Chapter Summaries

Key events

• At dinner, Lu Ming complains that Wen Ning is withholding his wages and Zhang Siyu won’t let him buy sugary soda. Zhang Siyu offers him one sugar-free bottle the next day, while Wen Ning teases him about his belly.
• After dinner, Wen Ning checks the Jade Emperor’s Golden Register. Lin Dagang’s entry has changed to confirm that Wen Ning helped him find his way again and reclaim his life.
• Realizing the register’s tasks can guide him as well as others, Wen Ning spends the accumulated merit on cultivation. He breaks through from Earth Immortal to Mid-Heavenly Immortal, gaining greatly heightened perception and power.
• Wen Ning recalls Zhao Gongming’s criticism of his spellwork and resolves to improve. In Heaven, Zhao Gongming notices Wen Ning’s progress and plans to test his mastery of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Transformations.

Character developments and interactions

• Wen Ning reflects on the personal meaning of his work and makes a major leap in cultivation. His irritation with Lu Ming’s antics provides a comic counterpoint to his breakthrough.
• Lu Ming remains childish and food-focused, grumbling about restrictions and repeatedly interrupting Wen Ning—including entering his room shirtless out of habit, then returning to ask about breakfast.
• Zhang Siyu keeps Lu Ming’s eating in check but softens by promising him a sugar-free drink.
• Zhao Gongming takes an interest in Wen Ning’s advancement and intends to assess his skills.

Significant themes

• Helping others can also lead to personal growth and self-understanding.
• Merit and cultivation are linked, with Wen Ning’s compassionate work enabling a dramatic advance.
• The chapter contrasts spiritual progress with everyday domestic comedy, keeping the cultivation developments light in tone.

Key plot points and events

• Broom Star calls Wen Ning at dawn to report that Feng Dema has transformed the Misfortune Department. Feng Dema replaced its old furniture with heavy Yellow River yinwood desks and chairs, making the office look grand and attracting interest from other deities.
• Broom Star is pleased by the attention but overwhelmed by the sudden workload—and says Feng Dema keeps asking why there are no immortal maidens in the department.
• Broom Star also wonders whether Feng Dema’s uneven gait and posture are performance art. Wen Ning realizes that this is simply how Feng Dema walks.
• During the call, Feng Dema dismantles Broom Star’s beloved, battered mahjong table, insisting a new one will improve the department’s image. He even promises to add a Feng Shui Formation so Broom Star can win at mahjong.
• Feng Dema then recognizes Wen Ning on the phone and asks him to return a Millennium Lingzhi, saying his uncle told him to ask for it.

Character developments

• Feng Dema proves unexpectedly capable and proactive, taking the initiative to improve his workplace. His earnest confidence and practical, relentless approach extend even to furniture and mahjong. He remains blunt and socially oblivious, however: he pursues the Lingzhi despite the obvious implication that his uncle may not expect Wen Ning to return it.
• Broom Star enjoys the department’s new prestige but is unsettled by the extra attention and work. He is sentimental about his old mahjong table and struggles to resist Feng Dema’s persuasive plans.
• Wen Ning is repeatedly caught off guard by Feng Dema’s achievements and eccentricities. His dry, exasperated reactions show that he understands Feng Dema’s quirks better than the Heavenly Court does.

Significant themes

• Unexpected competence: Someone assumed to be trouble turns out to be remarkably effective.
• Modernization versus attachment: Feng Dema prioritizes efficiency and appearances, while Broom Star values familiar, well-worn possessions.
• Comic misunderstandings: Broom Star mistakes Feng Dema’s natural gait for performance art, and Feng Dema takes his uncle’s indirect instruction literally.
• Ambition and persistence: Feng Dema applies the same determined energy to workplace improvements, matchmaking hopes, and recovering his Lingzhi.

Character interactions

• Broom Star reports Feng Dema’s reforms to Wen Ning, alternating between admiration and exasperation.
• Feng Dema argues with Broom Star over the mahjong table, first invoking the department’s image and then appealing to Broom Star’s wish to win.
• Feng Dema addresses Wen Ning warmly as “big brother,” then immediately asks him for the Lingzhi, leaving Wen Ning silently questioning his naïveté.

Key plot points

• Wen Ning ends his call with Feng Dema, frustrated by Feng’s inability to understand that his uncle had told him not to ask for advice. Wen Ning declares their connection over.
• Lu Ming tries to pry into the call, but Zhang Siyu sends him to wash the dishes.
• The Squirrel Spirit arrives at Zhang Siyu’s bathhouse for its new osmanthus-scented body wash, joking that the fragrance will attract female squirrels. He is a familiar, harmless regular who has previously brought Wen Ning useful information.
• As the Squirrel Spirit goes to bathe, Tu Shan Qingqing, a fox demon who runs a bar in Wen Ning’s hometown, appears and asks for a bath.
• Zhang Siyu reacts jealously, refusing to serve female customers and demanding to know how Tu Shan knows Wen Ning. Tu Shan deliberately gives a vague account of their relationship, enjoying Zhang’s discomfort.
• Tu Shan insists she has come as a paying customer and offers to let Zhang watch her bathe. Wen Ning is caught between the two women and wants to escape the awkward confrontation.

Character developments and interactions

• Wen Ning is fed up with Feng Dema, but his attempt to move on is interrupted by Tu Shan’s provocative arrival. He tries to explain that he and Tu Shan are merely old acquaintances who met when he visited her bar.
• Zhang Siyu displays a sharp, protective jealousy toward Tu Shan, treating her as a possible rival and asserting control over the bathhouse.
• Tu Shan Qingqing is playful and deliberately provocative. She needles Zhang with ambiguous remarks while maintaining that she simply wants a bath.
• The Squirrel Spirit provides a lighthearted contrast to the tense scene, embodying the bathhouse’s ordinary, comic bustle.
• Lu Ming remains nosy but is quickly put to work by Zhang.

Significant themes

• Comic misunderstandings and meddling: Feng Dema’s misinterpretation and Tu Shan’s calculated ambiguity create friction.
• Jealousy and rivalry: Zhang’s guarded reaction contrasts with Tu Shan’s amused confidence.
• Everyday supernatural life: Spirits casually visit a bathhouse, turning magical characters and concerns into domestic comedy.

Key plot points

• Tu Shan Qingqing visits Wen Ning, having stopped teasing Zhang Siyu, and asks him to help find a man.
• She explains that she knows where he is but cannot get inside. The man is at Mount Li.
• Wen Ning immediately refuses, recognizing that the place—and the man connected to it—is exceptionally dangerous. Zhang Siyu realizes who Tu Shan Qingqing means and is alarmed by the risk.
• Tu Shan Qingqing insists she has reasons for seeking him out and hints that the matter cannot simply be avoided. She leaves, saying she will return in a few days, by which time Wen Ning will understand.

Character developments and interactions

• Wen Ning shifts from curiosity to firm resistance once he hears “Mount Li.” He is wary of the danger and frustrated that Tu Shan Qingqing’s request may bring trouble to his door.
• Tu Shan Qingqing begins playfully, but becomes serious as she explains her request. Her cryptic warning suggests she knows more than she has revealed.
• Zhang Siyu remains suspicious of Tu Shan Qingqing, then backs Wen Ning’s refusal and reacts with shock when she understands who the man is.
• The exchange between Wen Ning and Zhang Siyu provides humor and shows them temporarily united in opposing the request. Tu Shan Qingqing enjoys their reactions but does not disclose her full purpose.

Significant themes

• Danger and attraction: Tu Shan Qingqing jokes that dangerous men are alluring, yet her pursuit may have serious consequences.
• Limits of power: Wen Ning stresses that being a deity does not make him all-powerful.
• Inevitable trouble and unanswered motives: Tu Shan Qingqing implies the Mount Li matter cannot be avoided, leaving Wen Ning—and the reader—uncertain about what is coming.

Key plot points and events

• After Tu Shan Qingqing tells Wen Ning he cannot avoid Mount Li, he spends the night anxiously resisting the idea.
• He is suddenly summoned from sleep to the Jade Void Palace, arriving bare-chested in only his underwear and freezing on the icy floor.
• The Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning replaces his clothes with a warm Daoist robe and shoes, then tells him he must go to Mount Li.
• The reason: Mount Li contains Human Dao Fortune, which is crucial to completing Wen Ning’s merit. The Lord offers no guarantee that Wen Ning will obtain it, saying success depends on him.

Character developments

• Wen Ning remains reluctant and anxious about Mount Li, but recognizes that he may not be able to avoid the journey. Though he wants answers about the risks and the Fortune, he accepts that he must try.
• The Heavenly Lord shows a rare teasing, mildly amused side before turning serious. He remains enigmatic, revealing only what he chooses.

Significant themes

• Duty versus avoidance: Wen Ning’s desire to evade Mount Li clashes with the task tied to completing his merit.
• Uncertainty and self-reliance: The Heavenly Lord gives Wen Ning no assurances; the outcome depends on Wen Ning’s own actions.
• Power and deference: Wen Ning’s nervous politeness and exaggerated eagerness reflect the imbalance between him and his powerful ancestor.

Character interactions

• Wen Ning’s comic embarrassment at being summoned in his underwear briefly lightens the scene; the Heavenly Lord quietly amuses himself, then clothes him with a gesture.
• Wen Ning eagerly insists he is always available, prompting the Lord to admit he was teasing.
• When Wen Ning asks whether the journey will succeed, the Lord leaves the answer open-ended, and Wen Ning accepts the assignment despite his doubts.

Key plot points and events

• After returning from the Jade Void Palace exhausted, Wen Ning decides to accept Tu Shan Qingqing’s request and travel to Mount Li.
• He visits his hometown, where his mother welcomes him warmly, feeds him, and worries about his health. He spends time helping her before leaving.
• At The One Bar, Wen Ning tells Tu Shan Qingqing he is in. She explains that Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng once promised to return to her after uniting the realm, but never did; he was buried at Mount Li. Though she knew he might be lying, she loved him anyway.
• Back at his shop, Wen Ning calls Meng Jiang to ask about Mount Li. She warns that it is Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum and that collecting souls there is dangerous, but he confirms he plans to go.
• Zhang Siyu suspects Wen Ning is going to help a fox spirit and is unhappy about it. Wen Ning insists he is going on business.
• Wen Ning orders Lu Ming to accompany him the next day. When Lu Ming resists, Wen Ning jokingly threatens to offer him up as venison if danger arises. Lu Ming reluctantly gives in.

Character developments and interactions

• Wen Ning moves from weary hesitation to a firm decision to take on the Mount Li mission. He remains blunt and teasing, but his visit home shows affection for and concern about his mother.
• Tu Shan Qingqing reveals her enduring, bittersweet attachment to Ying Zheng. Her amused confidence gives way to a more vulnerable account of a love she knew might be built on a broken promise.
• Wen Ning and Tu Shan Qingqing speak frankly: he asks whether she believed Ying Zheng, and she admits she loved him despite doubting him.
• Wen Ning and his mother share a warm, ordinary family moment that contrasts with the dangers of his work.
• Wen Ning and Meng Jiang exchange jokes, but her warning underscores the seriousness of the mission.
• Wen Ning and Lu Ming have a comic but coercive exchange: Wen Ning pressures him into joining, while Lu Ming panics at the prospect of being used as bait. Zhang Siyu offers no help, still sulking.

Significant themes

• Love and broken promises: Tu Shan Qingqing knowingly accepts the risk of loving someone who may never return.
• Duty and danger: Wen Ning commits to a mission despite warnings about Mount Li.
• Family and care: His mother’s food and concern provide a grounding counterpoint to supernatural peril.
• Humor amid tension: Wen Ning’s teasing threats lighten the story even as the mission’s danger becomes clear.

Plot points and events

• Wen Ning takes the reluctant Lu Ming to Mount Li, flying them there despite Lu Ming’s fear.
• On the mountain, Wen Ning senses immense, carefully contained yin energy beneath the ground. He recognizes it as Qin Shi Huang’s power: disciplined and strong enough to stabilize the entire mountain without harming the living.
• A silent ancient general appears among the tourists and tells Wen Ning that His Majesty requests his presence. A hidden doorway opens, and Wen Ning pulls the terrified Lu Ming through it.
• Inside, they find a vast black-jade palace and Qin Shi Huang seated on a dais. Wen Ning finds the meeting’s smoothness suspicious and jokes that he might be sacrificed. Qin Shi Huang greets him warmly: “It’s been a long time, Wen Ning.”

Character developments and interactions

• Wen Ning is confident and observant, teasing Lu Ming while protecting him and holding him upright in Qin Shi Huang’s intimidating presence. He admires the emperor’s command of his yin energy but remains wary of the unexpectedly easy invitation.
• Lu Ming is anxious throughout the journey and meeting, protesting the flight and nearly collapsing under Qin Shi Huang’s aura. Wen Ning repeatedly reassures or physically steadies him.
• Qin Shi Huang is introduced through his formidable presence and extraordinary control over the yin energy beneath Mount Li. His calm greeting suggests a prior connection with Wen Ning.
• The ancient general acts as Qin Shi Huang’s authoritative messenger, while ordinary tourists remain unaware of the supernatural events around them.

Significant themes

• Power and discipline: Qin Shi Huang’s strength is shown not through destruction, but through precise control.
• Fear and composure: Lu Ming’s visible terror contrasts with Wen Ning’s humor and self-possession.
• The hidden supernatural world: Everyday tourism continues alongside unseen forces and a concealed palace.
• Uneasy reunion: Wen Ning’s suspicion tempers the apparent cordiality of his meeting with the emperor.

Plot points and events

• Wen Ning is confused when Qin Shi Huang greets him as an old acquaintance and claims Wen Ning had previously told him he was seeking Human Dao Fortune.
• Qin Shi Huang reveals the Imperial Seal of China, explaining that it has a spirit and returned to him because it did not wish to be found.
• He agrees to give Wen Ning the Human Dao Fortune, but requires Wen Ning to visit him again “when the time comes.” He refuses to clarify when that will be.
• Qin Shi Huang jokes that Lu Ming, who is a deer, was brought to “nourish” him. Lu Ming panics and insists he would taste terrible; Wen Ning reassures him that the emperor is teasing.
• Qin Shi Huang sends Wen Ning and Lu Ming away through the black door. As they are leaving, Wen Ning suddenly remembers something.

Character developments

• Wen Ning remains composed despite his growing confusion, and openly admits his purpose. Qin Shi Huang’s hints about a prior meeting and the future unsettle him.
• Qin Shi Huang appears to know more about Wen Ning’s past or future than he reveals. His warmth toward Wen Ning contrasts with his commanding, cryptic manner.
• Lu Ming is shown to be timid and easily frightened, but also relies on Wen Ning for reassurance.

Significant themes

• Time, memory, and fate: Qin Shi Huang’s comments suggest Wen Ning may meet him again—or has encountered him in another point in time.
• The supernatural and history: The Imperial Seal is portrayed as a sentient object whose disappearance was an act of its own will.
• Uncertainty and obligation: Wen Ning receives what he came for, but must accept an unexplained promise to return.

Character interactions

• Qin Shi Huang speaks to Wen Ning with the familiarity of an old friend, while withholding explanations that Wen Ning repeatedly seeks.
• Wen Ning protects and reassures Lu Ming when the emperor’s joke frightens him, then plays along by suggesting Lu Ming should become braver.
• The emperor’s teasing briefly creates comic relief amid the mystery surrounding his knowledge and the seal.

Plot points

• Before leaving, Wen Ning asks Qin Shi Huang whether he remembers Tu Shan Qingqing and his promise to stay with her after unifying the realm.
• Qin admits he meant the promise when he made it, but later broke it. He argues that the newly unified realm needed him: he had to rebuild the country, standardize systems, and prevent further suffering.
• Wen Ning leaves with Lu Ming and the Imperial Seal. Once they reach the foot of Mount Li, Wen Ning sends Lu Ming home and goes to meet Tu Shan Qingqing.
• Tu Shan Qingqing asks whether Qin lied to her. Wen Ning confirms that he did, and she dismisses him, telling him to leave.

Character developments and interactions

• Wen Ning persistently presses Qin for an honest answer on Qingqing’s behalf, then delivers that answer to her. His concern for her outweighs his desire to avoid an uncomfortable confrontation.
• Qin Shi Huang reveals the conflict between personal love and imperial duty. He acknowledges betraying his promise but believes serving the people took precedence. After Wen Ning leaves, he privately admits he has not forgotten Qingqing.
• Tu Shan Qingqing appears to have suspected the truth already. Her curt response masks the hurt of having that suspicion confirmed.
• Lu Ming is terrified throughout the encounter and repeatedly urges Wen Ning to leave, providing comic relief against Qin’s imposing presence.

Significant themes

• Duty versus personal happiness: Qin sacrifices his promise and private life for what he sees as his responsibility to the realm.
• The cost of leadership: Unification brings the burden of rebuilding and governing, not just victory.
• Promises, memory, and heartbreak: Qin remembers both Qingqing and his promise, but remembering does not undo the hurt caused by breaking it.
• Speaking for others: Qin recognizes Wen Ning’s habit of asking difficult questions on other people’s behalf.

• Key events: Wen Ning returns to his shop with the Imperial Seal of China, but Broom Star calls with an emergency: Feng Dema is in the Heavenly Court’s Southern Gate square asking every passing female immortal to marry him. Feng Dema claims Wen Ning told him that passing the permanent-position exam came with a girlfriend. Wen Ning hurries to the Heavenly Court, finds Feng Dema causing a commotion, and drags him back to the Misfortune Department. There, Broom Star warns that Feng Dema’s behavior has attracted complaints and could cost him his job. Feng Dema agrees to stop after realizing he might lose the position he worked hard to earn.
• Character developments: Wen Ning is exasperated at being blamed for Feng Dema’s misunderstanding, but steps in to contain the public embarrassment. Feng Dema is earnest and naïve: he sees his new permanent position as a reason he should find a wife, and initially cannot understand why his approach is inappropriate. Once his job is threatened, he becomes more cautious. Broom Star acts as the practical mediator, managing the complaints and urging Feng Dema to focus on his duties.
• Character interactions: Broom Star confronts Wen Ning and insists he resolve the problem. Wen Ning publicly challenges Feng Dema, who greets him enthusiastically as “big bro” and explains his reasoning. A female immortal escapes their conversation, while onlookers laugh at the spectacle. Back at the department, Wen Ning and Broom Star explain the consequences to Feng Dema and redirect him toward his work.
• Significant themes: The chapter uses comic misunderstanding to show how an innocent assumption can become disruptive when acted on without judgment. It contrasts Feng Dema’s romantic hopes with the responsibilities of a job, while highlighting reputation, public conduct, and the importance of correcting mistakes before they threaten hard-earned opportunities.

Key plot points

• After being reprimanded, Feng Dema promises to stay at the Misfortune Department, do his work, and stop causing trouble. Broom Star sends him back to work.
• Back at the bathhouse, Wen Ning opens the box holding China’s Imperial Seal. The seal and the Jade Emperor’s Golden Register rise into the air, and the register absorbs the seal’s accumulated human fortune.
• The seal loses its power and becomes ordinary jade. The register gains new golden writing granting Wen Ning authority over the rightful rulers of the mortal world, though he senses it still lacks something.
• A young cat spirit arrives, begging Wen Ning to save her owner, a 24-year-old woman with leukemia. Doctors have been unable to stop her worsening condition, and the cat spirit has used what little spiritual power she has to keep her alive. Wen Ning agrees to go to the hospital.

Character developments and interactions

• Feng Dema is chastened by Wen Ning’s warning and, for now, accepts the limits of his new position.
• Wen Ning moves from exploring the Golden Register’s transformation to responding compassionately to the cat spirit’s plea. Though initially skeptical that he can help where doctors cannot, he commits to seeing the patient.
• The cat spirit is frightened and devoted to her owner, whom she wants to repay for taking her in. She clings to Wen Ning and pleads desperately for help.
• Broom Star is relieved by Feng Dema’s promise. Lu Ming initially urges the cat spirit to rely on medical care, but falls silent when he learns the diagnosis.

Significant themes

• Duty and restraint: Feng Dema is reminded that his official role comes with responsibilities and limits.
• Humanity’s fortune and authority: The Imperial Seal’s power is transferred to the Golden Register, strengthening Wen Ning’s connection to the mortal world.
• Loyalty and gratitude: The cat spirit’s devotion to her owner—and desire to repay her kindness—drives the chapter’s emotional turn.
• Compassion amid helplessness: Faced with a grave illness and failed treatments, Wen Ning chooses to help rather than dismiss the plea.

Key plot points

• The little cat demon leads Wen Ning to a hospital and transforms into Mimi, a small orange cat, so she can visit her owner, Zhou Wan.
• Zhou is gravely ill with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She has accepted that she may die and prefers to spend her remaining time with Mimi rather than endure more intensive treatment.
• Mimi clearly wants Wen Ning to help, but he pauses to consider whether intervening would violate the natural limits he observes as a deity.
• Wen Ning speaks privately with Zhou’s doctor. Zhou needs a stem-cell transplant, but no suitable donor has been found, and she may have only about three months.
• The chapter ends with Wen Ning facing the bleak facts: there is no donor and little time.

Character developments and interactions

• Mimi acts out of desperation and devotion, bringing Wen Ning to Zhou and repeatedly pleading for help. Her distress contrasts with Zhou’s composure.
• Zhou Wan remains gentle and accepting despite her prognosis. She finds comfort in Mimi and worries more about the cat than herself.
• Wen Ning is moved to investigate, but does not promise a miracle. His concern is balanced by his reluctance to interfere directly in mortal life.
• Doctor Chen gives Wen Ning a frank account of Zhou’s condition and the limits of available treatment.

Significant themes

• Love and loyalty: Mimi’s persistence reflects her deep attachment to Zhou.
• Acceptance and grief: Zhou faces death calmly, while Mimi cannot accept losing her.
• Power and responsibility: Wen Ning’s dilemma centers on whether divine intervention is appropriate, even when it might save a life.
• Hope amid limits: The chapter closes on a medical dead end, leaving open whether help can come without overturning the natural order.

Plot points and events

• Wen Ning visits the Underworld to ask Judge Lu how long Zhou Wan has to live. The Book of Life and Death shows she has four months remaining.
• Wen Ning asks whether her fate can be changed. Judge Lu says there is one possibility: a life exchange, in which someone willingly gives Zhou Wan part of their own lifespan.
• Wen Ning returns to the shop, where Zhang Siyu, Lu Ming, and the little cat demon are waiting for news. He explains Zhou Wan’s prognosis and the proposed exchange.
• The little cat demon immediately offers to give Zhou Wan all of her life.

Character developments and interactions

• Wen Ning moves from seeking reassurance to confronting a costly, seemingly impossible solution. He takes the cat demon’s offer seriously and asks whether she has truly considered it.
• Judge Lu is blunt and teasing, but provides the only possible way to extend Zhou Wan’s life. He emphasizes the sacrifice involved.
• The little cat demon reveals the depth of her devotion to Zhou Wan, recounting how Zhou Wan cared for her through poverty and illness. Though tearful, she insists her offer is sincere.
• Zhang Siyu and Lu Ming remain mostly quiet, visibly moved by the cat demon’s declaration.

Significant themes

• Love and sacrifice: The cat demon’s willingness to surrender her lifespan reflects the care Zhou Wan once gave her.
• Fate versus choice: Zhou Wan’s remaining time seems fixed, yet the life exchange offers a narrow possibility of defying that fate.
• The cost of hope: A miracle may be possible, but only through a profound personal sacrifice.

Plot points and events

• Mimi, a cat demon, insists on exchanging her remaining lifespan for her owner Zhou Wan’s, knowing the ritual will kill her. She sees her life as a gift Zhou Wan gave her after taking in a stray who would otherwise have died.
• Wen Ning agrees to help and takes Mimi to the hospital the next morning. Before the ritual, Mimi clings to Zhou Wan and quietly says goodbye, while Zhou Wan affectionately treats her as her beloved, mischievous pet.
• On the hospital rooftop, Wen Ning warns Mimi that the ritual cannot be stopped once begun. Mimi remains resolute. Using Judge Lu’s talisman, Wen Ning transfers her life force to Zhou Wan.
• Mimi dies and returns to her original cat form. Wen Ning catches her and gently closes her eyes.
• In her ward, Zhou Wan suddenly recovers: her pain fades, her strength returns, and her condition appears transformed. She senses a warm, second heartbeat within her and feels a profound, unexplained grief. A small gray bird visits her window and flies away.

Character developments and interactions

• Mimi acts with clear-eyed courage and selflessness. Her farewell is affectionate rather than fearful, and she accepts death as repayment for the years of love Zhou Wan gave her.
• Wen Ning is deeply affected by Mimi’s choice but respects her agency. He gives her a final chance to reconsider, then carries out the ritual and tends to her body with quiet tenderness.
• Zhou Wan remains unaware of the sacrifice, responding to Mimi with familiar warmth and teasing affection. After recovering, she instinctively senses that someone precious is missing.
• Mimi and Zhou Wan’s bond is shown through their playful, tender exchange in the ward; Wen Ning acts as the solemn intermediary who helps Mimi save her owner.

Significant themes

• Love and sacrifice: Mimi willingly gives up her life to save the person who rescued and loved her.
• Gratitude and reciprocity: Mimi sees the exchange not as a loss but as returning the life Zhou Wan gave her.
• Love beyond awareness: Zhou Wan does not know what happened, yet seems to carry a trace of Mimi within her and mourns her instinctively.
• Quiet grief: The chapter’s hopeful miracle—Zhou Wan’s recovery—is inseparable from the irreversible loss that made it possible.

Summary

A frail kitten named Mimi is left alone in a rain-soaked cardboard box, convinced she is about to die. A sick young woman finds her, takes her home, warms and feeds her, and names her Mimi. The kitten decides that she has adopted the woman as her owner.
The woman brings Mimi to a veterinarian for a checkup and deworming. Mimi is terrified of the injection and sulks afterward, but the woman comforts her and wins her over with generous helpings of food. As Mimi grows healthy and lively, she and her owner play together and share a close routine. Though often exhausted from poor health and hospital visits, the woman continues to care for Mimi and tells her that she is her “sunshine.” Mimi feels the same way about her.
A neighborhood cat tells Mimi that spiritual cultivation might let her become human and protect someone she loves. Determined to help her owner, whose health is worsening, Mimi begins practicing secretly at night, even though other cats warn that cultivation is difficult.

Character developments and relationships

• Mimi grows from a helpless, abandoned kitten into a playful, devoted companion. Her affection develops into a purposeful resolve: she wants to gain the power to protect her owner.
• The owner is gentle and loving despite her own frail health. She rescues Mimi, nurses her, and finds comfort and meaning in their bond.
• The neighborhood cat introduces Mimi to cultivation and the possibility of becoming human, setting her on a new path.

Themes

• Mutual rescue and companionship: The owner saves Mimi, while Mimi becomes a source of joy and purpose for her.
• Devotion and protection: Mimi’s wish to cultivate comes from love and concern for her owner.
• Hope amid hardship: Both characters face vulnerability, but their bond gives them comfort and a reason to keep going.
• Perseverance: Mimi accepts that cultivation will be difficult because protecting her owner matters more than the obstacles.

Key plot points and events

• Over three years of cultivation, Mimi learns to understand human speech, form humanlike hands, and transform into a person—but she cannot conceal her cat ears.
• Her owner is seriously ill and increasingly weak, with repeated hospital visits and an impending chemotherapy admission. Mimi secretly hears her weakening heartbeat and fears she will die.
• Mimi vows to take her owner’s illness and pain upon herself so she can survive.
• Mimi tries to hide her ears with bandages and hats, and briefly considers removing them. She changes her mind because her owner loves stroking them.
• Big Orange-and-White Cat tells Mimi about a nearby shop run by a Deity that may be able to help. Mimi sneaks out at night, struggling to keep her hat on, and eventually finds the tiny Bathhouse storefront.
• With her owner’s chemotherapy admission approaching, Mimi removes her hat and knocks on the shop’s door. The chapter ends as it opens.

Character developments

• Mimi: Her cultivation has advanced, but her priority is saving her owner. Fear and urgency drive her to seek help, while her attachment to her ears reveals how deeply she values their shared affection.
• The owner: Though she tells Mimi everything is fine, her declining health is evident. Her tenderness toward Mimi remains a source of comfort and motivation.
• Big Orange-and-White Cat: He acts as a calm, knowledgeable guide, pointing Mimi toward possible help while avoiding responsibility for her choice.

Significant themes

• Love and self-sacrifice: Mimi is willing to suffer in place of the person she loves.
• Limits and acceptance: Mimi’s ears resist concealment, but they are also a cherished part of her bond with her owner.
• Hope amid fear: The mysterious Deity’s shop offers a slim possibility of help as time runs short.
• The pain of hidden suffering: The owner reassures Mimi, but Mimi senses the truth through her weakening heartbeat.

Character interactions

• The owner comforts and affectionately teases Mimi, unaware—or perhaps not fully aware—that Mimi understands her.
• Mimi watches over her owner, listens to her heartbeat, and makes a private promise to save her.
• Big Orange-and-White Cat listens to Mimi’s worry and directs her toward the shop.
• Mimi faces the shopkeeper only as the door opens; their encounter is left for the next chapter.

• Zhou Wan’s recovery: After appearing near death only the day before, Zhou Wan’s examination results show no trace of disease or organ damage. Doctor Chen calls it a miracle; further tests confirm she is entirely healthy. Zhou struggles to believe the news, then breaks down in tears from relief and disbelief.
• A possible connection: While being tested, Zhou recalls a sudden surge of energy that morning, followed by the immediate easing of her symptoms. She learns that Wen Ning visited with Mimi and later took the cat upstairs, though the chapter does not explain what happened there.
• Mimi’s death: Discharged and feeling stronger than she has in months, Zhou meets Wen Ning outside the hospital. Mimi is limp and unresponsive in his arms. Wen Ning tells her the cat is dead. Zhou refuses to accept it at first, then collapses, grieving as she holds Mimi.
  Character developments and interactions: Doctor Chen, usually composed, is shaken by Zhou’s inexplicable recovery but reassures her and arranges confirmatory tests. Zhou moves from fear and disbelief to joy, then devastation. Her warm, familiar affection for Mimi makes the cat’s death especially painful; Wen Ning remains quiet and calm, offering no explanation.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts miraculous healing with sudden loss, suggesting that recovery may come at a terrible cost. It also explores the limits of medical knowledge, the uncertainty surrounding supernatural events, and the depth of human-animal attachment.

Plot points and events

• Wen Ning tells Zhou Wan that the miracle that saved her came at a cost: Mimi gave her own life.
• Zhou Wan remembers Mimi’s final gestures and realizes what she had mistaken for ordinary affection were farewells. She grieves while holding the kitten’s body.
• Wen Ning assures her that Mimi died peacefully and was happy, and says Mimi chose to make the sacrifice willingly.
• Zhou Wan takes Mimi home, prepares a small burial with a blanket, toys, and baby’s breath, and lays her to rest in her favorite place beneath the osmanthus tree.
• After thanking Wen Ning, Zhou Wan says she still feels Mimi’s presence as a gentle, purring beat inside her. The chapter ends with a faint meow, a shooting star, and that beat continuing.

Character developments

• Zhou Wan moves from shock and devastating grief toward acceptance. She recognizes the meaning of Mimi’s sacrifice and finds comfort in believing Mimi remains with her.
• Wen Ning offers quiet, restrained support. He answers Zhou Wan’s questions honestly and gives her space to mourn.
• Mimi, though dead, is revealed as loving and selfless: she knowingly gave her life so Zhou Wan could survive.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and its cost: A miracle may save one life only through another’s loss.
• Grief and remembrance: Small memories become meaningful after loss, while mourning takes time and ritual.
• Continuing bonds: Love endures beyond death, with Zhou Wan feeling Mimi’s presence within her.
• Acceptance and gratitude: Zhou Wan’s pain remains, but she comes to honor Mimi’s choice and carry her love forward.

Character interactions

• Wen Ning explains Mimi’s sacrifice and stays beside Zhou Wan without interrupting her grief.
• Zhou Wan asks whether Mimi suffered and whether she left a message; Wen Ning reassures her and relays Mimi’s final words.
• Zhou Wan thanks Wen Ning, then speaks to Mimi as she buries her and later thanks her for the life she gave.

Key plot points

• Wen Ning tells Zhou Wan that Mimi survived, though Zhou Wan remains grief-stricken. She promises to cherish the second chance Mimi gave her.
• Back at the shop, Wen Ning tells Zhang Siyu that Mimi is alive. That night, still concerned, he travels to the Underworld to check on her.
• He finds Mimi being secretly pampered by Judge Lu. Mimi confirms she is worried about Zhou Wan and is relieved to hear her former master is safe.
• Judge Lu reveals that Mimi’s sacrifice—giving up her lifespan to extend Zhou Wan’s—earned her great virtue. She will be reborn as a human, specifically as Zhou Wan’s child.
• Mimi is delighted by the chance to stay with Zhou Wan, even joking about sleeping in her bed. Her reincarnation will take one to two years, and she will remember nothing of her former life. She accepts this and thanks Wen Ning.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Wan moves from grief toward resolve, vowing to honor Mimi’s sacrifice.
• Wen Ning shows his continuing concern for Mimi by visiting the Underworld, and quietly supports her new future.
• Mimi shifts from worry about Zhou Wan to excitement about becoming her child. She readily charms Judge Lu to get an answer about when she can be reborn.
• Judge Lu tries to maintain a stern, dignified manner despite clearly enjoying petting Mimi. His affection and reluctance to show it create comic tension.
• Wen Ning, Mimi, and Judge Lu share a gentle, teasing exchange that balances the emotional weight of Mimi’s sacrifice.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and devotion: Mimi’s loyalty saves Zhou Wan and earns her a new life.
• Love beyond memory or form: Mimi values being with Zhou Wan even though rebirth will erase her memories and make her human.
• Grief and hope: Zhou Wan’s sorrow is tempered by Mimi’s survival and the promise of their future reunion.
• Affection beneath formality: Judge Lu’s secret tenderness contrasts humorously with his official severity.

• Plot: After returning from the Underworld, Wen Ning reflects on Mimi’s peaceful farewell and feels glad she has a happy ending. The shop settles back into its routine. Wen later sees a news alert announcing that Zhou Ming has become the province’s top science-track scorer. The next day, Zhou arrives with his mother, Ma Lanlan, to thank Wen and invite him to a university celebration banquet. Wen accepts.
• Character developments: Zhou’s achievement fulfills the promise of his academic potential, and he confidently shares his dream of advancing China’s aerospace technology. Ma Lanlan recognizes that her earlier pressure may have held him back; she is grateful that Wen helped her give Zhou more room. Wen accepts their thanks modestly, crediting Zhou’s own effort. Zhang Siyu, meanwhile, reveals she already knew about the result—and that she had predicted Zhou would thrive.
• Character interactions: Ma Lanlan and Zhou thank Wen warmly, and she insists he deserves credit for helping change her approach to raising Zhou. Zhou is shy at first but becomes animated when discussing his university and ambitions. Ma’s fussing over his meals prompts playful teasing: she has replaced pigeon soup with pork rib soup, though Zhou jokes that she still makes him drink it. Zhang Siyu jokes with Wen afterward about Zhou’s future rocket.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes the value of trusting young people and giving them room to pursue their goals, as well as the importance of encouragement and personal effort. It also celebrates gratitude, fulfilled ambition, and small, affectionate family humor.