Late that night, around nine o’clock, Gu Xingzhao returned to the ancient era to retrieve the tables and chairs she had left behind. These items were too bulky for Lu Qing and his group to carry while traveling.

Before leaving, she checked on Lu Xingyan, who was sleeping soundly. It seemed that the cleansing pill was indeed effective, as there were no visible side effects.

However, Gu Xingzhao was unaware that the system had flagged Lu Xingyan’s condition on the backend. Far from showing no reaction, he had actually fainted from the pill’s potent effects.

He simply appeared to be in a deep sleep.

As she exited the tent, Gu Xingzhao noticed Liu Xiangbai sitting by a dying fire, his fingers gently rubbing the red string around his wrist.

He must be missing his wife and daughter.

Feeling a pang of sympathy, she opened the system shop and spent three tribute points to exchange for a Dreaming Eye Mask for Liu Xiangbai. This mask would allow the wearer to reunite with their loved ones in their dreams.

She scribbled a note and sent it along with the mask to Liu Xiangbai.

Startled by the sudden appearance of the items in his hands, Liu Xiangbai looked down at the note, which read: “Wear this over your eyes as you sleep, and you will be reunited with those you long for in your dreams.”

There was only one person who could send such a gift at such a time—the divine being watching over the Lu family.

His hands trembled as he held the eye mask, his heart pounding. The mask appeared to be nothing more than a simple piece of cloth, with no special features. Could it really allow him to see his loved ones?

Every time the divine being showed their power, it was awe-inspiring, and the gifts they bestowed were never false.

Yet, Liu Xiangbai hesitated to use it, afraid that waking up after seeing his family would only lead to deeper disappointment.

But he missed his wife and daughter terribly, so much so that he felt listless every day, unable to eat or find joy in anything.

Seeing his hesitation, Gu Xingzhao was puzzled. If he missed them so much, why hesitate? Why not just use it?

Liu Xiangbai tightly gripped the mask, convincing himself, Just this once… just once.

He rose from the fire, walked over to where his people were resting, and after examining the mask, hooked the straps over his ears, covering his eyes. Leaning against a tree, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Satisfied that he had finally put on the mask, Gu Xingzhao smiled. In the past, she wouldn’t have bothered with such a thankless task. But ever since those two pairs of earrings from the Lu family fetched her over 200,000 yuan, she had learned a valuable lesson: do good deeds, and don’t worry about the future.

Of course, she wasn’t entirely selfless. She believed in karma and good fortune. And even if good luck didn’t come her way, she could always collect what she needed, just as she had done with Yu Heng’s medical fees.

Just then, the system’s voice chimed in, “The Dreaming Eye Mask feature has been activated. Monitoring service is now online. Thank you for your purchase.”

Gu Xingzhao paused. “Monitoring service?”

“Host, the Dreaming Eye Mask comes with a youth anti-addiction health monitoring system. It can monitor and block any non-appropriate behavior.”

Gu Xingzhao was stunned into silence. The person who designed this mask was incredibly thorough. Even in dreams, they had installed an anti-addiction system to regulate the couple’s reunion.

“Real-time monitoring video has been successfully transmitted. Please check it promptly, Host.”

Gu Xingzhao immediately waved her hands in refusal. “No, no, I’m not interested in peeking into a couple’s private reunion.”

She picked up the tables and chairs again, ready to leave.

The night was quiet, and aside from the night watchmen, everyone else was asleep. However, Gu Xingzhao noticed Du Hangwu suddenly emerging from his tent and heading toward a secluded area.

Her curiosity piqued, and alarm bells went off in her head. What is Du Hangwu up to in the middle of the night?

Could he be plotting something sinister?

She hesitated for a moment, debating whether to follow him and see what he was up to.

Just as she was about to set down the tables and chairs and follow Du Hangwu, her first step was interrupted by the system’s alert: “Target is constipated. It is not recommended that you follow.”

“…”

At that moment, Gu Xingzhao felt as if she could dig a hole in the ground with her toes and hide in it.

So he was just going to, well, take care of business, and here she was, jumping to conspiracy theories.

“I’ve been around these ancient people too long,” she thought, “It’s starting to mess with my head.”

Grabbing the tables and chairs, Gu Xingzhao quickly walked away, fearing that if she stayed any longer, she might just summon a lightning strike out of sheer embarrassment.

Liu Xiangbai, though exhausted in body and spirit, found it difficult to fall asleep knowing he was about to see his wife and daughter. The eye mask detected his restlessness and began to emit soothing sleep waves.

In no time, he drifted into a deep slumber, and soon after, he heard the sound of a little girl calling for her mother. He jolted awake, only to find himself standing in a small courtyard.

In the yard, a young woman was gathering herbs that had been drying in the sun, her daughter helping her. The familiar faces filled Liu Xiangbai’s eyes with tears, and in a trembling voice, he called out to his wife, “My love…”

His voice shook, afraid that if he spoke too loudly, he might wake up from this dream.

Madam Liu heard her husband’s voice and thought it was an illusion. But when she looked up and saw her husband, who had been exiled a month ago, her eyes instantly filled with tears. Covering her mouth and nose, she wept uncontrollably.

Their little girl ran over and threw herself into her father’s arms, wailing, “Daddy!”

Liu Xiangbai, who had suppressed his emotions for a month, finally let them out, holding his wife and daughter tightly. The family of three was reunited, if only in a dream.

They sat down inside the house, and Liu Xiangbai told his wife and daughter everything that had happened over the past month. Although he knew it was just a dream, he patiently answered every question they had.

When Madam Liu heard that the rumors of the Lu family’s divine protector were true, she was shocked. “I’ve heard many rumors about the Lu family recently. I thought they were just exaggerations, but it turns out they were real!”

Liu Xiangbai nodded, holding his wife’s hand. “This divine being has taken great care of us, and it’s thanks to them that I can see you in my dreams tonight.”

“The divine one is truly kind,” Madam Liu said, her eyes filled with tears. “Tomorrow, I’ll buy some incense and offerings to thank them.”

Liu Xiangbai’s heart ached for his wife. He could guess the situation at home. “When they confiscated our property, they took anything of value. You probably don’t have much money left. Incense is fine, but don’t worry about the offerings.”

Though he was grateful to the divine being, he didn’t want his wife to struggle.

Madam Liu shook her head tearfully. “My parents secretly sent me some money. While we’re not as well off as before, it’s enough for the two of us to get by.”

What she didn’t mention was that not long after her husband left, their daughter fell ill. Desperate and penniless, she went to her parents’ house for help but was turned away.

The money her parents sent later was out of fear that she might return and cause a scene at their door. Along with the silver came a letter severing all ties, making it clear that after accepting the money, she was no longer welcome at her family’s home.

Liu Xiangbai’s grip tightened. He knew his wife’s family well. They were opportunistic people who would avoid trouble at all costs. He had realized their nature when he first sought to marry their daughter. Now that the Liu family was in trouble, they would have wanted nothing to do with her. It was unlikely they sent her money out of the goodness of their hearts…