Chapter 44: Merit Gone? Merit is Here!

Note: Don't Forget to join my Patreon.com/flokixy to get access to +30 Advance Chapters I have to stop if there is no support "Oh my god, did Grandma move all the treasures from the ancestral home here?" Gu Yu stared in shock at the expensive porcelain, calligraphy, paintings, and various colorful agates and jade pieces spread across the coffee table. Each of these items could easily be the centerpiece of an auction, and now they were laid out like they were worthless. The visual impact was simply overwhelming. Not just Gu Yu, even Gu Xuesong felt this was going too far. He couldn't help but advise, "Mom, I know you love Yao Yao, but there has to be a limit to everything!" "Yao Yao can't even use these things!" Yao Yao, on the other hand, was at a loss. Her big, round eyes darted back and forth between the gifts. Although she didn't know the exact value of these items, she could tell from her father and seventh brother's tone that they were extremely valuable. However, Grandma Gu was completely unmoved. "So what if she can't use them? Can't they just be displayed at home? These are my things, and I can give them to whoever I want!" Seeing that his mother had made up her mind, Gu Xuesong didn't argue further and let her do as she pleased. Grandma Gu, holding her precious granddaughter's hand, directed the servants to move the items one by one into Yao Yao's room. "Grandma, isn't this too much?" Yao Yao watched as the maids, who usually took care of her, worked tirelessly. She felt a bit guilty. Since these were all valuable items, even the slightest scratch would be a huge loss, so the servants handled them with extreme care. Grandma Gu, however, smiled and said, "It's not too much. If I weren't worried about your dad's reaction, I would have given you even more." Clearly, Grandma Gu had a good grasp of her son's temperament. Although she had brought a lot of things, she hadn't crossed his bottom line. Otherwise, she really wouldn't have been able to give them away. Yao Yao nervously pinched her fingers, her little brain working overtime. Did she do something yesterday that upset Grandma? Why was she suddenly giving so many gifts? She hadn't prepared anything in return. It seemed she needed to hurry up and finish the small talismans she was making as a thank-you gift. ...... With so many items to organize, it was already noon by the time everything was settled. Gu Yu stopped by his sister's room and was nearly blinded by the glittering treasures. Covering his eyes, he joked, "Yao Yao, if Seventh Brother can't make it in the entertainment industry, I'll come to you for support. Will you look down on me then?" This wasn't a joke. Even if he worked in the entertainment industry his entire life, he could never afford a room full of treasures like this. Even at the top of his game, it would be a stretch. Yao Yao shook her head vigorously, her voice clear and sweet. "Of course not! As long as Yao Yao has a bite of meat, Seventh Brother will have a sip of soup." Whether it was the old Taoist priest or Uncle Qingyuan, they all loved saying this phrase. To Yao Yao, it was the most sincere promise. Gu Yu was both touched and amused by his sister's promise. He affectionately pinched her chubby cheeks. "Then Seventh Brother won't be afraid of offending people in the entertainment industry anymore. After all, I have Yao Yao to support me." "Mhm, Seventh Brother, fly bravely!" Yao Yao remembered a phrase she often saw in live streams, which seemed to mean "keep going" or "good luck." The two chatted for a while, and at some point, Gu Yu brought up the previous live stream. It turned out that the guy who had been randomly selected later had caused such a huge social uproar due to the radioactive material incident. The live stream had trended on social media, and after the police handled the case, they announced the sentencing on Weibo—life imprisonment. This was because the victim's life hadn't been threatened. Otherwise, it might have been a death sentence. "Seventh Brother, did that big brother come to get the purification talisman?" Gu Yu nodded. "He did. I also told him how to use it, just like you said." He recalled how the guy had cried tears of gratitude when he heard the talisman could neutralize the radiation in his body. If Gu Yu hadn't stopped him, the guy might have knelt down in thanks. Yao Yao frowned upon hearing this. That was strange. If the problem was solved, why didn't she receive any merit this time? Was the reward only given the first time? That would be such a loss for her. Yao Yao had been longing for the fragrance of merit. After the last live stream ended, she had waited and waited, but it never came. She had thought it was because the issue hadn't been resolved. But now Seventh Brother said the purification talisman had been taken. The matter should be settled. And what about the other two people she had helped? Why hadn't their merit come either? There must be something wrong! Yao Yao racked her brain, trying to recall the differences between the first time she received the reward and this time. "What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Gu Yu noticed his sister's sudden change in expression and couldn't help but ask. However, as soon as he asked, he saw his sister's lips quiver, and her big, round eyes began to shed tears. "Waaah, it's gone. Yao Yao's merit is gone." After thinking it through, she still couldn't figure out the difference from the first time. This made Yao Yao certain that she really wouldn't receive any merit. This realization completely shattered the heart of a little foodie. Yao Yao could no longer hold back her emotions. Gu Yu had never seen his sister cry so sadly before. Plus, he had no idea how to comfort a child, so he was at a complete loss. "Good Yao Yao, don't cry. Whatever's missing, Seventh Brother will help you get it back." Yao Yao stopped sobbing upon hearing that it could be retrieved. She opened her teary eyes and asked uncertainly, "R-really?" "Of course." Gu Yu breathed a sigh of relief when his sister stopped crying. "But first, you need to tell Seventh Brother, what do you mean by 'merit is gone'?" Although Gu Yu wasn't good at comforting children, he was good at identifying key points. He immediately remembered the crux of his sister's distress. Yao Yao, now desperate to get her merit back, obediently explained everything to her Seventh Brother. Because she was still crying, her words were a bit muddled, and half of it was just her describing how delicious merit was. Fortunately, Gu Yu listened carefully and managed to piece together the truth. "Yao Yao, you're saying that after helping Seventh Brother with the first live stream, you received merit. But this time, you didn't get any. Is that right?" "Mhm, yes." Yao Yao nodded obediently. Then she looked at her Seventh Brother with hopeful eyes, as if waiting for him to tell her where her merit had gone. Gu Yu was also puzzled. According to his sister, there was no fundamental difference between the two times. If merit was given the first time, there was no reason it wouldn't be given the second time. Although he didn't understand how the so-called "heavenly merit reward" system worked, it should at least be logical! Yao Yao's fortune-telling live streams were essentially acts of kindness. If the heavens rewarded her the first time, it meant they wanted her to continue. Otherwise, there would have been no point in giving the reward in the first place. Acts of kindness? Incentives? Suddenly, a thought flashed through Gu Yu's mind. Perhaps the merit wasn't missing—it just hadn't been triggered yet. From the perspective of a game developer, how do you get players to open your game again? The simplest way is to make the rewards from the previous session available only upon the next login. This way, even if the player doesn't intend to play, they will at least open the game to check their rewards. And that's exactly what the developer wants. Perhaps the heavens could be seen as the game developer. The more Gu Yu thought about it, the more it made sense. Not sure if his sister would understand, he decided not to explain in detail. Instead, he took out his phone. After a series of familiar operations, he successfully created a live stream room. His intention was clear. If words couldn't explain it, then actions would. As the live stream room opened, Yao Yao, who had been confusedly watching her Seventh Brother fiddle with his phone, suddenly froze. Her big, round eyes widened in shock. In a vision only she could see, three faint golden threads of merit floated down from the void into her palms. The familiar, enticing fragrance was exactly the same as the merit she had tasted before. It... it's back! Yao Yao couldn't help but rub her eyes, making sure it wasn't a dream. Overwhelmed with emotion, she burst into tears—this time, tears of joy!