Volume One, Chapter Three: If the

Qin Yu's expression was grave. She paused, then continued, “The bond between you and your daughter is the result of karma from your previous life. She willingly became your daughter, and has reincarnated through you three times. The first two times have already left her resentful, and this time you forced her to be born as a boy. This child is destined to bring chaos to your household from the moment he is born, ultimately leading to ruin and misfortune.”

The suffering endured by that baby girl was unimaginable.

The woman stroked her belly, at a loss. “But... I can't bear to let go.”

“Ask your mother-in-law about what happened to the previous two baby girls.”

The saying goes: after stabbing the second female fetus, the next will surely be a boy.

It refers to the cruel act of piercing the crown of a female fetus’s head with a silver needle soaked in alcohol, instilling fear in the soul seeking rebirth, and thereby increasing the likelihood of a male child.

Yet the sons born through such wicked means are often souls with severe past-life sins, unwashed by the underworld, and only bring endless suffering.

“So it really was the mother-in-law! I knew it!”

“How can this preference for sons still exist?”

“You must be too young, we see this all the time around here.”

“But... don’t you think the streamer is basically committing murder? That boy has the right to live too, doesn’t he?”

“You’re being too saintly, aren’t you? Didn’t the streamer say that boy’s life was traded for those two sisters? He’ll only bring disaster.”

“But honestly, this sounds like a script to me. Is it really so outrageous in real life?”

“I don’t believe it either.”

“Come back to my stream after you’ve asked tomorrow. There are things I want to tell you.”

By now, the woman seemed dazed, likely not absorbing Qin Yu’s words. She gave an absent-minded reply and quickly left the stream.

“Well, the streamer is selling suspense now?”

“For some reason, I actually want to watch.”

“Me too! I want to see what medicine the streamer has in her gourd.”

“I’m curious how she’ll act it out. Honestly, the script is brilliant.”

“If you want to know what happens next, don’t miss tomorrow at one in the afternoon.”

Qin Yu didn’t linger; she ended the stream right after speaking.

Divination took a toll on her energy, and she didn’t want to exhaust herself.

Qin Yu picked up a talisman paper, gathered spiritual power to her fingertips, and swiftly drew a charm.

“Mu Ling, could you run an errand for me?”

Qin Yu grinned as she handed over the talisman.

Mu Ling’s expression darkened imperceptibly.

He, once a mighty, fully-leveled fierce ghost, had now been reduced to a mere errand boy. In the past, his commands would rally countless little ghosts to his side!

Thinking of his current state, Mu Ling felt bitter.

“That boy is plagued by a mold ghost. You can devour it.”

Mu Ling perked up instantly. “Address?”

He didn’t need to eat food, but by consuming other ghosts, he could strengthen himself.

He used to devour any and all ghosts, but after following Qin Yu, his devouring became selective and purposeful, purifying his ghostly aura.

Qin Yu smiled along with him.

There were even greater rewards ahead!

The pink-hued memories in that home would be the best nourishment for Mu Ling.

Today, Qin Yu received three “True Love Arrivals.” After the platform’s cut, she’d pocket around fifteen hundred.

Money for meals secured!

—

Night fell.

Silver Moon Manor.

A small black blob crept closer under the moonlight.

Mu Ling didn’t even need to search; the stench of mold was unmistakable.

“Hey, brother, you new here? Why haven’t I seen you before?”

A hefty, rotund black ghost clumsily twisted around, his uneven eyes making him look lifeless.

Compared to him, Mu Ling was like a black glass marble.

Mu Ling raised an eyebrow, feeling oddly amused at being called “brother” by his prey.

The glass marble extended a finger and tapped the big black ghost’s shoulder. “Thanks for the feast, brother.”

The mold ghost hadn’t figured out what he meant when he heard a sudden “Chomp!”—and it was gone.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh!” How many people had this thing harmed? Why did it taste so awful?

Mu Ling spat in disgust.

Before leaving, he placed Qin Yu’s talisman on the boy’s bedside.

In his sleep, the boy’s tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed.

—

The next day at one in the afternoon, Qin Yu started her stream right on time.

Surfing Expert entered the room.

Thunderstorm entered the room.

Pink Hairdryer entered the room.

…

“First in!”

“Good afternoon, miss!”

“What’s today’s performance?”

“Last night I sat up in bed, unable to guess what direction the script would take next.”

As soon as Qin Yu started streaming, viewers who had been waiting rushed in.

“Good afternoon, everyone. Before today’s fortune-telling, let me explain the rules.”

Given yesterday’s incident of two “True Love Arrivals” at once, Qin Yu wanted to clarify the rules upfront to avoid chaos.

“I begin streaming daily at one in the afternoon. If something comes up, I’ll announce it. The end time varies. Before fortune-telling, I’ll send out lucky bags; only those who win should gift items.”

“I get the subtext—ending times depend on your mood, right?”

“Miss is so chill.”

“Suddenly regretting not gifting yesterday. If more people join, I might not get my turn.”

“I’ll just smile and watch how the streamer acts out her script.”

Qin Yu touched her nose. This batch of viewers was surprisingly sharp, even catching on to her desire to slack off.

“Thunderstorm, are you here?”

“Sis, I’m here.”

Qin Yu sent a video call invitation.

A young girl, delicate and fresh, appeared to be seventeen or eighteen.

“Minors can’t send gifts—streamer, refund!”

“No, I’m already eighteen.”

“What do you want to ask?”

“Recently, I keep hearing a girl crying in my dreams. She keeps asking me to help her.”

Dark circles ringed the girl’s eyes, clearly from poor sleep.

“I’m scared, so I told my parents. My mom went silent, my dad said it’s just stress because the college entrance exams are coming. But I feel like they’re hiding something from me.”

Her parents didn’t believe her, so she dared not tell anyone else.

Yesterday, she happened to see this streamer online and decided to use her New Year’s money to buy a reading.

“In your dreams, does the girl call you ‘sister’?”

The girl’s eyes immediately welled up, moved to finally be believed. “Yes! But I’m an only child—I don’t have a sister.”

“Don’t cry, little sister; it hurts seeing you cry.”

“Streamer, please tell her what happened; my heart’s breaking watching her cry.”

“This is a good actor—she’s making me cry too.”

Pink Hairdryer sent a carousel.

Society Bro Lei sent a pair of sunglasses.

Sister Juan lit up the fan badge.

“Your face shows that you did have a sister.”

“Impossible!” The girl recoiled at the answer, her voice agitated.

“When you were six, your sister was three. She begged to go to the amusement park. You were separated in the crowd and lost your sister. Afterwards, you became seriously ill and lost all memories before age six.”

The girl stood frozen, as if a bucket of water had been poured over her head.

She had a sister? But she lost her?

She looked down at her hand, unable to utter a word.

“She lost her real sister? Could it be she was jealous and deliberately abandoned her?”

“You’re getting conspiratorial. She was only six—what malice could a child have?”

“Don’t be naïve. Kids can be cruel nowadays.”

“Haven’t you watched any web dramas? Even kids can be evil.”

“If that’s true, suddenly the girl doesn’t seem so innocent.”

The viewers, once sympathetic, suddenly turned and began to criticize the sister.