The Chinese Zodiac Without You, Lao Liang Cleans Up the Mess

"Pitter-patter… pitter-patter…"

The torrential rain threatened to flood the streams and ponds.

Lin Yu had initially planned to drag his antique-loving sister into the downpour for a romantic dance in the rain.

His physique made illness the least of his worries.

The real concern was whether Shen Buyao could handle it.

So.

With the house deemed unsafe and the pavilion already serving as the battleground for round two,

the two of them hatched a plan.

They drove the Beetle through the back gate and into the courtyard!

The Beetle’s compact size made the back seats a nightmare for someone of Lin Yu’s height.

But if they ignored the back altogether,

pushed the front passenger seat all the way back, and reclined it to its limit…

it became the perfect arena for their relentless skirmish.

Practical experience proved, however,

that the Beetle’s chassis and undercarriage craftsmanship left much to be desired.

When the rocking reached a certain intensity,

the frame would emit faint creaks—

rhythmic, almost melodic.

The only regret?

After completing the physical union with one Dao companion,

no matter how many subsequent battles he waged,

the rewards dried up, leaving only the hollow chime of [Congratulations, Host].

Perhaps the system feared that if rewards kept flowing for rounds two, three, and beyond,

the host might abandon all other paths of self-improvement

and focus solely on this… art.

Which would inevitably lead to…

a daily rotation of broken Dao companions!

……

At 3:30 in the afternoon,

Lin Yu retrieved the food Shen Buyao had brought from the car,

along with the cold dishes and fruits the butler had thoughtfully left for them in the fridge.

They sat together by the bed, treating it as a makeshift lunch table.

Shen Buyao, already a creature of nocturnal habits and irregular mealtimes,

felt little hunger even now.

What she did feel was exhaustion—

and the floating dizziness of one who’d overindulged in wine.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to eat at the table.

But after the dual assault on her mind and body,

she doubted she could even stay upright in a chair.

"Let me. What do you want to eat?"

Seeing Shen Buyao propped against the headboard, Lin Yu picked up the chopsticks with a twinge of guilt, ready to feed her.

The blush had faded from Shen Buyao’s face,

leaving her pale and drained.

[Ding!]

[Masterful move! The profound sense of love and attentive care deeply moved your Dao companion!]

[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones.]

Watching Lin Yu’s gesture,

Shen Buyao rubbed her wrist and smirked.

"My hands are just red from being grabbed, not broken."

"I’m no delicate little bunny. I can handle myself."

Lin Yu nodded, teasingly agreeing.

"Yeah, yeah, sure."

"Who was it in the pavilion begging me to ‘ease up’?"

"Definitely not a little white bunny—more like a dusty gray one, huh?"

Shen Buyao responded by kicking at him in mock outrage.

How could he just say that out loud?!

Did she have no dignity left?!

But even at her peak,

she stood no chance of landing a hit on Lin Yu.

And now, in her weakened state,

the kick served only as a playful provocation.

Lin Yu effortlessly caught her ankle,

pulling her closer.

"What’s this?"

"Looking to beg for mercy again?"

"Buyao, those childish charms of yours don’t work on me."

"If we can do it once, we can do it ten times."

"I don’t mind delaying lunch for… other appetites."

With someone as bold as Shen Buyao,

Lin Yu had learned to match her candor.

Otherwise,

his words would carry no weight with her.

Hearing this, Shen Buyao burst out laughing again.

"You’re unbelievable…"

"Since when was ‘donkey’ part of the zodiac?"

"Let’s eat. For today… let’s call it here."

But the flicker in her eyes betrayed her true thoughts.

Lin Yu released her, feeding her a bite as he countered,

"You think that’s enough to satisfy me? Dream on."

"I still haven’t seen you in that black qipao."

"Since the Zixia Fairy outfit got ruined, that’s the next best thing!"

"A few private photos for lonely nights—so I can reminisce properly."

Shen Buyao chewed the food he offered, scowling through a laugh.

"Stop making it sound so perverted, you jerk!"

"You’re doing this on purpose!"

Ever since discovering that Lin Yu survived their… intimate encounter

and was still energetically ‘hammering’ away,

the nickname "jerk" had made a comeback in their banter.

Lin Yu didn’t mind.

In fact, he’d grown fond of it.

From the pavilion’s safehouse skirmish to the Beetle’s extended campaign,

Lin Yu had thrown himself into the fray without a single mishap.

In the cosmic logic of Ziwei Doushu’s fate-reading, this was what they called…

A man of mighty fortune shattering ill-fated bonds!

……

By evening,

Old Liang, who’d received the message an hour and a half prior,

returned to the Shen family estate.

Shen Buyao’s note had mentioned that some things had been "accidentally" damaged

and asked him to tidy up once the rain stopped.

But Old Liang couldn’t wait.

His first priority was inspecting the house to uncover the full extent of the chaos.

Meanwhile,

he kept the endlessly curious Shen Jiuyi updated via phone.

Shen Jiuyi: "Old Liang, how’s the door lock?"

Old Liang: "Smashed! How is that even possible? I chose the hardest wood for that!"

Shen Jiuyi: "Maybe take up blacksmithing next time."

……

A few minutes later.

Shen Jiuyi: "What about Feilong?"

Old Liang: "Asleep? Looks like it overate? The meat in its bowl is completely gone! It never eats past fullness!"

Shen Jiuyi: "Seems someone’s better at falconry than you."

……

Another few minutes.

Shen Jiuyi: "The secret passage?"

Old Liang: "No way! The stone slab sealing it… shattered? Since when can normal people do that?"

Shen Jiuyi: "So Buyao really did fall in."

……

Twenty minutes later.

Shen Jiuyi: "Anything else unusual?"

Old Liang sighed deeply.

"The aged wine from the backyard was dug up. An empty jar was tossed into the pond."

"Tire marks suggest Buyao’s car came in through the back gate. Looks like… it got stuck in the mud?"

"The parking spot has deep ruts."

"The bedroom trash has food scraps—not much, probably enough for two."

"Oh, and there’s a rusty cleaver lying around. No idea where it came from. Was it always here?"

Shen Jiuyi pressed further:

"Anything else?"

Old Liang hesitated before continuing.

"Well…"

"The bed’s collapsed!"

"And…"

"A quilt’s missing!"

Shen Jiuyi: "…"