Chapter 006

A child had suddenly appeared, insisting he was his father. Furthermore, this child was a Little Master who could divine the future and whose words came true. It wasn’t just Lu Jianxing who was skeptical; even Sister Yun was starting to have doubts.

Sister Yun was thinking a bit further ahead than Lu Jianxing.

She was more afraid that this child hadn’t appeared out of thin air, but was actually Lu Jianxing’s secret son. Considering their ages, it wasn’t impossible.

New children popped up in the entertainment industry every year. Once exposed, it was a massive blow to an artist’s popularity. Lu Jianxing had previously followed the idol route¹, drawing in mostly female fans. He hadn’t even caught his breath after hitting rock bottom; if news broke that he had a child out of wedlock, not even a Master could save his career.

Therefore, while Lu Jianxing was sleeping, Sister Yun hadn’t just been busy with PR. She had also plucked hairs from both of them and sent them to the hospital for an expedited paternity test.

And now, the results of that paternity test were in Lu Jianxing’s hands.

Seeing Lu Jianxing hesitate to open it, Sister Yun urged, “What’s wrong? Are you scared?”

“…” Lu Jianxing nodded with difficulty. “A little.”

He really didn’t want to have to call a five-year-old child “Dad.”

Qiao Man had no idea that his cheap son’s heart was currently in turmoil. All his attention was focused on the phone in Maomao’s hand.

After hearing about things called cell phones from Old Man Li at the convenience store, Qiao Man had become curious. When the assistant, Maomao, took out his phone to show Lu Jianxing the comments online, a fluffy little head leaned over.

Maomao proudly showed him Lu Jianxing’s homepage. “Look, baby, isn’t this candid shot of Brother Lu handsome? I took it! I’m amazing at taking photos!”

Qiao Man responded enthusiastically, “It looks good!”

Maomao said, “Right? Back then, many of Brother Lu’s fans used to praise me.”

Qiao Man added, “Impressive!”

He scrolled down the screen. Most of the content on Lu Jianxing’s personal page was work-related promotion, while the rest consisted of regular photo benefits for his fans. As Lu Jianxing’s assistant, Maomao had mastered professional photography techniques, and most of the daily photos were his work.

He was enjoying the praise so much that he accidentally clicked into the comment section of a post from a month ago. His brain didn’t keep up with his fingers, and suddenly, the vile comments below came into view.

Although the black materials had been clarified yesterday and many fans had returned to apologize, the top-voted comments from earlier were still full of insults directed at Lu Jianxing.

Maomao hurriedly exited the page and looked up guiltily at Lu Jianxing and Sister Yun. Seeing that they hadn’t noticed, he breathed a sigh of relief. The child was still holding his hand, waiting excitedly for him to keep scrolling.

Maomao said with a lack of confidence, “Those just now were an accident. Baby, forget those, don’t take them to heart.”

He knew that although they hadn’t known each other long, the Little Master was very protective of Brother Lu.

“Hmm?” Qiao Man looked up, his dark, clear eyes filled with confusion. “I can’t read.”

Maomao was speechless.

He was still an illiterate baby.

Fearing he might click the wrong thing again, Maomao didn’t dare show him anymore. He opened a Match-3 game on the phone and started playing with him. Qiao Man had never seen anything like this before. Instantly, his entire attention was captured by the colorful little patterns on the screen. He watched Maomao’s movements without blinking. By the time one round ended, he had snuggled completely into Maomao’s arms.

Maomao asked, “Do you know how to play now?”

Qiao Man was excited. “I do!”

Maomao handed the phone to him. “Baby, you play.”

Qiao Man rubbed his hands together and clicked on the next level.

The rules of the game were simple: you just needed to connect three or more patterns of the same color in a row to clear them. His small hand swiped back and forth on the screen. He was clumsy at first, but he quickly became proficient.

Just at the critical moment with ten seconds left on the countdown, Qiao Man suddenly looked up.

He looked into the air, where invisible luck was reflected in his eyes. A pair of greedy hands was trying to secretly stir up trouble where people couldn’t see. The weak fortune on Lu Jianxing’s body flickered, like a flame fluttering in the wind, nearly extinguished.

Maomao was completely oblivious and urged him anxiously, “Baby, click here.”

Qiao Man put the phone down.

“Baby?”

He frowned, his small face solemn as he jumped down from Maomao’s lap.

Lu Jianxing was hesitating over the paternity test when he suddenly felt a small hand pat him. He looked down to see the child standing before him, pouting with a look of displeasure.

Lu Jianxing instinctively hid the paternity test behind his back, but he saw the child look away, staring up at a certain spot in the air.

At this point, everyone noticed something was wrong.

“What’s happening?”

Qiao Man said somewhat angrily, “That luck-borrower is back.”

“What?!”

Maomao turned pale with shock. “Wasn’t that resolved yesterday?”

Luck borrowing required a medium, such as hair or blood. Qiao Man was certain he had resolved the matter yesterday; the medium in the luck-borrower’s hands had long since been burned to ashes, making a second attempt impossible.

But that person clearly hadn’t given up. Perhaps they had seen Lu Jianxing’s name on the trending searches and realized that not only had Lu Jianxing not faded away, but he was also showing signs of a comeback. That person was now testing the waters. They weren’t here to borrow luck, but to test the strength of the helper behind Lu Jianxing.

To Qiao Man, this was a blatant provocation!

Trying to strike at his son right in front of him—how was that any different from slapping Qiao Man in the face?

He had never suffered such an insult even back on the mountain!

Qiao Man grumpily ran to rummage through his bundle and pulled out a stack of Talisman Paper. He climbed onto a chair, spread out the paper, and immediately began drawing talismans.

He drew incredibly fast, finishing several in no time. Qiao Man sat cross-legged, and soon, those yellow talismans took flight, hovering in mid-air in defiance of science. Though the windows were closed, a sudden gust of wind swept through the room, mussing the boy’s bangs. A cold, stern look settled on his youthful face.

The three people watching were stunned.

The talismans rustled in the wind. A moment later, they ignited without fire, burning into ashes in mid-air.

The faint scent of burnt ash lingered in the air. Maomao swallowed hard, nervously voicing the question on everyone’s mind. “Ma… Master, what are you doing?”

“He stole Xingxing’s luck. I let him off last time, but he still hasn’t given up and even tried to hurt Xingxing.” His master had always said that one shouldn’t use their skills to harm others, so Qiao Man could only say indignantly, “I’m going to take back the luck he stole!”

Everyone: !!!

A gale swirled around the child, making the little yellow ducks on the corners of his pajamas flutter violently. Though the wind was invisible, everyone felt as if they could see its trajectory. The curtains were blown wide as the hurricane roared, slammed against the closed glass windows, and quickly vanished outside.

Qiao Man’s anger hadn’t subsided yet.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Finally, he shouted out in frustration, “I… I want to eat cookies!”

Lu Jianxing: “…”

Sister Yun: “…”

Maomao: “…”

Lu Jianxing went to open the cookies for him—the large jar Maomao had brought that morning. The child took two bites of the milky, fragrant cookies, and the familiar taste finally soothed him. In the past, whenever Qiao Man was unhappy, his master would use cookies to coax him.

After the anger came a wave of grievance, not for himself, but for Lu Jianxing. He said heart-wrenchingly, “Xingxing, did a lot of people bully you before?”

Lu Jianxing paused. “It was alright.”

“It’s all my fault,” Qiao Man said self-reproachfully. “How could I have lost you? I’m such a bad person.”

How pitiful must a child be without his father? Qiao Man wasn’t pitiful; he had his master, and his master was very good to him. But Xingxing had no one.

If he hadn’t run into Xingxing, Xingxing would have been bullied without him ever knowing, sinking all alone into that cold lake water.

Qiao Man was so overcome with guilt he was on the verge of tears. He raised his small hands, and after a slight delay, Lu Jianxing stiffly picked him up. He felt the child’s soft cheek press against his neck, and a few hot tears fell onto his skin, the heat making him instinctively hold his breath.

He clumsily patted the child’s back. “It’s not your fault… and didn’t you already chase the bad guy away for me?”

“But, but before, you were bullied many times too, right?”

“…”

It was all because he had been such a negligent father. Qiao Man felt both angry and aggrieved, cursing himself in his heart: How could there be such a bad person as Qiao Daman in this world!

Lu Jianxing wiped the child’s tear-stained face and used snacks to coax him until the crying finally stopped. Looking at the child’s red-rimmed eyes and the way he obediently held the cookie jar, looking as soft as the little yellow ducks on his pajamas, it was impossible to connect him with the person who had just displayed such formidable power.

Maomao nudged closer. “Baby, what did you mean just now? What does it mean to take luck back? Can that stuff really be stolen back and forth?”

Qiao Man shook his head. “I can’t steal his. To use Luck Borrowing, you must have the other person’s hair or blood as a medium.”

Sister Yun chimed in, “You mean the person who borrowed Xingxing’s luck is someone we might have met?”

“Yes.”

But there were so many people in the entertainment industry. Especially when Lu Jianxing was at the height of his fame, he saw countless staff members every day. For a moment, no one could pinpoint a suspect.

“Since you can’t steal it, how are you going to get Brother Lu’s luck back?” Maomao scratched his head.

Qiao Man clenched his small fists in anger. “He was just here! So I followed his path back to make him spit out the luck he stole!”

Lu Jianxing asked, “What will happen then?”

“That person’s luck will become as bad as yours was before. As for how long it lasts, that depends on how powerful that person is.” Qiao Man thought for a moment and muttered, “Should I draw a talisman to curse him a little…”

Lu Jianxing rubbed his head, and Qiao Man regretfully abandoned the idea.

Actually, he was quite good at cursing people. Back when he lived on the mountain, he often cursed the weasels that tried to steal the chickens he and his master raised.

“Oh, right,” Qiao Man added. “Once the luck is back, your luck will get better too.”

Maomao’s eyes lit up. “Then if Brother Lu goes to buy a lottery ticket now, would he… Ow!”

Maomao clutched the back of his head where he’d been smacked. He turned around to see Sister Yun glaring at him crossly, and he sheepishly turned back.

Sister Yun’s phone rang again.

This time, before she answered, everyone simultaneously thought of what happened yesterday and what Qiao Man had just said about luck improving.

As Sister Yun answered the call, she couldn’t help but feel a spark of anticipation. “Hello?”

Whatever the person on the other end said, visible joy spread across her face. Excitedly, she exchanged a look with Lu Jianxing before turning back to the phone to offer her thanks. “Yes, yes… we will give you an answer very soon… Thank you.”

After hanging up, Sister Yun couldn’t wait to announce the news. “Xingxing, it’s the production team of Wilderness Challenge! They’re inviting you to participate in the new season!”

Lu Jianxing’s eyes widened in surprise, and Maomao let out an incredulous cry. “Is it that Wilderness Challenge?!”

Qiao Man looked left and right, then raised his hand to ask, “What’s that?”

Seeing that he hadn’t heard of it, Maomao, a loyal viewer, gave him an introduction.

Wilderness Challenge was one of the most popular reality shows currently airing. It used a live broadcast format, inviting several contestants each episode to face survival challenges in extreme environments.

Because it was live, there was no script and no editing. In dangerous, desperate situations, it was easy for a person’s true nature to be revealed. Consequently, the show had produced many iconic moments and dramatic reversals. The audience followed it with great enthusiasm. It was a rare variety show where the popularity actually increased after several seasons rather than declining, and it had catapulted several previously unknown stars to fame.

Not long ago, Wilderness Challenge announced that the sixth season was beginning, but the contestants for the new season had yet to be revealed. Many celebrities wanted to sign up, but the production team had high standards and a massive following. To keep the audience satisfied, they were extremely picky about their participants. It wasn’t a show you could get on just because you wanted to.

When Lu Jianxing first debuted, Sister Yun had tried to sign him up for the show, but he hadn’t been selected. She never expected the production team to reach out with an invitation of their own accord now.

For Lu Jianxing, who was currently at a low point in his career, this was undoubtedly a golden opportunity to rebuild his popularity!

Following Maomao’s explanation, everyone’s gaze couldn’t help but drift toward the child.

Could it be…?

Qiao Man waved a small hand with a calm expression. “I told you his luck would turn around. I’ve never been wrong!”

“Baby, you’re incredible!”

Sister Yun rushed over, scooped the child up, and planted a loud kiss on his soft, chubby cheek before heading out the door, brimming with determination. She had a mountain of work waiting for her!

Lu Jianxing glanced at the child, who looked utterly dazed after the sudden kiss. Taking a deep breath, he flipped open the paternity test in his hand.

The result showed-

The two of them shared no biological relationship.

Translator’s Notes