Chapter 021

The wound on his finger was just a minor one. After being cut by the knife, the bleeding stopped quickly. If Qiao Man hadn’t asked, Pei Xiwang wouldn’t have even remembered it.

Compared to this trivial injury, he was far more concerned about his brush with death. Having narrowly escaped a lightning strike that nearly killed him, he had been having nightmares every night since, unable to get a single good night’s sleep.

Pei Xiwang was genuinely panicked. “Master Xiao Man, am I being haunted by something dirty? Could you perform a ritual for me? Or do you have any amulets? Could you sell me a few more of the ones you gave me last time?”

He still owed money for the previous amulet, so Pei Xiwang added, “I’ll pay for everything once the show is over.”

Master Xiao Man didn’t answer.

Pei Xiwang waited for a moment, only to realize the child’s attention wasn’t on him at all. Following Qiao Man’s gaze, he saw Xie Yunqian chatting and laughing with Zhan Yan.

Pei Xiwang looked back. “Master Xiao Man?”

Without a word, Qiao Man hopped down from his chair.

Even Lu Jianxing noticed something was off. “Xiao Man?”

Qiao Man was already running toward them.

“You guys ran into wolves in the middle of the night the day before yesterday?” Hearing Xie Yunqian recount his experiences over the past few days, Xing Lei said with lingering fear, “That’s terrifying. I knew there were wild animals on this mountain, but I wouldn’t know how to escape if I actually ran into them.”

Having started as a martial arts actor, he had a foundation in combat, but even he couldn’t guarantee he’d come out unscathed from an encounter with wild wolves. After all, wolves were pack animals; who would dare risk their life against a pack of beasts with bare hands?

“We only heard the howling in the middle of the night; we didn’t actually run into them. Pei Xiwang and I were too scared to sleep all night, but luckily, we didn’t hear them again after that,” Xie Yunqian said with a wry smile.

Xing Lei sighed. “First Pei Xiwang almost gets struck by lightning, and then you guys almost run into wolves. That’s some terrible luck… Fortunately, nothing happened.”

“Yeah…” Xie Yunqian agreed.

A set of footsteps approached and stopped in front of them. Xie Yunqian looked down and saw the child who had suddenly run up to him. He paused almost imperceptibly before quickly putting on a gentle expression again. “Little one, what’s wrong?”

Qiao Man reached out toward him without ceremony. “Let me see your Amulet.”

The Amulet? Xie Yunqian touched the Amulet through his clothes. Even though there was no reaction, he pulled his hand back quickly as if he’d been burned. He shook his head with a smile. “No, I can’t just show this to anyone.”

Qiao Man’s little face turned stern. “You…”

“Xiao Man, you can’t do that!” Lu Jianxing caught up and bent down to scoop the child up, apologizing sheepishly. “Brother Xie, he’s just curious. He didn’t mean anything by it.”

Xie Yunqian shook his head. “It’s fine.”

Just then, the break ended. The host began gathering the contestants in the center of the clearing to film the closing segment of the show.

Xie Yunqian was the first to respond and walked over, with Xing Lei and his junior following suit. Lu Jianxing stayed where he was, only following slowly with the child in his arms once the others had moved off.

“Xiao Man, you can’t be so rude,” he said softly. “That’s his personal property. If you want to see it, you have to ask for permission first.”

“…”

The child was usually very well-behaved, agreeing to whatever was said. It was rare for him not to respond. Lu Jianxing looked down; Qiao Man was still staring fixedly at Xie Yunqian. His expression wasn’t just serious; it had turned somewhat fierce. His dark, round eyes were startlingly bright, as if an invisible fire were burning within them. If he were a small animal, his fur would have been standing on end right now.

“Xiao Man?”

Lu Jianxing didn’t know what was wrong, but everyone else had already gathered and was waiting for them. Under the gaze of the live cameras, he suppressed his confusion and walked over quickly with the child.

Suddenly, the child reached out and hugged his neck, his fluffy head leaning in. Soft hair brushed against Lu Jianxing’s ear.

Qiao Man, full of indignation, whispered his accusation: “Xingxing, he’s the one who stole your luck.”

Lu Jianxing’s footsteps faltered. “…Who?”

…

Having spent years in front of the camera, Xie Yunqian was very sensitive to the gaze of others. He could feel the child watching him constantly. However, he didn’t look back, doing his best to ignore that stare.

The host was summarizing the performance of the contestants this season. He appeared to be listening intently, but in reality, he was somewhat distracted.

Xie Yunqian knew he had been a bit too impatient.

He guessed that the child must have an extraordinary background. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to point out that Pei Xiwang’s luck had been “borrowed” the very first time he saw him.

Although everyone’s attention had later been drawn to Pei Xiwang nearly being struck by lightning and no one noticed the mention of “Luck Borrowing,” it had caused an uproar in his heart. Not only had the child predicted Pei Xiwang’s Calamity of Blood, but he had also severed the connection between his and Pei Xiwang’s fortunes.

He didn’t know how the child had done it. That day, the Amulet on his chest had turned scalding hot. Later, when he avoided the cameras and took it off to check, the “borrowed” hair and blood inside had already turned to ash.

Xie Yunqian was a Luck Borrower.

Even though he was now a top star, greeted by flowers and compliments wherever he went, no one knew that when he first entered the entertainment industry, he wasn’t well-regarded. He had no background or connections, and while he was handsome, his looks weren’t particularly striking. He had no special talents either. His natural ability was mediocre, making him just like the many others who surged into the industry only to be swallowed by the tide like unremarkable grains of sand.

The turning point came during a drinking session with a senior celebrity.

That senior had just starred in a massive hit drama and was at the height of his fame. In a drunken state, he let slip a few words, revealing that his success relied on certain Metaphysics means.

At first, Xie Yunqian didn’t quite believe it. But he found a way to coax the Master’s contact information out of the senior, and soon after, he obtained this Amulet. The day after receiving it, he successfully passed an audition and landed his first significant role with a name and actual lines.

As long as he kept that Amulet on him, the borrowed luck would transform into wings to help him soar. First, it was significant supporting roles, then leading roles, until eventually, he was the one hand-picking his characters. The glory he craved was always within reach. By now, he had established a firm foothold in the entertainment industry, and everyone treated him with fawning sycophancy.

But borrowed luck was never the original article; it wasn’t quite as effective and would eventually lose its potency after a period of use. Fortunately, the entertainment industry never lacked for people. Once the old “luck” expired, he would seek out the next rising star. He guarded his secret fiercely, “borrowing” one person’s luck after another.

His “luck” truly did become exceptional. Not only did his career take off, but the people he borrowed luck from vanished one by one. No one ever noticed, until-

He saw the news on the trending searches clarifying the smear campaign against Lu Jianxing.

Instead of fading out of the industry in disgrace like the others who had their luck stolen, Lu Jianxing’s fortunes had shifted, and he had reached a turning point.

This unprecedented turn of events caught Xie Yunqian completely off guard and filled him with an inexplicable sense of dread.

He paid a hefty sum to the Master he collaborated with to investigate, but the man found nothing. Worse, Xie Yunqian suffered a backlash himself.

His team had been in talks for a new film by an international director. He had specifically cleared his schedule, and the deal was on the verge of being finalized. Yet, at the very last moment, the other party suddenly turned hostile and refused to cooperate, rendering all his preparations useless. Conversely, the production team of Wilderness Challenge officially announced that Lu Jianxing would be joining the cast.

It was as if… as if the luck he had “borrowed” was being snatched back.

This was why he had taken the initiative to join Wilderness Challenge. He wanted to get close to Lu Jianxing and pry the reason for this change out of him.

What he hadn’t expected, however, was that the child following Lu Jianxing would be so extraordinary.

He should have been more cautious. The Master who gave him the Amulet had warned him that once he lost his luck, his end would be even more miserable than those he had borrowed from. He was used to everything going his way; when his fortune was high, he was invincible. He didn’t dare imagine what would happen to him once he lost that “luck.” Pei Xiwang had nearly been struck by lightning while Xie Yunqian was standing right beside him. Two nights ago, wolves had howled in the middle of the night, only a stone’s throw away from where he stood.

Without luck, it was like having a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head. Xie Yunqian couldn’t wait any longer, so he engaged in Luck Borrowing once more.

Even if that child had seen through him, what of it?

Xie Yunqian thought dismissively.

The program had ended. After today, everyone would go their separate ways. He would never encounter that child again, and his secret would remain safe.

Besides, he had merely borrowed some luck.