Chapter Thirty-Nine

Jiang Li fell silent for a moment. She was always quick to catch on when it came to family matters.

The Zhang family's Old Mrs. Zhang was just like her late mother-in-law—extremely biased toward boys. Zhang Shijing's previous wife had given birth to a girl, but the baby hadn't survived. Jiang Li had heard that Old Mrs. Zhang hadn't even gone to visit her in the hospital.

Given her attitude now, the new daughter-in-law was probably carrying a girl.

Jiang Li had only meant to share a bit of gossip, but since she and Zhang Xueqi were on fairly good terms, and Zhang Xueqi had come to her for help, she casually asked Liu Mumu, "Could you do a reading for her?"

As soon as she said it, she realized she might have been too forward and hastily added, "Zhang Xueqi's quite generous. She definitely won't skimp on the fee."

Liu Mumu scratched her chin. "I don't have a problem with it, but I doubt she'll ask me for help."

She was happy to earn a little pocket money in her spare time, but she hadn't had any unexpected income lately, so this job probably wasn't going to happen.

Sure enough, after getting Liu Mumu's okay, Jiang Li told Zhang Xueqi over the phone that Liu Mumu was a diviner. But Zhang Xueqi sounded hesitant and gave a vague answer, never saying whether she wanted Liu Mumu's help.

Jiang Li immediately understood what she meant. She didn't say anything more, exchanged a few polite words, and hung up.

After ending the call, Jiang Li looked a little embarrassed. "What's Zhang Xueqi playing at? I was only trying to help, and now she's backing out."

"She doesn't really want her fortune told. Rather than go to someone like me, who doesn't look reliable, she'd prefer to find some old man on Antique Street who looks like a master." Liu Mumu took it in stride. She was used to it by now.

She regretfully touched her smooth, delicate face. Looks mattered in the fortune-telling business, and hers put her at a disadvantage.

Just as Liu Mumu had expected, Zhang Xueqi went out and brought back a fortune-telling master. Whatever else he might have been, he certainly looked the part.

He had the ethereal bearing of an immortal—and he was blind, too. He was practically the archetypal master. Zhang Xueqi was very pleased. He looked far more authentic than the young woman from the Dong family next door.

The inauthentic Master Liu felt thoroughly wronged.

The master stood in the Zhang family home and said just a few words before winning Old Mrs. Zhang over completely. The old woman stopped saying that the child would bring her bad luck.

The whole family watched as Master Liu consoled Old Mrs. Zhang. Lü Yao stood behind her husband, listening to the master's extravagant claims that the child in her belly was the reincarnation of a golden lotus from before a bodhisattva's throne. She couldn't help shaking her head with a smile.

Zhang Shijing, an educated man with a university degree, kept shaking his head too. But what could he do when his mother believed such nonsense?

Old Mrs. Zhang was still asking Master Liu questions. "Master, if this golden lotus has descended into the world, shouldn't it be born a boy?"

Master Liu spoke with inscrutable profundity. "This is a spiritual embryo. Its sex wasn't determined when it was conceived. If you're sincere enough, Old Madam, it may yet become a boy."

The money Master Liu had received was only enough to ensure the child's safe delivery. Once the baby was born, there was no stuffing it back into the womb if it turned out to be a girl. Whatever trouble the Zhang family got into after that had nothing to do with him.

"Just as the master says." Old Mrs. Zhang pressed her palms together and made a clumsy little bow, murmuring a few Buddhist prayers.

After successfully fooling Old Mrs. Zhang, Zhang Xueqi and her brother respectfully escorted Master Liu to the door and presented him with a thick stack of cash. Master Liu felt the envelope, nodded with satisfaction, and tucked it into his sleeve.

"Thank you for your help this time, Master Liu."

Master Liu nodded with dignified restraint. "You're welcome. If anything comes up in the future, you can find me on Antique Street. Fortune-telling, locating auspicious sites, feng shui—I know a little about all of it."

"Take care, Master. We won't see you out." The corner of Zhang Shijing's mouth twitched as he saw the man off. He figured he probably wouldn't have anything to do with this master again.

Thanks to the master's intervention, the Zhang family enjoyed a few peaceful days. Zhang Shijing had calmed things down at home, but he still had business to discuss, so he had to leave Qingcheng for a few days.

He hadn't been gone long before the Zhang family started making a fuss again. This time, it wasn't Old Mrs. Zhang, but her daughter-in-law. It seemed that Zhang Yang had found out his stepmother was pregnant and made an even bigger scene. She planned to move out, but Old Mrs. Zhang wouldn't hear of it.

Lately, the Dong family's dinner-table gossip had all been about the Zhang family next door. It was starting to feel like a melodramatic serial.

Liu Mumu and Dong Yue listened to Jiang Li's gossip with great interest. Dong Zhenghao repeatedly claimed that he wasn't interested in other people's affairs, but he was the one listening most intently.

Only Dong Qi seemed to have no appetite. With two huge dark circles under his eyes, he kept his head down and shoveled in his food.

After dinner, Jiang Li glanced at her son, who had been unusually quiet lately, and couldn't help asking, "Qiqi, have you been sleeping badly? Maybe I should take you to the hospital for a checkup."

Lately, she'd occasionally heard her son talking in his sleep when she got up at night.

For the past few nights, she'd been having dreams too, and it seemed Old Dong had as well. They had gradually stopped, but Dong Qi's seemed to be getting worse.

Jiang Li was worried that her son might be under too much pressure and having psychological problems. But she was afraid that saying so outright would hurt his pride, so she only tactfully suggested taking him to the hospital.

Dong Qi looked up at his mother, his eyes vacant. He seemed dazed, and his voice sounded distant. "No need."

Dong Qi felt that a doctor probably couldn't save him, but Liu Mumu might be able to.

After being tormented by nightmares for so many days, he had finally decided to give in to reality. He suddenly understood his father a little better.

After dinner, Dong Qi lingered at the table instead of leaving.

As Liu Mumu passed by him, she heard him call out softly, "Sis."

Liu Mumu turned to look at him, her face full of surprise.

Since she'd moved in, this was the first time she'd heard Dong Qi call her "Sis." It was as unlikely as Mars colliding with Earth.

"I have something to tell you." Dong Qi looked awkward and ill at ease. He sneaked a glance around, and, seeing that his parents had gone to the living room and Dong Yue wasn't there either, continued.

Liu Mumu sat back down and asked with interest, "What is it?"

If she could get the usually arrogant and domineering Dong Qi to ask for her help, she had to at least hear what he wanted.

Dong Qi shifted around in his chair, as if he could fidget away his awkwardness. He looked at Liu Mumu cautiously and asked, "Are there really Gu in this world?"

"Gu?" Liu Mumu raised an eyebrow. "What have you been reading lately?"

"It's not from a novel." Dong Qi irritably scratched his head. He hadn't wanted to say anything. It was better not to get involved in other people's business. But ever since he'd attended that class, he'd been having nightmares every day. It was hard to call that a coincidence.

Liu Mumu grew a little more serious and waited for him to continue.

"When I went to my grandparents' place, I went to a class with them. I overheard the two people running it talking about something called Longevity Gu. They said they put Gu inside people's bodies."

"What kind of class?" Liu Mumu pressed.

"It was one of those classes where they sell health supplements. Their medicine is ridiculously expensive—over two thousand yuan for a single pill."

Liu Mumu was stunned. How fast could you make money like that? Even robbery couldn't bring in cash as quickly as selling medicine. She suddenly wanted to change careers. It seemed like every profession made more money than fortune-telling.

After getting the address of the class from Dong Qi, Liu Mumu asked, "Did you take any of the medicine they sold?"

She didn't think he could be that stupid, taking it despite knowing something was wrong.

Dong Qi shook his head. "I didn't, but my grandparents might have."

Liu Mumu looked at him with a complicated expression. "Didn't you tell them not to take it?"

The last time she'd seen them, the couple had been breathing pure oxygen. How had they gone from that to taking pills? They were too fickle.

"I did, but they wouldn't listen to me," Dong Qi muttered. Not only that, his grandfather seemed to think the pills worked especially well and was planning to buy two more boxes next time.

"So you want me to take a look at them?"

Dong Qi shook his head. "I want you to take a look at me. Ever since I went to the class, I've been having nightmares every day. My grandparents and Zhang Yang had nightmares too, those first few days."

"Nightmares?" Liu Mumu leaned toward Dong Qi, a little curious.

Unfortunately, her experience was limited. Aside from noticing that his dark circles really were a bit alarming, she couldn't see anything else.

She wasn't the right person to handle this, but she knew someone who was.

She took a picture of Dong Qi and sent it to Yan Xiu with the message: My brother. Could you check whether he's been infected with Gu?

She was treating Yan Xiu like a smart robot that could answer any question.

Yan Xiu: Symptoms?

Liu Mumu: Nightmares.

Yan Xiu: Check behind his left ear. Is there a red line?

Liu Mumu held Dong Qi's head still, leaned over, and moved his ear aside. Sure enough, behind his left ear was a red line that looked like a blood vessel.

He really had been infected with Gu.

Liu Mumu: It's there. Should I tell my dad to prepare for his funeral? Also, will you come to pay your respects?

Yan Xiu pinched the bridge of his nose. Ignoring the curious look from Fang Chuan, who was driving beside him, he lowered his head and typed a reply.

Yan Xiu: No. Nightmares won't kill him. You should check whether anyone else in your family has Gu. This kind of Gu can spread.

Liu Mumu ran to the living room, held Dong Zhenghao still, and turned his head to check behind his ears. There was no red line. She was a little disappointed. A father and son could be so out of sync.

Dong Yue didn't have one either. Only Jiang Li had a red line behind her ear, and it was very faint, as if it were about to fade.

She sent Yan Xiu a photo of the line behind Jiang Li's ear.

Liu Mumu: Can this one still be saved?

Yan Xiu: There's no need to save her.

Liu Mumu: So she's beyond saving? Shocked.jpg

Yan Xiu: If you'd sent the picture a little later, she would have recovered already.

All right. She was clearly inexperienced.

Liu Mumu: Didn't you say it could spread?

Yan Xiu: They probably have more contact with you.

Liu Mumu had a Diviner's License, so ordinary Gu had no effect on her. It also had some power to drive Gu away. Dong Qi was the only one in the family who usually kept his distance from her, so he was the one most severely affected.

Liu Mumu: Then what about my brother? He said he might have been infected during a health supplement sales pitch.

Yan Xiu: Address.

Liu Mumu sent him the address. Yan Xiu glanced at it and saw that it was indeed where they were headed that day.

But he didn't tell Liu Mumu that directly. He only said, "Bring your brother to the police station tomorrow morning."

She even had to wait until tomorrow morning? Liu Mumu pouted. Officer, I gave you such an important lead. Aren't you going to come over yourself?

Yan Xiu: I can't right now.

Liu Mumu: Why? Don't you love me anymore? .jpg

Looking at the chat, where the little white blob was firing hearts at him nonstop, Yan Xiu calmly typed: Because your favorite police officer is on his way to catch criminals.

Fine. Since her favorite police officer was so busy, Liu Mumu would forgive him for now.