Indeed, it turned out that the jade pendant given by the man in white clothing had some usefulness.
He walked into the house with the jade pendant in his pocket, and surprisingly, he didn’t encounter any unlucky incidents along the way. He didn’t even stumble once – it was like a miracle.
Whether it was psychological or not, Ruan Qiuping felt that as he entered the house with the jade pendant, the small flowers and plants in the garden, which were originally wilting and almost dying, seemed to have perked up a lot.
As the night fell and the stars adorned the sky, Ruan Dongdong woke up. His parents had already gone to sleep, but he was awake, leaning against the French window and sticking his tongue out at Ruan Qiuping.
Ruan Qiuping carefully used his magic to place the white jade pendant given by the man in white around Ruan Dongdong’s neck.
Ruan Dongdong looked at the suddenly appearing jade pendant around her neck, curiously playing with it for a while. Her chubby little hand held onto the pendant, and she looked up at Ruan Qiuping with a giggling smile. Her small mouth opened and closed, and she uttered two words in a broken, fragmented manner, “Ge, ge…” (meaning ” older brother…”)
Ruan Qiuping stood still, almost unbelievably saying, “Dongdong, what did you say? Say it again!”
“Ge, ge!”
This is the first time Ruan Dongdong has called him “brother.”
Ruan Qiu Ping felt like his heart was melting. If he were a marshmallow, he would have surely melted into a puddle of sweetness in that moment.
“Gege.. hug!” Ruan Dong Dong opened her arms and exclaimed in her adorable, childlike voice.
Ruan QiuPing took an involuntary step forward, but quickly realized and stepped back, lowering his arms and shaking his head gently. He softly said, “Gege can’t hug Dongdong.”
Even though Ruan Dongdong had the auspicious jade pendant, it didn’t mean Ruan QiuPing could recklessly interact with her. What if something went wrong? What if his bad luck interfered with the pendant’s good fortune? What if Dongdong got hurt or fell ill?
Ruan Dongdong tilted her head in slight confusion, but she didn’t press further on the matter. Instead, she lowered her head and played with her pendant for a while. As she continued playing, she gradually drifted into a deep sleep.
Ruan Qiuping sat on a swing about a dozen meters away from Ruan Dongdong, quietly observing the peaceful sight of his beloved little sister sleeping.
Tonight, for the first time, he had physical contact with another person.
Tonight, for the first time, Ruan Dongdong called him “Gege” (older brother).
Ruan Qiuping swung on the swing, soaring high up into the air.
And, astonishingly, even swinging on the swing didn’t bring any misfortune to him.
The rope didn’t break, the wooden plank didn’t split, the screws didn’t loosen, and there was certainly no ancient ferocious bird suddenly flying over to peck at his wrist.
Ruan Qiuping looked up at the beautiful and sparkling starry sky, then swung on the swing with even more vigor, smiling so much that his eyes curved like crescent moons.
It seems that this is truly a wonderful and fantastic night.
The news of the God of Fortune, Yu Huan, successfully descending to the mortal world quickly spread throughout the celestial realm. Within the day, Ruan Qiuping had already overheard three or four classmates discreetly asking their teachers about Yu Huan’s whereabouts, hoping that when they themselves descended to the mortal world in a couple of days, they could seize the opportunity to meet him.
In truth, the destiny of the God of Fortune after his descent had been adjusted by the Si Ming to be no different from that of an ordinary human. Hence, these celestial beings wishing to meet the God of Fortune in the mortal world wasn’t solely for the purpose of benefiting from his good fortune. Rather, it was about rendering a small favor in the mortal realm, which they could later use as a pretext to request a bit of good fortune from Yu Huan when he returned to the celestial realm after completing his trials.
After dealing with the eighth student attempting to extract Yu Huan’s whereabouts, Si Ming finally couldn’t resist any longer.
Adjusting his beard, Si Ming gestured for all the students to quiet down. Then, he spoke out loudly, “Everyone, please settle down. I need to clarify something. You all remember, right? Aside from overseeing mortal destinies, the Fate Management Academy also needs to roughly document the life trajectories of the immortals who descend to the mortal realm. So, for this month’s practical exercise, all of you will be shadowing the descending gods and recording all the significant events in their lives…”
Before Si Ming could finish his sentence, the classroom burst into cheers. Many were pounding on their desks while shouting the name of the God of Fortune in excitement.
“Quiet down, everyone!” Si Ming held the chalkboard eraser and gave the desk a firm tap. “Silence!”
Once the students settled down, Si Ming continued, “However! During this period, there have been a total of 8 gods descending to overcome their tribulations. Yet, our class has a total of 24 students. So, this is actually a group task. You will be organized into teams of three, responsible for observing and recording the experiences of one descending god…”
Grouping?
Ruan Qiu Ping lowered his head and spun his pen.
Indeed, the classroom immediately buzzed with activity. Some whispered with their peers, some looked around anxiously, and some occasionally glanced at Ruan Qiu Ping’s spot.
Finally, someone boldly raised their hand, “Teacher, how will the groups be formed?”
Si Ming shook the drawing lots container and chuckled, “In the Fate Management Academy, of course, we draw lots. Whoever you draw is your destiny.”
The students exchanged looks, their unease evident on their faces.
Three minutes later, the drawing lots were completed.
The two students who were drawn into the same group as Ruan Qiu Ping looked extremely dejected.
One of them, a shorter student named Jing Yang, was on the verge of tears.
He took out a crumpled amulet of dispelling bad luck from his pocket, his voice tinged with a teary tone, “Is there anyone willing to exchange amulets with me? My amulet accidentally fell into the water yesterday and had some issues. I’m willing to pay any amount if someone is willing to exchange.”
The crowd began to step back, with no one willing to exchange with him.
Another student named Chen Hai also had a gloomy expression. After hesitating for a while, he finally gritted his teeth and looked up at the teacher, “Teacher, I don’t want to be in the same group as Ren Qiuping.”
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.
Vl Zlcu ibbxfv j yla jkxkjgv, “Coafg vfrmfcvlcu ab atf wbgaji kbgiv, sbeg jegj jcv wjulmji qbkfg klii yf rfjifv. Snfc obg Efc Hleqlcu, la’r fralwjafv atja bcis bcf-afcat bo tlr yjv iemx gfwjlcr. Zbgfbnfg, sbe tjnf atf jweifa ogbw atf Xbv bo Mbgaecf ab vlrqfi yjv iemx. Ktfgf rtbeivc’a yf jcs lrrefr…”
“Even with that, I still don’t want to be in the same group as Ren Qiu Ping. Teacher, if I can’t switch groups, I won’t participate. I believe life is more important than credits,” Chen Hai argued firmly.
Ruan Qiu Ping raised his right hand, swaying it casually as he spoke up, “Teacher, I’m fine being in a group by myself, but I have a condition. I want to be responsible for recording Yu Huan’s life trajectory.”
Si Ming glanced at the tearful Jing Yang and Chen Hai, who threatened to drop out, and sighed, “You can have a group by yourself, but wanting to record Yu Huan’s life trajectory is not possible. That also needs to be drawn by lots, after all, we must uphold fairness and justice.”
Drawing lots, oh no.
If he could draw a good lot, even a rooster could lay eggs.
Ruan Qiu Ping sighed deeply.
But upon hearing the teacher say that Ruan Qiu Ping could have a group by himself, the two students who had just cried and protested quieted down.
Si Ming assigned them to other groups and then proceeded to draw the names of the divine beings each group would be responsible for during their descent to the mortal realm.
After receiving his lot, Ruan Qiu Ping didn’t want to open it. His mind was full of thoughts about how to secretly find Yu Huan after descending.
After each group leader opened their slips, a series of sighs followed one after another, and everyone started whispering to each other.
“I didn’t get the God of Fortune. Who did you get?”
“Hongyang Immortal Lord…”
“Who drew the God of Fortune?”
“Did Group 7 get it? I thought I heard it just now!”
“No, Group 7 didn’t get the God of Fortune. You heard it wrong. Group 7 drew Qisheng…”
“Teacher, there’s something wrong with the slips. None of the groups drew Yu Huan!”
“Is there a mistake?” Si Ming frowned, “This shouldn’t be… Everyone, take another look at your slips. Is it really not Yu Huan?”
All the students lowered their heads to examine their slips, then shook their heads in unison, “No!”
This was quite strange… Could it be that the slips were mistaken? Or did someone actually draw Yu Huan’s slip but isn’t admitting it? But that wouldn’t make sense according to the rules. What could be going on…
Ruan Qiu Ping rubbed his chin, pondering deeply. Suddenly, his eyes fell on the slip in his hand.
“Clang!” Ruan Qiu Ping stood up abruptly, and in his excitement, he even knocked over the chair behind him.
He raised the slip in his hand and stammered, “Teacher, I… I got… Yu Huan!”
The whole classroom fell into utter silence.
“You mean to say, you drew Yu Huan’s slip?” Si Ming asked incredulously.
Ruan Qiu Ping nodded stiffly.
To make sure Si Ming believed him, Ruan Qiu Ping used magic to fly the slip directly to Si Ming.
Si Ming examined the slip several times before finally believing it, “Indeed… So Ruan Qiu Ping will be solely responsible for Yu Huan.”
The whole room buzzed with discussion.
“How is this possible? He’s the God of Misfortune. How could he draw the God of Fortune?”
“Wait, have you considered that drawing the God of Fortune might actually be a bad omen?”
“No way, don’t console yourself with that…”
“This is unbelievable. Ruan Qiuping’s luck is as if he’s been touched by the God of Fortune.”
“Being touched by the God of Fortune is impossible, but it’s possible he actually obtained a genuine item from the God of Fortune.”
Ruan Qiu Ping suddenly realized. He wondered how he could have drawn such a good slip. It turned out it was because of the jade pendant he had in his pocket last night.
It seemed that the pendant was truly extraordinary. Just having it in his possession briefly resulted in him drawing such a good slip today. Should he thank the white-clothed man who gave him the pendant? But he didn’t even know the man’s name… Well, as long as he didn’t meet that person, not bothering him was probably the best way to express his gratitude to the kind-hearted deity.
Just then, a small paper ball landed on Ruan Qiu Ping’s desk.
Curious, he unfolded the paper ball to find a message inside.
“…I’m sorry. If it weren’t for my damaged amulet, I would have been willing to be in the same group with you. I’m really sorry!!! – Jing Yang”
Under the message was a doodle of a bowing figure.
Ruan Qiuping was momentarily taken aback. He looked up and saw Jing Yang, the student who had thrown the paper, smiling at him in a somewhat embarrassed manner.
Was this what they called passing notes?
Ruan Qiuping tore off a piece of paper, quickly wrote “It’s okay” on it, and tossed it back.
He folded the note he had just received and slipped it between the pages of his book, his leg shaking with excitement.
Today, he had not only drawn an unbelievably good lot, but he had also received one of those fabled classroom notes that were usually only passed among well-connected individuals.
What a wonderful day it had turned out to be!
In the blink of an eye, it was time for their practical experience in the mortal world.
Calculating the days, Yu Huan had already been on Earth for five days. At the age of four or five, he was at the perfect age to begin nurturing childhood friendships.
With these thoughts in mind, Ruan Qiuping crossed the threshold of the Fuhua Gate confidently.
After stepping over the first Shimmering Gate, there were two more gates ahead. The first gate was named the “Entering the Mortal Realm Gate,” overseeing the trials of immortals descending to the mortal world. Three staff members sat before this gate, managing the necessary procedures before entry. The gate they passed through was a smaller one called the “Observing the Mortal Realm Gate,” guarded by an attendant. Upon recognizing that it was students led by Si Ming, they only needed to sign and wear the wristbands to proceed.
These wristbands couldn’t be put on or taken off by themselves; they were specially crafted artifacts from the Heavenly Realm. They automatically sealed ninety percent of the spells and life force of the descending celestial beings. This feature was tailored for the students of the Fate Management Academy. Additionally, the wristbands would automatically transport them to the vicinity of the deities they were responsible for observing.
Ruan Qiuping put on the wristband and walked through the Gate of Observing the Mortal Realm. In an instant, he felt as if he had fallen from a great height, dizzy and disoriented. His ears were ringing deep inside.
After his feet touched the ground, it took him over a minute to finally open his eyes.
The wristband emitted a faint blue light, indicating that he was within a hundred meters of Yu Huan. At the same time, a countdown timer for 30 hours appeared on it.
Taking a look around, he furrowed his brows.
This was an abandoned factory, an empty and dilapidated space that seemed devoid of any human presence.
Why would a child of four or five years old be here?
However, caution was of the utmost importance. They were here to observe the fate trajectory of those undergoing their tribulations, and it was best not to be discovered. Even if they were seen, they had to do their best to conceal their identities and pose as ordinary humans.
For the sake of convenience, they were given invisibility talismans by the senior assistant before descending to the mortal realm.
Wait a minute… Where’s my talisman?!
Frantically searching through all his pockets, he couldn’t find the talisman anywhere.
Sighing, he realized that his bad luck was likely at play again.
Before Ruan Qiuping could quiet his thoughts about where the talisman might have disappeared to, a series of clanging sounds interrupted him.
What was that noise? Could it be that something had happened to Yu Huan?
Ruan Qiuping quietly followed the sound and walked deeper into the building.
Passing by stacked paint buckets, Ruan Qiuping discovered a partially open door. Looking through the crack in the door, he felt his hair stand on end.
A man with bare arms was holding a large knife, his body splattered with fresh red blood. He had his back to Ruan Qiuping and seemed to be dissecting a body.
A murder scene? A dismemberment scene?
Ruan Qiuping dared not make a sound, waves of coldness sweeping through his chest. Even though he was a deity who had lived for over two hundred years, this was the first time he had witnessed a real murder scene.
Just then, there was a slight movement next to the paint buckets. Ruan Qiuping’s heart instantly raced, and he cautiously turned his head. In the stack of paint buckets, he saw a child dressed in black clothes, sitting with knees hugged.
At the same time, the blue light on Ruan Qiuping’s wristband stopped shimmering.
It turned out that this child was none other than the mortal he had come to observe, Yu Huan.
But why was he here? What was he doing hiding in this place?
Little Yu Huan lifted his head. His face was pale, making his big eyes appear even darker. Besides that, his cheeks, neck, and arms were all smeared with black and paint, making him look quite disheveled.
Seeing the child in this state, Ruan Qiuping found it hard to see him as his arch-nemesis, Yu Huan. Instead, he appeared to be nothing more than a mortal child a couple of years older than Ruan Dongdong.
Seeing Ruan Qiuping, the child pushed himself up from the ground and took a step back, his gaze cold and wary.
“Who?!” Suddenly, a loud shout came from inside the door. The burly man seemed to have heard the faint rustling noise from this direction and turned around, walking towards here.
The footsteps grew closer, and Ruan Qiuping’s heart raced.
“Run!” Ruan Qiuping shouted at the child, but the child remained motionless as if not understanding.
“Boom!” The burly man kicked the door open.
Blood-covered hands and a face splattered with blood came into view, and even in the periphery, Ruan Qiuping could see the snowy white arm he was holding swaying with his movement…
Ruan Qiuping’s breath caught for a moment.
Without any time for thought, he immediately extended his palm to shield the child’s view from a distance.
The next second, in the swaying motion, the arm splattered blood onto Ruan Qiuping’s hand.
Ruan Qiuping shuddered with revulsion.
Ruan Qiuping’s hand hadn’t touched the child, nor did it cover the child’s eyes. It was merely held up in front of the child, blocking his view.
So when Ruan Qiuping looked down, he clearly saw the child blink and then lift his head to look at him.
The child’s stark black and white eyes collided with Ruan Qiuping’s. Startled, Ruan Qiuping remembered his bad luck constitution and quickly withdrew his hand, distancing himself from the child.
However, the child’s pitch-black eyes remained fixed on Ruan Qiuping, seemingly attempting to bore a hole through him.
“It’s a pig.”
The child suddenly spoke.
Ruan Qiuping widened his eyes.
Why is this child cursing?
And this child is incredibly bold too, not even being afraid when faced with a murder scene.
“Who the hell let you guys in?! Didn’t you see the sign saying ‘No Entry for Outsiders’? Wait a minute, you’re a reporter, right…” The big man pointed at Ruan Qiuping’s nose and asked in a rough voice.
Ruan Qiuping raised his head and looked at the man.
He was an adult. He had lived for over two hundred years. He was a deity. He couldn’t back down!
He gathered his courage and spoke loudly, “What do you want to do…”
Wait.
Ruan Qiuping’s gaze stopped at the big man’s right hand.
What he had just glimpsed as a white arm in the corner of his eye had now turned into… a pig’s trotter?
So this big man…
Ruan Qiuping tilted his body and looked towards the room behind the big man.
He saw a pile of dead pigs on the ground.
It turns out this is an illegal slaughterhouse…
“You dare to keep looking! What are you looking at?! Are you a journalist? Leave your camera behind!” The big man shouted again, turning around to grab a wooden stick from behind the door.
Afraid of transferring his bad luck to the child, Ruan Qiuping didn’t dare to run while holding the child. Fortunately, there was a layer of plastic sheet on top of the paint bucket. Ruan Qiuping quickly tore it off, wrapped it around the child’s body, and then picked him up, rushing forward.
However, even though he acted quickly, it took some time. As he turned and ran a couple of steps, the big man’s wooden stick struck his back.
Ruan Qiuping stumbled from the blow but quickly continued running.
“Crack!” There was a loud sound. The big man chasing him stumbled over the paint bucket and fell to the ground.
Ruan Qiuping raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit more balanced in his heart.
Daring to hit the God of Misfortune, I curse you with continuous bad luck!
While cursing the man in his mind, Ruan Qiuping lowered his head and glanced at the child in his arms.
After descending to the mortal realm, his bad luck had already been reduced by nine-tenths. Now, with the thick plastic wrap around the child, it could further isolate a considerable amount of misfortune.
However, even so, just the fact that he touched the child would probably bring a bit of misfortune. Thinking about this, he felt a bit guilty.
Running while panting, Ruan Qiuping apologized, “I’m sorry, kid, I didn’t mean to touch you. You might have to endure a bit of bad luck… I’ll put you down right away…”
Just then, the Child suddenly reached out a hand, gently encircling Ruan Qiuping’s neck, and nestled their head in the crook of his neck.
Ruan Qiuping’s body stiffened, his pupils slightly dilated, and a drop of sweat rolled down his cheek. He had even forgotten to wipe it away.
Even his running pace slowed down for a moment.
…It was an embrace.
first hug!!
What a rough start!!
i’m ready to risking it all to give him more hugs