Chapter 181: The Cannon Fodder Who Can’t Survive Three Chapters (End)
The Bei family was surprisingly calm about Bei Xing’s new girlfriend being the same “Master Su” who had cleansed their house of the cursed Pixiu.
Bei Xing’s eldest sister, away on a business trip, only said via video call: Just don’t play around with people’s feelings.
Huh?
Bei Xing looked at her parents, who were giving Su Mingxiu red envelopes, thanking her for taking care of their “troublesome” daughter.
…Wait, isn’t she my girlfriend? Why are they treating her like a tutor?
Back in her room, Su Mingxiu handed her the red envelopes.
She leaned closer and pinched Bei Xing’s cheek. “Want to count it?”
Bei Xing, her earlier annoyance fading, a smile playing on her lips, clutched the envelopes. “I’ll count it for you,” she mumbled, peeking inside.
But there was only a bank card and a slip of paper with the PIN.
Bei Xing: “!”
This is what rich people do!
She was stunned, not noticing Su Mingxiu’s amusement.
After a while, she reluctantly handed the envelopes back. “Since they gave it to you…”
Su Mingxiu reached for them, then paused, a playful smile. “How about… you keep it for me?”
“That’s not appropriate,” Bei Xing said, putting the envelopes in her pocket.
Then she heard Su Mingxiu say, her voice casual, “It’s fine, but tonight—”
She quickly tossed the envelopes back at Su Mingxiu. “I don’t do… money management. Keep it yourself.”
Take it away!
She couldn’t bear the sight of this… tempting wealth!
Time flew by, and the Lunar New Year was approaching.
Bei Xing, using her studies as an excuse to avoid Su Mingxiu’s… amorous advances, had passed her exams with decent grades. On the day her last results were released, she went shopping with her family for New Year’s goods.
Thanks to her father’s superstitions, starting from the Little New Year, the family had been busy with various rituals: sending off the Kitchen God, booking temple ceremonies, getting lucky charms, and scheduling more rituals for the coming year.
Bei Xing had initially wanted to use her newfound knowledge, but the sheer number of rituals, many of them in the middle of the night, made her give up. No, thank you, I need my sleep, she had declared.
Su Mingxiu also stayed with the Bei family for the New Year, her role in the family… unclear.
But the Bei family welcomed her warmly, and the festive atmosphere grew.
Having received generous bonuses, many servants had also stayed.
On the fourth day of the New Year, Bei Xing, enjoying a bowl of bird’s nest soup, looked at the fireworks display by the river, a nightly event during the New Year period.
She closed the curtains and turned to Su Mingxiu. “Wake me up tomorrow morning, okay?”
“I know,” Su Mingxiu replied, slightly exasperated. Bei Xing hadn’t shown any interest in the rituals, except for tomorrow’s—Welcoming the God of Wealth.
The previous rituals had been performed at home, but for this one, they had to go to the temple. The master performing the ceremony was too busy to come to their house, and he wasn’t easily swayed by money, so they had to go early.
How early?
The entire Bei family had set their alarms.
Bei Xing was pleased, thinking, This is why they’re so rich.
During winter, Bei Xing, clinging to Su Mingxiu like a heater, demanded a higher body temperature, then, when the house’s heating was turned on, she complained about the heat, wanting the jiao to cool down.
Su Mingxiu, having been used as a thermostat all night, her sleep disrupted, seeing Bei Xing’s fussiness, woke her up ten minutes before the alarm. “Wake up, we’ll be late for the God of Wealth.”
Bei Xing, startled awake: “!”
Then, unable to fall back asleep, annoyed at losing ten minutes of sleep, she declared that she would ignore Su Mingxiu for five hours, as punishment.
“Haa…”
Before dawn…
A faint light illuminated the temple courtyard. Bei Xing, standing among her family, yawned, the chanting monk’s voice a meaningless drone.
“Still sleepy?” Su Mingxiu whispered beside her.
Bei Xing, ignoring her, glanced at the fortune sticks on the table, then at the ancient tree, its branches adorned with red ribbons and wooden wishing plaques, the ground beneath it covered in coins.
Then she looked away, bored.
The monk finished his chanting, and the Bei family, starting with Bei Xing’s father, stepped forward to offer incense, performing the ritualistic bows, receiving blessed tokens from the God of Wealth.
By the time her eldest sister returned, the sky was painted with pink and orange hues, a breathtaking sunrise.
Bei Xing, her earlier drowsiness gone, her expression now serious, knelt before the altar, her mind clear, performing the ritualistic bows—
The first bow.
Golden sunlight flooded the courtyard, illuminating the ancient tree.
The second bow.
A gentle breeze rustled the wishing plaques, their clinking like a soft melody.
The third bow.
Golden light, like fireflies, filtered through the leaves, settling on the wooden plaques, then, as Bei Xing stood up, the light, carried by the wind, swirled around her, as if she was enveloped by the Milky Way.
She heard her mother’s gasp, urging her father to look.
The monk smiled and bowed to the statue of the God of Wealth.
And amidst the golden light, Bei Xing, holding her blessed token, turned to Su Mingxiu, who was leaning against a wall in the shadows, like a peach blossom in bloom, a smile on her lips.
Bei Xing, bathed in the God of Wealth’s blessings, the golden light fading, hurried over to Su Mingxiu. “Was that you?”
“No,” Su Mingxiu tucked her hair behind her ear, not mentioning the five-hour “punishment,” her voice a gentle tease, “some people are just… favored by the gods.”
She suddenly thought of Gui Mian,
Her obedient disciple who had only asked for a hundred years of companionship.
The same soul, she thought, even without her memories, still so radiant.
Bei Xing, holding Su Mingxiu’s hand, led her out of the temple, their steps light as they descended the mountain path, her humming a sign of her cheerful mood.
After a while, she turned and waved to Su Mingxiu, who was walking behind her.
Su Mingxiu leaned down, and Bei Xing, standing on tiptoe, whispered in her ear, as if sharing a secret: “Even with the gods’ blessings—”
“I like you the most.”
The distant mountains, silent witnesses, shared their secret.
And the favored jiao, under the bright sunlight, smiled, a radiant expression.
She turned and, before Bei Xing could react, kissed her lightly. Bei Xing, covering her lips, looked around nervously, then glared at Su Mingxiu, her eyes wide. “How could you… here…”
Su Mingxiu licked her lips, her smile smug. “What can I say, being the master’s favorite has its perks.”
Master?
Bei Xing stared at her, stunned.
Before she could say anything, Su Mingxiu transformed into her jiao form, her massive black body now before her, her noble head lowered. “Want to go for a ride?” she asked.
“Yes!”
Bei Xing quickly climbed onto the jiao’s head, and they soared into the sky,
Towards their home.
Leave a Reply