Chapter 28: What Is Your Birth Date and Time?

She smiled weakly at the camera, a bandage wrapped around her neck, faint traces of blood seeping through. Anyone with eyes could tell the injury was no minor one.

Clips of what happened on set that day kept surfacing online. The videos only captured Yun Fu wielding a knife and thrusting it toward Ning Lan, then abruptly cut off. Anyone who watched would believe Yun Fu had deliberately tried to harm her—in short, it looked entirely intentional.

Yet Ning Lan, ever gracious and kind, refused to hold a grudge against Yun Fu despite her injury. She even urged her fans not to blame Yun Fu, insisting it hadn’t been on purpose.

“That vicious woman has no business being a star—she should be blacklisted!”

“With someone like her, who knows what she did to land a role in ‘Stunning Swan’? She’s the rotten apple that spoils the barrel!”

“Exactly! I really don’t understand all those brainless online fans. Qian Xuan is supposed to be a generous, open-hearted woman—how does this scheming woman resemble her at all?”

“Let’s protect Qian Xuan. To the fans of that would-be murderer: stop trying to leech off our girl’s popularity.”

At this, a faint smile actually surfaced in Yun Fu’s eyes. She held her phone, hands crossed atop the coffee table, swinging it lazily, her entire posture radiating indifference.

Watching her so unhurried, Qiao An couldn’t help but think of the old saying—the emperor isn’t anxious, but the eunuch is.

“Yun Fu, do you want me to go find someone to suppress the trending topics right now?”

“No need. She’s not even injured.”

Yun Fu herself had checked the pulse—no one else could be more certain than she was.

Hearing this, Qiao An grew more anxious. “Exactly! She’s obviously smearing you on purpose. Should I go see the director and—”

“No need.”

Qiao An’s eyes brightened. “You have a plan?”

But Yun Fu merely shook her head calmly. “There’s no hurry.” She tilted her head slightly, her long hair sweeping past her brow with an air of proud aloofness, the corners of her lips lifting in a mischievous, almost wicked curve.

Qiao An suddenly felt sure Yun Fu must have a solution. Lately, Yun Fu always inspired this confidence—she seemed to radiate an inner strength.

“I’ll head back then. But if you… if you don’t have a way, I’ll go straight to the director.”

“Mm.”

Glancing back, Qiao An saw that the girl had already sprawled out to play games again. Raising a kid really was tough—her own was nothing if not a rebellious, internet-addicted teen.

Just as Qiao An left, Yun Fu received a WeChat message from Lian Hanqi.

[Should I handle the situation online for you?] He was now quite familiar with the inner workings of fan circles. As soon as he saw the incident, he began taking action and then sent her a message.

[No need.]

[If you need anything, just ask.]

Yun Fu didn’t reply again. No sooner had she finished her chat with Lian Hanqi than her phone rang—it was the old Madam Lian.

“Little Fu’er.”

“Old Madam Lian.”

“Little Fu’er, why don’t you come see Grandma tomorrow? You haven’t visited in so long.”

“...”

“If you don’t come, Grandma will just die of heartbreak.” She even feigned a couple of sobs.

“...Alright.”

And so, Yun Fu made her way to the Lian family ancestral home.

As usual, she helped the old lady with a checkup. Yun Fu raised her brows, a trace of delight coloring her features.

Lian Hanqi stood beside her, noticing the change in her expression and couldn’t help but ask gently, “How is Grandma?”

“She’s made a complete recovery. From now on, she can add some gentle exercise. If all goes well, she’ll live to see your son running errands for soy sauce.”

“...” Lian Hanqi laughed. “What makes you so sure I’ll have a son one day?”

He arched his brows at her, but Yun Fu simply turned away, replying half-heartedly, “Just talking nonsense.”

Then she fetched a yoga ball.

Watching their interaction, the old lady’s face was full of contented joy.

She recalled her recent visit to Lingyin Temple to offer incense and fulfill a vow, when she’d asked the abbot, “Master, you once said my grandson has the fate of an emperor—destined for high position, but also for loneliness. Yet you also said this year would bring a turning point. May I ask, has it come?”

She remembered the master had smiled slightly, pointed to the heavens, and written on a slip of paper, “It has arrived. These are the birth details of that person.”

Greatly surprised, the old lady took the paper. “So these are the birth details of my future granddaughter-in-law?”

The master nodded, recited a Buddhist benediction, and would say no more.

Upon returning home, the old lady compared Yun Fu’s birth details and found they matched what the master had described. She couldn’t help but feel elated.

Thinking of this, the old lady looked at Yun Fu with even more tenderness.

Lian Hanqi went to instruct the kitchen to prepare their meal while Yun Fu led the old lady through some beneficial yoga exercises.

After working up a sweat, the old lady looked at Yun Fu, who was teaching her with such composure, and stroked her cheek affectionately. “You must be tired—take a rest.”

Yun Fu was taken aback. She rarely felt tired, so everyone assumed she never did. Only she knew the truth—she could be weary, could feel pain, could die. But such feelings had long been buried deep.

She hadn’t expected the old lady to say such words now.

Yun Fu pressed her lips together, unsure what to say.

Just then, Lian Hanqi appeared to call them for dinner.

At the table, Yun Fu noticed the old lady kept smiling at her, her eyes growing brighter and brighter, until Yun Fu felt a chill in her heart.

Lian Hanqi shook his head helplessly. “Grandma, just eat your meal.” She must be off in her daydreams again—that was so typical of his grandmother.

After dinner, the old lady pulled Yun Fu onto the sofa for a meandering chat. For the most part, it was the old lady talking, Yun Fu listening.

She spoke mostly of Lian Hanqi’s childhood antics, to which Yun Fu listened intently.

She thought—if she had had such an elder herself, perhaps her own childhood would have held happier stories.

In the midst of their conversation, the old lady suddenly slapped her thigh. “Oh! I almost forgot.”

She prodded Lian Hanqi, who was sitting nearby. “You rascal, help me fetch something from Guanghu Pavilion. And take Little Fu’er with you—young people have more to talk about.”

Guanghu Pavilion was a villa atop the mountain, a summer retreat Lian Hanqi had built for his grandmother.

He nodded and gestured for Yun Fu to join him. The two stood and left the ancestral home together.

Watching their departing figures, the old lady’s smile deepened.

The old butler, standing a step behind her, also smiled kindly. “Madam, you may set your mind at ease.”

“Yes, my grandson needs just such a girl to keep him in check—it’s all fate.”

A cunning gleam flickered in her eyes as she spoke.