Don’t Cross the Bridge

As Zhong Jia'nian’s expressions swiftly changed, Wanwan couldn’t help but feel a tinge of fear.

The key was his gaze, which truly resembled that of the Blue-winged Treasured Sparrow, a bird thief from the immortal realm who specialized in stealing bird nestlings. The Treasured Sparrow had a penchant for pilfering bird eggs, taking advantage of the mother bird’s absence as she searched for food. It would sneak into other birds’ homes, clutching unhatched bird babies, and make off to its own nest in the Blue-winged Treasured Sparrow Forest to incubate the stolen eggs…

Unable to resist, Wanwan stole another glance at Zhong Jia'nian, but this time, her little brows furrowed unexpectedly.

“Brother Jia'nian, you’d better not cross any bridges today,” her voice clear and resolute.

As her words landed, the elevator chimed. Xu Wei carried Wanwan and stepped out of the elevator, glancing back at Zhong Jia'nian before lowering his head to look at Wanwan. “Wanwan, what did you just say?”

Zhong Jia'nian was also perplexed, but he still smiled kindly. “I have no appointments today, just going downstairs to dispose of some rubbish.”

Wanwan silently gazed at Zhong Jia'nian, her eyes filled with an odd expression.

Her master once said that one’s natal palace was of utmost importance, and a dark cloud looming overhead was an omen of impending death.

“In any case, Brother Jia'nian, don’t go out today, no matter who calls you” Wanwan’s face wore a stern expression as she earnestly cautioned, “Your destiny palace is shrouded in ominous clouds, a sign of untimely demise, and the cause of death is related to a bridge, even on this very day.”

Zhong Jia'nian’s complexion changed slightly, and Xu Wei held Wanwan with an awkward expression.

Xu Wei truly hadn’t expected Wanwan to suddenly say such things.

“Wanwan, speak no more and apologize to Brother Jia'nian,” Zhong Jia'nian’s expression turned serious. After a moment of silence, he looked at the child calmly, his smile somewhat forced. “Have you studied the art of fortune-telling, Wanwan?”

Wanwan remained silent for a few seconds before slowly nodding her head.

Discerning the fate of mortals was a simple matter for immortals, and as a peach wood-turned immortal, she possessed a natural ability to ward off evil spirits, with a keen sensitivity to malevolent influences.

Zhong Jia'nian carried a strong and ominous aura, likely unintentionally acquired, and it had been threatening his life for some time now.

…

Lately, Zhong Jia'nian had also found it strange. These past few days, he had inexplicably felt cold, even when the air conditioning was on at night, his body still perspired with a chill.

When he went to the hospital for a check-up, the doctor merely mentioned that his body was somewhat weak and advised him to eat regularly and exercise more, assuring him that it would improve.

But despite following the doctor’s advice, it had been in vain.

Last night, he even half-awoke to a piercing scream, unable to open his eyelids, unable to fully wake up.

He had been thinking that if his condition didn’t improve tonight, he would go to the nearby temple tomorrow, pray for a talisman of protection, or perhaps stay there for a couple of days.

Zhong Jia'nian believed it was better to believe in its existence than to dismiss it entirely.

His grandmother had once said that when he was a child, his fate was fragile, and he was constantly haunted by ghosts. It was only after they invited a shaman from the village that the nights became peaceful, and the crying ceased.

“I shall not venture forth today, and if there truly is a need to go out, I shall avoid bridges, Wanwan, you can rest assured,” Zhong Jia'nian promised Wanwan.

Wanwan leaned on Xu Wei’s shoulder and extended her little hand. “Pinkie promise.”

“Pinkie promise,” Zhong Jia'nian chuckled, his lips curling up.

As Wanwan retracted her hand, she remembered the pedestrian overpass they passed by when they were looking for the police station yesterday. “Brother Jia'nian, also avoid… the pedestrian overpass and… the elevated bridge.”

Zhong Jia'nian kept her words in mind and assured her, “All right.”

“Goodbye, Brother Jia'nian.”

Wanwan politely raised her paw, being carried away by Xu Wei towards the black vehicle…

Xu Wei opened the car door, staring at the passenger seat with a hint of distress before turning to the backseat.

He was truly taken aback by Wanwan’s words just now.

Xia Zhihuai was indeed a bit eccentric, even at the police station last night.

Placing Wanwan in the backseat, Xu Wei supported the car door and stared at her for a few seconds.

“Wanwan, tell me the truth, were your words just now true or false?”

“A good baby speaks no falsehoods,” Wanwan replied, each word deliberate.

“Did you learn these fortune-telling skills from the Taoist priest before?” Xu Wei asked curiously.

Wanwan replied, “Sort of.”

The Master at the Heavenly Realm Kindergarten was a disciple of the Supreme Pure One, one of the Three Pure Ones in Taoism.

So, one could say that she had learned some skills from the Taoist priest, right?

…

Xu Wei took this matter to heart and planned to inquire about the situation with Zhong Jia'nian in the evening.

If Wanwan is indeed a talented fortune-teller, perhaps she can help Xia Zhihuai ward off his streak of bad luck.

If not, he will apologize to the children in the evening.

To be honest, Xia Zhihuai has been truly unlucky lately!

He skyrocketed to fame as one of the first male idols in the country.

During the final of the talent show, he left his competitors in the dust and became the captain of the male idol group, “The More”.

After gaining immense popularity, he became a top star in the entertainment industry, with exquisite features, a perfect physique, and a captivating aura, winning over a large number of female fans.

He had access to various film and television resources, as well as an abundance of fashion opportunities.

Among the group members, he had the most successful career in the two years since their debut, which is why both the company and investors were willing to support him.

However, after the temporary group “The More” disbanded, Xia Zhihuai’s luck took a turn for the worse, as if he had been cursed.

First, he lost two high-end endorsement deals, which were given to his former groupmate, Huo Zhe. Then, a highly anticipated double male lead IP drama he was involved in faced a scandal when the other male lead was exposed for dating multiple girlfriends simultaneously, causing the drama to be indefinitely shelved.

In another movie, Xia Zhihuai played an important supporting role.

However, during the initial release of the film, the male and female leads were exposed by entertainment reporters for entering and leaving the same hotel room late at night.

The female lead was married at the time, and the scandal led to a divorce lawsuit.

While Xia Zhihuai dedicated a significant amount of time to honing his acting skills, the film received malicious negative reviews, with a rating of only 2.8 on a certain website.

Due to the film being pulled from theaters early, Xia Zhihuai’s plan to showcase his acting abilities and secure the role of the second male lead in a new film directed by Director Li was completely thwarted.

Subsequently, one after another, the variety shows he was in talks for fell through, and he was replaced as a special guest on a girl group talent show.

Truly, it seemed that misfortune followed him at every turn.

In just half a year, Xia Zhihuai’s exposure was far less than before. Currently, he only had the ongoing project “Moonlight City” he was filming, a few endorsements for small brands, and some insignificant appearances.

However, even a starved camel is still bigger than a horse, and Xu Wei was still considered one of the pillars of the company.

The only thing Xu Wei was slightly uncomfortable with was Xia Zhihuai’s former groupmate, Huo Zhe.

Since the disbandment of the group, Huo Zhe has been rising in the company. He often displayed a sarcastic attitude, but since Huo Zhe is favored by the company’s boss, Gong Tingyan, Xu Wei couldn’t do anything about it.

But Xu Wei simply couldn’t stand the sight of Huo Zhe’s success as a petty person!

…

Thinking of Huo Zhe, Xu Wei felt a surge of anger. He took two deep breaths before suppressing the fury in his chest.

He decided to put aside the company’s troubles for now.

Xu Wei closed the car door and took Wanwan to the pediatric department of the hospital for registration.