Bai Zhi slipped on the stairs as soon as she stepped out. Just as she was about to twist her ankle and fall, a resident opened their door and caught her.
"Miss, are you alright?"
As Bai Zhi was about to look up and thank them, she noticed that although her hands were clean, her skin was somewhat wrinkled and sallow.
Standing up, she saw that it was indeed an old man in his fifties. His hair was graying on both sides, and when he smiled, his teeth were a little yellow, clearly showing he smoked a lot of pipe tobacco.
He spoke in a hearty voice, "Girl, are you alright? Did you twist your ankle? Be careful on the stairs from now on."
"I'm... I'm fine." Bai Zhi rubbed her hands and scurried down the stairs, as if afraid the old man would have ill intentions towards her.
The old man scratched his head, looking helpless. He muttered to himself, "Do I look that scary? This little girl, so impolite, she didn't even say thank you."
Saying that, he went downstairs. The old man was probably going for a walk.
Shui Wa: "Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter. Does the female lead have a mistaken perception of her own appearance? Does she think everyone who sees her will fall for her? The way she was just now, she must think the old man had ulterior motives and was lying in wait."
Jun Jiu Li: "The female lead, standard procedure. Let's follow and watch the show."
"Host, you're openly skipping work."
"It's okay, it's okay, I've already called Father Shen to take leave. Don't worry, the company is doing great."
Bai Zhi had just picked out her vegetables and paid for them, exiting the market when she was bumped to the ground.
"Help! Catch the thief! That person stole my wallet, catch him quickly!"
A group of people trampled over her vegetables, and Bai Zhi's hand was accidentally grazed. She was also bumped a few times by people.
Shui Wa: "The female lead is actually suffering substantial harm."
Jun Jiu Li: "She must be too far from Nangong Qiangwei to absorb luck in time. It seems I need to strengthen her talismans."
Seeing the vegetables on the ground, she felt like crying. She wanted to vent her anger and settle the score. But it was in public, and she was afraid of losing face, being called petty.
She could only angrily turn and re-enter the market to pick out another selection. When she emerged again, she encountered a plump auntie.
The auntie affectionately grabbed her hand, "Little girl, I'm so sorry. Everyone was helping me chase my wallet and accidentally bumped into you. How much were these vegetables? Auntie will pay for them."
Bai Zhi smiled gently, "Auntie, I'm fine. Those vegetables aren't worth much. Did you get your wallet back?"
"Oh my, you're such a sensible little girl. I got it back, I got it back! My nephew already turned the thief in to the police."
"That's good. I need to go back now, I won't chat with you much longer."
People around praised Bai Zhi for being kind and upright, and the elders in the market cast friendly glances at her.
The auntie who had just spoken suddenly grabbed her hand, causing a slight pain, but Bai Zhi couldn't shake her off.
"Auntie, do you need something else?"
"Hahaha, little girl, my surname is Sun. You can call me Auntie Sun. You're so young, you must not be married yet. Let me tell you, my nephew is 27 this year. He has a house and a car, and he's tall and slim. Why don't you two meet for a meal? You might hit it off."
Bai Zhi's cheeks turned red, and she waved her hands repeatedly, refusing.
"No need, Auntie Sun."
"Just meet him, just meet him. It's not like you have to end up together."
Several acquaintances nearby came to persuade Bai Zhi, "Little girl, go meet him. That young man is really good. He's quite handsome, the type girls like."
"Yes, yes. It's not me boasting, but my nephew, with his excellent conditions, is rare to not have dated anyone."
The woman calling herself Auntie Sun sized Bai Zhi up. "Small hips, not good for bearing sons. But your face is pretty, and your skin is fair. My nephew should like you."
Bai Zhi was instantly filled with shame and indignation, and wanted to slip out of the circle of aunties with her vegetables. But no matter how she tried, she couldn't get away.
"Little girl, don't be in such a hurry to leave, I haven't finished speaking. How old are you? He doesn't like it if you're older than my nephew. And what about your job? Where do you work? What's your salary? You can't rely on my nephew to support the family alone in the future."
Hearing these words, Bai Zhi's anger reached its peak. Ever since she got together with Nangong Han, she had never been insulted like this.
"Enough, can you stop talking? It's like I'd be interested in your nephew. I'm already married. My husband is incredibly handsome and incredibly rich. We also have a lovely daughter. Please move aside."
"Tch, you're not even wearing a wedding ring. How could your husband be super rich? Aren't you someone's mistress? Hmph, you should have said you'd already had a child. If you had said so earlier, I wouldn't have bothered you. Our family doesn't want second-hand goods."
With that, the auntie turned and left, and the others dispersed. The admiring glances they had cast at her turned into whispers and pointing.
Shui Wa: "Hahaha, matchmaking gods. The female lead meeting the host is really the worst luck in eight lifetimes."
Jun Jiu Li: "Let's go."
"Aren't you going to watch any longer?"
"It's all minor squabbles, just for fun. No need to waste time on her. I need to hurry back to develop the upgraded luck-absorbing talismans."
Bai Zhi muttered to herself all the way, the atmosphere was different. She was really too unlucky today, so she paid close attention to her footing, afraid of slipping again if she wasn't careful.
"Little girl, get out of the way, hurry and hide in the shop nearby."
Before Bai Zhi could react, she was tackled to the ground by something. Her backside hurt, as if it were being bitten by something.
She screamed in pain, "Help me, someone help me. Ah, I don't want to die!" She cried uncontrollably, no longer caring about her image.
Soon, the mad dog was subdued by several patrolling police officers, and Bai Zhi was sent to the hospital. Apart from her backside and thigh area, the other parts only had scratches.
Nangong Qiangwei was starving at home and used her cute looks to get a meal from the neighbors. After Bai Zhi woke up, she asked someone to send Nangong Qiangwei to the hospital.
Mother and daughter hugged and cried, and the puppet figure that had been following them transmitted the scene to Jun Jiu Li.
Shui Wa saw strands of luck flowing into Bai Zhi, and Bai Zhi's injuries healed noticeably faster than others. It seemed that Nangong Qiangwei was indeed a good thing, but unfortunately, she couldn't be used by the host.
Jun Jiu Li: "Shui Wa, after her luck is distributed, can it not be replenished quickly?"
Shui Wa: "Correct. We don't know where this luck comes from, nor how she collects it. However, her current luck is indeed a few strands less than when we first met. This proves that her luck has not increased."
"It's also possible that this minor loss of luck has no impact on her, so it hasn't increased promptly."
"If this thing is endless, it would be truly terrifying."
"We'll deal with whatever comes our way."