Gu Xingzhao gripped her phone tightly, her fingertips pressing hard against it. Soon, a second friend request popped up.

Gu Chengzhang: Daughter, where are you? Dad has been searching for you for so many years.

The moment she saw the message, Gu Xingzhao felt an urge to smash her phone. What a shameless man, spouting such nonsense. Claiming he’s been looking for her for years—how could he say such things without biting his tongue?

It was utterly absurd.

She swiped right and deleted the friend request immediately. Out of sight, out of mind. If this man had any decency, he should have stayed dead rather than coming back to life like a zombie.

Looks like I need to visit a temple soon, she thought. Bad luck seems to be piling up all at once.

Putting away her phone, Gu Xingzhao picked up a meal box and sat down beside Lu Qing and the others, joining them for lunch. As she ate, she couldn’t help but strike up a conversation with Lu Qing. “You’ve been diligently assisting the emperor, yet he treats you like this. Do you hold any resentment in your heart?”

No one had ever asked Lu Qing this question before, but it was something he had thought about. “To answer the ancestor, naturally, there was resentment. But after encountering you, my elder, I no longer harbor such feelings.”

Gu Xingzhao was slightly surprised. “Why?”

Lu Qing smiled. “Although I’ve encountered difficulties, I’ve also been fortunate enough to receive your care and assistance along the way. What else could I possibly resent?”

Meeting such an ancestor was a rare stroke of luck that others might not experience in a lifetime. While he still held some resentment toward the emperor, he no longer resented his current situation.

Lu Qing’s perspective left Gu Xingzhao somewhat astonished. She hadn’t expected that her presence would lead the old man to view his dire circumstances in such a different light.

Looking at Lu Qing, she couldn’t help but sigh. “Lu Xingyan and his brothers should feel proud to have a father like you.”

Unlike herself, who had a father she couldn’t even call a father—her real dad was long dead.

Hearing her words, Lu Qing had a vague sense that the ancestor might be troubled by something. Normally, she didn’t ask him so many questions. After hesitating for a moment, he tentatively asked, “Ancestor, are you troubled tonight?”

Gu Xingzhao smiled. “I was, but not anymore.”

Seeing the Lu family so happy and harmonious together, she felt all her worries dissipate.

She thought to herself, meeting Lu Qing and his family—wasn’t that a stroke of luck for her as well?

Meanwhile, Du Hangwu entered his tent with the ointment bestowed by the divine being earlier that day. He carefully zipped up the tent before cautiously removing his pants. Fiddling with the ointment, he gingerly inserted the tip and squeezed the tube. The sensation of something foreign immediately made him uncomfortable, even triggering a strong urge to relieve himself.

The discomfort was hard to ignore, so he decided to lie down, wondering if this was really the correct way to use the ointment. Why did it feel so uncomfortable? Could it be that the divine being had given him the wrong medicine?

Gritting his teeth, Du Hangwu endured the discomfort until he gradually adapted to the strange sensation. He began to feel a cooling relief in that area—no more unbearable itching, and even the pain had lessened significantly!

He suddenly sat up, overjoyed, examining the ointment with newfound respect. It seemed the Lu family’s divine being indeed had real power—he hadn’t given him the wrong medicine!

Du Hangwu clutched the ointment like a treasured possession. Though the treatment method was somewhat embarrassing, it was worth it if it alleviated his discomfort.

The Lu family… truly is my lucky star!

The next day, Gu Xingzhao woke up, received a call from the fireworks factory manager, and drove out to pick up some goods. Yang Hui was also at the factory and gave her a tour, explaining many things as she donned protective gear.

Gu Xingzhao listened intently, as if trying to memorize every step of the process, knowing she would need this knowledge later.

Yang Hui enjoyed watching Gu Xingzhao, especially when she was focused. She was like a beautiful painting. Seeing her so interested, he didn’t rush her. “It’s noon. How about having lunch here and continuing the tour afterward? Around one o’clock, a well-known master from our factory will be holding a meeting to discuss methods and precautions with the staff.”

Gu Xingzhao was surprised. “Can I listen in as well?”

Yang Hui nodded. “Of course.”

Gu Xingzhao felt a surge of happiness, like someone offering her a pillow just when she wanted to sleep. “I’d love that. Thank you.”

Yang Hui smiled. “No need to be so formal, Miss Gu.”

He couldn’t help but feel regret—if only he had met Gu Xingzhao earlier. If there hadn’t been that whole mess with Lei Ping, maybe he would have had a chance with her. Now, there was no possibility at all.

This missed opportunity made Yang Hui secretly vow that no matter how much older he got or how many people pressured him to get married, he would never settle for an arranged marriage.

That afternoon, the master gave a lecture to the factory workers. Gu Xingzhao took out her notebook and jotted down everything the master said—the proportions of charcoal and sulfur, the precautions when handling saltpeter.

The master was very detailed, and Gu Xingzhao, with her strong learning ability, even felt the urge to try her hand at it.

Yang Hui noticed her eagerness and suggested, “Would you like to try it later? The master will be demonstrating in the workshop.”

Gu Xingzhao looked at Yang Hui suspiciously. “Do you treat every customer with such detail?”

Not only letting her attend an internal staff meeting but also letting her try it herself?

Yang Hui nodded. “Yes, it’s quite common if the customer is interested.”

He wasn’t lying—he would offer the opportunity to anyone interested. It’s just that no customer had ever wanted to try before.

Reassured by his answer, Gu Xingzhao followed him into the workshop, carefully attempting the tasks under the guidance of the staff. She picked it up quickly.

When the master walked by and saw her, he stopped in his tracks, noticing that this young woman not only controlled the gunpowder well but also timed the delay perfectly. Even the color of the pellets and the arrangement of the patterns showed her unique ideas—better than several of his students with over ten years of experience.

She definitely had talent.

The master, who hadn’t taken on a student in nearly ten years, was moved. He narrowed his eyes and asked, “Young lady, do you work here at the factory?”

Yang Hui quickly introduced her. “Master Ai, this is a customer here to purchase goods.”

The master smiled at Gu Xingzhao. “Would you be interested in learning fireworks design from me?”

Gu Xingzhao was flattered and thanked the master for his offer but politely declined. If she had the chance in the future, she would love to learn, but she was too busy right now to focus on this.

The master was disappointed but exchanged phone numbers with her.

That afternoon, after returning from the fireworks factory, Gu Xingzhao had the workers move the goods into her supermarket, preparing to transfer them to the ancient era later.

It was almost New Year’s, and with all the open flames and fireworks around, it was too dangerous to keep so many fireworks at home. A single spark could be disastrous.

Once the goods were moved in, three people suddenly appeared, and a man’s voice called out, “Xiao Zhao.”

Gu Xingzhao looked up to see a familiar yet unfamiliar face, with a nauseatingly insincere smile—it was Gu Chengzhang.

She immediately tried to close the store’s door, but Gu Chengzhang quickly stepped forward with some items, attempting to grab her hand.

Gu Xingzhao dodged instantly, failing to close the door. She watched the man warily, her face expressionless.

Gu Chengzhang, thinking his daughter hadn’t recognized him, showed no embarrassment. With a warm and excited voice, he said, “Xiao Zhao, it’s Dad. Dad finally found you!”