Chapter 025

After saying goodbye to the enthusiastic fans and leaving the airport, Maomao scrolled through his phone, looking at the gossip with a distracted air.

He had been following the progress of the scandal for a long while. A certain top star’s reputation was still imploding, as if undergoing a massive earthquake. He had been following it since last night, and the initial excitement had started to fade.

“Baby,” he said, rubbing his hands together as he leaned out from the passenger seat to ask Qiao Man in the back, “Are those talismans you gave the fans really that useful?”

“Of course they are.”

Maomao’s eyes lit up. “Can that Wealth-Attracting Talisman really bring in money? If I carry one while buying a lottery ticket, would I win the jackpot?”

Qiao Man looked puzzled. “What’s a lottery?”

Maomao explained, “It’s a legitimate way to get a windfall from the heavens!”

“Hmm… that depends on your financial luck,” Qiao Man said. “The Wealth-Attracting Talisman isn’t omnipotent. It can only draw in a small amount of wealth. The better a person’s natural luck is, the higher the chance of a windfall.”

Maomao asked expectantly, “Baby, then how is my financial luck?”

Qiao Man shook his head, then shook it again. Finally, he turned away and buried his head in Lu Jianxing’s arms.

Maomao: “…”

Maomao understood. Maomao was shocked. Maomao turned back around, heartbroken.

…

The massive earthquake of the top star’s career collapse lasted for nearly a week, finally concluding with an apology statement released by Xie Yunqian.

In the announcement, he admitted to his actions. With so much hard evidence presented, he had no room to deny it. By this time, his endorsements had all vanished, his film contracts were terminated, and he faced astronomical penalty fees for breach of contract. The former top star had become a pariah overnight, loathed by everyone.

Even the elderly residents in the neighborhood where Qiao Man and Lu Jianxing lived had heard about the wicked things he had done. Beneath the apology statement, there were only cold mocks and ridicule from passersby. The fans who had once held him in their hearts were nowhere to be found. His official fan club had disbanded, and not a single person spoke up for him.

Usually, when a celebrity’s career imploded, no matter how bad it was, there would always be die-hard fans who stood firmly by their idol. But this time, Xie Yunqian’s social media page was deathly quiet.

Xie Yunqian’s former fans were also wondering about it.

• It’s strange. Thinking about it now, Xie Yunqian didn’t have much talent, and his looks weren’t top-tier either. Was I under some kind of hex before?

• Just thinking about the fact that I used to be a fan of this guy makes me lose my appetite for lunch.

• My friend was originally a fanatic fan of Xie Yunqian. These past few days, she’s been going crazy on her social media feed every day. Xie Yunqian, look at what you’ve done!

But it didn’t stop there. Soon, news broke that Xie Yunqian’s studio team had disbanded. He had just been discharged from the hospital when he received a call from the court. The mother of his first child was suing him for infidelity and demanding a divorce. Due to the overwhelming evidence, he was forced to leave the marriage with nothing, and all assets under his name had to be paid to his ex-wife as compensation.

His name stayed at the top of every major platform’s headlines for a week, with the entire internet watching the drama unfold.

A week later, the edited version of Wilderness Challenge officially launched on Litchi TV.

Compared to the live stream, the edited version cut out the boring exploration process and kept the essence and highlight moments, making the content much tighter. As soon as it went online, its popularity soared. Even viewers who had followed the live stream clicked on the edited version to watch.

After all, the live stream had been split into four separate rooms. They had only followed one room during the broadcast and hadn’t seen the performance of the other contestants.

In the edited version of Wilderness Challenge, there was no sign of Xie Yunqian. His and Pei Xiwang’s team was left with only Pei Xiwang surviving in the wild. For the shots that absolutely couldn’t be cut, the post-production team worked overnight to edit him out. In the eyes of the audience, it looked like Pei Xiwang was talking to a patch of pixels.

• I don’t know how to describe it. It’s a bit tragic, but also a bit funny.

• Pei Xiwang clearly just came to be a support, who knew he’d end up taking the whole stage…

• Originally, Pei Xiwang had some bad luck on him. Whatever he touched broke, and he’d trip even walking on flat ground. During the live stream, he was cursed at by Xie’s fans for being a burden. But looking at it now… kid, it turns out your blessings were waiting for you!

The week-long experience was edited into seven episodes, with one episode updated every week, each covering one day of content.

When the first episode went online, Qiao Man watched it with Lu Jianxing. The footage of the two of them encountering the snake on the first night was included.

With the atmosphere heightened by post-production and background music, the scene after the long snake appeared was thrilling. Watching the two people on screen approach the tent unknowingly, the audience’s hearts were in their throats.

Having experienced it personally, seeing it again now made Lu Jianxing’s heart race uncontrollably, as if he were brushing past that long snake once more… “Ah!” Qiao Man, beside him, suddenly let out a sharp cry, nearly giving him a heart attack.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Jianxing asked, still shaken.

Qiao Man said with frustration, “I forgot!”

“What?”

“I originally wanted to catch a snake to make medicinal wine for you.” The child sighed heavily and said disappointedly, “Everything down the mountain is great, it’s just that snakes are too rare. Since coming down, I haven’t seen a single one.”

Lu Jianxing: “…”

Lu Jianxing asked with difficulty, “Why make medicinal wine?”

“To nourish your body.” Qiao Man touched his cold hand and said with concern, “Look, your hands are so cold. You definitely need to be nourished.”

“…”

His hands were cold because of the cold sweat from being startled.

“I appreciate the thought, but I don’t need it.” Lu Jianxing thought for a moment, afraid the child would sneak out to find snakes while he wasn’t home, and added, “Animals outside might carry germs. If you see them on the road, stay far away, and definitely don’t touch them with your hands.”

Qiao Man obediently agreed, but after a while, he still seemed a bit fixated. “Nourishing the body…”

“…” Lu Jianxing’s eyelid twitched. “The wet market has everything.”

That was another benefit of being down the mountain.

The place called the wet market had an inexhaustible supply of ingredients. Xiao Man loved following Xingxing to the market to “hunt.” After just one trip around, their bags would be filled with food.

Tomorrow, when he went “hunting” at the wet market, he would catch a big, fat chicken for Xingxing to nourish his body!

Master hadn’t taught him how to make chicken soup, but it didn’t matter; the honey-glazed roasted chicken Xingxing made was also delicious.

…

Xie Yunqian wore a hat and a mask, with sunglasses covering his eyes so thoroughly that not a single patch of skin was exposed.

Despite this, he remained restless. The glances the taxi driver cast through the rearview mirror felt as if he had been recognized, and every pedestrian passing by at the red lights seemed to be spying on his movements. When he finally reached his destination, he couldn’t wait to push the car door open and scramble out.

His destination was a luxurious villa. The carefully planted trees, the gurgling fountains, and the sculptures standing in the courtyard were all meticulously arranged, every detail deeply connected to the principles of Feng Shui.

He pressed the video doorbell at the gate, removed his mask and sunglasses for the camera, and said hurriedly, “I need to see Master Zhu.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly put both items back on and looked around in a panic.

Soon, the iron gates swung open.

A young man dressed in a traditional Chinese robe was waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing him, the man said coldly, “Mr. Xie, Master said he already warned you. He cannot help you.”

Xie Yunqian’s face turned deathly pale.

A week ago, he never could have imagined he would end up in such a state.

He had clearly been standing at the very peak of the entertainment industry. Every gossip column called him a top-tier star, his momentum was unmatched, and his future was brilliant. Yet everything he had worked so hard to build had collapsed like a falling skyscraper in just one short week, turning into nothing.

It was because his luck was gone.

All the luck he had borrowed had been returned.

At that thought, Xie Yunqian’s face grew even paler. His lips trembled as he pleaded, “I just want to see Master Zhu one more time, just once.”

The young man looked at him with disapproval. After a long silence, he finally stepped aside and led the way in. “Come in. Master says this is the last time.”

Xie Yunqian felt as if he had been granted a divine reprieve and followed him in haste.

In this single week, he had lost his “luck” and his painstakingly built career. The backlash from the Luck Borrowing was too painful. He had lost his career, his fans, and was facing astronomical liquidated damages due to his scandals. Even worse, those mistresses of his weren’t willing to back down for the sake of money or the children; they were determined to fight him to the bitter end.

Thinking of this, Xie Yunqian felt a surge of irritation. What good did it do them to ruin him like this? Now that he had neither a future nor money, he couldn’t even pay child support. It was nothing but a mutual destruction.

Master Zhu was a middle-aged man, also dressed in a Chinese robe. An incense burner released wisps of light smoke, and the faint scent of tea lingered in the room. Opposite him sat a man with a hunched back. Even though it was summer, he was dressed entirely in black, wrapped up tightly.

The tea room was silent. No one spoke, making the sound of tea being poured seem exceptionally loud, accompanied by a faint, rustling noise.

Xie Yunqian walked over tentatively. “Master Zhu…”

“I warned you long ago.” Master Zhu was not surprised by his arrival. “I cannot save you from the backlash of luck.”

Xie Yunqian said quickly, “I was always careful. I never mentioned the Luck Borrowing to anyone. I kept that Amulet with me at all times and never let anyone touch it. It was that child…”

“A child?”

“The child following Lu Jianxing! He’s the problem!”

Before Master Zhu could say anything, the man sitting opposite him let out a high-pitched giggle. “A child?”

Xie Yunqian didn’t know what he was laughing at, but Master Zhu glared at the man with dissatisfaction. “A child? You’re saying a child is more capable than I am? That he could break the array I created?”

Xie Yunqian stammered, unable to find words.

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it either. But everything had happened right under his nose. That child had simply given him a hug, and the Amulet he relied on for survival had turned into a few scraps of cloth.

Master Zhu had his own interpretation. “That child is likely just a distraction. There must be a hidden expert behind him who refuses to show his face. Last time, I had a brief clash with him. There aren’t many in A City with that kind of skill. When did such a capable person arrive in A City…”

Master Zhu muttered a few names, all of which were completely foreign to Xie Yunqian.

Terrified, Xie Yunqian asked, “Master Zhu, then what about me…”

“I already said, you’re beyond saving.”

“I… Master Zhu, please think of something!”

Over the years, he had contributed a vast amount of wealth to this master. A large portion of this magnificent villa had been built with his money. How could he just say there was no hope?

“At least… at least…” Xie Yunqian gritted his teeth and said, “At the very least, the person who harmed me shouldn’t have it easy either.”

Why should they? Those people had ruined him, yet they got to sleep soundly?

Whether it was Lu Jianxing, that child, or that unknown expert, Xie Yunqian hated them all to death.

Master Zhu poured himself a cup of tea. Before he could speak, the man in black spoke up excitedly, “I’ll do it.”

“…You?” Xie Yunqian looked over hesitantly.

“My little babies have been hungry for a while now. It just so happens that I want to know if he is the powerful one, or if my babies are,” the man in black said with a strange, mocking laugh.

The clothes on his body seemed to twitch. Xie Yunqian blinked hard, thinking he had misseen, but when he looked closer, he saw patterns of the same color moving slowly across the pure black fabric. Then, one transformed into a centipede as long as an adult’s forearm, rustling as it crawled into its master’s hand.

Those weren’t patterns at all!

Ever since entering the tea room, Xie Yunqian had been hearing a strange rustling sound. Now, he watched in horror as several pitch-black venomous insects crawled out from the man’s body. A spider danced its legs, a scorpion raised its shiny black tail, and several hornets buzzed into the air, circling around their master.

The man stroked the centipede by his hand as it scurried about with a dry, scratching sound.

“My little babies are all starving.” The man’s tone was as peculiar as his laughter. “They can be quite heavy-handed when they strike. If something happens…”

Xie Yunqian swallowed hard, suppressing the secret joy in his heart. He pulled a bank card from his pocket, which held the very last of his assets.

…

In the afternoon, Qiao Man sat alone on the sofa at home, watching television.

Lu Jianxing had gone to a film set for an audition, and Maomao had followed him as an assistant. Since Qiao Man couldn’t go, he could only sit at home by himself and watch cartoons.

On the screen, a little pink pig was jumping up and down in a puddle. Qiao Man watched with rapt attention, his heart following every movement. His feet, dangling in mid-air, swung back and forth in rhythm. His toes curled and twitched; his feet felt a bit itchy, and he desperately wanted to go down and jump along with the pig.

Suddenly, a faint, rustling sound reached his ears. Shh-shh, shh-shh. The sound grew until it seemed to drown out everything else in the world, leaving only that eerie, scratching noise. It was sinister and strange, sending a chill straight through to his bones. But it lasted only a moment. Soon, his hearing cleared, and the voice of the little pink pig returned to his ears.

Qiao Man looked down. Beneath his dangling feet, a centipede as long as an adult’s forearm was slithering across the floor. Its body was densely segmented, and the hooked legs on either side were sharp and twitching, gleaming with a bizarre black-purple light.

Qiao Man froze for a second, and then his eyes lit up!

Wow!

What a huge centipede!

Using this to steep in wine¹ would surely be very nourishing!

He leaped off the sofa in excitement and bent over, reaching out to grab it, but he stopped his hand mid-air.

Wait, Xingxing had said he couldn’t use his bare hands to catch things.

Qiao Man looked left and right, then his short legs thudded as he dashed into the kitchen, returning a moment later clutching a pair of chopsticks.

The large centipede was still scuttling about aggressively on the floor. With quick eyes and a steady hand, he clamped down with the chopsticks and lifted it up with a sharp tug.

“Haha!”

Caught off guard, the centipede writhed violently, but Qiao Man held it firmly. He looked around and found a candy jar on the coffee table that was nearly empty. He poured out the few remaining candies and stuffed the struggling centipede inside.

After screwing the lid tight, the glass jar shook violently from the venomous insect’s struggles. Qiao Man carried the jar to the desk, drew a talisman, and slapped it onto the glass. The violently shaking jar immediately fell silent.

He hugged the jar happily, sat back down to continue his cartoons, and occasionally stroked the glass jar with affection.

Life at the bottom of the mountain was truly wonderful. He didn’t even have to go looking for them; such a large centipede had delivered itself right to his door.

…

Inside a villa.

The man in black, who was drinking tea with Master Zhu, suddenly had a change in expression and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

His eyes nearly burst from their sockets. “My Gu insect²-“

Master Zhu’s heart skipped a beat. “What happened?”

“My Gu insect… I’ve lost contact with it.” The man in black’s face twisted as he said viciously, “I’ve lost! Such profound cultivation³. “

…

Ding-dong. The doorbell rang.

Qiao Man snapped out of his cartoon-induced trance and turned his head. Ding-dong, ding-dong. The person outside pressed the bell twice more with clear impatience.

After a moment’s thought, he first hid the candy jar containing the large centipede before running to the door.

He moved a small stool over, stood on it, and stood on his tiptoes to look through the peephole. Pei Xiwang’s face came into view.

Ding-dong, ding-dong. The doorbell was still ringing.

Qiao Man pressed his chubby little face against the crack of the door, his voice drifting through the gap. “Xingxing isn’t home.”

“Master Xiao Man?” Pei Xiwang was overjoyed. He held up the large bags of snacks in his hands. “Master Xiao Man, I’m not here for Lu Jianxing. I’m here for you. Can you open the door for me?”

Qiao Man thought about it. “Wait a minute.”

Before leaving, Xingxing had instructed him not to open the door for strangers, but Pei Xiwang wasn’t a stranger. He even knew Xingxing.

Qiao Man jumped off the stool, moved it aside, stood on his tiptoes to turn the inner lock, and enthusiastically opened the door. “Please come in, welcome!”

Pei Xiwang squeezed inside, carrying his many bags.

He looked at the residence with a critical eye. Two bedrooms and a living room. Compared to his home – not the apartment he rented himself, of course – it was far too small. Was Lu Jianxing really making Master Xiao Man live in such a cramped place?

Look at this; the living room wasn’t even as big as his bathroom back home. Master Xiao Man was truly suffering.

This was Qiao Man’s first time hosting a guest. He spun around anxiously twice, pattered into the kitchen, then ran back out empty-handed and dove headfirst into his snack box.

He had his own snack box in this house, and whenever it was empty, Lu Jianxing would fill it up for him. He pulled out his favorite biscuits, children’s milk, chocolate beans, and all sorts of other snacks, carrying an armful and piling them precariously in front of Pei Xiwang.

Pei Xiwang had brought even more than he had. The bags in his hands were filled with every kind of snack imaginable. “Master Xiao Man, I didn’t know what you liked, so I just bought a little bit of everything.”

Qiao Man looked at him intently and shared in his joy. “Did you and your father make up?”

“Even though I’m poor, I still have money for snacks! …But yes, we did make up.”

After seeing his own son almost get struck by lightning on the livestream, nearly facing the tragedy of a parent burying a child⁴, the elder Mr. Pei had been terrified. As soon as the program ended, he immediately sent people to bring his son home. First, he had him undergo a full physical examination to ensure there were no lasting effects. As for opposing his entry into the entertainment industry, that matter was naturally dropped.

Father and son had called a truce, and Pei Xiwang had returned to his life as a wealthy heir. Not only was his wallet full again, but his confidence had also returned.

“My dad said I must thank you properly. If it weren’t for your help, I would be dead by now. Of course, I would have done it even without him saying so,” Pei Xiwang said sincerely. “Master Xiao Man, I’m here today to repay you for saving my life. Conditions were limited during the show, so I couldn’t pay you properly. Now, you can ask for whatever you want. As long as it’s within my power, I’ll make it happen. Or, I can pay you a fee according to the market rate.”

Qiao Man was delighted. “Really? Anything?”

“Absolutely.”

“I have one request. You can definitely do it.”

Hearing this, Pei Xiwang sat up straight and said solemnly, “Please, tell me.”

There was one thing Qiao Man wanted very much.

Back when he was still on the mountain, he had seen someone driving a black car to pick up his Master and take him down the mountain. Qiao Man had wanted one back then. When he mentioned it to his Master, his Master had said that those cars were very, very expensive, and he couldn’t afford one.

But once they reached the foot of the mountain, the roads were filled with four-wheeled cars – black, white, red, and yellow – a sight that left Xiao Man dazzled. In this future, cars no longer seemed like rare treasures; it looked like everyone could afford one.

After actually riding in one, he wanted one even more. Cars were so fast! With a whoosh, they could travel so far, reaching speeds his two legs could never hope to match. Xiao Man absolutely loved them.

And the man standing right in front of him? His family actually built cars!

Qiao Man raised his hand excitedly. “I… I want a car!” he declared.

“A car?”

Pei Xiwang blinked, then reached into the assortment of bags he’d brought and pulled out a remote-controlled toy car. He hadn’t just bought snacks; he’d also picked up several toys, figuring there had to be something a child would like.

“Is this what you mean?”

Qiao Man gestured to show a much larger size and shook his head. “No, a big car.”

“A big car?”

“Mhm!” Qiao Man nodded vigorously. At the thought that he might soon own the car of his dreams, his face lit up with joy. If he had a tail like a puppy, it would probably be spinning like a propeller right now. “I want a car I can drive,” he said excitedly.

Pei Xiwang fell silent for a moment. “Since I told you that you could ask for anything, I’ll keep my word,” he said. “This is your rightful payment, so I’ll take care of it.”

Still, he felt a bit annoyed. “Giving Lu Jianxing a car, though…”

“You’re wrong,” Qiao Man corrected him. “It’s not for Xingxing. It’s for me. I’m going to drive it.”

“You? You’re going to… drive a car?!”

“That’s right!”

Pei Xiwang looked down, staring at the boy’s short, chubby legs that clearly couldn’t reach the brakes or the gas pedal, and noting that even with his hands raised, the kid didn’t even reach his chest. Most importantly, he was obviously nowhere near the legal driving age.

His hesitant gaze drifted upward, meeting the child’s sparkling eyes.

They were bright and shining, filled with an expectation that was impossible to refuse.

Pei Xiwang hesitated. “Um… well, you see…”

Translator’s Notes