Chapter 004

The room was small, so everyone heard Qiao Man’s words. Lu Jianxing and Sister Yun, who had been whispering to each other, couldn’t help but stop.

Maomao was completely at a loss. “Luck Borrowing? What Luck Borrowing?”

Qiao Man explained, “His Career Luck is very good. Logically, he should have smooth sailing. Even if he encountered minor setbacks, his misfortune would eventually turn to joy. The reason things have become like this is that someone is performing Luck Borrowing on him.”

“You mean to say that someone used a bit of…” Maomao’s gaze drifted over the Taoist Robe on the boy’s body before he changed his phrasing, “a bit of unscientific methods to steal Brother Lu’s career?”

Qiao Man nodded. He stretched out a small hand, pointing his finger at Lu Jianxing from a distance. The luck that ordinary people couldn’t see was fully revealed in his clear eyes. A hint of ethereal mystery appeared on his tender, cute face. “That person has been stealing it for a long time, at least half a year. The luck on his body is almost completely borrowed.”

Everyone looked at each other.

Lu Jianxing’s run of bad luck had indeed started last year.

Being in this industry, it was inevitable to believe in Metaphysics to some degree. If these words had come from the mouth of an old man with a white beard, they would certainly be impatiently asking for a solution right now. But the one saying these things was a child.

Maomao measured him in his mind. This was a child only half his height, with a small frame, short legs, and a face that wasn’t even as big as his palm.

Could a child’s words be taken seriously?

Not long ago, this kid was chasing Brother Lu and claiming to be his father!

While Maomao was grumbling internally, Sister Yun suddenly stood up.

She strode over and squatted down in front of Qiao Man. “Little friend, what did you just say? This Luck Borrowing you mentioned… is it real?”

“Of course it’s real.” Qiao Man wrinkled his small face unhappily. “I already said I’m very capable. Why don’t any of you believe me?”

Sister Yun quickly coaxed him, “I believe you, I believe you. Then, do you know if there’s any way to solve it?”

“Sister Yun, you actually believe him?” Maomao said incredulously. “This is just a five-year-old child, you…” He was silenced by a glare from Sister Yun and didn’t dare say the rest.

Lu Jianxing finished the thought for him. “How do you know what he’s saying is true?”

Qiao Man’s cheeks puffed out as he gave him an angry look. “Xingxing, I’ll forgive you this time, but you can’t do this next time, okay?”

“You guys don’t understand. I’ve actually felt this matter was strange for a long time,” Sister Yun said.

She had been in this industry longer than the other two, so she knew quite a bit of private gossip. For example, a certain entertainment company tycoon went to a temple to burn incense every year, and it was said he consulted a master before making any major decisions. There were rumors that a certain Best Actress secretly kept a spirit, and a certain superstar had gone to request a Buddha amulet. Whether true or false, such rumors didn’t start without a reason.

Besides, wasn’t Lu Jianxing’s situation too bizarre?

The black material for the Internet-wide Smear Campaign was impossible to clarify because the video recordings had mysteriously vanished. Everything went wrong, as if someone had suddenly drained all his good luck, leaving him only with misfortune.

Sister Yun said, “Xingxing, do you remember at the beginning of the year, I went to a temple to get an Amulet for you? After that, your luck improved a bit, and you even got a new job.”

That was true. Lu Jianxing hesitated, “But that didn’t really help much…”

“Didn’t that Amulet fall into the water? After it was fished out, it lost its effect, and you started becoming unlucky again,” Sister Yun said. “Anyway, you’re planning to quit the industry, so what’s the harm in trying?”

“…”

That made a lot of sense.

So Lu Jianxing also walked over.

But he didn’t squat down like Sister Yun. Instead, he found a ten-yuan bill in the inner pocket of his backpack and, under the puzzled gazes of the other two, presented it to Qiao Man with both hands.

Qiao Man’s eyes lit up, and he happily accepted it. This was the first ten yuan he had earned since starting his business.

Lu Jianxing coughed and cleared his throat. “Ma… Master, can you help me?”

“Normally I couldn’t. A person can only have one fortune told, and you’ve already had yours,” Qiao Man said seriously. “But I can make an exception for you this once. You can’t tell anyone else.”

“…” Lu Jianxing lowered his head. “…Okay.”

Qiao Man bent over to pull things out of his small backpack.

His small backpack was as tattered as his Taoist Robe, looking like it was sewn together from several pieces of cloth. The bag was packed full with Talisman Paper, brushes, Cinnabar, a Luo Pan… He laid them all out.

Maomao looked at him, then at Lu Jianxing, who was waiting with bated breath.

No way.

There was no way, right???

Superstition was one thing, but how could they actually believe a five-year-old was a Master?! He was just a child!!

Qiao Man arranged the items and then asked Lu Jianxing to come closer. He muttered something under his breath and finally reached out his small, tender hand to pat Lu Jianxing’s shoulder, as if brushing dust off him.

As those soft little hands lightly brushed over him, Lu Jianxing felt his whole body lighten. It was as if a heavy weight he had carried for a long time had suddenly left his body, followed by a sense of ease and comfort he hadn’t felt in ages.

Qiao Man withdrew his hand. “All done.”

“Huh?” Maomao didn’t quite react. “That’s it?”

Qiao Man nodded. “That’s it.”

Maomao pointed at the pile of props laid out in front of him. “Then what about these?”

Qiao Man waved his small hand dismissively. “I didn’t need them. My master said that laying all these out makes it easier to bluff people.”

“…”

Maomao opened his mouth and looked at the other two people in the room for help.

Sister Yun, Brother Lu, say something!

Before anyone else could speak, a phone ringtone suddenly pierced the silence of the room, giving everyone a start.

Sister Yun was a beat slow before she hurriedly pulled her phone from her bag. “Hello?”

It was unclear what the person on the other end said, but shock and wild joy visibly appeared on her face. “Good, good, I understand… Have the PR department handle it, we’ll cooperate on this end.”

After hanging up the phone, Sister Yun looked at the other two and said with great joy, “Xingxing, do you remember that smear campaign claiming you were acting like a diva? The video has been recovered.”

“It’s been recovered?” Maomao was shocked. “Didn’t they say the original recording was lost due to a technical glitch and couldn’t be found?!”

“That’s right, but it’s been found now.”

Everyone looked toward the child sitting upright in disbelief. His feet were still dangling in mid-air, swinging happily as he seemed to be in a great mood.

They had searched for that video for a long time and had given up long ago. Yet, the lost recording had reappeared after more than half a year, and all of this change was because… that five-year-old child had lightly patted Lu Jianxing.

It was too coincidental… no, it was practically divine!

“That person won’t be able to use Luck Borrowing on you anymore. Your luck will slowly return,” Qiao Man instructed. “You must remember to do more good deeds and accumulate merit.”

Lu Jianxing nodded, his expression still somewhat dazed.

Maomao swallowed hard. “Then… then can all those baseless rumors about Brother Lu be cleared up too?”

Qiao Man replied, “Of course! Didn’t I say so? His luck will slowly return.”

Maomao stammered, “This… this…”

Could such a thing actually be real?!

Luck Borrowing, Metaphysics… did they really exist?!

And it was all resolved by a five-year-old child?

This world was becoming far too fantastical!

Qiao Man leaned over and fumbled with the props on the table again. He pulled out a piece of Talisman Paper, picked up a pen, and began to draw. To Maomao, it looked like he was just making random, strange scribbles, much like a child’s doodles, but the strokes were executed in one continuous motion with incredibly smooth lines.

Maomao asked sincerely, “Master, didn’t you say these things were useless?”

“They weren’t needed to solve the Luck Borrowing. This is a bonus Sleep-Aid Talisman,” Qiao Man explained solemnly. “This is a special benefit because it’s Xingxing. No one else gets this.”

“A Sleep-Aid Talisman?”

Qiao Man nodded.

He had seen it from the moment they first met. Not only was Lu Jianxing suicidal and being targeted by Luck Borrowing, but he also looked like he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a very long time. Every time his master pulled an all-nighter, his face would have dark circles just like Lu Jianxing’s, and Qiao Man would always have to draw a Sleep-Aid Talisman for him before he could go to bed.

If it were anyone else, Qiao Man wouldn’t have bothered, but since this was his own son, how could he not?

He really was a good father!

Qiao Man held up the talisman and patted it onto Lu Jianxing.

Sister Yun asked nervously, “Xingxing, how do you feel?”

Lu Jianxing hesitated. “I… I feel a bit sleepy?”

Maomao was stunned. “Brother Lu, really?”

One had to understand that Lu Jianxing had been plagued by insomnia for a long time.

Lu Jianxing nodded, and a visible weariness appeared on his face. Before he could even say another word, he collapsed onto the nearby bed. Moments later, the sound of steady breathing came from that direction.

He was asleep.

Maomao looked at him in disbelief, then at Sister Yun, and finally at Qiao Man.

He let out a silent “wow” and covered his mouth with both hands.

…

Elsewhere, on a certain film set.

During a break in filming, a handsome man sat in a chair resting while several assistants surrounded him. Suddenly, he felt a burning sensation on his chest. He quickly set down his script, pulled open his collar, and took out the Amulet¹ tucked inside.

When he opened the pouch, nothing remained inside but a pile of black ash.

“Is it used up already?” the man murmured. He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the other people on the set. “Who should be my next target…”

Translator’s Notes