Chapter 27 SJC

After receiving the address, Shen Jinnian hesitated.

The old master lived in semi-seclusion, nestled among the mountains and rivers far from the city center.

Shen Jinnian looked it up on the map. He had to take a high-speed train to the neighboring city, then find a local taxi to reach the old master’s home.

According to the nanny—

There were countless people who wished to see the old master every day, but due to his age and declining health, he only selected two “fated” visitors each day to answer questions, treat illnesses, and ward off misfortunes.

What made Shen Jinnian hesitate was the uncertainty—he couldn’t tell if he was among the “fated” ones. Traveling with a child was inconvenient, too.

The nanny leaned in and whispered a little secret to him:

“You can stay in the area for a few more days. I heard that even people who weren’t initially chosen managed to meet him after showing up several days in a row. Sincerity moves the heavens, right?”

Shen Jinnian got the idea.

It wasn’t too different from those guaranteed-drop mechanics in gacha games.

Still, he didn’t make a decision right away.

After returning to his room, he searched the old master’s name online. A few miraculous posts by other netizens later, he finally made up his mind to go—with the baby.

He decided on a whim.

The next day, after lunch, the two of them impatiently bought tickets and set out.

The nanny was a little worried. “Maybe you should wait a few more days? The weather’s not great right now, you don’t want to catch a cold.”

Shen Jinnian kept his head down while packing and didn’t think much of it. “It’s fine. Taxis are easy to get these days. We won’t even be exposed to the wind.”

“Alright…” the nanny asked again, “Do you want me to go with you? It’d be easier to take care of the baby on the road.”

“No need, Auntie.” Shen Jinnian placed the baby’s insulated milk bottle into his backpack. “We’re only going for three days. If I don’t get to meet the master in that time, we’ll head back.”

He scanned the room one last time to make sure nothing essential was left behind. Then he said goodbye to the nanny and left alone with the baby to catch the train.

The baby happily waved goodbye to the nanny, then wrapped his arms around Shen Jinnian’s arm and gave his cheek a big smooch.

“Fa!”

Shen Jinnian frowned and quickly wiped the drool off his face—only to look up and meet the baby’s hurt expression.

Busted.

He looked a bit embarrassed and awkward, so he quickly changed the subject. “Let’s go!”

The baby giggled and hooked his arms around Shen Jinnian’s neck, planting another big kiss on his cheek.

The baby clearly enjoyed spending time alone with his Daddy.

During the thirty-minute train ride, he didn’t cry even once.

Even the attendant praised how well-behaved he was and gave him a little plush toy as a gift before they got off.

Shen Jinnian was glowing with pride.

He stepped off the train with his head held high—only to be smacked squarely in the face by a merciless gust of wind that practically slammed him back into the train car.

He had to hold his breath as he struggled for air. It took him a few moments to recover.

He glanced outside. Sure enough, the sky was oppressively dark. The clouds were thick and black, like they’d been soaked in ink—ominous and terrifying.

Shen Jinnian pulled his coat out of his bag and wrapped the baby up tightly, only the bottom half of the baby’s face was visible from the bundle in his arms.

The baby pointed at Shen Jinnian’s coat. “PaPa! Yi!”

“Daddy’s wearing one. Daddy’s not cold,” Shen Jinnian whispered.

The baby was satisfied and snuggled into Shen Jinnian's arms again.

Shen Jinnian quickened his pace and took the child out of the station. He went to the parking lot against the strong wind and took a taxi.

Only after slamming the door shut and sealing out the wind and dust did he finally let out a relieved breath.

The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror and asked, “Hello, where to?”

“Could you please find a nearby hotel?” Shen Jinnian didn’t even lift his head as he pulled out his phone to let the nanny know they were safe.

The driver gave a muffled “mm” and then, with a meaningful glance at Shen Jinnian and the child in his arms, stepped on the gas and drove off.

Shen Jinnian didn’t notice anything unusual. He lowered his head and rummaged through the bag for the baby’s bottle and made some formula.

The baby, cradling the bottle, was fully occupied.

Shen Jinnian took a spare moment to glance out the window. It was only around three or four in the afternoon, but the sky was so dark it was almost pitch black. Only with the help of the car’s headlights could he see that they were currently driving along a narrow, remote road.

The surroundings were remote and desolate, and the farmland was overgrown with grass and no one took care of it.

It didn’t look like anywhere near a city.

Staring at the pitch-black sky and the deserted countryside, Shen Jinnian’s heart suddenly leapt into his throat. A cold shiver crept up from the soles of his feet.

He held the child tightly in his arms, sent his location to Chen Han, and immediately tried calling—but not a single call went through.

Shen Jinnian instantly panicked.

He didn’t have many friends he could reach out to. Shen Huaili had an important business meeting today and couldn’t drop everything to rush over.

Shen Jinnian’s heart was pounding wildly.

Looking at the baby’s soft, rosy sleeping face in his arms, he clenched his teeth and opened Gu Yan’s chat window.

He sent the location and then called him.

Listening to the dial tone on the other end, Shen Jinnian’s anxiety grew by the second. His eyes darted nervously, and in the rearview mirror, he suddenly locked eyes with the driver—who was watching them.

A chill ran down his spine.

Right at that moment, Gu Yan answered.

Shen Jinnian clung to that call like a lifeline and did his best to steady his voice, playing it up with exaggerated sweetness: “Hubby~”

Gu Yan choked on something, and he covered his mouth until his eyes turned red before he could hold back on the sound.

“Hubby, I already sent you my location,” Shen Jinnian continued in a sickly sweet tone. “The baby and I will be there soon. You, Dad, Big Bro, and Brother-in-law should drive over too, okay?”

“Got it, wifey.” Gu Yan’s voice was calm and steady. “Is it cold out? Should I bring you a coat?”

Although the way he said it made Shen Jinnian cringe a bit, he was genuinely grateful that Gu Yan played along. “Yes please, hubby. I want your jacket. Your pheromone level is the highest—it makes me feel safe.”

“I’ll bring it for you,” Gu Yan replied dotingly. “Send me the license plate number too, I’ll come pick you up.”

Shen Jinnian: “I’ll send it in a bit.”

Gu Yan: “Okay. Anything else?”

Shen Jinnian: “It’s windy and rainy today, drive safe, love you hubby~”

Gu Yan: “You be careful too, baby.”

“……”

The two of them carried on like that for a while.

Once he was sure the driver had heard every word, Shen Jinnian decisively hung up.

From then on, he sent Gu Yan a location ping every three minutes. They had agreed beforehand that if five minutes passed without an update, Gu Yan would call the police immediately.

They kept exchanging location updates for a full twenty minutes.

Just when Shen Jinnian was at his most on edge, the driver suddenly let out a snort.

“You don’t have to be so guarded.” The man held up his work ID. “I’m a legit driver.”

Shen Jinnian still didn’t fully trust him, but he said nothing. “You misunderstood, bro. That’s just how me and my husband normally chat.”

The driver let out a loud, hearty laugh: “I could tell you were nervous. I only kept looking because the way you were holding the baby seemed a bit awkward. I probably spooked you, huh?”

“No.” Shen Jinnian didn’t want to get too friendly and stayed cautious. “Where exactly are we now?”

“It’s a piece of undeveloped land in our city,” the driver explained. “The weather’s been rough, so I figured I’d take a shortcut to get you to the hotel faster.”

“Huh?” Shen Jinnian turned toward the window upon hearing that.

Sure enough—

After the car bumped its way through a rugged little cement road, it suddenly turned onto a wide urban thoroughfare. Tall buildings rose on either side, neon lights flickered everywhere—instantly making everything feel safer.

“That patch of land belongs to some local tycoon. They couldn’t agree on the price to buy it out, so it’s been sitting abandoned,” the driver added while turning the wheel. “You’re not from around here. It’s normal to be a little jumpy.”

Then—

The man calmly stepped on the brakes and brought the car to a stop in front of a hotel. “Told you I wasn’t lying.”

Shen Jinnian felt his scalp go numb from embarrassment.

All he could think about was how he had just dramatically called Gu Yan “husband” over the phone like he was in a romance drama. If there were a high-speed rail straight out of Earth, he’d be on it already.

He forced out an awkward little laugh, quickly paid the driver, and scrambled to get out of that metal box of humiliation.

As soon as he opened the door, a black umbrella extended over his head, shielding him from the heavy rain that was pouring down.

Startled, Shen Jinnian instinctively looked up.

And froze the moment he saw the person holding the umbrella.

“Gu Yan?” Shen Jinnian was so shocked his mouth hung open. He instinctively took a step back. “Are you even human? Or a ghost?”

How did he teleport here?

Gu Yan casually took the bag off Shen Jinnian’s shoulder, smiling like a gentleman. “Wifey, what kind of joke are you trying to pull now?”

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