Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Who Should Deliver a Gift to the Queen Mother?”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lotus Pavilion is overwhelmed by the lunchtime crowd. Its affordable prices, excellent food, and Chef Qin’s growing fame have made it one of the most popular restaurants on the commercial street.
• Sun Yating reminds Qin Fen that he still owes her a meal for helping promote his flower business. Qin Fen reluctantly agrees to treat her.
• Qin Fen checks the Heavenly Court’s social feed and sees that the immortal children are reacting excitedly—and anxiously—to Laozi’s announcement that they will be sent to school.
• Weaver Girl contacts Qin Fen about the black stockings he asked her to make. She has completed them but cannot figure out how to deliver them to the Queen Mother because the Queen Mother’s residence is heavily protected by powerful restrictions and the Plain-Colored Cloud Realm Banner.
• Qin Fen considers asking the Earth God or Food God to deliver the gift, but rejects both options because their low status could make the Queen Mother furious or put them in danger.
• He decides that Matchmaker Yue, who now has a stronger position in the Heavenly Court and is close to the Jade Emperor, is the safest choice.
• Matchmaker Yue immediately senses disaster when Qin Fen contacts him. His divination causes him to vomit blood, reinforcing his fear that Qin Fen is about to involve him in another dangerous scheme.
• Qin Fen flatters Matchmaker Yue into considering the request, then reveals that the gift is thigh-high, semi-transparent black stockings intended for the Queen Mother.
• Matchmaker Yue instantly understands how disastrous the request is and refuses in panic, believing Qin Fen is deliberately sacrificing him instead of the Earth God or Food God.
• Before Qin Fen can continue persuading him, Sun Yating interrupts and insists that Qin Fen take her out for the promised feast. Matchmaker Yue is left desperately calling for Qin Fen to return.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Continues to expand his influence in both the mortal world and the Heavenly Court. He is clever, shamelessly persuasive, and increasingly comfortable manipulating powerful immortals through WeChat. He also shows a degree of responsibility by refusing to endanger the lower-status Earth God and Food God.
• Sun Yating: Demonstrates confidence and persistence by forcing Qin Fen to honor his promise of a meal. Her playful, assertive personality contrasts with Qin Fen’s reluctance.
• Weaver Girl: Shows initiative by completing Qin Fen’s unusual request, but remains helpless because of the Queen Mother’s guarded residence and her uncertain social position.
• Matchmaker Yue: Becomes increasingly wary and frightened of Qin Fen. Although he has gained status and confidence from his recent contributions, his fear of Qin Fen’s schemes remains overwhelming.
• The immortal children: Their reactions to being sent to school add a humorous reminder that, despite their divine origins and privileged status, they share the same excitement and anxiety as ordinary children.

3. Significant Themes

• Influence and unintended consequences: Qin Fen’s actions continue to reshape the Heavenly Court, from introducing new products to sending the immortal children to school.
• Social hierarchy and danger: The problem of delivering the stockings highlights the enormous gap between ordinary immortals and figures such as the Queen Mother. A seemingly simple favor becomes potentially life-threatening because of rank and protocol.
• Humor through cultural misunderstanding: Modern items such as black stockings become absurdly dangerous gifts when introduced into the Heavenly Court’s rigid divine society.
• Trust versus exploitation: Qin Fen calls Matchmaker Yue a reliable friend while clearly trying to maneuver him into taking a dangerous assignment. Their relationship is built on both cooperation and mutual suspicion.
• Gains and losses: Qin Fen reflects on how education brings both companionship and hardship, connecting the immortal children’s situation to universal human experiences.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Sun Yating: Their banter centers on Sun Yating pressuring Qin Fen to repay her help with a meal. She succeeds, then immediately takes control of the outing.
• Qin Fen and Weaver Girl: Weaver Girl seeks practical advice about delivering the completed stockings, relying on Qin Fen as the person who initiated the scheme.
• Qin Fen and Matchmaker Yue: Qin Fen uses praise and strategic flattery to recruit Yue, while Yue recognizes the hidden danger and reacts with growing terror. Their exchange emphasizes Qin Fen’s manipulative charm and Yue’s comic distrust.
• Qin Fen and the Heavenly Court: Through the WeChat feed, Qin Fen observes and influences the lives of the immortals, treating divine society almost like a social experiment.

Chapter Summary: “Digging a Pit for the Queen Mother”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sun Yating corners Qin Fen by shaking her car keys, making it clear he cannot escape the dinner she has planned.
• She changes from her formal work clothes into a more casual, subtly attractive outfit before taking him out to eat.
• Meanwhile, Matchmaker Yue is left panicking after receiving Qin Fen’s outrageous request concerning the Queen Mother. Qin Fen immediately disappears, refusing to explain his intentions.
• Matchmaker Yue fears that Qin Fen is setting him up to take responsibility for some dangerous scheme. He desperately tries to contact Qin Fen, even suggesting that Taibai Venus handle the matter instead.
• Qin Fen and Sun Yating drive through unfamiliar parts of the city and arrive at a riverside open-air Western restaurant with a romantic atmosphere and live piano music.
• The familiar server recommends a discounted couples’ set meal. Qin Fen immediately orders it because it is economical, ignoring the romantic implications.
• Sun Yating leaves briefly, apparently to touch up her makeup, while Qin Fen checks his phone and sees Matchmaker Yue’s flood of desperate messages.
• Qin Fen briefly tells Matchmaker Yue that they can find another solution if he truly refuses, but when Matchmaker Yue asks to be excluded, Qin Fen simply demands that he provide an alternative idea—keeping him involved anyway.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Remains calculating, shameless, and difficult to predict. He avoids Sun Yating’s romantic bait by focusing on practical matters such as the cheaper meal. He also manipulates Matchmaker Yue by making vague threats and refusing to explain his plan.
• Sun Yating: Shows a more relaxed and feminine side by changing into casual clothing and arranging what appears to be a romantic dinner. However, she becomes frustrated when Qin Fen refuses to respond according to romantic expectations.
• Matchmaker Yue: Becomes increasingly terrified and emotionally exhausted. Qin Fen’s request makes him fear both the Queen Mother and Qin Fen, whom he views as impossibly powerful and scheming. His desperation exposes how little control he has over the situation.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and power imbalance: Qin Fen controls the conversation by withholding information and forcing Matchmaker Yue into an unwanted role.
• Romance versus practicality: Sun Yating creates a date-like setting, but Qin Fen treats the dinner as an ordinary meal and prioritizes value over atmosphere.
• Fear of the unknown: Matchmaker Yue’s terror stems less from what Qin Fen has explicitly said than from his uncertainty about Qin Fen’s hidden intentions.
• Comedic contrast: Romantic scenery, divine political intrigue, and Qin Fen’s blunt practicality are juxtaposed for humor.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Sun Yating: Their interaction is flirtatious but adversarial. Sun Yating attempts to guide the situation romantically, while Qin Fen recognizes her intentions and deliberately refuses to cooperate.
• Qin Fen and Matchmaker Yue: Qin Fen dominates the exchange through silence, vague wording, and impossible demands. Matchmaker Yue begs to be released, but Qin Fen casually pulls him back into the scheme.
• Matchmaker Yue and the Queen Mother: Though the Queen Mother does not appear directly, her intimidating reputation is enough to make Matchmaker Yue panic and view involvement with her as potentially disastrous.

Chapter Summary: Bai Suzhen and the Seven Fairies

Key Plot Points and Events

• Matchmaker Yue struggles after Qin Fen asks him to help find someone who can deliver the Queen Mother’s message—or take responsibility for the consequences.
• Yue initially considers recommending Taibai, but realizes Qin Fen is involving him too deeply for such a risky choice. He also rejects using the Jade Emperor, Tathagata, or Guanyin because they are too powerful and difficult to approach.
• Qin Fen suggests targeting people close to those major figures, particularly female relatives who may be more approachable and less likely to react with hostility.
• While Matchmaker Yue anxiously searches for a solution, Qin Fen calmly eats at an upscale restaurant with Sun Yating. He finds the food merely acceptable because his culinary standards have risen after acquiring the Food God’s skills.
• Matchmaker Yue eventually discovers two ideal candidates in the Book of Matchmaking: the Seven Fairies and Bai Suzhen.
• Both women owe Matchmaker Yue favors from past matchmaking arrangements, making them suitable people to approach and potentially shift the responsibility onto.
• Yue decides to recommend them to Qin Fen and hopes their status and connections will protect him from blame.

Character Developments

• Matchmaker Yue becomes increasingly desperate and loses his usual immortal dignity under Qin Fen’s pressure. Nevertheless, his cleverness and survival instincts return when he remembers Bai Suzhen and the Seven Fairies.
• Qin Fen remains relaxed, shameless, and strategically manipulative. He pressures Yue to solve the problem while casually enjoying dinner, showing his confidence in his own hidden strength and his indifference to Yue’s panic.
• Sun Yating shares a peaceful meal with Qin Fen. Their comfortable conversation and quiet companionship reveal a growing sense of familiarity and ease between them.
• Bai Suzhen and the Seven Fairies are introduced as influential potential participants, though they do not appear directly in the chapter. Their status and prior connections with Yue establish them as powerful and useful allies—or scapegoats.

Significant Themes

• Self-preservation and shifting responsibility: Matchmaker Yue repeatedly tries to avoid becoming the one blamed for the Queen Mother’s affairs.
• Power and social connections: The chapter emphasizes that influence, family ties, and past favors can be more useful than raw power.
• Immortal resilience and absurdity: Despite their supernatural status, the immortals behave like anxious, petty, and highly pragmatic people.
• Contrast between panic and calm: Yue’s frantic desperation is played against Qin Fen’s relaxed meal and ordinary romantic atmosphere with Sun Yating.
• Debts of gratitude: Yue relies on the idea that favors owed are among the strongest obligations, allowing him to recruit Bai Suzhen and the Seven Fairies.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Matchmaker Yue: Qin Fen dominates the exchange, forcing Yue to help while offering only vague guidance. Yue fears Qin Fen but cannot refuse him.
• Qin Fen and Sun Yating: They dine together peacefully, discussing everyday amusing events and enjoying the scenery. Their interaction has a gentle, intimate quality.
• Matchmaker Yue and the prospective candidates: Yue remembers that he personally arranged the relationships of Bai Suzhen and the Seven Fairies and believes their gratitude gives him leverage.
• Matchmaker Yue and Daoist Nature/Qin Fen’s authority: Yue mentally appeals to Daoist Nature for mercy, revealing how thoroughly he feels trapped by Qin Fen’s plan.

Chapter Summary: “Leaves Plucked at Will, Turned into a Flute”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen and Sun Yating eat together during a hot summer day while Qin Fen’s phone continuously buzzes with messages.
• The messages come from Matchmaker Yue, who is desperately trying to escape responsibility for a troublesome scheme. To protect himself, Matchmaker Yue attempts to involve various powerful figures and women, including the Seven Fairies and Bai Suzhen.
• Qin Fen is especially irritated that Bai Suzhen—an admired figure from his childhood through shows such as The New Legend of White Snake—has been dragged into the mess.
• Before Qin Fen can respond, a foreign man approaches their table and asks Sun Yating to buy him a drink. After misunderstanding her polite rejection, he decides to impress her by playing the piano.
• The foreigner’s lively performance attracts attention from the surrounding diners. The women admire him, while the men sympathize with and then mock Qin Fen.
• Sun Yating deliberately compares the foreigner’s romantic approach with Qin Fen’s lack of initiative, teasing him about having to rely on his “Qilin Arm.”
• Irritated by the challenge and the foreigner’s display, Qin Fen declares that a man cannot admit defeat. He picks a leaf from a nearby tree and prepares to respond with his own performance.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Continues to appear calm and unconventional, but his reactions reveal annoyance, jealousy, and pride. He is embarrassed by Sun Yating’s teasing yet refuses to lose face, ultimately accepting the foreigner’s challenge in an unexpected way.
• Sun Yating: Becomes increasingly intrigued by Qin Fen’s many hidden abilities. Although she mocks and provokes him, she ignores the foreigner’s advances and focuses her attention on Qin Fen, suggesting that her interest in him is growing.
• Matchmaker Yue: Is shown as anxious, manipulative, and desperate. He repeatedly tries to shift blame and recruit others into dealing with a dangerous situation because he is terrified of the consequences.
• The foreigner: Confident and persistent, though his poor Chinese leads him to misunderstand Sun Yating’s rejection. He uses his piano skills to court her and unintentionally creates a public contest with Qin Fen.

Significant Themes

• Male pride and competition: Qin Fen’s response reflects his unwillingness to be publicly outperformed, especially in front of Sun Yating.
• Romantic provocation and hidden attraction: Sun Yating’s teasing functions as both a challenge and a way of testing Qin Fen. Her lack of interest in the foreigner emphasizes her curiosity about Qin Fen.
• Unpredictability and chaos: Matchmaker Yue’s desperate schemes and Natural Daoist’s “rotten ideas” highlight the absurd, uncontrollable nature of the larger supernatural conflict.
• Contrasting talents: The foreigner displays conventional artistic charm through piano music, while Qin Fen hints at a stranger, more improvisational ability by selecting a leaf.
• Nostalgia: Qin Fen’s memories of childhood television dramas, particularly Bai Suzhen, reveal a sentimental side beneath his normally irreverent attitude.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Sun Yating trade sarcastic remarks throughout the meal, with Sun Yating intentionally provoking him and Qin Fen responding with evasive or shameless humor.
• Matchmaker Yue’s messages intrude on their private time, creating a contrast between the lighthearted date-like setting and the bizarre supernatural troubles surrounding Qin Fen.
• The foreigner’s approach creates an implicit rivalry with Qin Fen. Sun Yating rejects the foreigner’s attention but uses his performance to pressure Qin Fen.
• The chapter ends with Qin Fen accepting the challenge and plucking a leaf, setting up his own musical or artistic response to the pianist.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sun Yating challenges Qin Fen to reveal whether he can play the piano, expecting either an impressive display or an embarrassing failure.
• Qin Fen unexpectedly approaches the piano, intensifying the crowd’s curiosity and skepticism.
• The foreign pianist, a respected university lecturer, politely gives up his seat and offers to help Qin Fen prepare.
• Instead of using the piano, Qin Fen asks for only a single leaf.
• He plays the leaf like a wind instrument, producing a deeply moving melody associated with the Cowherd’s longing for the Weaver Girl.
• The performance silences the entire riverside. The crowd is stunned that such a simple object can create music with such emotional power.
• Qin Fen’s performance surpasses the foreigner’s technical reputation, leaving him horrified and impressed. Sun Yating is equally amazed by yet another hidden talent.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Further establishes himself as an extraordinary and mysterious man whose abilities defy his apparent background. His confidence, emotional depth, and mastery of unconventional techniques are revealed through the leaf performance.
• Sun Yating: Her curiosity about Qin Fen turns into genuine astonishment and admiration. She realizes that his identity and talents are far more complicated than his life as a security guard suggests.
• The foreign pianist: Initially courteous and self-assured, he becomes shocked and humbled when Qin Fen creates a soul-stirring performance with a leaf rather than a piano.
• The crowd: Their skepticism changes into admiration as they become emotionally absorbed in the music.

Significant Themes

• Hidden greatness: Qin Fen’s humble appearance and ordinary occupation conceal extraordinary abilities.
• Emotion over materials and technique: The performance demonstrates that artistic power comes from feeling and mastery, not from an expensive instrument.
• Longing and loneliness: The melody expresses the Cowherd’s yearning for the Weaver Girl, evoking the pain of separation and the desire to find a true kindred spirit.
• Breaking conventions: Qin Fen repeatedly challenges ordinary expectations, showing that greatness can emerge in unexpected forms.
• The “Way” of mastery: The chapter presents the idea that true skill arises when profound emotion and technical ability become one.

Character Interactions

• Sun Yating openly cheers for Qin Fen, boldly telling him to defeat the foreigner regardless of whether he can play.
• The foreigner treats Qin Fen respectfully at first, offering him the piano and assistance, but their interaction shifts into an unspoken artistic contest.
• The surrounding men mock or doubt Qin Fen, while many of the women are captivated by the foreigner’s refinement and later by Qin Fen’s music.
• Qin Fen ignores the crowd’s judgments and communicates through his performance, ultimately earning universal respect and leaving everyone—especially Sun Yating and the foreigner—speechless.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen uses a simple leaf as a musical instrument, drawing on the immense musical knowledge and technique inherited from Cowboy.
• His performance expresses the sorrow and longing of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend: years of separation, brief reunions on Qixi Festival, and enduring love despite suffering.
• Although a leaf is an ordinary object, Qin Fen’s mastery transforms it into a powerful instrument. His music deeply moves the surrounding guests, leaving them stunned and emotional.
• Several guests try to imitate him, but produce only dust, unpleasant noises, or weak sounds, demonstrating how extraordinarily difficult his technique is.
• People photograph the performance, discuss posting it online, and even suggest that Qin Fen might qualify for a world record.
• After finishing, Qin Fen casually releases the leaf into the river and asks Sun Yating whether the performance was “not bad.”
• The spectators are shocked to discover that Qin Fen is not a professional musician but the chef from Lotus Pavilion, already famous for his exceptional tofu-carving skills.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Reveals another dimension of his extraordinary talent. His mastery is not merely technical; he can infuse music with profound emotion and achieve a level described as “peerless in this age.” His casual attitude afterward emphasizes his humility and otherworldly skill.
• Sun Yating: Becomes even more impressed by Qin Fen. She recognizes that his abilities extend across cooking, carving, and music, and offers him familiar, sincere support through a thumbs-up and encouraging smile.
• The foreign musician: Moves from confidence in his own musical abilities to complete admiration and humility. He recognizes Qin Fen as a true grandmaster and considers learning from him.
• The spectators: Shift from curiosity and amusement to awe, emotional involvement, disbelief, and admiration. The men are especially frustrated by their inability to imitate Qin Fen, while many women compare his dramatic gesture favorably with ordinary romantic efforts.
• The imitator: Serves as comic contrast, failing miserably to produce a pleasing sound from a leaf and highlighting Qin Fen’s near-inhuman ability.

Significant Themes

• The extraordinary within the ordinary: Qin Fen demonstrates that mastery can transform the most commonplace object into something sublime.
• Emotion as the essence of art: The performance’s power comes not only from technique but from Qin Fen’s ability to communicate longing, loneliness, hope, and love.
• True mastery transcends professions: Qin Fen’s talents defy the idea that people are limited to one specialty; he dominates in both culinary arts and music.
• Humility and hidden greatness: Despite his astonishing performance, Qin Fen treats it as unremarkable, embodying the idea that true masters may live unnoticed among ordinary people.
• Art’s ability to connect people: The music becomes a shared emotional experience, affecting strangers across cultural and professional backgrounds.

Important Character Interactions

• Qin Fen performs for Sun Yating and the surrounding guests, while she watches with admiration and gives him her steady support.
• Guests openly praise Qin Fen, ask him to teach them, take photographs, and compare his talent to professional musicians.
• A failed imitator’s performance prompts ridicule from those nearby and reinforces the uniqueness of Qin Fen’s skill.
• The foreign musician prepares to approach Qin Fen as a student addressing a master, but learns from another guest that Qin Fen is actually a chef.
• The revelation that the musical prodigy is also Master Qin of Lotus Pavilion causes a final wave of astonishment and establishes Qin Fen as a genius across multiple disciplines.

Chapter Summary: “Heavenly Court Item Transfer”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After Qin Fen’s dramatic confrontation at the steakhouse, he and Sun Yating leave under the stunned gaze of the diners and staff. Qin’s unusual behavior turns him into a minor local sensation.
• Back at Lotus Pavilion, Sun Yating appears unusually cheerful after their outing, surprising her employees. The staff attribute her good mood to spending time with Qin.
• Xiaomei tells Qin that Zhang Ye has gone to Magic City to work under his master, who is an executive chef at a major hotel. Qin dismisses the news, confident that Zhang Ye cannot threaten him.
• Zhang Ye’s master recognizes Qin’s extraordinary talent and advises Zhang Ye that true masters can emerge from ordinary people. Zhang Ye therefore chooses not to seek immediate revenge.
• Ye Xiang has also become wary of Qin after suffering several setbacks and decides to wait until Qin’s business opens before judging whether he is truly capable.
• Qin returns home and inspects the construction of his glass cooking room and connecting granite path. He is pleased with the progress and looks forward to launching his own venture.
• At home, Qin notices that Ye Xiang is absent and jokes about it, unknowingly causing Ye Xiang to sneeze and become suspicious that someone is talking about him.
• Qin contacts Weaver Girl through the Heavenly Court’s messaging system. She has completed five pairs of Ice Silkworm Silk stockings for him.
• Instead of simply retrieving the stockings, Qin tests whether an item received through the Heavenly Court’s “Moments” system can be forwarded directly. He successfully forwards the image/item information to Matchmaker Yue, hoping to exploit a difference between forwarding fees and download fees.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Remains confident, unconventional, and opportunistic. He is increasingly focused on building his own business while also experimenting with loopholes in the Heavenly Court system.
• Sun Yating: Shows a rare, openly cheerful side after spending time with Qin, though she retains her strict and intimidating authority at Lotus Pavilion.
• Zhang Ye: Becomes more cautious and mature. Rather than rushing to challenge Qin, he accepts his master’s warning and begins anew in Magic City.
• Zhang Ye’s master: Recognizes Qin as an exceptional talent and acknowledges that greatness can arise from ordinary people.
• Ye Xiang: Shifts from casually opposing Qin to treating him as someone dangerous who should not be provoked without preparation.
• Weaver Girl: Trusts Qin completely and fulfills his request without suspecting that he is testing the system.
• Matchmaker Yue: Becomes the intended recipient of Qin’s experiment involving forwarded Heavenly Court items.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden talent and recognition: Qin’s abilities are so unusual that experienced figures recognize him as a rare master despite his ordinary background.
• Caution versus revenge: Zhang Ye and Ye Xiang both learn that confronting Qin impulsively is unwise, emphasizing the value of restraint and observation.
• Entrepreneurship and preparation: The nearly completed glass room symbolizes Qin’s growing independence and his preparations to establish a new business.
• Exploiting systems and loopholes: Qin treats the Heavenly Court’s rules as something to analyze and manipulate, believing every system contains exploitable differences.
• Changing perceptions: Those around Qin gradually move from underestimating him to regarding him with respect, suspicion, or fear.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin and Sun Yating leave the steakhouse together, with their unusual outing improving her mood and prompting gossip among her employees.
• Qin gives Xiaomei a deliberately vague and humorous answer about their outing, reinforcing his carefree personality.
• Xiaomei shares news about Zhang Ye, but Qin brushes it off rather than treating it as a serious threat.
• Zhang Ye and his master discuss Qin indirectly, with the master guiding Zhang Ye away from confrontation.
• Qin’s thoughts about Ye Xiang contrast with Ye Xiang’s growing unease, creating a humorous parallel.
• Qin and Weaver Girl interact through the Heavenly Court chat, where her trust enables Qin to test forwarding functions and potentially reduce transfer costs.

Chapter Summary: “Mobile Phones and the Heavenly Dao”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen analyzes how WeChat’s cross-realm transfer system works. He realizes that transfer costs are based not on an item’s physical size or weight, but on its intrinsic value.
• Cheap mortal goods, such as his soy sauce catalog, require little Merit to send, while valuable Heavenly Court and Earthly Immortal Realm items are extremely expensive to transfer.
• Qin Fen theorizes that WeChat is connected to the Heavenly Dao. It may either be an embodiment of the Dao’s rules or the “escaped One”—an unpredictable variable outside the Heavenly Dao’s direct control.
• He concludes that Merit Aura is the energy that allows communication between the mortal and immortal realms, since it represents a form of positive energy shared by both worlds.
• Qin Fen experiments with WeChat’s forwarding function and confirms that transferring goods within the same realm is far cheaper than downloading them into the mortal world. The system charges cross-realm transfers like expensive “roaming” rather than ordinary local communication.
• After confirming his theory, Qin Fen sends a package of modern black stockings to Matchmaker Yue, intending them for the Queen Mother as part of an upcoming Qixi Festival scheme.
• Matchmaker Yue is horrified by the stockings and realizes that Qin Fen has placed him in the position of delivering them and accepting the consequences.
• Qin Fen ends the conversation, leaving Matchmaker Yue to carry out his instructions while he looks toward the coming festival.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen demonstrates his practical intelligence and increasingly inventive use of WeChat. Rather than accepting its functions at face value, he studies the system for loopholes and cheaper methods of transportation.
• He becomes more confident in manipulating the rules connecting the mortal and immortal realms, using his understanding of Merit and WeChat to gain an advantage over immortals.
• Qin Fen also shows a mischievous and manipulative side. He deliberately sends a provocative modern garment to the Queen Mother while ensuring Matchmaker Yue will be the one to deliver it.
• Matchmaker Yue becomes increasingly anxious and submissive toward Qin Fen. His relief at Qin Fen’s return quickly turns into panic when he sees the stockings, and he recognizes that he is likely to suffer the Queen Mother’s anger.
• The Queen Mother does not appear directly, but her anticipated reaction becomes an important source of humor and suspense.

Significant Themes

• Technology and divine law: WeChat functions as a modern technological tool operating within or alongside the rules of the Heavenly Dao, blurring the boundary between technology and cosmic power.
• Understanding and exploiting systems: Qin Fen’s success comes from studying the hidden costs and rules of the system, then finding ways to use them more efficiently.
• Merit as universal positive energy: The chapter links modern society’s idea of “positive energy” with the Merit Aura of the immortal realms, suggesting a shared principle between mortal and heavenly worlds.
• The Immortal-Mortal Severance: Although the barrier is absolute to ordinary immortals and even saints, WeChat provides an unexplained exception, making Qin Fen a uniquely powerful variable.
• Tradition versus modernity: The black stockings symbolize the collision between modern fashion and the ancient, conservative atmosphere of the Heavenly Court.
• Comedic mischief and anticipation: The chapter builds humor through Matchmaker Yue’s fear and Qin Fen’s deliberate refusal to take responsibility, while teasing a larger Qixi-related event.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Matchmaker Yue communicate through WeChat. Qin Fen asks whether the goods arrived and immediately orders Yue to fulfill his prior promise.
• Matchmaker Yue reacts with terror to the stockings, imagining the Queen Mother’s outrage and blaming Qin Fen for setting him up.
• Qin Fen dismisses Yue’s concerns, believing the Queen Mother and other immortals are capable of accepting modern ideas and clothing because of their historical contact with the mortal world.
• Their exchange highlights Qin Fen’s calculating, playful manipulation and Matchmaker Yue’s helplessness as the unwilling intermediary.

Chapter Summary: “Bai Suzhen Was Astonished”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen falls asleep after browsing his phone. While he sleeps, Little Bean jumps onto the bed and accidentally activates WeChat with its paw.
• Little Bean barks into the voice chat. The sound is amplified across the Heavenly Court, becoming an overwhelmingly powerful roar because of its Howling Celestial Hound bloodline.
• Matchmaker Yue is nearly incapacitated by the bark, vomiting blood and suffering damage to his Primordial Spirit. He mistakes the incident for a warning from Qin Fen, whom he already believes is secretly monitoring him.
• Terrified of Qin Fen’s supposed power and schemes, Matchmaker Yue finally resolves to carry out Qin Fen’s humiliating request: delivering five pairs of stockings to Queen Mother.
• The next morning, Qin Fen focuses on finishing Lotus Pavilion. He plans the final details, including lighting, glass-house flooring, and outdoor furniture, before driving to the building-materials market.
• Matchmaker Yue travels to Mount Li to seek Bai Suzhen’s help. Since Bai Suzhen is now an immortal and lives with Xu Xian under her master’s protection, she is outside the Heavenly Court’s normal social environment.
• Bai Suzhen is shocked by Matchmaker Yue’s disheveled, bloodstained appearance and initially mistakes him for someone connected to Ji Gong.
• After Matchmaker Yue explains his mission, he secretly hands the stockings to Bai Suzhen and asks her to present them to Queen Mother.
• Bai Suzhen examines the stockings and unexpectedly praises their craftsmanship, creativity, and ability to express feminine beauty. Matchmaker Yue is stunned that Qin Fen’s strange plan may actually succeed.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Remains unaware of the chaos caused by his phone and Little Bean, sleeping peacefully while others panic. His reputation for being mysterious, powerful, and manipulative continues to grow in the Heavenly Court, even though much of it is based on misunderstandings.
• Little Bean: Shows its curious, mischievous, and self-protective personality. It explores Qin Fen’s phone, accidentally activates voice chat, then hides under the blanket after barking because it fears Qin Fen’s punishment.
• Matchmaker Yue: Develops from hesitant and conflicted to completely submissive. The amplified bark convinces him that Qin Fen is far more terrifying than expected, pushing him to obey rather than seek help or resist.
• Bai Suzhen: Initially startled by Matchmaker Yue’s appearance and the absurd request, but she proves open-minded and perceptive. Instead of rejecting the stockings, she appreciates their aesthetic qualities and agrees to help.
• Qin Fen’s reputation: His influence expands through rumor and mistaken assumptions. A harmless bark from Little Bean is interpreted as a deliberate warning from him, reinforcing the belief that he possesses extraordinary power and omniscience.

Significant Themes

• Misunderstanding and unintended consequences: Little Bean’s accidental bark becomes a terrifying Heavenly Court event, while Qin Fen receives credit—and blame—for something he did not do.
• Power depends on context: Little Bean’s weak bloodline in the Heavenly Court becomes formidable in the mortal realm, illustrating how abilities change according to environment.
• Fear and psychological manipulation: Matchmaker Yue’s fear of Qin Fen makes him interpret every event as part of a calculated scheme, allowing Qin Fen’s imagined power to become even greater.
• Beauty and unconventional creativity: Bai Suzhen’s response suggests that objects initially viewed as embarrassing or improper can possess artistic value when judged through craftsmanship and design.
• Comic contrast: Qin Fen calmly handles construction work while the Heavenly Court struggles with what he considers a simple, outrageous request.

Character Interactions

• Little Bean and Qin Fen: Little Bean treats Qin Fen’s bed as part of its territory, then secretly plays with his phone while fearing his reaction.
• Little Bean and Matchmaker Yue: Little Bean’s single bark, transmitted through WeChat, overwhelms Matchmaker Yue and unintentionally forces him to complete his mission.
• Matchmaker Yue and Qin Fen: Though Qin Fen is absent, Matchmaker Yue remains convinced that he is being watched and manipulated, deepening his fear and reluctant loyalty.
• Matchmaker Yue and Bai Suzhen: Matchmaker Yue arrives in a ruined state, explains the request, and passes the stockings to her. Bai Suzhen’s enthusiastic approval reassures him that the plan may not be as disastrous as he expected.
• Bai Suzhen and Queen Mother: Their prior acquaintance, along with Bai Suzhen’s debt to Matchmaker Yue, provides the connection needed to deliver the unusual gift.

Chapter Summary: “Classmate Yi Bendao”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen’s plan to promote specially designed Heavenly Court socks is shown to be highly effective. The Weaver Girl has created socks that are finer, more breathable, comfortable, form-fitting, and attractive than ordinary mortal products.
• Matchmaker Yue delivers the order to Bai Suzhen, who immediately flies back toward Mount Li after hearing about the socks. Matchmaker Yue is left confused about why such a simple item could interest female immortals, but he recognizes Qin Fen’s unusual ability to understand people and find unconventional opportunities.
• Qin Fen returns to Dayang Department Store and continues enjoying his improved position. He is no longer merely a security guard; he is building his own career and has become an important figure at Lotus Pavilion Restaurant, where he is effectively second only to the head leadership.
• While walking through the department store, Qin Fen unexpectedly reunites with two middle school classmates: Yi Bendao and Wang Liang.
• Yi Bendao is a somewhat boastful but well-meaning businessman who now sells building materials and has earned a modest fortune. Wang Liang is a quiet, honest traffic officer supporting his family.
• The three reminisce and joke about who should pay for lunch. Yi Bendao eventually insists on treating them.
• Yi Bendao suggests Lotus Pavilion, unaware that Qin Fen works there. He praises the restaurant’s excellent reputation and famous chef, while Qin Fen becomes awkward because he does not want to appear to take advantage of his position or interfere with Sun Yating’s business.
• The group enters the busy restaurant. Yi Bendao encourages Qin Fen to socialize more, maintain classmate connections, and seek opportunities through relationships rather than continuing to work for others.
• Qin Fen tells them that he is now a cook instead of a security guard. The chapter ends with Xiaomei realizing that one of the restaurant’s important chefs is dining with customers who do not know his true status.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Demonstrates his sharp understanding of beauty, consumer interests, and unconventional business strategies. His career and social status have improved substantially, though he remains modest and somewhat uncomfortable receiving attention or using his influence.
• Matchmaker Yue: Becomes even more impressed—and bewildered—by Qin Fen’s methods. He realizes that Qin Fen’s thinking is difficult for ordinary immortals to understand.
• Bai Suzhen: Shows immediate interest in Qin Fen’s product concept by taking the specially made socks back to Mount Li.
• Yi Bendao: Appears as an energetic, talkative, slightly boastful businessman. Despite his tendency to lecture Qin Fen about networking, he genuinely values their old friendship and wants to reconnect.
• Wang Liang: Remains honest, quiet, and practical. His teasing exchanges with Yi Bendao reveal a comfortable friendship and the long-standing bond among the three classmates.
• Sun Yating and Xiaomei: Their roles are indirect but important. Sun Yating’s trust allows Qin Fen considerable freedom at Lotus Pavilion, while Xiaomei is surprised to see him arrive as an ordinary customer.

Significant Themes

• Innovation and unconventional thinking: Qin Fen succeeds because he identifies an unexpected but effective product—fashionable socks—as a way to attract female immortals.
• The enduring nature of human desires: Even immortals still possess ordinary human instincts, especially the desire for beauty, comfort, novelty, and social trends.
• Changing social status: Qin Fen has moved from being a low-level security guard to a respected chef and rising business figure, though his former classmates have not yet recognized this transformation.
• Friendship and classmate bonds: The reunion emphasizes how old relationships can survive despite differences in wealth, occupation, and lifestyle.
• Networking versus personal values: Yi Bendao believes success depends on maintaining relationships and connections, while Qin Fen understands the principle but dislikes the scheming and social climbing often associated with it.
• Humility and pride: Qin Fen avoids exploiting his authority at Lotus Pavilion because he wants to respect Sun Yating’s ownership and preserve his personal dignity.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Matchmaker Yue are contrasted through their differing understanding of women’s interests; Yue is baffled, while Qin Fen confidently relies on market-tested reasoning.
• Qin Fen reunites warmly with Yi Bendao and Wang Liang, and their playful argument over who will pay demonstrates their continued familiarity.
• Yi Bendao repeatedly advises Qin Fen to socialize and build connections, creating a contrast between Yi’s outgoing pragmatism and Qin Fen’s reserved independence.
• Wang Liang acts as a mediator and good-natured participant in Yi Bendao’s teasing.
• Qin Fen’s hidden importance at Lotus Pavilion creates understated dramatic irony: his friends regard him as merely a cook, while the restaurant staff know he is a major figure there.

Chapter Summary: “Stylish in a Low-Key Way”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen arrives at Lotus Pavilion with his old classmates Yi Bendao and Wang Liang, but Xiaomei tells them there are no available seats because the remaining tables are reserved.
• Yi Bendao tries to use his supposed friendship with the owner, Sun Yating, to secure a table. Qin Fen quietly confirms that Yi does know her, allowing Xiaomei to arrange a reserved table.
• Yi orders several dishes and asks whether the head chef can prepare the restaurant’s famous winter melon soup, even offering to pay double. He does not realize that Qin Fen, sitting beside him, is actually the restaurant’s executive chef.
• Xiaomei avoids explaining the situation, since Qin Fen decides when to cook and cannot be ordered around merely for money.
• During the meal, Yi lectures Qin Fen about staying in touch, finding better work, and starting a business instead of remaining a chef or security guard. He continues presenting himself as worldly and successful.
• When Yi insists on paying, Xiaomei reveals that the meal is complimentary because Executive Chef Qin has authority to provide free meals. Yi finally realizes that Qin Fen is Lotus Pavilion’s master chef and is humiliated by all his earlier boasting.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Maintains his humble, low-profile attitude and does not reveal his wealth or professional status. He listens patiently to Yi’s advice, recognizing that Yi is boastful but well-intentioned. His quiet authority at Lotus Pavilion becomes clear at the end.
• Yi Bendao: Shown as proud, talkative, and eager to preserve face, especially in front of his classmates. Despite his bragging, he genuinely cares about his friends and has helped them professionally. His confidence collapses when he discovers Qin Fen’s true position.
• Wang Liang: A quiet, loyal friend who observes the situation without interrupting. He seems familiar with Yi’s tendency to boast and supports the gathering calmly.
• Xiaomei: Becomes increasingly confused by Yi’s ignorance of Qin Fen’s identity. She handles the awkward situation carefully, following Qin Fen’s authority while avoiding unnecessary explanation.
• Sun Yating: Though absent, her influence is evident through the reserved tables and the special treatment given to friends and guests.

Significant Themes

• Humility versus boastfulness: Qin Fen’s understated behavior contrasts sharply with Yi’s need to display status and connections.
• Hidden success: Qin Fen has achieved far more than his classmates realize, but he deliberately keeps his accomplishments private.
• Friendship beneath vanity: Yi’s bragging is irritating, yet his willingness to help friends and his concern for Qin Fen show that he is fundamentally kind-hearted.
• Saving face and social status: Much of Yi’s behavior is driven by pride, particularly his need to appear capable as the person hosting the meal.
• Skill and authority: Qin Fen’s position demonstrates that true expertise and influence do not always need to be loudly advertised.

Character Interactions

• Yi repeatedly tries to impress Qin Fen and Wang Liang with his connection to Sun Yating, restaurant knowledge, business experience, and willingness to pay.
• Xiaomei and Qin Fen share a silent understanding: she knows his identity, while he lets Yi continue speaking without exposing him.
• Qin Fen responds to Yi’s criticism politely rather than correcting him, showing patience and emotional maturity.
• Wang Liang acts as a quiet observer, amused by Yi’s impending embarrassment but not openly mocking him.
• The chapter ends with Xiaomei publicly identifying Qin Fen as the executive chef, turning Yi’s confident performance into an awkward realization that his supposedly less-successful friend is actually the most accomplished person at the table.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen reveals that he is the executive chef of Lotus Pavilion, exposing Yi Bendao’s earlier attempt to appear knowledgeable about the restaurant.
• Yi Bendao tries to recover from the embarrassment by joking that Qin Fen should cook for him, then offers to help inspect Qin Fen’s unfinished home renovations.
• While discussing vehicles, Yi Bendao enthusiastically praises a Ford Raptor parked outside. In the parking garage, Qin Fen unlocks the exact same vehicle, unintentionally embarrassing Yi Bendao again.
• Qin Fen and his friends drive to Dragon Pool Lake, where Qin Fen’s home is revealed to be a large, luxurious lakeside villa. Yi Bendao is shocked that Qin Fen is far wealthier than he had assumed.
• At the villa’s construction site, Yi Bendao examines the granite being installed and discovers that the contractor supplied cheaper Shandong White Granite instead of the American White Granite Qin Fen paid for.
• He stops the workers from continuing, revealing that Qin Fen has likely been cheated by at least 200 yuan per square meter.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Remains calm, modest, and largely indifferent to his wealth and accomplishments. He does not deliberately show off, but his culinary career, expensive car, and luxury villa repeatedly make him appear mysterious and “uncanny.” He also trusts Yi Bendao’s judgment enough to let him inspect the renovations.
• Yi Bendao: Begins the chapter trying to maintain an image of worldly confidence, but repeatedly suffers accidental humiliation when Qin Fen surpasses his boasts. Despite this, he demonstrates genuine friendship and professional competence by carefully inspecting the granite and protecting Qin Fen from being defrauded.
• Wang Liang: Observes the exchanges with amusement and teases Yi Bendao, but also helps ease the awkwardness by urging everyone to leave the restaurant.
• The workers/contractors: Their materials are revealed to be incorrect or deliberately substituted, suggesting dishonesty in the renovation process.

Significant Themes

• Qin Fen’s hidden success: Qin Fen’s understated personality contrasts sharply with his high-status life, making his true circumstances difficult for others to judge.
• Unintentional humiliation and irony: Yi Bendao repeatedly tries to show off, only to discover that Qin Fen already possesses the very things he admires.
• Friendship beneath embarrassment: Although Yi Bendao feels jealous and frustrated, his first concern at the villa is helping Qin Fen avoid financial loss.
• Appearances versus reality: Qin Fen’s humble explanations—claiming he merely “messed around” with cooking or knows little about materials—conceal considerable skill, wealth, and unusual luck.
• Trust and exploitation: The swapped granite introduces the danger of being cheated, while Yi Bendao’s expertise provides a trustworthy counterbalance.

Character Interactions

• Yi Bendao and Qin Fen exchange friendly banter about Qin Fen’s career, house, and car, though Yi Bendao repeatedly ends up embarrassed.
• Wang Liang notices Yi Bendao’s misfortune and quietly enjoys the spectacle, occasionally intervening to prevent the awkwardness from becoming unbearable.
• At the villa, Yi Bendao shifts from joking friend to professional adviser, confronting the renovation problem and taking charge of the workers once Qin Fen approves.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Qin Fen discovers that the granite he purchased was falsely advertised as imported material. Although the products are legitimate and meet quality standards, they are cheaper domestic substitutes, making legal action or quality complaints nearly impossible.
• Yi Bendao explains that because Qin Fen has already paid and received the goods, the seller can exploit the subtle differences between the materials without technically breaking regulations.
• The foreman accepts responsibility for failing to identify the deception and offers to compensate Qin Fen or replace the granite. Qin Fen refuses to blame him, recognizing that the fraud was difficult to detect.
• Qin Fen’s main concern is whether the granite’s radiation could harm his family, especially the elderly. Yi Bendao reassures him that qualified domestic stone used outdoors should pose little danger.
• Yi Bendao and Wang Liang want revenge against the dishonest seller, but Qin Fen insists on handling the matter himself. His calm smile suggests that the seller will eventually face serious consequences.
• After his friends leave, Qin Fen takes the day off and considers how to protect his family. He purchases Heavenly Court Foxtail Grass through the Land God’s WeChat account, spending 2,000 Merit—the most expensive item he has bought so far.
• The Foxtail Grass appears ordinary but possesses extraordinary vitality and energy-absorbing properties. Qin Fen plants it beside the granite path, while Little Bean investigates and marks the area as its territory.

Character developments

• Qin Fen demonstrates patience, responsibility, and strategic thinking. Although angry at being deceived, he avoids impulsive action and focuses on the potential health risks. His understated confidence reveals that he intends to retaliate in his own way.
• Yi Bendao acts as the knowledgeable expert, explaining the legal and practical limitations of challenging the seller. He also shows loyalty and a strong sense of justice by wanting to defend Qin Fen’s honor.
• Wang Liang openly expresses outrage and concern for his friend, reinforcing the closeness of their friendship.
• The foreman feels guilty and accepts responsibility, but Qin Fen treats him fairly rather than punishing him for an honest mistake.
• Little Bean continues to behave possessively and comically, treating Qin Fen’s newly acquired immortal plant as part of its domain.

Significant themes

• Justice and retaliation: Formal systems cannot help Qin Fen because the seller’s deception falls into a legal gray area, pushing Qin Fen toward personal revenge.
• Loyalty and brotherhood: Yi Bendao and Wang Liang are more upset by the insult to Qin Fen than by the financial loss itself.
• Caution versus impulsiveness: Qin Fen’s controlled reaction contrasts with his friends’ anger and highlights his growing maturity and strategic nature.
• Relative value: The Heavenly Court considers Foxtail Grass worthless because it is a weed, but Qin Fen recognizes that even discarded immortal objects may be immensely valuable in the human world.
• Extraordinary power hidden beneath ordinary appearances: The Foxtail Grass looks like a common weed, yet it has abilities far beyond normal plants.

Character interactions

• Yi Bendao explains the fraudulent granite situation to Qin Fen and Wang Liang, while Wang Liang presses him for a solution.
• The foreman apologizes directly to Qin Fen and offers compensation, but Qin Fen absolves him of intentional wrongdoing.
• Yi Bendao and Wang Liang promise to help punish the dishonest building-materials dealer, though Qin Fen declines their assistance.
• The friends jokingly discuss Qin Fen’s supposed lottery win, allowing Qin Fen to conceal the true source of his sudden wealth and luck.
• Qin Fen later interacts with the Land God’s magical marketplace through his phone, purchasing and planting the Heavenly Court Foxtail Grass as a protective measure.

Chapter Summary: Matchmaker Yue’s Temporary Red Thread

Key Plot Points and Events

• Little Bean leaves the house and sneaks through the courtyard gate into the woods.
• Qin Fen relaxes on his balcony with Flower-Fruit Mountain green tea while reflecting on his recent losses and deciding he cannot let them go unanswered.
• He observes Little Bean absorbing energy from a patch of Heavenly Court Foxtail Grass. The grass can absorb light, radiation, and other surrounding energy, making it useful for protecting the area from radiation.
• Qin Fen accepts Little Bean’s strange cultivation habits, reasoning that having something productive to do is better than letting it destroy the house.
• Determined to retaliate against someone who has wronged him, Qin Fen searches Heavenly Court Moments for a suitable immortal target. He considers Food God, Li Tingyu, and Matchmaker Yue, ultimately choosing Matchmaker Yue because of his influential and troublesome position in Heaven.
• Qin Fen contacts Matchmaker Yue, who anxiously confirms that he has followed Qin Fen’s previous instructions: the socks were given to Bai Suzhen, who will pass them to the Seven Fairies.
• Qin Fen asks whether Matchmaker Yue’s Red String is precious, then requests a temporary or simplified version of it.
• Matchmaker Yue explains that the true Red String and the Book of Matchmaking embody the laws of heaven and earth and control love across the world. However, he reveals that a weaker material called Red Thread exists and only has a temporary effect.
• Qin Fen immediately asks for some Red Thread to “play with,” alarming Matchmaker Yue, who realizes Qin Fen intends to use it for another scheme.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Displays his usual calm, calculating, and mischievous personality. Though he claims to be magnanimous, he clearly enjoys planning revenge. He also shows a practical side by allowing Little Bean to cultivate rather than restraining it.
• Little Bean: Continues behaving like an unusual but harmless pet. It demonstrates an instinctive ability to use Foxtail Grass for energy absorption and cultivation.
• Matchmaker Yue: Becomes increasingly nervous and distrustful of Qin Fen. His earlier confidence from earning merit disappears whenever Qin Fen contacts him, and he tries to protect himself by carefully clarifying Qin Fen’s requests.

Significant Themes

• Revenge disguised as playfulness: Qin Fen insists he does not hold grudges, yet deliberately seeks out a powerful immortal to torment.
• Power imbalance and ingenuity: Although Qin Fen lacks cultivation, divine treasures, and magical abilities, he relies on simple tools and clever schemes to challenge immortals.
• The seriousness of love and fate: Matchmaker Yue emphasizes that the true Red String is tied to the laws of heaven and can affect relationships across lifetimes, making it far too dangerous to use casually.
• Cultivation through ordinary behavior: Little Bean’s energy absorption provides a humorous contrast to the grand supernatural concepts surrounding the immortals.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen observes and comments on Little Bean’s shamelessly “mooching” energy from the Foxtail Grass, revealing their casual, comedic relationship.
• Qin Fen and Matchmaker Yue’s conversation is tense but humorous. Matchmaker Yue is frightened by Qin Fen’s vague statements and repeatedly tries to determine what he wants before agreeing to anything.
• Qin Fen uses his knowledge of Matchmaker Yue’s trade to pressure him into revealing the existence of the temporary Red Thread, setting up a likely future scheme involving love and matchmaking.

Summary: “Matchmaker Yue Admitted Defeat”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen deliberately maneuvers Matchmaker Yue into discussing the Heavenly Court’s new compulsory-education policy.
• He invents a sentimental story about a couple separated by their families, using it as an excuse to request a strand of Matchmaker Yue’s Red Thread.
• Matchmaker Yue, pressured by the Jade Emperor’s demand that the policy be implemented quickly and successfully, gives Qin Fen the Red Thread despite recognizing the trap.
• Qin Fen then sends Matchmaker Yue a vague explanation of compulsory education, prompting Yue to ask for more concrete information about school organization and teaching.
• Qin Fen refuses to explain further until Matchmaker Yue pays him 2,000 Merit.
• After receiving the payment, Qin Fen suggests dividing immortal children into kindergarten, elementary, and middle-school levels according to age and ability.
• Matchmaker Yue realizes the solution is simple and practical, but feels humiliated that Qin Fen extracted such a large payment for it. He concludes that Qin Fen is too cunning to deal with safely.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Fen is shown as an exceptionally shrewd, opportunistic, and shameless negotiator. He openly lays traps, uses emotional manipulation, and charges for ideas he could easily have given away. His methods are not coercive, but he exploits every opportunity to gain resources and Merit.
• Matchmaker Yue becomes increasingly frustrated and defensive, yet proves responsible and pragmatic. Although he sees through Qin Fen’s schemes, he repeatedly gives in because the Heavenly Court’s policy and reputation are more important than his personal pride.
• Matchmaker Yue’s “defeat” is psychological as much as practical: he admits that Qin Fen consistently outmaneuvers him and resolves to avoid future contact whenever possible.

3. Significant Themes

• Cunning versus experience: Matchmaker Yue is an immortal with immense authority, but Qin Fen’s creativity and timing allow him to outmaneuver him.
• Pragmatism over pride: Yue tolerates humiliation and financial loss because completing the Heavenly Court’s assignment matters more.
• The commercialization of knowledge: Qin Fen treats advice and innovation as valuable commodities, demanding payment for practical solutions.
• Simplicity and effective organization: The final school system reflects the idea that complicated problems can often be solved through straightforward classification and gradual progression.
• Power and manipulation: Qin Fen’s influence comes not from official status but from his ability to identify others’ needs and exploit their urgency.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin Fen maintains a falsely friendly, smiling demeanor while manipulating Matchmaker Yue, creating a sharp contrast between his polite words and predatory intentions.
• Matchmaker Yue recognizes Qin Fen’s traps almost immediately, but remains unable to resist them because of his official responsibilities.
• Their exchange is framed as a battle of wits: Qin Fen uses indirect questions, emotional pretexts, and delayed answers, while Yue attempts to preserve his dignity and control.
• Despite Yue’s resentment, he acknowledges Qin Fen’s intelligence and the usefulness of his proposal, admitting that Qin Fen found the right solution at exactly the right moment.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen waits for the effects of the socks he has distributed among the female immortals to develop, believing that curiosity and vanity will eventually make them contact him.
• Matchmaker Yue deposits another 2,000, bringing Qin Fen’s balance to 5,998 and compensating him for the Foxtail Grass he acquired.
• Qin Fen completes the download of a Marriage Red Thread, spending 1,300. The thread can create romantic connections between different species for three days, though such relationships are not recorded in the Book of Matchmaking.
• He complains about the system’s double charges—both for downloading and activating items—then takes a bath and goes to sleep.
• The next morning, his classmate Yi Bendao calls early, worried about his failing stocks. Qin Fen dismisses him, insisting that he knows nothing about investments.
• Yi reveals that, inspired by Qin Fen’s earlier remark that “Heaven Rewards Diligence,” he bought lottery tickets and won a 3,000-yuan third prize. Qin Fen assumes Yi is merely bragging and hangs up.
• Afterward, Yi becomes convinced that Qin Fen possesses uncanny prophetic luck. He regrets not asking Qin Fen for advice about his stocks and begins treating him like a potential oracle.
• Qin Fen remains unaware that people now view him as a “prophecy god.” After breakfast, he drives away, while the chapter hints that the first major climax of the Heavenly Court’s Qixi Festival is approaching.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Continues exploiting the Heavenly Court’s supernatural marketplace while remaining practical, greedy, and sarcastic about its fees. His reputation unknowingly expands from chef and musician to someone associated with extraordinary luck and prophecy.
• Yi Bendao: Shifts from skepticism to reluctant belief in Qin Fen’s supernatural abilities after winning the lottery. His excitement, anxiety over his stocks, and regret at hanging up reveal growing dependence on Qin Fen’s supposed predictions.
• Ye Xiang: Though appearing only through commentary, he is also portrayed as wary of Qin Fen, fearing that Qin Fen’s strange luck could accidentally affect him.
• Matchmaker Yue and the female immortals: Matchmaker Yue continues funding Qin Fen’s activities, while the female immortals are positioned to become involved with the red-thread scheme and the socks Qin Fen has distributed.

Significant Themes

• Unintended reputation and misunderstanding: Qin Fen’s ordinary comments and coincidences are interpreted as supernatural predictions.
• Luck versus knowledge: Yi Bendao mistakes Qin Fen’s unexplained good fortune for genuine prophecy, showing how people seek certainty in gambling, stocks, and chance.
• Commercialization of the supernatural: Divine objects are treated like purchasable products, complete with download costs, activation fees, and technical descriptions.
• Manipulation and matchmaking: Qin Fen views romance as something that can be engineered through magical tools, foreshadowing trouble during the Qixi Festival.
• Comedy through contrast: Qin Fen is unaware of the immense impression he makes, while others treat his casual behavior as mysterious and world-changing.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Matchmaker Yue interact indirectly through her payment and his plan to use the red thread.
• Qin Fen and Yi Bendao have a comic phone exchange: Yi seeks financial and prophetic guidance, while Qin Fen responds with irritation because he knows nothing about stocks.
• Yi’s interpretation of the call contrasts sharply with Qin Fen’s intentions; Qin Fen thinks Yi is boasting, while Yi believes he has failed to consult a supernatural expert.
• Ye Xiang’s fear of being caught in Qin Fen’s “crossfire” reinforces the growing belief that Qin Fen’s presence causes inexplicable consequences.

Chapter Summary: “Strike Without Hesitation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen begins what may be his final period working at Lotus Pavilion, determined to appreciate his current life and relationships before moving on.
• His growing authority is evident when the restaurant staff greet him respectfully and immediately obey his instructions. He enjoys the influence he has gained, despite joking internally about the exaggerated respect.
• Qin receives a message from Yi Bendao asking whether his stock investments can still be saved. Qin mocks him and suggests he seek psychiatric help, then turns to a more serious matter.
• He contacts Luo Yi, the owner of a stone materials shop, about receiving counterfeit American White Granite for a paving project.
• Luo Yi denies wrongdoing and offers a deliberately inconvenient replacement process requiring Qin to remove and relay the stone. His response is designed to discourage complaints while appearing reasonable.
• Qin recognizes the deception and refuses to be manipulated. He adds Luo Yi on WeChat and secretly activates the Mysterious Light Technique through a video call.
• The technique reveals Luo Yi speaking with a factory representative, openly admitting that they substituted cheaper domestic granite for imported stone and rely on forged or customized inspection reports to deceive customers.
• Qin records the conversation as evidence. He then raises the red thread and declares that the two conspirators should “stay together,” implying he is about to use the thread’s supernatural power to punish or bind them.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Becomes more confident, influential, and decisive. He values his current social connections but is also increasingly willing to confront injustice directly. Rather than accepting Luo Yi’s evasive response, he investigates covertly, gathers proof, and prepares retaliation.
• Luo Yi: Revealed as a calculating and experienced fraudster. He uses calm, respectable business language to conceal deliberate product substitution and exploit customers’ reluctance to incur replacement costs.
• The factory representative: Confirms that the counterfeit-stone scheme is intentional and ongoing. He is more nervous than Luo Yi but shares responsibility and confidence that forged quality documents can conceal the fraud.
• Yi Bendao: Appears briefly as a comic contrast to the main conflict, relying on Qin for help with his failed stock investments.

Significant Themes

• Power and influence: Qin reflects on how authority changes the way others treat a person, recognizing the attraction—and potential emptiness—of fame and status.
• Integrity versus deception: Luo Yi presents himself as an honest businessman while secretly profiting through fraud, exposing the gap between public reputation and private conduct.
• Justice and decisive action: Qin refuses to be intimidated by inconvenience or manipulated by false reasonableness. He gathers evidence before acting, suggesting a personal belief in striking only after exposing the truth.
• Supernatural power as responsibility: The Mysterious Light Technique allows Qin to uncover hidden wrongdoing, while the red thread signals his willingness to impose consequences himself.
• Change and uncertainty: Qin’s rise from security guard to respected chef and empowered investigator reinforces the chapter’s idea that life can transform unexpectedly.

Character Interactions

• Qin commands the Lotus Pavilion staff, who respond to him with admiration and awe.
• He exchanges sarcastic messages with Yi Bendao about the latter’s stock losses.
• During the phone call, Qin calmly challenges Luo Yi without revealing how much he suspects.
• Luo Yi attempts to dismiss Qin’s complaint through plausible explanations and burdensome replacement terms.
• Qin secretly observes Luo Yi and the factory representative admitting their scheme, then records their conversation and prepares to act against them.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• In a restroom, Qin Fen discovers how to use Matchmaker Yue’s Red Thread through WeChat and the Mysterious Light Technique. The thread can be remotely transferred into the video image and attached to its targets.
• He sends the Red Thread to Boss Luo Yi and the young sales manager involved in selling potentially dangerous radioactive stone, paying 200 data credits.
• The artifact causes the two men to become intensely attracted to one another. In the final image, Luo Yi kneels, grabs the young man’s hand, and appears ready to confess his love.
• The Red Thread’s effects last exactly three days, after which everything will return to normal. Qin Fen considers this a restrained punishment because he cannot afford the stronger, permanent version.
• Outside the video, the two men publicly behave as though they are passionately in love. Luo Yi proposes, attracting a huge crowd at the Building Materials Market.
• Yi Bendao arrives, witnesses the scene, and realizes Qin Fen’s earlier mysterious warning has come true almost immediately.

Character developments

• Qin Fen demonstrates growing skill with the supernatural tools connected to his phone. He also shows himself to be calculating, vindictive, and willing to use unorthodox methods to punish people who have wronged him.
• Although he claims to be “kind-hearted,” Qin Fen’s punishment is deliberately humiliating and psychologically cruel. Nevertheless, he limits the effect to three days and frames it as a warning rather than a permanent injury.
• Qin Fen’s anger is rooted not only in personal revenge but also in his disgust at the men’s willingness to profit from hazardous materials and ignore basic responsibility.
• Boss Luo Yi and the young sales manager lose control of their behavior under the Red Thread’s influence, becoming oblivious to public opinion and acting out an exaggerated romantic relationship.
• Yi Bendao is shocked when he sees the result, and his reaction confirms that he understands Qin Fen was responsible.

Significant themes

• Revenge and justice: Qin Fen believes wrongs should be answered, especially when formal justice offers no remedy. His retaliation is both personal and an attempt to discourage harmful business practices.
• Power and responsibility: The chapter highlights the danger of supernatural artifacts and the moral ambiguity of using them. Qin Fen possesses great power but chooses a temporary punishment because he cannot—or will not—use the strongest version.
• Destruction as renewal: Qin Fen believes entrenched industry rules and corrupt behavior sometimes need to be disrupted before anything can improve.
• Public spectacle and humiliation: The men’s punishment becomes entertainment for the crowd, emphasizing how quickly scandal spreads and how easily private wrongdoing can become public disgrace.
• Comedy through absurdity: The chapter derives much of its humor from the contrast between Qin Fen’s serious moral reasoning and the ridiculous romantic spectacle created by the Red Thread.

Character interactions

• Qin Fen interacts with the phone and the Mysterious Light Technique to transfer the artifact remotely.
• He mentally condemns Luo Yi and the sales manager for misleading customers and potentially exposing them to dangerous radiation.
• The Red Thread forces Luo Yi and the young man into an intense, seemingly mutual attraction, culminating in Luo Yi kneeling and proposing.
• Bystanders enthusiastically gather, take photographs, and record videos, turning the incident into public gossip.
• Yi Bendao witnesses the scene and silently connects it to Qin Fen, realizing that Qin Fen’s promised “lesson” has been carried out.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Qin Fen leaves Lotus Pavilion Restaurant and explores the food stalls outside Dayang Department Store. He notices and buys grilled brain, having largely forgotten about the red-thread scheme.
• Elsewhere, the red thread causes Luo Yi, a flooring-shop owner, to become obsessively attached to a young man from a manufacturer. Luo Yi kneels and clings to him in front of a growing crowd, repeatedly insisting that their “love is stronger than gold.”
• Spectators interpret the bizarre situation as a dramatic romantic confession and enthusiastically take photographs, post the incident online, and call others to watch. The building-materials market becomes unusually lively.
• Luo Yi’s wife wakes up, sees her husband embracing another man, and angrily attacks him. She kicks him away and beats him while he continues to insist that he will not let go, turning the scene into an even greater spectacle.
• Yi Bendao witnesses the entire incident, photographs it, and sends Qin Fen the picture with the message “Awesome.” Qin Fen laughs and reflects that the red thread is much weaker than the red cord, praising Matchmaker Yue as a terrifying figure.
• The chapter ends when Qin Fen reaches a jumping-frog stall and simultaneously calls out for an order with a woman nearby. He turns and discovers that the woman is Bai Xiaojie, while the man with her is Qin Bing, creating a new unexpected encounter.

Character developments

• Qin Fen remains detached and mischievous, treating the red-thread incident as a lesson for people who need to be taught a proper place. His reaction shows both amusement and confidence in the supernatural matchmaking methods.
• Luo Yi becomes completely irrational under the red thread’s influence, abandoning dignity and social awareness as he clings to the manufacturer’s employee. His stubborn declarations contrast sharply with his wife’s violent response.
• Luo Yi’s wife is portrayed as furious, blunt, and physically aggressive. Her jealousy and anger immediately overpower the romantic spectacle, and she becomes the force that breaks up the “couple.”
• Yi Bendao acts as an amused observer and reporter, enjoying the chaos, documenting it, and sharing the evidence with Qin Fen.
• Bai Xiaojie and Qin Bing are introduced at the end as Qin Fen’s next important interaction, though their relationship and the significance of their meeting are left unresolved.

Significant themes

• Supernatural matchmaking and loss of control: The red thread manipulates emotions so powerfully that Luo Yi behaves against ordinary social expectations.
• Public spectacle and voyeurism: The crowd turns a private and embarrassing incident into entertainment, eagerly photographing, sharing, and celebrating it online.
• Humor through contrast: Luo Yi’s intense romantic obsession is repeatedly undercut by his wife’s anger, the crowd’s laughter, and the mundane setting of a building-materials market.
• Punishment and consequences: Qin Fen sees the matchmaking incident not merely as a prank but as a way to make people experience discomfort and learn from their behavior.
• Fate and coincidence: The chance meeting between Qin Fen, Bai Xiaojie, and Qin Bing hints that romantic or supernatural connections may continue to develop.

Important character interactions

• Luo Yi publicly clings to the manufacturer’s employee, while the surrounding crowd interprets their behavior as a romantic confession.
• Luo Yi’s wife confronts him, curses him, and physically drags him away, completely destroying the supposed romantic moment.
• Yi Bendao observes and photographs the scene, then sends the image to Qin Fen, who responds with amusement and commentary about Matchmaker Yue.
• Qin Fen’s accidental simultaneous order with Bai Xiaojie leads to their recognition of one another and introduces Qin Bing into the closing scene.

Chapter Summary: “A Worthy Match”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sun Yujie spends her day off wandering Yiling City’s pedestrian street and sampling street food.
• She discovers a stall selling grilled frogs, an unfamiliar delicacy, and unexpectedly encounters Qin Fen, whom she recognizes as an interesting acquaintance.
• Both are surprised to see each other and immediately reveal that they share a love of trying specialty foods.
• They repeatedly speak and act in perfect unison:
  • They suggest eating together at the same time.
  • They order food together.
  • They silently divide their orders between them.
  • They independently choose additional dishes, creating an extensive shared feast.
• They move to a spicy-crab restaurant, combine all their food on the table, and enjoy sampling everything together.
• Sun Yujie receives a call from her sister, Sun Yating, but tells her she is already eating and will not come for lunch.
• Qin Fen then receives a call from Sun Yating, who expects him to prepare lunch. He also claims he is already eating out, though he does not reveal that he is with Sun Yujie.
• The chapter ends with Qin Fen and Sun Yujie simultaneously eating spicy crab and bullfrog, smiling at each other and demonstrating their striking compatibility.

Character Developments

• Sun Yujie: Shown as sociable, adventurous, and enthusiastic about food. Though initially wandering alone, she quickly becomes comfortable with Qin Fen and enjoys sharing a meal with him. Her willingness to share food and use the same chopsticks suggests growing familiarity and trust.
• Qin Fen: Revealed to be equally food-loving and spontaneous. He matches Sun Yujie’s personality and instincts, responding naturally to her suggestions and silently coordinating with her. His relaxed interaction with her hints at emerging romantic interest or at least strong personal chemistry.
• Sun Yating: Appears only through phone calls but serves as a humorous contrast to the pair. She is confused and mildly annoyed when both her sister and Qin Fen independently abandon their lunch plans.

Significant Themes

• Compatibility and tacit understanding: Qin Fen and Sun Yujie repeatedly anticipate each other’s thoughts without discussion, making them appear perfectly matched.
• Shared enjoyment and companionship: Food becomes a means of connection; eating together allows them to experience more dishes and makes the outing more enjoyable than eating alone.
• Romantic subtext: Their synchronized actions, exchanged smiles, accidental fingertip contact, and comfort with sharing food suggest a developing attraction.
• Comedy through coincidence and misunderstanding: Both characters misleadingly describe each other as merely a “colleague” or “classmate,” while their behavior strongly suggests a closer bond.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Sun Yujie’s interaction dominates the chapter. Their mirrored dialogue and coordinated ordering create an immediate sense of chemistry.
• The food-stall owner observes their behavior and is amazed by their effortless teamwork, interpreting them as an exceptionally well-matched couple.
• Sun Yujie and Sun Yating discuss lunch, with Yujie choosing to remain with Qin Fen.
• Qin Fen and Sun Yating have a parallel phone conversation, during which he similarly avoids mentioning his companion.
• The chapter closes by reinforcing the idea that Qin Fen and Sun Yujie are “a worthy match,” especially in their shared appetite, humor, and mutual understanding.