Ch 131: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

[The Third Day of the Dating Show Recording]

The villa guests had their first date selections. As expected, the male and female college students successfully paired up and went to the amusement park. Meanwhile, both of the other male guests chose the cheerful girl, but the dramatic part was that she still chose the male college student. Since they didn’t match, none of them got a date, including the elegant older woman, Lin Qian, who was left behind as well.

The four of them stayed at the villa, creating a slightly awkward atmosphere. The cheerful girl suggested, “I saw a flower field to the east of the villa when we arrived. I asked the show staff, and they said we could take pictures there. I’d love to check it out—do you guys want to come?”

The two male guests immediately agreed. Lin Qian glanced at them and said, “You guys go ahead. I’d like to stay home, so I won’t be joining.”

The cheerful girl took her hand and urged, “Come with us! We can even wear matching outfits and take pictures together.”

Lin Qian shook her head. “No thanks, you guys have fun.”

“Alright then. If you get bored at home, come find us.” The cheerful girl wanted to make the most of the good sunlight for photos, so she quickly changed her outfit and left with the two male guests.

Lin Qian stood by the window, holding her coffee, quietly watching them walk away. Then, she went to her room, took out her guitar, and sat on the floor by the window, strumming gently.

In the observation room, everyone was engrossed in watching. At this point, Hao Jing remarked, “I kind of feel bad for Lin Qian. It seems like ever since she entered the villa, she’s always been alone.”

Zhou Yunxuan asked, “Master Shen, earlier you said Lin Qian lacks romantic fortune. Does that mean she’ll always be alone?”

Shen Yunxuan gestured toward the screen. “Actually, I don’t think she’s alone at all. On the contrary, she seems very at ease with herself. Look at what she’s done these past three days—drinking coffee, playing guitar, reading, working out…”

Shi Peng chimed in, “Exactly! She even watered the flowers in the garden, trimmed the branches, and made breakfast for herself—with beautiful plating, too.”

Aunt Li smiled and said, “Lin Qian seems to be someone who truly loves herself and life. I’m the same way now—living alone, buying groceries, cooking, driving around enjoying the scenery, all of it makes me happy. When you have love inside you, you don’t feel lonely. I don’t think she needs pity—she deserves praise! If every girl could love herself like this, they’d all be happy.”

Lin Zixiao was curious. “But in an environment like this, where no one chose her, wouldn’t she feel left out?”

Shen Yunxuan shook her head again. “Lin Qian is a very self-sufficient person with a strong inner core. She’s not easily swayed by her surroundings. Also, sometimes you have to step outside a situation to see it clearly—this is just a dating show with only three male guests. If she wasn’t chosen, so what? There are countless men in the world. Plus, relationships are mutual—who’s to say she even wanted to choose any of them?”

Hao Jing agreed. “That’s true. Lin Qian has never taken the initiative these past few days. At first, I thought she might just be shy or not good at making the first move. But after listening to your analysis, I think it’s because she simply hasn’t met anyone she likes. So, instead, she’s treating this as a vacation—no wonder she’s so content.”

Zhou Yunxuan asked again, “Then does that mean she has to passively wait for love to come to her? To wait until someone who truly appreciates and loves her appears?”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “Whether you’re passive or active, when the right person is meant to appear, they will. A story will unfold naturally—you don’t need to rush.”

“The right person?” Zhou Yunxuan’s smile faded slightly. “If two people who aren’t meant to be together end up as a married couple, does that mean they’ll inevitably become resentful partners?”

“Not necessarily,” Shen Yunxuan replied. “Some people may walk a certain distance together before realizing they’re not compatible and part ways peacefully. You don’t need to obsess over whether you’ve met ‘the one.’ Just go with the flow. Life has so many aspects, and each one is important. If love makes you feel energized, keep it. If it drains you, then let it go. The less you stress about it, the better the outcome tends to be.”

She glanced at Zhou Yunxuan, who fell silent.

Zhou Yunxuan felt as if Shen Yunxuan was indirectly advising her, and her first reaction was anger. What gave Shen Yunxuan the right to guide her? Shen Yunxuan had only learned all this because of her natural talent—what qualifications did she have to give advice? Was she secretly laughing at her for making the wrong choices? Mocking her for giving up something greater for something lesser? Sneering at how she, a once-powerful metaphysics master, chose to marry Xie Hengchen, only to face betrayal and an illegitimate child?

Her expression stiffened, and the eagle-eyed netizens immediately noticed.

[Did Zhou Yunxuan just think of herself? Does she feel like her marriage isn’t ‘meant to be’?]

[Back then, she had such a grand wedding, claiming it was a fated love with her ‘life-saving benefactor.’ Turns out, it was all a lie. Definitely bad karma.]

[But she’s pregnant. It looks like she doesn’t plan to divorce. Honestly, as long as a rich wife has money and status, it doesn’t matter if the husband never comes home.]

[Except she clearly cares. Look at her—her smile disappeared. Shen Yunxuan should help her out.]

[Why should she? Did you forget how Zhou Yunxuan tried to sabotage Shen Yunxuan and get her blacklisted? Back then, she leveraged the Xie family’s power like crazy. Now she’s unhappy? She chose this path—let her walk it herself.]

The live broadcast cut to the business professional taking photos of the cheerful girl. Every picture turned out stunning. The cheerful girl was delighted. “Are you a photographer?”

The businessman humbly said, “Photography is just a hobby of mine. Right now, I run my own company specializing in home products, with the mission of improving the quality of life.”

“Then your home products must be really useful! I want to buy a few—can I get a discount?”

“I can just give them to you…”

The two of them continued chatting happily. Meanwhile, the fitness guy, who had just gone to get the cheerful girl some water, found himself unable to join the conversation.

Shi Peng observed, “Is this couple starting to take shape?”

Shen Yunxuan shook her head and pointed at the businessman. “I see a dark shadow on his forehead—he won’t be filming much longer.”

“Huh? That serious?” Everyone was shocked and immediately focused on the live broadcast.

On-screen, the businessman, feeling a little hot, took off his jacket. It was supposed to be a natural and attractive gesture, but when his arms were revealed, everyone was stunned.

“What’s that? A rash?” someone exclaimed.

The businessman glanced at his arms, frowning. “Huh? This wasn’t here this morning. No wonder I was feeling itchy.”

The cheerful girl instinctively stepped back, positioning herself behind the fitness guy. Worried, she said, “You should go to the hospital quickly. Don’t delay treatment.”

The director had already alerted the medical team. As soon as they returned to the villa, medical staff examined him and solemnly concluded, “It’s an allergic reaction.” They proceeded to check his surroundings and pointed at his bed sheets. “It’s caused by these.”

The businessman quickly explained, “It might be because I used a brand-new set without washing them first. Should I just take some medication or apply a cream?”

The medical staff shook their heads. “Your allergic reaction developed too quickly. We can’t be sure if the allergen is harmless or if it’s something more toxic. You need to go to the hospital for further tests.”

At that moment, the production team stepped in and took the businessman to the hospital.

[What’s going on? He’s allergic to his own company’s product?]

[And there might even be harmful substances in it? Wow, what kind of brand is he running? Avoid at all costs!]

[Let’s not jump to conclusions too soon—wait for the test results. Maybe there’s a twist.]

[I bet he’s going to crash and burn. Look at Shen Yunxuan, she’s completely unfazed! She already predicted this! She literally said his fortune looked bad and that he wouldn’t last—he’s definitely not coming back.]

As people spread the news online, another bombshell dropped: someone exposed the male college student. His ex-girlfriend released various pieces of evidence, proving that just one day before the show aired, he had still been messaging her, begging to reconcile. The cheerful and sunny boy everyone saw on TV? In reality, he was a desperate, clingy ex.

His good-boy image shattered instantly. A guy who’s begging his ex to take him back shouldn’t be on a dating show. How is that fair to anyone?

Then, his ex posted a crucial chat screenshot: the male college student had admitted that he was just fooling the audience by being on the show. His real goal was to make money so he could buy gifts for his ex. He even said that he would pick the “easiest-to-manipulate” girl to form a CP (couple pairing) on the show, hoping to capitalize on their relationship to start live streaming and selling products in the future.

Netizens exploded in outrage. The director immediately halted his and the female college student’s date, sent her back to the villa to rest, and kicked him off the show.

Just like that, two male contestants were eliminated in a single day. The observation room fell into silence.

Everyone exchanged glances before Hao Jing turned to Shen Yunxuan with a pleading look. “Master Shen, can’t you just check them all at once? If they’re no good, let’s kick them out now. How are we supposed to enjoy shipping CPs like this?”

Shen Yunxuan laughed. “Don’t worry, there’s just one left.”

“Huh? One more? Who is it?”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “Watch the live stream. If I reveal everything, this would turn into a fortune-telling show. But you can all take a guess.”

Aunt Li spoke first. “Based on my intuition, I think it’s the cheerful girl, Xiao Yi.”

Zhou Yunxuan analyzed, “Xiao Yi is very popular, and she seems to enjoy it. Out of three male contestants, two have chosen her, and she’s always surrounded by them. But her ‘heartbeat message’ was sent to the male college student.”

“Right,” Hao Jing added, “but she never actually interacts with him. It’s like she’s waiting for him to approach her.”

“So in the end, all three male contestants would be orbiting around her? That does sound suspicious… What’s the term? ‘Queen Bee’?” Shi Peng caught on.

Lin Zixiao thought for a moment. “She looks familiar… Is she from the entertainment industry?”

Everyone turned to Shen Yunxuan. Seeing that she didn’t deny it, they immediately realized they were right. Suddenly, the cheerful girl’s behavior didn’t seem so innocent anymore—it felt staged.

[Wow. I’ve never seen a dating show this brutally honest. Is this even allowed?]

[Don’t worry, with Liang Meilan and Bai Ze’s scandals stealing the spotlight, this is just small fry.]

[Master Shen is already being merciful—she’s just waiting for them to expose themselves. At most, she just hints at things. Otherwise, she could single-handedly KO every fake contestant in one go.]

[Why doesn’t the production team just let Master Shen pick the contestants]

[She already chose the new observers. Hopefully, she can select the next batch of contestants too. Director, please listen to us! I just want a pure and sweet dating show, not a drama-fest full of scammers!]

The director saw everything and was already prepared. Two days ago, he had collected dozens of resumes and sent them to Shen Yunxuan for screening. She personally selected five new contestants, including the two who would be joining later, ensuring there would be no further issues. Finally, he could stop worrying about losing more hair.

Although the cheerful girl hadn’t exposed herself on the show, the discussions among the panelists piqued the curiosity of netizens. Soon, they began digging into her background—and they found something!

It turned out that she had once participated in a talent show but had been eliminated in the initial rounds. After undergoing minor cosmetic enhancements and significantly improving her appearance, she signed with Xinxing Entertainment. This opportunity to appear on the dating show was orchestrated by the company. She wasn’t here for love—she was here to gain popularity and debut as a celebrity.

Moreover, an old forum post unearthed a photo of her in a school uniform, looking like a rebellious teen, squeezed into a KTV booth with a group of boys and girls. A boy beside her had his arm around her shoulders, feeding her alcohol, while she casually held a cigarette.

This image completely shattered her carefully crafted persona. No matter how one looked at it, she exuded the aura of a delinquent. Even the fans who had just started to like her quickly distanced themselves. Xinxing Entertainment saw the backlash and cursed their bad luck. If they had known, they wouldn’t have sent her to a show with Shen Yunxuan. She just destroyed another one of their rookies!

Realizing that continuing on the show would only invite more criticism, the company decided to withdraw her. Perhaps after lying low for a year or two, people would forget, and she could make another attempt at debuting.

So, after dinner, Xinxing Entertainment arranged for the cheerful girl to leave the show entirely.

Regardless of how people discussed the contestants online, it all boiled down to one conclusion—Shen Yunxuan was too powerful!

She was a true master! Without even close-up shots or much direct interaction, she could see through everything just by watching from the observation room. That was terrifying!

After the show finished filming, a special segment featuring Shen Yunxuan’s “Knowledge Class” aired separately. It became the most-watched five minutes in the entire program, further proving that Shen Yunxuan was the ultimate source of traffic!

---

Zhou Yunxuan once again felt the overwhelming presence of Shen Yunxuan. On the way home, she was completely lost in thought.

Could a cursed fate truly be changed? Could the ghosts she saw with her Yin-Yang eyes really be escaped from? If she had found the right method, could she have lived such a good life too? Did she actually suffer a huge loss by switching fates with Shen Yunxuan?

The more pride and joy she once felt over her supposed success, the deeper her regret and unwillingness grew now. Everything that Shen Yunxuan had should have been hers!

Why did all the good things fall into Shen Yunxuan’s hands? Couldn’t fate be a little kinder to her? Even just a little?

Just then, the car screeched to an abrupt stop. Zhou Yunxuan’s head slammed against the seat, and she scowled. “What’s going on?”

The driver quickly explained, “Madam, someone suddenly collapsed in the middle of the road. I had no choice but to brake, or I would have run over him.”

“A scammer trying to fake an accident? Do I really need to tell you how to handle this?” Zhou Yunxuan muttered irritably as she looked up—only to see the man’s bloodied face.

Her body went rigid. A chill ran down her spine.

She watched as the driver hesitantly got out to check on the man. Slowly, she followed.

The driver nervously checked for a pulse and anxiously reported, “Madam, he’s seriously injured. I should call an ambulance.”

But Zhou Yunxuan stopped him. “I know this person. Take him to my new apartment.”

“This… Madam, are you sure?”

Zhou Yunxuan shot him a cold look, and the driver immediately shut up. He was just a worker. The last driver had mysteriously disappeared, and he didn’t want to meet the same fate. Whatever the madam said, he would obey.

---

At the apartment, the driver helped place the man on the bed. Zhou Yunxuan treated his wounds, then ordered the driver not to speak of this to anyone before sending him away.

Now, in the quiet apartment, only she and the injured man remained.

Zhou Yunxuan’s hands felt icy cold as she stepped closer. A flicker of murderous intent crossed her gaze—then turned into something else. She slowly sat down at the edge of the bed, staring at the man in a daze.

It took over an hour before he finally woke up. His cold, snake-like gaze locked onto her, sending a chill through her bones.

Zhou Yunxuan said, “You were injured, so I saved you.”

The man let out a cold chuckle. “So what? You pretended to be Xie Hengchen’s ‘life-saving benefactor,’ and now you want to be mine too?”

Zhou Yunxuan narrowed her eyes. “How do you know me? And how do you know about my connection to Xie Hengchen?”

Her heart pounded. Could this man have been reborn too?

The man sat up against the headboard. “I don’t need to tell you how I know. The reason you found me today is because I calculated that you would. If I have anyone to thank, it’s myself for my accuracy. However—” he smirked maliciously, “I can offer you something in return.”

Zhou Yunxuan’s heart skipped a beat. Was there more to this than she knew?

“What do you know?” she demanded.

The man suddenly stopped talking, observing her intently. After a long pause, he asked, “Aren’t you curious about who I am? Do you already know my identity? How did you know?”

His tone carried both threat and suspicion. Zhou Yunxuan felt an overwhelming sense of danger.

Trusting her instincts, she decided to be honest. “Xie Hengchen visited SAD. He told me some things. I know you’re Ling Zhi, the disciple of Xuan yang.”

“Don’t mention him to me!” Ling Zhi suddenly roared, startling Zhou Yunxuan.

With malice in his voice, Ling Zhi said, “You and I really have something in common—we’ve both been deceived. You think impersonating Xie Hengchen’s life-saving benefactor and marrying into wealth was your choice? Wrong! If you were just an ordinary person, he would have given you a sum of money to send you on your way. He pursued and married you because my master discovered that your fate carried great fortune, capable of revitalizing the entire Xie family. Otherwise, why do you think the Xie family treated you so well, even sending away their own son for you?”

The blood drained from Zhou Yunxuan’s face as she stumbled back, shaking her head repeatedly. “Impossible. This can’t be true. I don’t believe it. This is impossible!”

She couldn’t accept it, but a voice in her head whispered that it was all true.

Everything suddenly became clear. No wonder Xie Hengchen had treated her so well during their courtship, only to grow distant after their marriage. No wonder the Xie family had treated her kindly but with an undercurrent of strangeness. No wonder, after discovering Xie Hengchen’s mistress and illegitimate child, the Xie family had been so quick to send them away and even offered her shares to stay.

It was all because they were draining her fortune!

She should have had a smooth life, but several times she had narrowly avoided disaster and humiliation—all because her fortune had been siphoned away by the Xie family, leaving her affected.

Zhou Yunxuan had swapped fate with Shen Yunxuan for luck and prosperity, and now the Xie family’s actions felt like a death sentence. Instantly, her hatred for the Xie family surged. She grabbed Ling Zhi’s hand and pleaded desperately, “Help me! Help me take revenge on them. Once I and my child inherit the Xie family’s fortune, I’ll give you half of it!”

Ling Zhi raised an eyebrow. “I’m not interested in money. I want to share your fortune so I can conceal my presence and avoid being tracked by the likes of Bai He and his people.”

Zhou Yunxuan was consumed by the thought of revenge and agreed without hesitation. “Fine! Start by going abroad and taking care of that mother and child. I don’t want them coming back to fight me for the inheritance after the Xie family is gone.”

Ling Zhi laughed. “Ruthless. I like it.”

A surge of resentment welled up in Zhou Yunxuan again, and she suddenly knelt, kowtowing. “Please accept me as your disciple. Everything I have will be yours. I want to learn metaphysics. I want to take control of my own destiny.”

She wanted to re-enter the metaphysical world. She now realized how foolish she’d been before, thinking she had to choose between metaphysics and being a wealthy wife. Now she wanted both. With money, power, and mastery of metaphysics, who wouldn’t bow to her? How could she not have a good life?

As for the risk of seeking guidance from someone as dangerous as Ling Zhi, she didn’t care. In her past life, she had managed to kill Ling Zhi; she could do it again in this life if necessary. Besides, Ling Zhi had been the one to discover and refine the fate-swapping technique. His expertise in dark and unconventional methods was unmatched, and his innate talent was extraordinary. If she followed him, she might be able to alter her current fate and regain the ability to cultivate.

Since leaving the Xuantian Sect, Ling Zhi had been alone, often on the run to evade SAD. Looking at Zhou Yunxuan now, he thought having a disciple might not be such a bad idea—after all, she had just saved his life.

Ling Zhi agreed. As someone at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, he was close to breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage. His healing abilities were swift, and that very night, he went abroad. Dealing with the mother and child was child’s play—ordinary people like them were no match for a single talisman or array, which could cause them to die suddenly.

When Xie Hengchen received the news, he hurried abroad in a panic. His urgency only deepened Zhou Yunxuan’s hatred. When she returned to the program, even her smile was noticeably less frequent.

Shen Yunxuan’s gaze lingered on her briefly before pulling back, a hint of coldness in her eyes. “The wicked will bring about their own downfall. So many paths to choose from, yet she insists on taking the deadliest one. What a waste of the opportunity that rebirth gave her.”

Zhou Yunxuan, however, felt like a vengeful goddess. She was determined to take back everything the Xie family had taken from her and make them pay. She believed the path she walked was her own choice, and if life wasn’t peaceful, she would take what she wanted by force.

But every time she saw Shen Yunxuan, Zhou Yunxuan couldn’t help but feel a wave of anger. If not for Shen Yunxuan pretending to live such a blissful life in her past life, making Zhou Yunxuan envy her, she wouldn’t have swapped fates after her rebirth. It turned out Shen Yunxuan was just a scapegoat, her fortune siphoned away by the Xie family all along! Zhou Yunxuan had exchanged her life for nothing but endless trouble.

Recently, the Xie family had been thriving, but suddenly, one of their grandsons died. Even though he hadn’t been officially recognized, he was still their bloodline, and his death was an ominous sign. Additionally, Zhou Yunxuan’s participation in the program brought renewed negative attention online, adding to the Xie family’s troubles.

Old Master Xie, deeply concerned, brought lavish gifts to invite Xuan Qing for help. The Xuantian Sect needed money after its decline, so Xuanqing didn’t put on airs and arrived quickly. Upon investigation, he discovered that the array siphoning Zhou Yunxuan’s fortune had been broken and that her connection to the grandson’s death was undeniable.

Xuan Qing also detected Ling Zhi’s presence but chose not to reveal it since Ling Zhi was his son.

Furious, Old Master Xie ordered, “Capture her immediately! Lock her in the basement and restrain her!”

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆