Chu Yin pondered for a while, feeling more and more that it was necessary to deepen his relationship with Little Aunt Dongnuan.
Before the dream in Luoshui City had ended, when he helped Master’s wife deal with matters and relieve stress, in reality, Aunt Wen’s mood every morning after waking up would be cheerful and relaxed, not tired.
Right now, Chu Yin was worried that if someday Aunt Wen and Little Aunt were to check accounts together and found that all the dreaming phenomena were related to him, Chu Yin, that would be bad!
He absolutely had to make sure that the Snow Ash Witch in the dream maintained a relaxed state in life, so that Little Aunt’s spirit wouldn’t be too poor upon waking up.
After breakfast, Chu Yin secretly cornered his little sister against the wall and began interrogating her. He spoke in a mock-serious, stern tone:
“Lingqi, I want to ask you something. It’s very important.”
The slender, pretty young girl seemed at a loss, suddenly blocked into the corner by her brother’s body, his knee pressed against her soft, smooth thigh, giving her no chance to slip away.
Yan Lingqi looked up, pursing her lips, her face flushed red. Although her eyes didn’t carry much authority, she still put on the air of a paper tiger unwilling to be bullied.
“What are you doing! Be careful or I’ll tell Mom you’re bullying me!”
“When you usually spend time with Little Aunt, what do you talk about?”
“…Why are you asking that?”
“We haven’t chatted much with Little Aunt this whole summer break. It feels a bit distant, so I want to strengthen the family bond.”
Chu Yin’s explanation was perfectly reasonable.
“Just talk about whatever. Even if I make a fuss with Mom nearby, she won’t get angry. There’s no need for any special topics.”
Yan Lingqi’s answer was matter-of-fact.
Thinking about it carefully, that was indeed the case. But this wasn’t much help to Chu Yin—he couldn’t just go back into the dream and brazenly make noise next to Witch Little Aunt, could he?
Little Aunt Dongnuan would give him face, but Snow Ash Little Aunt might not; she might even send him into the river to be bitten by piranhas…
Chu Yin turned to leave, but his little sister grabbed him, her face stern as she asked with displeasure:
“You cornered me here just to ask that?”
“Mm, I’m done. You can go play.”
The young girl bowed her head, resting her forehead on his chest, and nudged him gently like a little calf:
“Carry me back to the living room to watch TV, or I’ll tell Mom you scared me…”
Chu Yin couldn’t help but laugh. This girl was already a grown lady and still always threatened to “tell Mom” about everything.
He scooped up his sister in a princess carry, heading toward the living room, and weighed her as he walked:
“Did you get fatter?”
“No, I just measured my waist last night. Only a few millimeters bigger.”
The youthful and graceful girl lifted her clothes, revealing her delicate, soft belly. She pinched her tummy to prove she wasn’t fat. But the way she lifted her shirt was a bit much, and the jelly-like, supple lower hemisphere was faintly visible.
Her figure was perky, with both the tenderness of spring bamboo shoots and the fullness of autumn fruit.
It was obvious where her weight had gone.
Chu Yin tugged her shirt back down, saying in mock annoyance, “You’re a big girl now. Don’t just show your belly in front of people. Do you think you’re a kitten?”
“I wouldn’t do that in front of outsiders. You’re my brother, not someone else.”
Reasonable, and hard to refute.
Chu Yin didn’t argue further. He needed to think about how to strike up a conversation with Little Aunt and find out her recent hobbies and interests.
In the room, Wen Chunhan and Yan Dongnuan, the twin sisters, were chatting idly about work.
The laboratory Wen Chunhan managed could be seen as the core R&D base at the rear, while Yan Dongnuan’s job was to make money on the frontlines to raise funds for the research to burn.
Their work didn’t overlap, but both understood each other’s field, and they would occasionally vent about headaches at work.
“Someone else is coming over to vent with us again soon,” said Yan Dongnuan.
A high-ranking director at the company, who was also a childhood friend of the sisters due to close family ties, had messaged saying she wanted to come over to chat after learning Yan Dongnuan was resting at home.
Wen Chunhan glanced at her sister’s phone to confirm the sender. “It’s Donna, huh? What does she want to talk about?”
“She said a very close relative’s little girl has some psychological issues. She thinks she’s a reincarnated celestial being, and has developed an interest in metaphysics and such. The family wants help finding a master for her.”
“Metaphysics?” Wen Chunhan pondered, then said, “Then have her bring the girl over and let her talk to our Chu Yin?”
“Talk with Chu Yin? Does he know about that stuff?” Yan Dongnuan really had no idea.
“Lingqi said her brother often reads these kinds of books. Let’s see what insights Chu Yin has—just let the kids chat for a bit.”
“Alright.”
Yan Dongnuan replied to her friend, also reflecting on how she’d been neglecting communication with her own child to the point that she hadn’t even known about this extracurricular interest.
An hour later, guests arrived at the house.
Donna Director was a beautiful woman with authentic Latin features—black hair, black eyes, a high nose bridge, fair skin, and rosy lips. Chu Yin’s impression of the women in her family since childhood was—like the Eight-Foot Lady from Resident Evil.
It was no exaggeration; the women in their family averaged 1.8 meters tall and had broad frames. For important banquets, they’d wear high heels, appearing even more “towering.”
When Chu Yin was little, he often worried that looking up, he’d accidentally see under their skirts—how embarrassing!
This time, Donna Director brought along a six-year-old girl, delicate and doll-like, very adorable.
“Donna Aunt~ Long time no see!”
Yan Lingqi went forward to greet her. Donna Director bent slightly and warmly hugged the girl, leaving a lipstick mark on her cheek with her flaming red lips.
Chu Yin used to get the same treatment as a child, but now that he was grown up, he naturally couldn’t be so casual. He felt a bit regretful.
But he wasn’t regretting the kiss; he was regretting that with Donna Director visiting, he wouldn’t have a chance to chat with Little Aunt.
“Annie, go play and chat with your brother and sister!”
After greetings, Donna Director started sharing her troubles with the two sisters, talking about the family’s concern over little Annie.
“…Sigh, since the start of the year, Annie’s been saying she’s some kind of celestial incarnate, skilled in Astrology and knowing past and future. Her parents are at their wit’s end.”
“I think Annie’s quite lively—she doesn’t seem depressed or delusional. She’s probably just imaginative, right?” said Wen Chunhan.
Chu Yin, overhearing the elders’ conversation, couldn’t help finding it interesting. He pinched the little girl’s delicate nose and asked curiously:
“Annie, you like Astrology? Can you teach your brother?”
“Annie’s still learning! Once I take a master and learn it all, I’ll teach you, brother.” The little girl pulled out a mini tablet and opened an e-book.
The cover of the e-book boldly read: “Zi Wei Doushu.”
Chu Yin was silent for a moment, and Yan Lingqi froze as well. Though she didn’t dabble in this stuff, she knew that Astrology should mean tarot cards and zodiac signs, right?
“Is this Astrology?” Yan Lingqi asked with a dumbfounded laugh.
“This is the book Mom found for Annie. It has stuff about the Ziwei Star and Wenqu Star. Isn’t that Astrology?”
“…Uh.” Yan Lingqi didn’t know how to reply.
Chu Yin smiled. From this tricky angle, the little girl wasn’t wrong—“Zi Wei Doushu” could indeed be called astrology.
This fate-calculating method believes in [Heaven-Man Induction]; when a person is born, they’re influenced by various stars. By analyzing these influences, you can deduce the general course of a person’s life.
He had just thought Annie had an astrology book about zodiac signs and was even considering reading it in case he could use it in his dreams.
Chu Yin said, “Annie, tell me your birth date and hour. Let your brother cast a fate chart for you.”
After casting the chart, Chu Yin immediately understood Annie’s situation at a glance.
“Lingqi, take Annie to your room to play for a while.”
“Okay.”
Yan Lingqi didn’t know what her brother was up to, but seeing his serious expression, she decided to listen.
After confirming his sister had taken Annie to the room, Chu Yin took the tablet and sat beside Donna Director.
“Donna Aunt, I read ‘Zi Wei Doushu’ at the library this summer. Since Annie is reading it too, let me share some superficial insights—as a story, if you will.”
“Please go ahead.”
Donna Director sensed a quality in Chu Yin’s eyes that she hadn’t seen before—something she couldn’t quite put into words.
He handed her the tablet and analyzed the fate chart:
“Annie’s fate chart is excellent. The Wealth Palace has a powerful Jumen Star, meaning high status and a spacious home, but with some internal disputes. The Fortune Palace has a Lu Star as its main star, meaning she’ll never suffer financial hardships in this life.”
Donna Director nodded, but felt no ripples inside.
After all, Chu Yin already knew their family’s circumstances. This sounded a bit like “knowing the outcome and analyzing it retroactively.”
Chu Yin could see Donna Director’s thoughts. To make them take Annie’s situation seriously, he needed to boost his credibility:
“The Parents Palace has a flourishing Taiyin Star, meaning the mother is very beautiful. With the Quan Star and Ke Star in this palace, the mother is the authority figure at home and also highly accomplished—not just someone with a pretty résumé.
However, there’s a fierce Tuoluo Star in decline here, which means conflicts between the parents—probably frequent quarrels over small matters.”
“…”
Donna Director’s expression grew solemn as she had to take Chu Yin seriously, scrutinizing this young man carefully.
Family dynamics were hard for outsiders to know. Even with arguments, one must act loving in front of others to preserve family face.
What mattered most was that Chu Yin had described Annie’s parents’ arguments precisely. The mother made the big decisions, and the parents bickered over the small ones.
Yan Dongnuan could tell from her friend’s expression that Chu Yin was right. She thought to herself:
“How did my own kid learn all this without me knowing? I really need to talk with him more often…”
Wen Chunhan, observing Chu Yin, pondered for a moment and said:
“Chu Yin, keep explaining to Donna Aunt. Didn’t you say Annie’s fate is good? So why does she have these imaginative issues?”
Chu Yin’s focus was on the fate chart and he didn’t notice their glances. He continued:
“The flourishing Tianji Star represents strategy and calculation. But Annie’s Tianji Star is fallen and inauspicious, meaning her mind is filled with strange ideas—so many that it’s overloading her little brain.”
“Like a CPU with insufficient power, so the system freezes and malfunctions?” Little Aunt Dongnuan tried to understand.
“…Pretty much.”
“So what should we do?” Donna Director wanted a solution.
“When Annie enters her next decade’s fortune, things will improve. Don’t burden her with the pressures of elite education, or it will make her brain hurt even more…”
Chu Yin paused and gave a more straightforward suggestion:
“Her parents need to adjust their mindset and accept that their daughter is a dreamy, muddle-headed girl. She has lots of wild ideas and matures slowly, but that’s not an illness. If they keep imposing high expectations, it might really cause her a mental problem.”
The fate chart system had many limitations. For monks and practitioners, their charts were unreliable due to large variables—right now it might be accurate, but later it could be wrong.
Besides, so many people are born at the same hour as ancient emperors, but only one becomes emperor?
There’s no explanation. The ancestors just left the saying: “Man proposes, Heaven disposes”—final interpretation rests with Heaven.
But Annie’s fate chart was clear; he could tell at a glance, so he explained the situation to Donna Director.
If he wasn’t confident, he wouldn’t dare mislead others with wrong advice.
The day slipped by, and by evening, the two families went out to a restaurant for dinner before returning to their homes.
Before leaving, Donna Director specially thanked Chu Yin and said she’d pass on his suggestions to Annie’s parents.
At night, after Chu Yin and Aunt Wen had finished their baths, Little Aunt Dongnuan took the initiative to propose:
“It’s been a long time since we had a family chat. How about we all stay up and talk tonight until we fall asleep?”
Chu Yin had been disappointed all day that he couldn’t chat with Little Aunt alone, but unexpectedly, there was a twist of fate.