In the living room, Lin Ting gripped his phone tightly, his gaze fixed on the TV. The more he watched, the more inconsistencies he noticed. Several people on the screen were even carrying tents, with brand names clearly visible on the bags.

From the kitchen, Gu Xingzhao’s voice called out, “Xiao Ting, I have a few packages. Could you go pick them up for me?”

Lin Ting composed himself. “Okay, I’ll get them now.”

Gu Xingzhao immediately turned off the TV, feeling great. Having a neighbor’s little brother to order around was wonderful—no need to change clothes or go out in the cold to fetch packages.

After washing the dishes, she leaned on the upstairs window, watching outside. She saw that it had started snowing. Lin Ting, wearing a coat and holding an umbrella, walked quickly through the snow as if he was worried about making her wait too long.

When Lin Ting returned with several packages, Gu Xingzhao noticed something: the black coat looked mature and dignified on him. If only he didn’t wear those blue plastic-framed glasses, he might look even more impressive—his legs were quite long, too.

She glanced down at her own legs and sighed with envy.

Lin Ting carried the packages upstairs, placing them on the floor beside the sofa. “Sister, I’ve put the packages here.”

Gu Xingzhao handed him a can of soda as a reward. “For your trouble.”

Lin Ting took the soda and opened it, a smile spreading across his face. “Thanks, Sister.”

Seeing him drink happily, just like when he was a child, Gu Xingzhao thought to herself, “He’s still just a kid.”

As she squatted down to unpack the packages, her gaze repeatedly fell on Lin Ting’s blue plastic-framed glasses. “If only he had a more stylish pair,” she thought. “It would really complement his coat.” But she kept her thoughts to herself, thinking he might change his glasses when he’s older, perhaps when he meets someone special in college.

“Xiao Ting, you’ve been wearing those glasses for years. Isn’t it time for a new pair?” she asked.

Lin Ting replied, “I just changed the lenses a few days ago.”

Hearing that, Gu Xingzhao decided not to push the issue. “He’s still young,” she thought. “He’ll probably start caring more about his appearance once he meets a girl he likes.”

“Okay, Sister. I’ll be heading back now.”

“Alright.”

After Lin Ting left, Gu Xingzhao continued unpacking. She carefully placed a set of calligraphy brushes, water-writing cloth, and a portable desk lamp into two backpacks. The e-readers she had ordered came pre-loaded with the books she requested. The vertical layout of the text was similar to traditional books, which made her quite satisfied, especially since she had worried that the modern reading format might be unfamiliar to Lu Qing and the others.

The seller had also included a few extra e-books. After briefly checking them to make sure there were no novels, she packed the e-readers and some power banks into the backpacks, ready to deliver them to Lu Qing later that evening.

Meanwhile, in ancient times…

Due to the repeated manifestations of divine miracles, rumors about the Lu family being blessed by a deity spread like wildfire, becoming the talk of the nation. The emperor’s incompetence was becoming increasingly apparent, even leading to the circulation of cryptic nursery rhymes among the people.

Enraged, the emperor ordered a thorough investigation, resulting in the widespread arrest and execution of those spreading the rumors, plunging the capital into chaos.

“Your Majesty, it’s been reported that Yu Heng, the magistrate of Shu Prefecture, was terminally ill. However, after meeting with Lu Qing a few days ago, his condition improved. There were also strange occurrences in the town on that day, with the local people bowing in worship, claiming it to be a divine manifestation.”

“Moreover, the recent rumors in the capital all point towards Shu Prefecture.”

The spy reported the findings.

Emperor Jin, with his eyes closed in meditation, listened silently. The eunuchs around him didn’t dare to make a sound—Shu Prefecture was, after all, the fiefdom of Prince Su.

After a long pause, Emperor Jin slightly opened his eyes, revealing a murderous intent. “Has Luo Yuan’s wound not healed yet?”

The spy replied, “According to the imperial physician, General Luo’s injury is no longer serious.”

Emperor Jin’s expression turned cold. “I don’t want to hear any more news about the Lu family. Tell him that if he fails again, he need not return to see me.”

“Understood.”

After the spy left, the hall fell silent, as if submerged in water.

The nearby eunuch, carefully pouring tea, suddenly heard Emperor Jin speak. “Do you think the Lu family is truly blessed by a deity?”

The eunuch was so startled that his hand trembled, nearly dropping the tea cup.

Emperor Jin’s laugh was full of scorn. “I am the ruler of all under heaven. If there is truly a deity, he should serve me.”

The eunuch, holding the tea cup, knelt down, trembling, not daring to move a muscle.

Taking the tea cup, Emperor Jin sneered inwardly. “The insignificant Lu family dares to challenge me. Lu Qing, you certainly have given me quite the surprise.”

His thoughts turned to his beloved sister, who had found herself quite the protector.

In Laiyuan Town…

Having finally seen Prince Su off, Yu Heng was drenched in cold sweat, his back soaked through.

“My lord, does this mean that Prince Su intends to eliminate the Lu family?” His personal servant asked, his heart filled with unease.

Opposing the Lu family meant opposing the deity backing them. They had all witnessed the power of that deity firsthand…

Having narrowly escaped death once, he cherished his life even more. The day he realized he was still alive, he immediately took out all the silver he had hidden in the outhouse and spent it on wine, fearing that the Lu family’s deity might return to finish the job.

Another servant, also deeply shaken, hadn’t dared to leave the house since that day.

Yu Heng reassured them, “Don’t worry. We’re just helping Prince Su with a small matter.”

The capital must be in turmoil by now. As long as the story of the Lu family’s divine backing spread far and wide, the emperor, who had ordered their exile, would look even more incompetent.

The emperor would not let the Lu family go and would likely strike again. There was no need for him to do anything—so long as he didn’t directly target the Lu family, he wouldn’t be considered their enemy.

Lu Qing was his mentor. Even if he was working for Prince Su, he would never harm his mentor.

Moreover, with a deity backing the Lu family, no ordinary person could harm them. All he needed to do was ensure the news spread far and wide, making the situation known to the entire nation.

As for the deity protecting the Lu family, Yu Heng was not foolish. He knew exactly how to proceed.

That deity hadn’t killed him, which meant there was no killing intent. As long as he didn’t go against the Lu family, the deity wouldn’t target him. Besides, all the wealth in his house had already been taken—he considered it a small price to pay for his life.

However, when he thought about the pair of paperweights and the ink dropper, which he had cherished dearly—made from the finest Tianqing clay—he couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. The Lu family’s deity certainly had an eye for quality.

The mere thought of it made Yu Heng’s chest ache terribly.

He could only hope that the deity was someone who appreciated fine things and would treat the paperweights and ink dropper with care…

“Where did you find such excellent items?” Lu Suo asked, carefully cradling the ink dropper, unable to hide his affection for it.

Gu Xingzhao smiled. “I came across them by chance and thought you might like them.”

Lu Suo was overjoyed, planning to store the ink dropper in his collection cabinet. Such a fine item, and it was a gift from his child—it deserved to be well-preserved.

However, just as he stood up and opened the cabinet door, a wave of dizziness hit him, causing him to lose his grip. The ink dropper slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a loud “crack,” shattering into pieces.