Hui Yin knew there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

But still, no sane person would not be taken aback by Yue Lao's request, even if he followed that earth-shattering statement by reassuring her, "Of course, you won't really die. Your death is just needed to get everything back on track. It's to erase all the traces that you have left here, so that it won't cause great changes to the future."

Hui Yin thought of the events that had happened to her in the past few months. Her time with the twins, her revenge on Nian Zhen and Lu Shen, her successful audition that got her to star in Liu Jun's PV, meeting Liu Jun and starring in a teen idol group drama...did she have to go back to square one all over again?

"A person won't be able to accomplish anything without great sacrifices," Yue Lao quietly rebuked her. "Are you willing to give this chance up just so that you could enjoy the fleeting joys in life?"

Hui Yin knew that he was right. He was right, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel any reluctance at leaving all of this behind.

"But Senior, if I die, how will I be able to go back to the past without my body?"

Yue Lao laughed. "Why would you need your body? Didn't you die when you were reborn? All you need is your soul. But you're right, we need this body of yours to remain intact so the future won't be affected. That's why I'll give you a little gift."

From seemingly out of nowhere, Yue Lao pulled out a simple long hairpin with a pink cherry blossom on its other end. When he handed it to her, Hui Yin immediately saw that it was rather sharp.

"Stab it in your jugular and your soul will be freed from the constraints of your body, but your body will not be harmed."

Hui Yin: "..."

She was feeling deeply regretful that she thought the hairpin was pretty for a brief second.

"If I die," Hui Yin hesitated, "Everything will be reset?"

Yue Lao nodded in confirmation.

"Everything will be as it had happened in your previous life. After you catch the culprit and severe the bond between you two...only then will you be able to control your fate."

Hui Yin looked at the hairpin in her hands. She really didn't have a choice. Even if she stayed, she would gradually lose her memories...other than going back to the past and finding the culprit, everything was a dead end that would lead her back to Lu Shen.

"But Senior, if I don't find the culprit at the time of Lu Shen's accident and I'll have to go back to my previous life, won't I have already died there? How will I catch the culprit without a body?"

Yue Lao flung off his beer bottle and staggered to his feet. He steadied himself against the tree as his rheumy eyes squinted at Hui Yin.

"You silly girl, let me worry about that. If you don't mind, this old man needs to find another bottle of beer to drink. Care to join me?"

The alcohol wafting off him made Hui Yin pucker her forehead in distaste. She didn't really like the smell of alcoholics and smokers, which was why she had tried so hard to make Lu Shen quit these bad habits. But she knew that despite his seemingly drunkard appearance, this senior of hers truly had a kind heart. Because he was a deity, he really didn't need her to save his life. He would be alright even if he was hit by that car, or beaten up by those gangsters.

But Yue Lao still gave her a reward for these small acts of unnecessary kindness.

"I'll have to politely decline, senior. I have a flight tomorrow."

He gave her a casual wave of his hand. "Fine, fine, be a wet blanket. This old man won't force you. Just be sure to make a decision as soon as possible, because I don't want to have too much entanglements with mortals."

Hui Yin gave him a deep bow. "Many thanks for senior's wise advice. If in the future senior needs my help, this junior is willing to do her best to repay you."

"Why would I need your help?" Yue Lao gave her a disdainful side-eye. "I gave you a reward because I thought that you were a good child. Won't the heavens think I'm abusing my power if I make a female who is still wet behind the ears pay me back for a small favor? But..."

A sudden crafty look emerged on his geriatric face. "If you give me a case of beer, then this old man won't dare to refuse it."

"..."

What 'won't the heavens think I'm abusing my power'? You're already abusing your power to feed your drunkard tendencies! Hui Yin secretly felt aggrieved in her heart, but didn't dare to say this out loud. Who knows how many of those red string bracelets this senior was keeping inside his pockets?

Hue Yin quickly said her goodbyes to Yue Lao since he might he find something suspicious in her expression. She twisted her ponytail into a bun and inserted the hairpin. Although it had a bit of a 'Shang Dynasty' hairstyle going on, it was at least less conspicuous than the sprout hairpin craze that took off in Chengdu a few years ago. [1]

The next morning, Hui Yin took a flight back to Beijing with Ye Qiang and Bao Bai. Because Ye Qiang was originally from Beijing and Bao Bai wanted to tour around the Summer Palace, the three of them decided to book the tickets together and had fun chatting on the plane.

It was only when they landed on the airport that Hui Yin realized nearly all of the magazines and newspapers on the plane featured Lu Shen and Nian Zhen.

For a man ruthless enough to bankrupt media companies featuring his photo because he wanted to stay low-key, why was he doing everything he can to attract attention now?

[1] Sprout hairpin craze: hairpins wherein there are small plants in it, so it kind of looks like there are plants growing on the top of your head.