Chapter Summaries

Wang Xiaoliang and Liu Xinyu discussed their romantic histories, and Liu Xinyu shared his disappointment at not finding a sincere relationship. Alone in his new rental, Wang Xiaoliang worried about his future in Jiangcheng, then read the tenth art of fate-changing and wondered who his benefactor would be.

• Liu Xinyu teased Wang Xiaoliang for remaining a virgin and confessed that his past relationships had not brought him the lasting love he wanted.
• Wang Xiaoliang reflected that Wei Zijin's pragmatism attracted him, even as he recognized that it might make her the kind of person Liu Xinyu had criticized.
• Liu Xinyu asked whether Wang Xiaoliang's parents approved of his plan to stay in Jiangcheng, and Wang Xiaoliang admitted he had not yet told them his final decision.
• Wang Xiaoliang paid 178 yuan for their meal, returned alone to his rental, and unpacked as he worried about establishing himself in the city.
• Unable to sleep, Wang Xiaoliang opened the Book of Fate, read the tenth art of fate-changing about benefactors, and wondered who his benefactor was.

Wang Xiaoliang took the Book of Fate’s advice about recognizing benefactors to heart and discovered his parents’ support when he told his father he planned to stay in Jiangcheng after graduation. Encouraged by them, he built up his drink-selling business and made his first calligraphy sale, then received word of a second potential commission.

• Wang Xiaoliang identified his parents, Song Yi, the wholesale shop owner, Zhou Qiang, and Liu Xinyu as benefactors, then called his father to say he would stay in Jiangcheng after graduation.
• Wang Xiaoliang’s father supported his decision, promised another year of living expenses, and reassured him that home would remain a fallback; the next day, Wang Xiaoliang received money and reminders from his mother.
• Wang Xiaoliang sold leftover drinks to graduating students by delivering them to dormitories and sharing a photocopied student ID with his prices and WeChat contact.
• Wang Xiaoliang posted short calligraphy videos as Youyouzi and accepted a two-hundred-yuan commission for a piece reading “The Dao follows nature.”
• After the buyer praised the finished calligraphy, Wang Xiaoliang learned that the buyer’s friend wanted to commission a piece too.

Wang Xiaoliang gave Vice Principal Song Yi a calligraphy piece and learned a lesson about understanding the meaning behind his work. As graduation approached, Wei Zijin invited him to dinner, and a series of messages revealed that several friends were making plans for the same evening.

• Wang Xiaoliang brought Song Yi his calligraphy of “The Way Follows Nature” to thank him for his advice and for protecting Li Jun.
• Song Yi initially mistook Wang Xiaoliang’s gift for an attempt to curry favor, but accepted it after Wang explained his sincere reasons.
• Song Yi praised Wang Xiaoliang’s calligraphy, explained the phrase’s meaning in the Tao Te Ching, and advised him to understand the words rather than focus only on technique.
• Wei Zijin invited Wang Xiaoliang to dinner to celebrate graduation, and he eagerly accepted before turning down Zhou Qiang’s separate invitation.
• Wei Zijin said two more people would join them, and Zhou Qiang revealed that he had invited the “lovebirds,” Wei Zijin and Wang Xiaoliang.
• Liu Xinyu invited Wang Xiaoliang to dinner on the same evening, and he suggested meeting the day after; Liu asked if she could join his plans.

At graduation, Wang Xiaoliang sang a farewell song with his classmates and finally took a photo with Wei Zijin. He met her for dinner that evening, where Liu Xinyu was already waiting and appeared shocked when Zhou Qiang arrived.

• Wei Zijin sang Zhang Zhenyue's "Goodbye," and Wang Xiaoliang joined the graduates in singing as their university years ended.
• Wei Zijin spotted Wang Xiaoliang in the crowd and invited him onto the stage, where Chen Xiaoying took a photo of them together.
• Wang Xiaoliang met Wei Zijin at East Lake Park, and they walked together to Hongbin Tower for dinner.
• Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin found Liu Xinyu waiting in the private room, where he warmly greeted them and formally introduced himself to Wei Zijin.
• Zhou Qiang arrived with Li Lanxiang, and Liu Xinyu stared at Zhou Qiang in astonishment, revealing that he knew him.

At dinner, Zhou Qiang told Liu Xinyu that he owed much of his success to luck, then asked Li Lanxiang to explain why she was the luckiest person he knew. Wang Xiaoliang saw that Lanxiang’s good fortune came through the people who had helped her, all of whom fell within the Book of Fate’s verdict.

• Liu Xinyu recognized Zhou Qiang as an alumnus he admired, and Zhou welcomed him as a friend.
• Zhou Qiang revealed that he collected scrap and described Wang Xiaoliang as a reliable customer, while Li Lanxiang proudly explained that she had first met Zhou selling scrap.
• Zhou Qiang said he had been fortunate to meet people who helped him and invited Li Lanxiang to share her story.
• Li Lanxiang recounted how her mother supported her volleyball training, a PE teacher helped her reach university, and Zhou gave her paid work when she was struggling financially.
• Li Lanxiang explained that a teammate’s illness led her to play for State Grid, win a championship, and earn a permanent job before graduating.
• Wang Xiaoliang recognized Li Lanxiang’s mother, teacher, and Zhou Qiang as the benefactors behind her luck and realized they were included in the Book of Fate’s verdict.

At a graduation gathering, Liu Xinyu’s social skill helped the group grow closer as Li Lanxiang told the story of how she pursued Zhou Qiang and praised Wang Xiaoliang’s meeting with Song Yi. The conversation ended with Wei Zijin privately comparing Zhou Qiang to Marshal Tianpeng.

• Liu Xinyu praised Li Lanxiang’s talent, hard work, and beauty, and she revealed that she had pursued Zhou Qiang for two years.
• Zhou Qiang joked that Li Lanxiang’s looks had eventually turned his head, making the group laugh.
• Liu Xinyu toasted Wang Xiaoliang and thanked him for bringing everyone together before graduation.
• Li Lanxiang described how Song Yi had accepted Wang Xiaoliang’s calligraphy and personally walked him to the door.
• Zhou Qiang explained that Song Yi’s warm reception reflected his respect for Wang Xiaoliang, while Li Lanxiang recalled Song Yi’s former reputation for rejecting gifts.
• Wei Zijin whispered to Wang Xiaoliang that Zhou Qiang really was Marshal Tianpeng.

At dinner, Wang Xiaoliang realized the Book of Fate could help him identify benefactors before opportunities passed, and he wondered whether Wei Zijin could be his. After dinner, they walked together to East Lake, where Wei Zijin said she had good news for him.

• Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin shared their joke with Li Lanxiang, who laughed and teased Wang Xiaoliang.
• As the dinner grew more comfortable, Wang Xiaoliang reflected on using the Book of Fate to recognize benefactors and considered Wei Zijin one of his.
• Wang Xiaoliang told Zhou Qiang that he had rented a place near Jiangcheng University and wanted to try living independently; Zhou Qiang offered to help if needed.
• Liu Xinyu exchanged contact details with Zhou Qiang and Wei Zijin before leaving, and Zhou Qiang and Li Lanxiang soon departed as well.
• Wei Zijin suggested that she and Wang Xiaoliang walk to East Lake, where she told him she had good news.

Wei Zijin told Wang Xiaoliang that Jiangcheng Television had bought her short-video show and thanked him for helping her succeed. After giving him a new phone, she spoke about Lanxiang and Zhou Qiang’s marriage and hinted that she had reached an important decision about her own path with Xiaoliang.

• Wei Zijin told Wang Xiaoliang that the station had bought her show and assigned her a production team, crediting his advice for her success.
• Wei Zijin gave Wang Xiaoliang a new iPhone as a thank-you and graduation gift, and he accepted it after she explained how much his calligraphy gift meant to her.
• Wei Zijin told Wang Xiaoliang that Lanxiang and Zhou Qiang had registered their marriage and planned to start trying for a baby.
• Wei Zijin relayed Lanxiang’s view that what mattered most in choosing a life path was who walked it with you.
• Wei Zijin told Wang Xiaoliang that he had nudged her onto a new path, then leaned closer and addressed him as she prepared to reveal her decision.

After Wei Zijin confessed that she had liked Wang Xiaoliang for four years, they became a couple and agreed to prioritize their careers. Liu Xinyu gave Wang Xiaoliang a new phone before leaving, and Wang signed up for the platform’s free creator training course as his videos began to gain traction.

• Wei Zijin confessed her feelings to Wang Xiaoliang, and they shared their first kiss by the lake.
• Wei Zijin told Wang Xiaoliang about Li Lanxiang’s physical attraction to Zhou Qiang, and the couple kissed again.
• Wei Zijin set three rules for their relationship: they would limit casual contact, meet no more than once a week, and keep working toward their futures.
• Liu Xinyu gave Wang Xiaoliang a new iPhone as a gift and told him he could always rely on him.
• Wang Xiaoliang used his improved phone to make more videos, and his views and follower count began to rise.
• Wang Xiaoliang signed up for the platform’s free Gold Creator Support Program training course.

Wang Xiaoliang turned his calligraphy videos into a growing creator business and earned 1,087 yuan from his first livestream and custom orders. After completing and shipping the orders, he received a message from the chubby wholesale shop owner and prepared food and liquor before going to see him.

• Wang Xiaoliang applied what he learned in the Gold Creator Support Program, grew his video views, and earned his first cent through the Creator Incentive program.
• Wang Xiaoliang obtained an Individual Business license, opened a platform shop, and listed custom handwritten calligraphy for 50 yuan per character.
• Wang Xiaoliang held his first livestream, attracted viewers with calligraphy requests, refused to write an insult despite an offer of a rocket, and earned 87 yuan in gift income.
• Wang Xiaoliang found 20 shop orders after the livestream, bringing his combined earnings to 1,087 yuan.
• Wang Xiaoliang completed the customers’ calligraphy, mailed the orders, and received a message from the chubby wholesale shop owner asking him to visit.
• Wang Xiaoliang bought braised food and two bottles of Fenjiu to bring to the wholesale shop owner.

Wang Xiaoliang helped Fat Boss set up a livestream-selling account, then earned more from his second livestream than from his first. The Book of Fate revealed a new warning against sharing plans or flaunting profits, leaving Wang Xiaoliang uneasy about what he had told Fat Boss.

• Wang Xiaoliang brought Fat Boss food and drinks, and Fat Boss praised his success after finding his calligraphy livestream online.
• Fat Boss asked Wang Xiaoliang to teach him livestream selling, and Wang Xiaoliang helped him register an account with his business license.
• Wang Xiaoliang returned to his rented room and hosted a more relaxed livestream, earning 220 yuan in gifts and receiving 60 shop orders.
• Wang Xiaoliang read the Eleventh Art of Fate-Changing, which warned him not to reveal plans or publicize profits, and he worried that he had shared too much with Fat Boss.

Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin spent their first date visiting Qin Yinuo, whose terminal illness had inspired Wei Zijin to confess her feelings to him. Afterward, they shared a meal and a movie, and Wei Zijin fell asleep on his shoulder before Wang Xiaoliang walked her home.

• Wang Xiaoliang met Wei Zijin at the hospital, where she introduced him to her terminally ill friend Qin Yinuo.
• Wang Xiaoliang joked with Qin Yinuo, who teased him about being lucky to win Wei Zijin's affection.
• Wei Zijin told Wang Xiaoliang that Qin Yinuo's regrets about an unspoken high-school crush had given her the courage to confess her own feelings.
• Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin ate together and watched a movie, where Wei Zijin fell asleep on his shoulder.
• Wang Xiaoliang walked Wei Zijin home and suggested that future dates could be at her place, making her blush and refuse.

Wang Xiaoliang earned nearly twelve thousand yuan from his calligraphy business and planned gifts for Wei Zijin, Liu Xinyu, and his parents. Fat Boss then offered to fund a supermarket for him in exchange for help with livestreaming, and Wang Xiaoliang was left considering the partnership as Fat Boss showed him the planned location.

• Wang Xiaoliang earned steady income throughout the week and saw his bank balance rise to 11,845.6 yuan.
• Wang Xiaoliang decided to buy a gift for Wei Zijin first, repay Liu Xinyu next, and save a surprise for his parents.
• Fat Boss invited Wang Xiaoliang to his shop and proposed that he help launch its livestreaming business for a sales commission.
• After Wang Xiaoliang declined, Fat Boss offered to fund a supermarket and give him a free twenty-percent equity stake.
• Fat Boss explained that he owned nine supermarkets and wanted to combine online and offline sales, then showed Wang Xiaoliang the architectural plan for a leased university-district location.

Wang Xiaoliang wrestled with Fat Boss’s supermarket offer while seeking Liu Xinyu’s advice about a gift for Wei Zijin. He brought snacks and fruit to Wei Zijin’s home, waited for her after work, and the chapter ended with them embracing and kissing.

• Fat Boss gave Wang Xiaoliang three days to decide whether to accept a twenty-percent stake in the supermarket.
• Wang Xiaoliang called Liu Xinyu for advice about a gift, and Liu recommended a ring; Wang chose one meant to signify a loving relationship.
• Wei Zijin reminded Wang Xiaoliang about their date, and he went early to her neighborhood and bought snacks, fruit, and drinks for her.
• Wei Zijin messaged that work would make her late, and Wang Xiaoliang waited two hours outside her complex.
• Wei Zijin arrived, and after they ate dinner and returned to her home, they embraced and kissed.

Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin became lovers, and he learned how hard she had been working at the station despite lacking support and resources. He suggested she start an independent short-video account, leaving her excitedly considering what content to make.

• Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin shared an intimate first night together, then grew closer after a second time.
• Wang Xiaoliang noticed Wei Zijin's injured feet and offered to help her buy a car, but she told him she did not have a driver's license.
• Wei Zijin described how station delays, strict reviews, and resentment from coworkers had reduced her output and obstructed her work.
• Wang Xiaoliang suggested that Wei Zijin start another short-video account and keep it independent of the station.
• Wei Zijin became excited about planning the new account's content while Wang Xiaoliang held her.

After spending the night together, Wei Zijin and Wang Xiaoliang shared a happy day, and he signed her up for driving lessons. Wei Zijin said they could not live together yet, but they agreed to keep their separate homes and spend weekends together, then she invited him to stay another night if he bought protection.

• Wei Zijin woke at noon after spending the night with Wang Xiaoliang and found him cleaning her apartment.
• Wei Zijin and Wang Xiaoliang ate lunch together, and she worried that their happiness might make her complacent.
• Wang Xiaoliang took Wei Zijin to a driving school and paid for its VIP course, telling her he would be her parent.
• Wei Zijin told Wang Xiaoliang they could not live together because she feared becoming too dependent on him, and he agreed they could keep their separate routines.
• Wei Zijin asked Wang Xiaoliang to buy protection and leave the next morning instead.

Wang Xiaoliang accepted Fat Boss’s offer to start a supermarket and threw himself into supervising its renovation while maintaining his livestream and calligraphy work. When the renovation paused so the plaster could dry, he planned to meet Wei Zijin, but Fat Boss angrily challenged him for taking the day off.

• After Wei Zijin gave Wang Xiaoliang the keys to her home, he told her he already missed her and decided to start the supermarket business with Fat Boss.
• Fat Boss showed Wang Xiaoliang the university-district storefront, planned its renovation and livestreaming area, and ordered extensive security cameras.
• Wang Xiaoliang spent the following week writing calligraphy videos, supervising construction, livestreaming, and completing customer orders.
• When the walls needed a day to dry, Wang Xiaoliang handed over the site and hurried to get ready for his planned meeting with Wei Zijin.
• Fat Boss called Wang Xiaoliang and angrily demanded to know why he had stopped work for the day.

Wang Xiaoliang struggled with Fat Boss’s condescending treatment of him as a partner, then found comfort in reuniting with Wei Zijin. Over dinner, they discussed their work and his conflict, before a young fan recognized Wei Zijin and asked for an autograph and photo.

• Fat Boss told Wang Xiaoliang to inform him before stopping work, leaving Wang Xiaoliang feeling disrespected and unable to challenge him.
• Wang Xiaoliang went to Wei Zijin’s apartment, where they reunited affectionately after five days apart.
• Wei Zijin and Wang Xiaoliang celebrated their reunion with dinner and talked about her interview with a talented graduate who had cerebral palsy.
• Wang Xiaoliang told Wei Zijin about his partnership with Fat Boss and the argument that had upset him.
• Wei Zijin shared her own experiences with workplace hierarchy, helping Wang Xiaoliang feel understood.
• A teenage girl recognized Wei Zijin as Little Wei from Little Wei Interviews and asked for her autograph and a photo.

Wang Xiaoliang resolved to start a business rather than pursue a conventional job, drawing confidence from the Book of Fate. After hearing Fat Boss describe the shop’s promising location and his hard-earned success, Wang Xiaoliang reflected on the book’s warning to work wholeheartedly and know when to stop, leaving him pondering how to avoid reckless choices.

• Wang Xiaoliang left Wei Zijin asleep and decided that starting a business was the best way to build his own standing.
• Wang Xiaoliang met Fat Boss at the unfinished shop, where Fat Boss praised its location near an internet café, hotel, and university districts.
• Fat Boss described his weekly morning-drinking routine and recounted the hardships he had endured before securing the shop.
• Wang Xiaoliang finished his work and read a new passage in the Book of Fate urging wholehearted effort and warning against careless action.
• Wang Xiaoliang wondered whether the book’s advice to know when to stop meant he should avoid particular risks while starting his business.

Wang Xiaoliang helped Li Laifu prepare the supermarket for its opening, learning the business while handling permits, cleanup, and stocking. As the shop prepared to open on Monday, Li Laifu refused Wang Xiaoliang's request to take Saturday off.

• Wang Xiaoliang secured the business license and food distribution permit, while the tobacco retail license awaited an inspection and Li Laifu said he would handle it.
• Li Laifu called his relatives to clean the renovated shop, and Wang Xiaoliang worked alongside them until it was spotless.
• Li Laifu taught Wang Xiaoliang how to arrange shelves and negotiated monthly display fees with product brands.
• By Friday, the supermarket was nearly stocked, and Li Laifu announced it would open on Monday.
• Wang Xiaoliang asked to take Saturday off for personal business, but Li Laifu refused.