Akina's Hongguang, the Unfathomable Butler Lao Liang

Playing dirty?

Do you really have to take Great-Grandma’s life to call it fair and just?

Thank goodness her great-grandma had the foresight!

Otherwise, she would’ve been sent straight to the afterlife by Antique Sis.

The Lone Star of Calamity…

Those who get close to her meet no good end…

Can fate and destiny really be this mystifying?

After mastering the art of Zi Wei Dou Shu (a form of Chinese astrology),

Lin Yu had initially been skeptical.

But hearing Shen Buyao say this…

He might actually be in danger, huh?

Luckily,

The one driving wasn’t Shen Buyao—it was Lin Yu himself.

Thinking about it now,

He should probably thank Antique Sis for sparing his life, right?

Just as his mind began to wander,

Suddenly—

A "Qiumingshan Hongguang" came speeding toward them head-on!

Lin Yu: “!!!”

This is a national highway with guardrails in the middle!

How the hell is there a minivan driving the wrong way?!

And it’s flooring the gas, not even slowing down!

At the critical moment,

The [Divine Vehicular Maneuvering] skill became his lifeline.

“Screech…”

Lin Yu slammed the brakes and slightly turned the wheel, altering their trajectory.

At high speeds,

You can’t yank the steering wheel hard.

Even if you dodge the oncoming vehicle, the car could spin out of control with no recovery.

Lin Yu’s precise driving barely managed to scrape past the other car.

His enhanced dynamic vision let him see clearly—

The Hongguang’s body was mere centimeters from his driver-side window.

“Screech…”

The moment they avoided the Hongguang,

Lin Yu swiftly straightened the wheel, using his strong arms to steady it.

“Hah… Hah…”

Gasping for breath, Lin Yu turned to Shen Buyao, still shaken.

[Ding!]

[Show-off move! Your impeccable vehicle control left your Dao Companion in awe!]

[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones]

Shen Buyao stared at him with starry eyes: “Wow?”

Lin Yu: “What the hell are you ‘wow’-ing about?!”

Shen Buyao: “Damn, Lin Yu, I didn’t know you were such a good driver. You actually dodged that.”

Lin Yu felt a headache coming on:

“Take back that ‘damn’ right now! Hurry up and say ‘pew-pew-pew’ to undo it!”

“Wait—is that really what you’re surprised about?!”

“This is a national highway! A national highway!”

“And there’s a car going full-speed the wrong way?!”

“Was it… trying to send me straight to the afterlife?!”

Lin Yu didn’t even know where to begin complaining.

But then,

Shen Buyao comforted him:

“Relax, Lin Yu, this isn’t that weird.”

“Once, Great-Grandma and I were on an empty mountain road and still got hit by a car.”

Lin Yu: “???”

“Do you even hear yourself right now?”

“An empty mountain road? Hit by a car?”

“Did a hearse fall from the sky or something?”

Shen Buyao laughed excitedly:

“Wow, you’re pretty sharp!”

“It was raining so hard that day, the guardrail at the mountain’s temporary parking zone collapsed.”

“An unmanned Jinbei van came crashing down from above and flattened my car’s front.”

Lin Yu: “!!!”

That actually happened?!

No wonder Antique Sis wasn’t the least bit surprised by what just happened.

Compared to her experiences,

Lin Yu’s close call was nothing!

Shen Jiuyi had said Lin Yu had great fortune and a tough fate.

But next to Antique Sis here,

She’s the one who’s harder to kill!

Seeing Lin Yu’s complicated expression,

Shen Buyao quickly added:

“Lin Yu, don’t worry about me.”

“Great-Grandma said my fate might be bad, but I’ll live a long life.”

“I won’t be taken down by something this small!”

“See? I’m still alive and well!”

Lin Yu: “???”

For heaven’s sake,

When did he ever say he was worried about her?!

He was purely worried his own fate wasn’t tough enough!

Just sitting next to her in a car

Already brought such mystical dangers!

If they got any closer…

Good grief!

The current situation left no room for Lin Yu to overthink.

If he didn’t focus on driving, this might turn into a one-way trip!

……

Meanwhile,

At the entrance of Xuefu Residential District.

Shen Jiuyi, who had been holed up at home the past few days, made a rare outing.

A vintage Mercedes, clearly from an older era, was parked not far from the gate.

When Shen Jiuyi stepped out,

An elderly but lean and vigorous man, well over seventy, emerged from the car.

The old man walked to the passenger side and opened the door in advance, waiting for Shen Jiuyi.

“Uncle Liang, no need for formalities.”

“You rarely get time off from watching the old house.”

“You could’ve gone somewhere to relax. You didn’t have to chauffeur me.”

The old man before her

Was none other than Old Liang, the caretaker of the mountain estate.

He had served the Shen family since his youth and remained loyal even in his old age.

If not for Shen Buyao bringing Lin Yu to the old house for a visit,

Old Liang would hardly ever come down from the mountain.

He preferred the peaceful, reclusive life up there.

Old Liang quickly replied:

“Ninth Miss, please don’t address me like that. Just call me Old Liang.”

“Outside, we shouldn’t disrupt the hierarchy.”

Once seated in the car,

Old Liang drove Shen Jiuyi toward the Ghost Market Street area.

Along the way,

Shen Jiuyi struck up a conversation:

“Uncle Liang, did Buyao mention what kind of friend she was bringing to the old house?”

Old Liang: “……”

Shen Jiuyi: “……”

The car fell silent for half a minute.

Shen Jiuyi tried again:

“Old Liang, did Buyao tell you anything about this friend?”

Only then did Old Liang smile warmly:

“No, Shopkeeper Buyao didn’t elaborate.”

Shen Jiuyi: “It’s a male friend, around her age.”

Old Liang showed no surprise: “I could tell from Shopkeeper Buyao’s tone.”

Shen Jiuyi eyed him suspiciously:

“You’re taking this so calmly? Aren’t you worried something might happen?”

“I remember Father’s last words to you…”

Old Liang replied serenely:

“Ninth Miss, I haven’t forgotten the old master’s instructions…”

“‘Break up the couple if you must, but never harm the innocent.’”

Shen Jiuyi pressed further:

“If you remember, why didn’t you stop Buyao?”

Old Liang gazed ahead, his smile cryptic:

“Shopkeeper Buyao’s temper… After so many years without a single man catching her eye, how could I stop her?”

“But…”

“There’s no need to stop her. That old estate isn’t a place young people enjoy.”

“Who knows? They might turn back before even stepping inside.”

Shen Jiuyi’s pupils flickered.

She instantly grasped his meaning:

“Old Liang, what did you do at the old house?”

Old Liang stopped at the red light, his expression inscrutable:

“Nothing much. Just… a little obstacle.”

Shen Jiuyi: “……”

“No wonder Father always called you… a mischievous old rascal.”

Old Liang’s face darkened: “……”

"Ninth Miss, I just crafted this 'mysterious persona'—could you at least let me keep up the act a little longer? Hahaha."

...

(Second update for today, with bonus chapters coming later!)