“Defying fate sounds pretty badass… Is Qilin about to pull off something big again?”
Xinyue looked at Qilin expectantly.
Qilin didn’t even bother to open her eyes.
“No, this time it’s Baize’s ability.”
Little white sheep: ?
Realizing she wasn’t the scapegoat this time, Qilin shot Baize a gloating sideways glance.
“So what is it then?! Stop keeping us in suspense and spill it already!”
“You’ll find out tomorrow~”
……
The next day.
Xinyue rushed into the dorm early in the morning and dragged me out from under a pile of Cluru’s tentacles.
“Money-making! Fate-changing! I brought all the gear!”
What?
My mind still hadn’t escaped the nightmare I just had… In the dream, Cluru suddenly got super aggressive.
I ran, she chased. I ran to the ends of the earth, and still couldn’t escape her magical grip.
If Xinyue hadn’t shown up to wake me in time, I don’t even want to imagine what would’ve happened next.
“Huh… Where’d she go…” Even in her sleep, Cluru pouted in frustration. “Finally caught her… Why’d she suddenly disappear…”
Sorry, I’m logging out for now.
……
“Ta-da-ta-da!”
Xinyue hurriedly opened her suitcase.
High-end camera, fill lights, support stand, connection cables… It was filled with expensive gear I’d never even heard of.
“You said we’re doing a stream today, so I borrowed my brother’s stuff. I’ll film, you show me that fate-defying magic!”
Ever since she got close with me and Cluru, our class rep had been hanging out with us all the time, always finding excuses to come over.
She watched me like she was following an anime series, endlessly fascinated by all my strange methods.
“Alright, alright, don’t rush.”
Yawning, I lazily formed a purification hand seal.
“The waters of Canglang are clear…”
Immortal Technique: Harmony of Heaven and Man – Dressing Spell.
The Harmony of Heaven and Man automatically clothes me in a protective celestial robe when fusing with Qilin—perfect for skipping the hassle of getting dressed.
“…Are immortals really supposed to be used like this?” Xinyue felt morally obligated to speak up on Qilin’s behalf.
“She already helps with alchemy and crafting. Helping me get dressed too? She won’t mind a little thing like that.”
Wrapped in a snow-white robe, the familiar sensation made me a little nostalgic.
Even though I’d only left the other world a few days ago, it already felt like a lifetime.
The gap between the two worlds was too vast.
Like comparing a baby’s incubator to an endless polar night.
……
I didn’t know how to style my hair, so I just let the white strands fall freely, slipped into a pair of feminine cloud boots.
My skin occasionally peeked out through the robe’s side slit, showing off a pair of long, slender legs.
“Let’s go. Quietly.”
Cluru was still sound asleep, her brows furrowed, murmuring nonstop, “Where? Where? Where’d she go? Weird…”
Xinyue and I tiptoed out the door. Baize hopped along behind us.
“No classes today, the herb garden’s empty—let’s go there,” Xinyue suggested. “The view’s pretty nice too.”
“Alright.”
The feel of the celestial robe stirred old habits and memories.
I started speaking less.
My vigilance kicked in, automatically observing every tiny detail around me.
Even my expression turned colder, like an ice queen.
“Let’s start, let’s start!”
Xinyue quickly set up the equipment, picking the best angle so the morning light filtered perfectly between the buildings and landed on me.
I opened the Pineapple Pineapple livestream app and named the stream:
[Baize’s Fortune Telling—One Ship per Session.]
I didn’t have an account of my own, so I was using Cluru’s.
Even the phone was temporarily borrowed from her.
After all, my ID had been listed as deceased since seventeen years ago. No way I could register…
“That’s it? We just wait for people to join?” Xinyue was surprised.
“That’s it.”
I set Baize’s picture as the cover.
With Baize involved, someone was bound to come try it.
……
“Huh? Cluru’s livestreaming?”
As one of Cluru’s few friends, the shopkeeper lady stared in shock at the notification on her phone.
Did the sun just explode in the west?
That shy girl who barely used voice chat was actually livestreaming?!
“Excuse me, I’ll be right back,” said the man across from her, getting up to use the restroom.
The shopkeeper lady quickly pulled out her phone and entered the stream.
“Not Cluru?” She recognized the streamer. “It’s that girl who hangs out with Cluru… Baize fortune telling? Baize? Isn’t that just a little lamb?”
Even though Cluru wasn’t there and she didn’t believe some mythical Baize would show up to tell fortunes, the shopkeeper still found it amusing.
After a moment’s thought, she clicked to send a gift.
Since it said one ship per session, she figured she might as well buy a ship and give it a try.
Consider it supporting a friend of a friend.
……
Someone joined? That was faster than expected.
As soon as the gift came through, the stream’s popularity began to surge, with more and more viewers pouring in.
I looked at the name of the person who sent the gift: “‘Snack Shop Owner from No. 2 High’… Can we do a video call? I need to see your face.”
[Sure~] The reply came quickly.
She even sent a video request directly to Cluru’s account.
Oh, turns out it was the shopkeeper lady.
Looks like this was a friendly order.
But since she paid, I would treat it like serious business.
I closed my eyes briefly.
When I opened them again, a glint of light flickered through my gaze.
Spirit Sight: Qi Reading—Activate!
With Spirit Sight, I could observe the flow of qi at the “face palaces” on a person’s face.
Using this, I could read someone’s life state, their general past, and what sort of luck they would have in the near future.
My eyes scanned the shopkeeper lady’s cheeks.
My brows furrowed sharply.
[What is it?] she asked with a chuckle. [Is my glabella turning dark? Am I doomed to some bloody misfortune?]
She was still joking around.
“Where are you?” I asked solemnly.
[Huh? What’s up? You’re being so serious, it’s a little scary, haha…] She laughed softly. [I’m on a blind date. Even little Lulu has a girlfriend now—how can I stay single… What’s wrong?]
I didn’t have time to argue about the “girlfriend” part.
“Where exactly are you? Be specific.”
[Starlight Tavern, at the intersection of Mountain View Street and Jianting Road.]
I grabbed my phone without another word.
“Come on, Xinyue-jie, quick.”
[Uh…? I’m on a date here. Isn’t it rude to bring people along all of a sudden?]
As we rushed out, I explained, “In Qi Reading, the human face is divided into twelve palaces.
The glabella is where the Life Palace lies—hence the saying, ‘a darkened glabella means death is near.’”
[Isn’t that all superstition?]
“Ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent of the time, it’s a scam. But Baize won’t lie to you.”
Little white sheep: ??
[But that’s not the real Baize…]
“You’re welcome to pull out a truth detector and test it.”
The shopkeeper lady was just about to do that.
Her hand had already reached into her pocket.
[(Clatter) Huh…? Why… can’t I… pick it up…]
The detector was lightweight, yet she couldn’t lift it. It fell to the ground with a clack.
[I’m suddenly… really sleepy…]
“You’ve been poisoned. There’s something in the drink.”
[Is that so… ha… (thunk)]
Her phone dropped to the floor.
The camera, as luck would have it, tilted downward, leaving only a view of darkness.
[Tap, tap, tap.]
In the shadowy screen, only the sound of footsteps remained.
Finally, the footsteps stopped—right next to the shopkeeper lady.
Someone joined? That was faster than expected.
As soon as the gift came through, the stream’s popularity began to surge, with more and more viewers pouring in.
I looked at the name of the person who sent the gift: “‘Snack Shop Owner from No. 2 High’… Can we do a video call? I need to see your face.”
[Sure~] The reply came quickly.
She even sent a video request directly to Cluru’s account.
Oh, turns out it was the shopkeeper lady.
Looks like this was a friendly order.
But since she paid, I would treat it like serious business.
I closed my eyes briefly.
When I opened them again, a glint of light flickered through my gaze.
Spirit Sight: Qi Reading—Activate!
With Spirit Sight, I could observe the flow of qi at the “face palaces” on a person’s face.
Using this, I could read someone’s life state, their general past, and what sort of luck they would have in the near future.
My eyes scanned the shopkeeper lady’s cheeks.
My brows furrowed sharply.
[What is it?] she asked with a chuckle. [Is my glabella turning dark? Am I doomed to some bloody misfortune?]
She was still joking around.
“Where are you?” I asked solemnly.
[Huh? What’s up? You’re being so serious, it’s a little scary, haha…] She laughed softly. [I’m on a blind date. Even little Lulu has a girlfriend now—how can I stay single… What’s wrong?]
I didn’t have time to argue about the “girlfriend” part.
“Where exactly are you? Be specific.”
[Starlight Tavern, at the intersection of Mountain View Street and Jianting Road.]
I grabbed my phone without another word.
“Come on, Xinyue-jie, quick.”
[Uh…? I’m on a date here. Isn’t it rude to bring people along all of a sudden?]
As we rushed out, I explained, “In Qi Reading, the human face is divided into twelve palaces. The glabella is where the Life Palace lies—hence the saying, ‘a darkened glabella means death is near.’”
[Isn’t that all superstition?]
“Ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent of the time, it’s a scam. But Baize won’t lie to you.”
Little white sheep: ??
[But that’s not the real Baize…]
“You’re welcome to pull out a truth detector and test it.”
The shopkeeper lady was just about to do that.
Her hand had already reached into her pocket.
[(Clatter) Huh…? Why… can’t I… pick it up…]
The detector was lightweight, yet she couldn’t lift it. It fell to the ground with a clack.
[I’m suddenly… really sleepy…]
“You’ve been poisoned. There’s something in the drink.”
[Is that so… ha… (thunk)]
Her phone dropped to the floor.
The camera, as luck would have it, tilted downward, leaving only a view of darkness.
[Tap, tap, tap.]
In the shadowy screen, only the sound of footsteps remained.
Finally, the footsteps stopped—right next to the shopkeeper lady.