sit down one by one.
Lin Po spoke: “Uncle, please sit here. Zhou Jiayu…” He gestured Lin Zhushui to the head of the table, with Zhou Jiayu seated as a guest on the right side.
Lin Zhushui waved his hand: “He sits next to me.”
Lin Po was taken aback and cast a strange look at Zhou Jiayu. However, he followed Lin Zhushui’s instructions and made room for Zhou Jiayu at his side. The girl who vacated that seat should’ve been a generation younger than Lin Zhushui. She looked unhappy but didn’t dare to refute, glaring at Zhou Jiayu with a sense of grievance.
Zhou Jiayu lowered his head in embarrassment and pretended he hadn’t seen anything.
It was obvious that the Lin family attached great importance to etiquette. During the meal, not a single person spoke, and even the sound of chewing was very quiet. Lin Zhushui still had little interest in eating, but strangely enough, even though he didn’t look too eager, he still didn’t put down his chopsticks and instead casually picked up some vegetables and put them in his mouth to chew slowly.
At first, Zhou Jiayu thought this was strange, but his doubts were quickly answered. As soon as Lin Zhushui put down his chopsticks, everyone else at the table stopped their movements whether they were full or not.
“Uncle, are you full?” Lin Po asked.
Lin Zhushui nodded slightly and said, “You can all continue eating. I’ll take him around the garden for a stroll.”
“I’ll come as well.” Lin Po was about to stand up.
But Lin Zhushui waved his hand. “No need, you can all continue eating.” He then got up and headed towards the door. Zhou Jiayu followed behind, but noticed that although Lin Zhushui asked these people to continue eating, they had no intention of continuing, and their eyes were all glued to Lin Zhushui’s back.
Zhou Jiayu refrained from staring and followed Lin Zhushui out of the house.
The Lin family garden was very large. As it was midsummer, the trees were all very lush, forming forests of pine and cypress, creating a pleasantly cool temperature. Lin Zhushui walked in the front, pace unhurried. He said to Zhou Jiayu, “What can you see?”
Zhou Jiayu knew that Lin Zhushui was referring to the garden’s feng shui layout. Lifting his gaze, he saw an abundance of auspicious qi in the garden. However, while he could decipher some of the reasons behind this auspicious qi, others remained obscure to him.
Lin Zhushui commented on Zhou Jiayu’s answers one by one, Zhou Jiayu listened carefully, then sighed in his heart. The Lin family really was extraordinary. Each blade of grass and every tree had a purpose behind it. Whether it was the location and shape of the house, or the decorations in the garden, everything was closely related to feng shui.
“These are all just some minor layouts.” After walking around the garden, Lin Zhushui said, “Feng shui is mostly centered around characters. Being too meticulous is not a good thing.”
Zhou Jiayu was confused. “Then why don’t you tell them so?”
Lin Zhushui said, “You must remember that in this industry, do not judge the works of others, unless they have made a grave mistake.”
Zhou Jiayu didn’t expect that to be the reason, and gave a big ‘ah’.
Lin Zhushui said, “Feng shui is not a question. There are no unique answers.”
So that’s how it was. Only then did Zhou Jiayu understand.
The two of them made their way around the garden and returned to the main house.
In the living room of the main house sat the dozen or so people who had just eaten. They didn’t watch TV or talk, but simply sat there quietly waiting for Lin Zhushui.
Seeing Lin Zhushui come back, Lin Po happily said, “Uncle, you’re here, sit…”
Lin Zhushui spoke: “Let’s go to the study, I came for a reason today.”
Lin Po hurried to agree.
Zhou Jiayu hesitated on whether he should go or not, but Lin Zhushui said to him, “You come too.”
Zhou Jiayu rushed to follow.
This main house was really big. From the outside it seemed to be five or six floors tall, enough to house a large family.
After going up to the third floor, Zhou Jiayu suddenly felt that the scenery around him was somewhat familiar. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly realized that the layout of the third floor was actually a complete replica of Lin Zhushui’s residence. Even the ink paintings on the walls were similar to the ones Lin Zhushui had hung in the corridor. The only difference was that these paintings didn’t make Zhou Jiayu’s heart palpitate. Dryly, he noted that these paintings didn’t have people who lost the competition inside…
When he arrived at the study, Lin Po called someone to bring up three cups of hot tea, and then launched into a discussion with Lin Zhushui.
Zhou Jiayu obediently sat behind Lin Zhushui, quietly listening and not daring to interrupt.
Lin Po said, “Uncle, for what purpose have you returned this time?”
Lin Zhushui said, “I would like to borrow the ancient jade at home.”
When Lin Po heard the two words ‘ancient jade’, he froze slightly, then turned his gaze to Zhou Jiayu, who didn’t know anything and still had a blank look on his face, “You want to…”
Lin Zhushui nodded.
Lin Po said, “He’s only recently started, isn’t it too early for him to use the ancient jade?”
Then Lin Zhushui said something that made Zhou Jiayu blush. He said, “For geniuses, no time is ever too early.”
Lin Po was obviously a bit unconvinced and muttered, “But back then, you had also only practiced for half a year before…”
Lin Zhushui spoke: “Go.”
Although he was dissatisfied in his heart, Lin Po still turned and headed to another room, likely on his way to retrieve the ancient jade Lin Zhushui spoke of.
As Zhou Jiayu pondered the significance of the ancient jade, Lin Zhushui tapped his finger on the table and said, “Come here.”
Zhou Jiayu hurried over.
Lin Zhushui pointed to the paper and pen on the table and said, “Draw a talisman.”
Zhou Jiayu reacted a little late, and said foolishly, “Right here?”
Lin Zhushui nodded.
Although the request was a bit strange, there was surely a reason behind it. Zhou Jiayu thought for a moment and then readied his brush to start drawing. He had been drawing talismans for some days now, but it was not something that one could perfect overnight. Although he could now finish them in one stroke, they still had ugly appearances and could be completely described as demonic talismans.
Due to the talisman’s complexity, it took Zhou Jiayu at least twenty minutes to finish drawing one. According to Lin Zhushui’s requirements, his brush could not leave the paper during this process and had to be drawn in one stroke. Every time Zhou Jiayu drew a talisman, he felt his body was being hollowed out. In fact, even though he had to practice daily, he was already grateful that he only had to draw three a day.
As Zhou Jiayu was drawing like his life depended on it, Lin Po came back with what Lin Zhushui had asked for. Seeing Zhou Jiayu sitting at the table, engrossed in drawing, he said, “Uncle, I’ve brought it over.”
Lin Zhushui said, “Put it over there. You draw a talisman, too.”
Lin Po opened and closed his mouth, but didn’t say anything in the end. Finding a chair, he sat down and began to draw with Zhou Jiayu.
After Zhou Jiayu finished drawing, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Lin Po sitting not far from him. Zhou Jiayu had only seen Lin Zhushui draw talismans, so he thought that drawing talismans was a simple matter. However, Lin Po’s expression was very grave, and even before he finished drawing, the hand that was holding the brush began to tremble.
Zhou Jiayu had a face full of puzzlement.
Lin Zhushui slowly spoke: “Talismans are divided into many types. Some people aren’t suitable for drawing talismans, such as Shen Yiqiong. The talisman I taught him was the simplest one.”
Zhou Jiayu looked a little stunned.
Lin Zhushui continued: “What you drew is an attack talisman.”
Though Zhou Jiayu didn’t fully understand, it sounded very powerful.
Lin Zhushui said, “Attack talismans are the most difficult, and not everyone can draw them. Talisman paper draws energy from the body, and attack talismans are the best mediums.” It was a pity that not everyone could draw them, and only those with exceptional talent could complete the talisman in one stroke.
Lin Po was also about to finish his talisman. Zhou Jiayu had thought that drawing a talisman was challenging for him, but he didn’t expect Lin Po’s experience to be even more painful than his. His forehead even began to overflow with cold sweat, and in the end, he almost dropped his brush.
Lin Zhushui said, “Whether to prevent calamity or improve luck, attack talismans will always be the best.”
After he finished speaking, he reached out and picked up the object that Lin Po had left on the table.
It was a black box, roughly the size of a palm. He slowly opened the lid and revealed a precious jade bi.
The jade bi was transparent, exuding an ancient aura, and carved with flying dragons and beasts. It was clearly no ordinary artifact.
Lin Zhushui placed the open box on the table and said, “Lin Po?”
Lin Po took a deep breath and said, “I’m done drawing.” As he spoke, he was already sweating profusely and panting heavily.
Lin Zhushui said, “Give your talisman to me.”
Zhou Jiayu obediently handed over his talisman to Lin Zhushui. Lin Po was obviously very skillful at drawing talismans, and his entire talisman was completed in a single stroke, the red cinnabar outlining mysterious and beautiful patterns on the yellow talisman paper. Zhou Jiayu could even see the faint auspicious qi that surrounded it. Meanwhile, his talisman simply looked like a child’s scribbles. The two talismans placed side by side formed a stark contrast.
Zhou Jiayu looked away with embarrassment.
Lin Po didn’t speak, and all his attention was focused on Lin Zhushui. He seemed to be waiting for Lin Zhushui’s next move.
Lin Zhushui took the talismans and nonchalantly pressed his finger against the box containing the jade bi with his right hand. The skin of his finger broke and a few drops of bright red blood flowed out.
Only then did Zhou Jiayu notice that there were a few tiny needles inserted into the box of the jade bi, which seemed to be specifically for bloodletting.
Lin Zhushui let a drop of his blood fall onto the jade bi and then casually threw the talismans on top of it—and something incredible happened.
Zhou Jiayu’s and Lin Po’s talismans were like spirits given life, floating above the jade bi and chasing each other.
Zhou Jiayu looked dumbfounded, thinking to himself that even this could happen.
Lin Po, on the other hand, had a solemn expression and had clearly witnessed this scene many times before.
Indeed, a pet was like its owner, and Zhou Jiayu’s talisman was not very aggressive. It was chased by Lin Po’s talisman, and occasionally its corner would be grabbed and forcefully thrown away.
Lin Po’s talisman was like a wild beast full of attacking intent, never letting go of Zhou Jiayu’s talisman for even a moment. It quickly crumpled and ravaged Zhou Jiayu’s talisman.
Watching from the side, Zhou Jiayu could feel his talisman’s misery.
Lin Po said, “Uncle, I told you he‘s only practiced for a few months. It’s still too early for him to use the jade bi.” He was also considered a genius of the Lin family, and had practiced drawing talismans from the age of six until now, a full twenty years. He knew that there were many geniuses in the world, but he didn’t believe that anyone could be so powerful.
Lin Zhushui gently shook his head and did not speak.
Lin Po didn’t understand why Lin Zhushui was treating Zhou Jiayu so differently. A spark of anger lit in his heart, but just as he was about to watch his talisman quickly tear Zhou Jiayu’s talisman to shreds, he realized that the situation was a bit off.
Zhou Jiayu’s talisman continued to slip away quickly, but his own talisman began to move slower and slower. Lin Po had encountered this situation before, and knew that the energy contained in his talisman was about to run out.
Stunned, Lin Po exclaimed: “Impossible—”
But nothing was impossible. The talisman being chased and torn seemed to regain its temper, and didn’t run away anymore. It turned around, smashing into Lin Po’s talisman, which instantly crashed limply to the ground like a bird without wings.
The whole process happened extremely fast. Lin Po’s body froze, and then he reacted and rushed towards Zhou Jiayu to shake him by the shoulders: “That’s impossible!”
Zhou Jiayu was shaken by him like a reed in the wind, unable to speak.
Lin Zhushui spoke: “That’s enough, don’t give him brain damage.”
Zhou Jiayu felt aggrieved, thinking, Sir, how could you say that?
Lin Po said, “Sir, how could things turn out like this? I’ve been practicing talismans for twenty years—twenty years! Zhou Jiayu has only just stepped foot into feng shui, how could this happen?” He was obviously deeply shocked, and was itching to conduct an anatomical experiment on Zhou Jiayu right away to examine the man in front of him.
But Lin Zhushui wasn’t surprised at all: “He was born for this profession.”
Lin Po was devastated.
Lin Zhushui said, “Put the jade bi back.”
Lin Po nodded and listlessly packed up the jade bi and talisman paper. While he was collecting the items, Zhou Jiayu noticed that the blood on the jade bi had disappeared at some point, leaving it in pristine condition.
“Talismans are merely mediums,” Lin Zhushui faced Zhou Jiayu and spoke. “Your talismans are still too inexperienced; you need to practice more.”
Zhou Jiayu obediently said yes, thinking of the talisman journals back at home he had yet to fill up. He’d always wondered how Shen Yiqiong could draw so quickly, but now he realized that they were drawing different talismans.
Lin Po put the jade away and came back, his initial faint hostility towards Zhou Jiayu replaced by an air of defeat. His begrudging eyes were almost like Shen Yiqiong’s first glances at Zhou Jiayu, making his skin crawl all over.
“Although you’ve improved, you must still practice,” Lin Zhushui said. “Talismans will be useful during the final.”
Zhou Jiayu had been wondering why Lin Zhushui had suddenly brought him here to test talismans, but at the mention of the finals, he began to connect the dots. He said, “Sir already knows what the finals will be about?”
Lin Zhushui said, “I don’t know.”
Zhou Jiayu was about to ask how he knew talismans could be used in the finals when he saw Lin Zhushui take out a wooden stick and hand it to him.iayu: “But I calculated it for you.”
Zhou Jiayu took it with trepidation, and when he glanced at the words on it—‘Great evil’—he almost fainted.
Lin Zhushui still looked indifferent, however. He said: “Even if you lose the competition, the divination wouldn’t go as far as to call it a great evil. Something else will probably happen.”
Thinking of the dead bodies he saw at the semifinals, Zhou Jiayu sadly said, “Sir…”
Lin Zhushui said, “No.”
Zhou Jiayu: “…” He hadn’t even said anything yet.
Lin Zhushui said, “I know what you were going to say.” He repeated, his voice gentler, “No.”
Zhou Jiayu felt aggrieved. Looking at the crumpled talisman on the table, he thought it might be his future.
“Some matters can’t be avoided.” In a rare instance Lin Zhushui actually explained, “If you let them develop, they might become more troublesome instead.”
Zhou Jiayu could only obediently agree.
While the two of them were talking, Lin Po had been sitting frozen on the side with a lost expression. When Lin Zhushui finally left, he said to Lin Po, “There’s no need to be bothered, he’s not as skilled as you.”
Lin Po’s eyes brightened.
Zhou Jiayu, however, froze.
Lin Po said, “Sir, I understand now!”
Lin Zhushui didn’t say anything more, and led Zhou Jiayu away.
Once the two of them exited the garden and got into the car to go home, Zhou Jiayu couldn’t hold it in anymore and whispered, “Is Sir saying Lin Po is better than me?”
Lin Zhushui didn’t answer directly, but instead said, “Zhou Jiayu, do you know what sets you apart from others?”
Zhou Jiayu said, “…Cooking?”
Lin Zhushui: “…” It was the first time his expression was so clearly helpless. It seemed there was nothing he could do about Zhou Jiayu, and he sighed softly, saying, “Some things, if left unanswered, will become like thorns in the heart. Lin Po trusts me too much. If I tell him he’s not good enough, he will definitely be deeply hurt.”
Zhou Jiayu said quietly, “I also trust Sir very much.”
The corner of Lin Zhushui’s mouth lifted with a smile. “So when I said ‘he’s not as good as you’ to Lin Po earlier, I never implied that the ‘he’ was you, Zhou Jiayu.”
Zhou Jiayu didn’t expect that Lin Zhushui could also play word games.
“Zhou Jiayu, you were born to stand on the top. While others struggle to climb up, you only need to lift your head to see the mountains,” Lin Zhushui said. “You should be more confident.”
Hearing Lin Zhushui’s words, Zhou Jiayu proudly puffed out his chest.
Then Lin Zhushui said, “Go back and draw more talismans, you’ll need them for the final.”
Zhou Jiayu felt a bit weak in the waist. He thought of the things he had encountered in the semifinals and said, “S, Sir, will there also be dead bodies in the finals?”
Lin Zhushui heard his words and said, “Dead bodies? The ones that move?”
Zhou Jiayu: “…” Sir, that’s not a dead body, that’s a zombie.
Lin Zhushui looked deep in thought: “It’s possible, but not certain. Is that something you’re looking forward to?”
Zhou Jiayu’s chest, which had just been puffed out, instantly deflated, turning him into a shrimp. He wondered what these dead bodies could do, and whether there was a possibility of making friends with them.
Whether it was intentional or unintentional, on the way back, Lin Zhushui casually shared several stories of supernatural situations in previous competitions. Hearing his stories, Zhou Jiayu trembled, and when he finally got out of the car, his legs felt like jelly. When he returned to the residence, Shen Yiqiong, Shen Musi, and the weasel were actually playing fighting the landlord together. Seeing his tragic appearance, Shen Yiqiong was stunned: “Zhou Jiayu, what’s wrong with you? You look like you’ve been squeezed dry.”
Zhou Jiayu: “…It feels like my body has been hollowed out.”
Shen Yiqiong said, “Sir took you away to sell your kidney?”
Zhou Jiayu had nothing to say.
The weasel chirped two times, beat Shen Yiqiong’s cards, then proceeded to play a pair of 2s.
Shen Yiqiong no longer paid attention to Zhou Jiayu, continuing to indulge in the game: “Pass!”
Zhou Jiayu, who was ignored by Shen Yiqiong and Shen Musi, felt the evil of the world. Limp and feeble, he walked to the sofa. The weasel came over and rubbed Zhou Jiayu’s face with its fur. Zhou Jiayu reached out and hugged it, saying, “You’re a good weasel.”
The weasel chirped and flung out the last few cards held by its claws.
Shen Yiqiong cried out, “It’s over, Zhou Jiayu! You’ll have to sleep with the weasel tonight!”
Zhou Jiayu: “Ah?”
Shen Yiqiong said, “We were betting on your fresh and tender flesh—”
Zhou Jiayu: “…”
The weasel happily hugged its big ice cream, the corners of its mouth curving up with delight. Big Ice Cream Zhou Jiayu looked angry: “Shen Yiqiong, you bastard! I won’t cook tonight, go eat your own noodles!”
Upon hearing this, Shen Yiqiong quickly reached out and restrained the weasel, saying, “No, no, I’ll sleep with it, don’t not cook today.”
The weasel had a question mark floating over its head. Beside them, Shen Musi grabbed the weasel’s paw and calmly said, “Yes, if Shen Yiqiong alone isn’t enough, I can also keep it company.”
Weasel: “…” It seemed to sense that something wasn’t quite right.
The author has something to say:
Lin Zhushui used his big darling to kiss his little darling.
Zhou Jiayu expressed that he really couldn’t hold back.
Bahahahah eid little fish rally sleep on his shoulder or did he pull him
Thnx ya for the chappiiee~
Love the dynamics between the characters and the cursed stories of ML Thank you for the chapter 💖
Oh, I like this spicy noodle episode! It gives a little different hint to Jiayu’s character
Thank you for your translation 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚
Aiii the fate of a prodigy is really something to be envied~~