At least let me do it myself—it's all fate anyway

Lin Yu sized up Shen Jiuyi, pondering where to begin:

"I can't just let you lie paralyzed on my bed, can I?"

"It's almost 1 AM. How am I supposed to sleep with you sprawled here?"

Shen Jiuyi looked even more stunned:

"That doesn’t mean you should sleep with me, does it?"

Lin Yu: "Ah..."

Shen Jiuyi: "Just because I’m fated to be a courtesan, you assume I won’t scream for help?"

Lin Yu: "..."

A girl who was once aloof, untouched by worldly affairs—now spouting words like "courtesan" left and right. What a collapse of character.

Old Madam Shen had foresight in forbidding her from checking her own destiny chart.

A girl with the Moon and Mars in her fate truly was neurotic to the extreme.

Neuroticism channeled toward purity and neuroticism channeled toward corruption—these were two entirely different life paths.

Thinking carefully, Lin Yu bore significant responsibility for this mental breakdown.

"Jiuyi, calm down first. I’ve studied ancient Chinese therapeutic massage."

"Shock-induced limb weakness can be relieved quickly with proper massage and meridian clearing."

"I don’t mean anything else. Don’t misunderstand."

Lin Yu patiently explained, hoping to avoid any absurd misunderstandings.

Yet, Shen Jiuyi remained deadpan:

"Your 'ancient therapeutic massage'—you just learned it, didn’t you?"

Lin Yu: "You really don’t believe a word I say, do you?"

Shen Jiuyi: "If you were in my place, would you?"

Lin Yu: "I would."

Shen Jiuyi: "I don’t."

Lin Yu: "..."

"You don’t believe me, yet you came to me for destiny reading?"

"You don’t believe me, yet you barged into my room late at night?"

"You don’t believe me, yet you’re lying on my bed refusing to leave?"

Shen Jiuyi: "Lin Yu, don’t get worked up. Fine, I believe you. But I don’t need it."

Lin Yu: "..."

At this moment, he missed Antique Sister dearly.

If Antique Sister were here, she’d have already lost her temper at Shen Jiuyi.

He’d truly misjudged the "most understanding" Antique Sister.

Shen Jiuyi’s "innately dismissive" attitude was genuinely infuriating.

At this rate, no amount of talking would get this half-cooked duck to simmer.

So Lin Yu stepped closer, looking down at her:

"Fine, you’re noble, you’re exceptional."

"But this is my room, and we’ll do things my way. I’ll give you three choices—"

"One, I call Yao Yao and tell her you’re so terrified of your 'heaven-sent courtesan destiny' that your legs gave out, and she can carry you back."

"Two, you get thirty seconds to stand up and walk back yourself."

"Three, if you refuse both, I’ll have to treat you."

"Fair enough, right? Reasonable, no?"

Shen Jiuyi immediately tried to get up.

But her weak arms and flustered nerves betrayed her.

Once, twice, three times—each attempt ended with her collapsing back onto the bed.

Three strikes.

After the third failure, Shen Jiuyi lay flat, surrendering to fate.

Lin Yu stood beside her, mimicking her usual tone:

"Giving up?"

"Giving up still counts as time."

Shen Jiuyi took deep breaths, as if reliving her entire life in ten seconds.

Then, regaining composure, she muttered cryptically:

"Blood-stained silk, the pain of forced joy."

"Silk strings fade, flowers sink into mud."

"All is destiny... you win, Lin Yu."

Lin Yu: "..."

What’s with the riddles?

Spouting four-character phrases like she’s prepping for grad school.

Still, seeing her like this stirred an uneasy conscience in him.

"Let’s start with your feet."

"If my technique doesn’t work, you can stop me anytime."

"Don’t assume the worst of people. What if my intentions are good?"

To his surprise, Shen Jiuyi lifted her functioning arm and gripped her zipper:

"No need to test me. Just keep your promise—keep tonight a secret."

"At least let me... do this myself."

The next moment—

"Zzzzip—"

With what little strength she had, Shen Jiuyi pulled down the zipper of her baseball jacket.

Lin Yu: "???"

This was beyond absurd!

Were both Shen sisters this superstitious?

Thankfully, Lin Yu had no ulterior motives. If he had even a shred—

She’d be "forced joy, sinking flowers" for sure.

"Jiuyi, you’re not a bad person. You’re just... a bit dense, like Yao Yao."

"You analyze others so shrewdly, but when it comes to yourself—"

"Yourself—"

"Why aren’t you wearing anything under this?!"

"!!!"

Who’d have thought such a thick baseball jacket would hide—such bare skin!

What kind of logic was this?

No wonder she reacted so strongly to him removing her jacket.

It was her only armor!

Shen Jiuyi sighed with self-mocking resignation:

"I used to wonder why I liked dressing like this at home."

"Now I know—it’s because I’m innately wanton."

"Saves you time, doesn’t it?"

"If you have an umbrella, please use it."

"If not, it’s fine. I’ll handle it myself."

Lin Yu: "!!!"

Such words from someone with a cold, detached facade—

Like honey from a demon’s lair, dangerously sweet.

If he went along with it now,

It’d just prove Shen Jiuyi "reads people well."

She’d already surrendered to "destiny,"

And begged him to keep it secret—meaning she wouldn’t talk either.

A secret unknown to the world!

Lin Yu leaned down, gripping the edge of her jacket.

Shen Jiuyi closed her eyes, letting the sensation of freefall take over.

Then—

"Zzzzip—"

In the darkness, an invisible net seemed to catch her mid-fall.

When she opened her eyes again,

The jacket was zipped back up.

Shen Jiuyi stared in disbelief: "..."

Lin Yu said nothing.

Instead, he grabbed her feet and yanked her socks off.

Shen Jiuyi: "Hiss—"

A sharp pressure shot through her soles, forcing a gasp.

Her brows relaxed, eyes flickering.

Her feet...

Were they regaining feeling?

Lin Yu remained silent,

Focusing solely on attacking the most sensitive pressure points.

His technique was swift, precise.

"Ah!"

"Hngh!"

"..."

Within moments, Shen Jiuyi’s toes began twitching uncontrollably.

"It’s working... Lin Yu, you—you actually know what you’re doing?"

Shen Jiuyi’s voice was equal parts shock and remorse.

...

(Second update today. More to come later—support with power stones if you enjoyed!)