Gu Xingzhao knew that it wasn’t just Lu Xingyao who felt this way—many other members of the Lu family shared the same concerns. In times of life-and-death crises, people can be selfish, worrying that the portion of blessings meant for them might be given to others.

Although she had only helped Liu Xiangbai on a whim, the Lu family didn’t see it that way. To them, it seemed like she was intentionally trying to assist the Liu family.

The nearby Lu family members overheard Lu Xingyao’s concerns, and suddenly, the dumplings in their bowls didn’t seem as delicious. Their faces were filled with worry, wondering if one day, one meal might be their last.

It wasn’t that they wanted to monopolize the deity’s blessings, but they couldn’t help feeling a deep fear that the deity might be “taken away.”

Lu Xingyan remained silent for a while before speaking, “Not everyone can receive help in times of trouble. Our Lu family never worshiped any deity, yet we have experienced this miraculous blessing. No matter what the future holds, we must remain respectful and grateful.”

“Yao, as descendants of mortals, we shouldn’t presume to guess the intentions of our ancestor, nor should we attempt to interfere.”

In his view, receiving help even for a short time was a blessing beyond measure.

Lu Xingyao paused, feeling ashamed. “You’re right, Third Uncle. I’ve learned my lesson.”

Whatever the intentions of their ancestor, as members of the Lu family, they shouldn’t have harbored such thoughts. He had overstepped and spoken out of turn.

It wasn’t just Lu Xingyao; the other nearby Lu family members were also deeply ashamed of their earlier hostility toward the Liu family.

Gu Xingzhao couldn’t help but glance at Lu Xingyan a few more times. She hadn’t expected him to be the most clear-headed among the Lu family members. If it weren’t for his physical limitations, he would have been the one to support the Lu family after Lu Qing.

People naturally feel pity for things that are beautiful yet flawed, and she was no exception.

Realizing that her attention to the Liu family might have caused anxiety among the Lu family members, Gu Xingzhao went back to the supermarket and brought a few more packs of instant noodles and some hot water, placing them in the bamboo basket.

“Lu Qing, I brought some more of the noodles and hot water you had earlier. If you get hungry, you can make them yourself. Just tear off the lid, open the seasoning packets, pour in the hot water, and let it sit for a while until the noodles soften.”

“Because the smell is quite strong, be mindful when you eat.”

Lu Qing was still eating dumplings when he heard the ancestor’s voice. He quickly responded, “Thank you, Ancestor.”

Suddenly, someone exclaimed, “It’s snowing!”

Someone had seen the snowflakes falling outside through the torn window paper.

Immediately, many people put down what they were doing and crowded over to see the first snow of the New Year’s Eve. After all, snow is only beautiful when you’re warm and well-fed.

But because the windows had been nailed shut to prevent prisoners from escaping, they could only peer through small holes they made in the paper, and the limited view left them feeling disappointed.

Gu Xingzhao suddenly remembered that she had once projected a scene from the past into her home. If that was possible, could she now project the outside scene into the room?

[Host, yes, you can.]

The next second, the room underwent a dramatic transformation. The walls gradually became transparent, and then seemed to disappear entirely, revealing the dark night sky with snowflakes gently falling like goose feathers.

The people in the room stared at the scene in front of them, their jaws dropping in astonishment.

Someone reached out a hand, only to find they could still feel the wall. “This… this…”

Lu Qing was even more stunned.

The snow falling that night had the same impact on them as the thunderstorm had before.

At some point, Shunyu, who had been hiding in the corner, raised her head, captivated by what she saw. She clutched her sleeve tightly and murmured to herself, “So this is the Lu family’s deity…”

Snowflakes fell to the ground and disappeared after a moment. Some people couldn’t resist reaching out to catch them, and to their shock, real snowflakes landed in their palms—a cool sensation that left them in awe. It wasn’t an illusion; it was real!

Even Gu Xingzhao herself was shocked. She hadn’t known that the projection could actually be touched.

Inside the room, everyone quietly watched the snow falling on New Year’s Eve, a gift from the deity. In that moment, the hardships, the pent-up anger, and the sense of injustice that had built up over time seemed to be soothed by the silent snowfall.

Lu Xingyan was particularly entranced. Due to his physical condition, he spent every winter indoors, huddled by the fire. Never had he experienced being so close to snow, with the faint, fresh scent lingering in the air…

Is this what snow smells like?

Gu Xingzhao had, at some point, walked over and sat down beside him. She pulled out a red envelope from her pocket, which she had brought back from the supermarket, and slipped it into Lu Xingyan’s hands. “Happy New Year.”

Feeling something placed in his hands, and hearing the voice so close to his ear, Lu Xingyan froze… The deity was right beside him.

The red envelope Gu Xingzhao gave didn’t actually contain money. She had just placed an old jade amulet she used to wear, along with a red paper strip wishing for good health, inside.

“Sigh, everyone has ‘Xing’ in their name. Isn’t that a sign of fate?”

Lu Xingyan was too nervous to move.

Gu Xingzhao thought he hadn’t noticed the red envelope in his hands and nudged it. “What’s wrong, didn’t you notice?”

Lu Xingyan finally steadied his nerves and pretended to find the envelope. Instead of opening it, he simply tucked it into his robes.

Gu Xingzhao was stunned: “?!”

Unbelievable! Something suddenly appeared in his hands, and he didn’t even react? He just calmly tucked it away?

If it were anyone else, or even herself, they’d probably jump up and scream!

Lu Qing’s son really had a steady temperament.

What Gu Xingzhao didn’t know was that Lu Xingyan was so nervous that a fine layer of cold sweat had formed on his body, and his heart was pounding uncontrollably. The pressure of being near a deity was simply too overwhelming for him.

The system detected the anomaly in Lu Xingyan’s body and issued a warning: [Warning: The monitored individual, Lu Xingyan, is experiencing a physical abnormality!]

Gu Xingzhao: “?”

She glanced over at him—his face was flushed, and he seemed perfectly normal.

When she opened the system’s interface, she was nearly floored. The screen was full of red warnings, and his heart rate had soared to 160, with no signs of slowing down!

Gu Xingzhao was alarmed: How could this happen? Is he sick?

[Host, the monitored individual may have sensed your presence and, due to nervousness, experienced a sudden increase in heart rate. It could also be due to the strong magnetic field you emit, which the monitored individual cannot withstand, leading to various adverse reactions.]

[Given the monitored individual’s special condition, it is recommended that you maintain distance and avoid putting too much pressure on him, or he might faint.]

Since the system advised it, Gu Xingzhao quietly stood up and moved away, thinking: This system is exaggerating.

Lu Xingyan might just be feeling unwell. How could it be because I was too close to him…

Gu Xingzhao thought: I’m a deity now—who wouldn’t want me to get closer?
This is a huge blessing!