The Mission to Peek into the Secrets of Heaven—Aunt Jiu's Mind is Far from Simple

Shen Jiuyi noticed the displeasure in Lin Yu's expression.

She added another sentence:

"I just thought that even if I asked, you wouldn’t tell me the truth."

"Telling you so much about Yao Yao was a way of 'striking first.'"

"I don’t expect you to be particularly 'good,' but I hope you’re not outright 'evil.'"

Lin Yu: "..."

So this is what a high-IQ girl is like?

She rambled in circles, only to sum it up with this one line—leaving Lin Yu with a chill down his spine.

Shen Jiuyi…

On the surface, she seemed scatterbrained, blurting things out without being asked.

Yet, deep down, Lin Yu sensed there was more to it.

Lin Yu replied as casually as he could:

"Why wouldn’t I tell the truth?"

"Jiuyi-jie, aren’t you overthinking this?"

Shen Jiuyi paused her tea-drinking, suddenly standing up.

She leaned across the table, locking eyes with Lin Yu:

"In the years of Jia and Ji, Bing leads the way..."

Lin Yu: "!!!"

Damn it!

This woman!

If she had said this ten minutes ago, Lin Yu wouldn’t have had a clue what she was talking about.

But now…

[Purple Star Astrology] had already been integrated into Lin Yu’s skill set.

Every theory and application was etched into his mind.

Shen Jiuyi’s seemingly random phrase was the first line of the "initiation mantra" in Purple Star Astrology.

Using this to test whether Lin Yu understood the system was like using a cultural reference to gauge someone’s background.

He’d acquired the skill too soon!

Now…

Should he pretend ignorance?

But even the slightest shift in expression might give him away—this girl seemed to see through everything.

If she caught him deliberately playing dumb, wouldn’t that just confirm her suspicion that he was dishonest?

Steadying himself, Lin Yu spoke:

"In the years of Yi and Geng, Wu takes the lead."

Shen Jiuyi remained unreadable: "I retract my earlier impolite doubts. Thank you for your honesty."

Lin Yu: "..."

Originally, Lin Yu hadn’t paid Shen Jiuyi much attention.

But this feeling of being anticipated and manipulated was seriously grating on him.

This woman was playing with fire!

Shen Jiuyi didn’t sit back down. Instead, she remained standing, staring at Lin Yu for a long time.

Lin Yu couldn’t take it anymore and snapped:

"Shen Jiuyi, you’ve tested me, we’ve talked."

"If you think I’m unreliable, just tell Yao Yao-jie to keep her distance."

"What’s with the staring? Treating me like a criminal?"

Shen Jiuyi shook her head calmly:

"I won’t interfere with her, nor is it necessary."

"You’re not a prisoner, but you wouldn’t understand the impulsiveness of someone released from confinement. Stopping her would only backfire."

"Right now… I have a personal matter I’d like to ask for your help with."

At the same time, the system’s voice chimed in:

[Ding!]

[Time-limited mission issued: Host has mastered the art of divining fate through celestial observation. Please promptly perform a destiny analysis for a lost sect member and guide them back to the fold!]

[Time limit: 72 hours.]

[Reward: 100 Sect Contribution Points, 200 Spirit Stones, 1 free system shop draw.]

Lin Yu kept his expression neutral, but inwardly, he already knew what Shen Jiuyi was about to ask.

Purple Star Astrology was a form of fate-reading, and while it didn’t strictly forbid self-divination,

after fully absorbing Shen Jiuyi’s skills, Lin Yu knew their tradition upheld the rule: "Read others, never yourself."

Shen Jiuyi, seemingly detached like a monastic nun,

surprisingly, had worldly troubles of her own.

With this mission now active…

Once completed, he’d probably get to see Shen Jiuyi’s full character profile.

"What’s this personal matter of yours?"

Lin Yu feigned ignorance, waiting for Shen Jiuyi to spell it out.

Shen Jiuyi stepped away from the table, standing before Lin Yu.

Her tone was noticeably more polite now:

"After our transaction is done, could you spare some time to perform a destiny reading for me?"

"This is a private request. If you have conditions or fees, name them."

Lin Yu studied her:

"Earlier, you analyzed Yao Yao-jie’s fate with such confidence."

"You’re clearly no amateur fortune-teller."

"Shouldn’t you be able to roughly deduce your own destiny just by running through your birth chart in your head?"

"Have you really never once tried? Not even a little?"

Shen Jiuyi shook her head:

"Before my grandmother passed, she told me never to use it on myself."

"I trust her, so I’ve never even considered it."

Lin Yu: "..."

Just how disciplined do you have to be to never even entertain the thought?

What an extreme person!

Lin Yu: "Let’s leave it for today. I’ll think it over and maybe reconsider another time."

Shen Jiuyi: "Thank you, Lin Yu. That’s all I wanted to say."

Lin Yu: "..."

He’d half-expected to see disappointment or regret on her face.

But this?

That’s it?

Does this girl even have emotions?

Well, the mission had a 72-hour window. He’d let her stew for a bit.

Let’s see who cracks first!

After their conversation,

Lin Yu stepped outside and found Shen Buyao waiting by an empty stall.

"We’re done. You can go in now."

Hearing Lin Yu’s voice, Shen Buyao jumped up, her expression curious:

"What did that big cow talk to you about for so long?"

"Was she badmouthing me?"

Lin Yu played it cool:

"No one was badmouthing you. She just asked what kind of girls I like, stuff about my personal life."

Shen Buyao: "That’s it?"

Lin Yu: "Yeah, that’s it."

Shen Buyao’s eyes sparkled mischievously: "And? What’d you say?"

Lin Yu shrugged, deliberately vague:

"I told her my parents passed away, so it’s just me and Aunt Qimeng, who took me in."

"I’m studying at Pingchuan University, usually—"

He knew what Shen Buyao wanted to hear but avoided it.

He expected her to press him impatiently,

but instead, she listened intently, even muttering along as if memorizing.

Back when they lived under the same roof,

they’d barely interacted.

Now, it seemed like she was seizing the chance to get to know him properly.

When Lin Yu trailed off,

Shen Buyao kept prodding:

"You were just talking about your major—why stop?"

"So your future career is in TV program planning?"

Lin Yu: "..."

She’s genuinely curious?

"Yao Yao-jie, I just remembered—Jiuyi-jie said we should go in and finish the transaction first. Business before pleasure."

Shen Buyao clapped her hands:

"Right! Almost forgot about that!"