After hanging up the phone, Lin Yu headed to the coffee shop across from his neighborhood. He had arranged to meet Shen Yuxuan there.

  Before long, Shen Yuxuan arrived, accompanied by a fair-skinned young man with glasses who looked refined and scholarly.

  "This is my childhood friend, Zhou Chen. And this is the good friend I told you about, He Jiarong," Shen Yuxuan quickly introduced them.

  "Jiarong, does your neighborhood have an elderly gentleman named Jiang Jingren? Zhou Chen wanted to visit him today, and since you live in the same area, he came along with me," Shen Yuxuan asked.

  Lin Yu thought it was quite a coincidence and guessed that Zhou Chen was likely here for the *Mingqie Tie* calligraphy. These days, countless people were begging Jiang Jingren to let them see it.

  "He’s my father-in-law, but he’s not home right now—he’s at work," Lin Yu replied with a smile.

  "What? It’s you!"

  Zhou Chen, who had been calm and indifferent earlier, suddenly looked astonished. "I heard from people in the antique district that *you* were the one who discovered the *Mingqie Tie*! It’s an honor to meet you!"

  His previously lukewarm attitude changed instantly as he stepped forward to shake Lin Yu’s hand enthusiastically. "Brother, you’ve got a sharp eye!"

  "You flatter me. It was just luck," Lin Yu said modestly.

  Zhou Chen was thrilled. His family ran an auction house, and he had been fascinated by antiques since childhood. The moment he heard about the *Mingqie Tie* surfacing, he rushed over today, hoping to meet Jiang Jingren and his son-in-law. He never expected to run into Lin Yu here.

  "Brother He, you *have* to do me this favor—make sure your father-in-law lets me see that *Mingqie Tie*!"

  As he spoke, Zhou Chen pulled out a bank card and tried to hand it to Lin Yu.

  He hadn’t brought any gifts for Jiang Jingren today—just this card, which held 500,000 yuan.

  For an antique enthusiast like him, half a million just for a glimpse of the *Mingqie Tie* was worth it.

  Lin Yu immediately pushed the card back. "Keep it. I promise I’ll take you to see it. Otherwise, just pretend we never met."

  "Zhou Chen, we’re all brothers here—no need to be so formal. Just remember to bring Jiarong’s father-in-law a couple of interesting pieces next time," Shen Yuxuan interjected, eager to move on to the matter of the jade Guanyin.

  Zhou Chen didn’t insist and cheerfully agreed.

  Shen Yuxuan then hurriedly said, "Listen, I got into a car accident yesterday. I was driving when suddenly an out-of-control truck rammed me into a wall."

  Lin Yu and Zhou Chen gasped, quickly looking him over and asking if he was hurt.

  "I’m fine—not a scratch," Shen Yuxuan said, his expression strange. "But my car was completely crushed."

  He pulled out his phone and showed them photos of the accident scene. The car was so mangled it barely resembled a vehicle anymore—more like a flattened matchbox.

  Judging from the pictures, no one inside could have survived. Yet Shen Yuxuan had walked away completely unharmed.

  "I was practically curled into a ball inside the car. The roof was pressing against my scalp, and my body was squeezed tight by the crumpled metal. The wreckage left just enough space for me—if the roof had caved in two more centimeters, I’d be dead."

  Recalling the terrifying moment, Shen Yuxuan still looked pale and shaken.

  "A narrow escape means great fortune ahead! I always said you were born lucky!" Zhou Chen laughed, genuinely relieved for his friend.

  "Lucky my ass! If it weren’t for this Guanyin Jiarong gave me, I’d be dead!" Shen Yuxuan glanced at Lin Yu with gratitude.

  "Guanyin?" Zhou Chen was puzzled.

  Under Zhou Chen’s stunned gaze, Shen Yuxuan pulled the jade Guanyin from his pocket. "At first, I didn’t think much of this gift from Jiarong—just tossed it in the glove compartment. During the crash, it was jolted out and landed right in my arms."

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  Zhou Chen took the Guanyin and examined it closely. His face instantly changed. "How did this happen?!"

  The entire jade Guanyin was covered in fine cracks, and the fractures were tinged with red, as if blood were seeping out.

  Shen Yuxuan believed he had survived because the Guanyin had "died" in his place.

  "Jiarong, did you already know something would happen to me?" Shen Yuxuan asked, noticing Lin Yu’s silence.

  Since Shen Yuxuan was his college buddy, Lin Yu saw no reason to hide the truth. He nodded. "Yes, I know a bit about feng shui and metaphysics. I noticed your forehead was dark—a sign of impending disaster—so I gave you the Guanyin for protection. I didn’t expect it to actually work."

  The Guanyin itself was just a vessel. What had truly saved Shen Yuxuan was the protective blessing Lin Yu had imbued into it. But since it was just a cheap trinket, its spiritual energy was limited to one use. If it had been a high-quality jade piece, it could have saved Shen Yuxuan ten times over.

  Shen Yuxuan’s gaze at Lin Yu grew more complex. This "He Jiarong" was far more mysterious than he had imagined. But judging by Lin Yu’s understated tone, he didn’t want to reveal too much. Knowing that many experts preferred to keep a low profile, Shen Yuxuan didn’t press further.

  "Yuxuan, if that’s the case, then Jiarong here saved your life. You owe him big time."

  Though Zhou Chen said this, his tone carried skepticism. He thought the accident and the Guanyin might just be a coincidence.

  "Of course. A life-saving favor—I’ll never forget it," Shen Yuxuan said solemnly.

  "You’re overstating it. It was mostly your own good fortune," Lin Yu replied modestly.

  "Jiarong, since you understand feng shui, could you come to my house and take a look? Lately, my dad’s been plagued by bad luck—first unexplained back and leg pain, then he fell down the stairs and hurt his arm. Last time he was bathing, the bathroom suddenly had an electrical leak and nearly electrocuted him. I think there might be something wrong with our feng shui."

  Shen Yuxuan’s tone was earnest. He genuinely believed in feng shui and metaphysics. If Lin Yu could save *his* life, surely he could help his father, who seemed to be in constant danger.

  "It’s hard to say. It might just be bad luck. But I can take a look. Just don’t blame me if I don’t find anything—my abilities are limited."

  Lin Yu was being humble, but based on Shen Yuxuan’s description, his father was clearly the target of some malicious influence. Otherwise, no one could be *that* unlucky. If this continued, he might not survive much longer.

  Relieved that Lin Yu had agreed, Shen Yuxuan immediately asked if they could go now.

  Since Lin Yu had nothing else to do, he agreed.

  Zhou Chen had never believed in feng shui and always thought Shen Yuxuan was too superstitious.

  Now that Shen Yuxuan had praised Lin Yu so highly and Lin Yu had accepted, Zhou Chen suddenly felt that Lin Yu was a bit of a show-off—someone who loved flattery and wasn’t grounded in reality. His impression of Lin Yu soured.

  But since Shen Yuxuan had invited him along, he couldn’t refuse and followed them.

  Shen Yuxuan’s family lived in a well-known affluent district of Qinghai. The moment Lin Yu stepped inside, he was amazed. Not only was there nothing wrong with the feng shui here—it was *excellent*.

  The front courtyard was spacious, the main gate faced due south without obstruction, and in the southern part of the yard stood a plum tree and a jujube tree—perfectly aligning with the feng shui principle: *"East plants peach and poplar, south plants plum and jujube—great auspiciousness."*

  Inside the main hall, a peony painting and a koi fish mural hung on the walls, symbolizing wealth and prosperity (*"flowers of riches"*) and abundance year after year (*"surplus year after year"*). In the corner near the entrance, a lush money tree thrived, its verdant leaves radiating auspicious energy.

  Lin Yu couldn’t help but marvel. Even the layout of the living room was flawlessly arranged, with no irregularities.

  He frowned in confusion. *This can’t be right. If the feng shui is this good, how could Shen Yuxuan’s father be suffering so many mishaps?*

  "Yuxuan, who is this?"

  A middle-aged man in casual homewear descended the stairs. He had an authoritative air and bore a strong resemblance to Shen Yuxuan.

  "Dad? Why are you home?"

  Shen Yuxuan was surprised. His father should have been at the office at this hour.

  "My back’s been killing me today, so I came home early. I booked an acupuncturist to come later," Shen Hanshan said, rubbing his lower back with a pained expression.

  "Uncle, your condition isn’t due to strain or illness. Acupuncture won’t help at all," Lin Yu said after a single glance at Shen Hanshan. His face was shrouded in dark energy—a sign of impending catastrophe.

  It seemed the real target of the ominous influence wasn’t Shen Yuxuan, but his father.

  Shen Yuxuan had only been caught in the crossfire, yet it nearly cost him his life. Whoever was targeting the Shen family was ruthless—this was an attempt to *wipe them out*. If no countermeasures were taken, Shen Hanshan wouldn’t last three more days.

  "And you are?" Shen Hanshan frowned, clearly unimpressed. Who was this young man, spouting nonsense as if he knew everything? The doctors had diagnosed his back pain as strain-related.

  "Dad, this is He Jiarong, the one I told you about. I invited him today to check our feng shui. Yesterday, if it weren’t for the jade Guanyin he gave me—"

  "Nonsense! How many times have I told you to stay grounded and stop dabbling in this superstitious nonsense? You survived by pure luck—that’s all!"

  Shen Hanshan cut him off angrily. It was clear he had zero tolerance for feng shui or metaphysics.

  In fact, the plum and jujube trees in the yard and the decorations inside had all been Shen Yuxuan’s doing in secret. If his father knew they were feng shui-related, they’d have been removed long ago.

  "Uncle, even though I can’t pinpoint the issue yet, I’m certain there’s a problem with your home’s feng shui."

  After seeing Shen Hanshan, Lin Yu was convinced the issue lay in the residence.

  "Oh? Young man, instead of studying properly, you’re out here peddling superstitions? Sorry, but you might fool others—not me. You’re not welcome here. Leave!" Shen Hanshan snapped.

  "Dad!"

  "Enough! From now on, you’re forbidden from associating with him!"

  Shen Hanshan’s voice was icy. When Lin Yu didn’t move, he barked, "I said you’re not welcome here. Get out!"