At the villa entrance, Aunt Li brought in various packages and began unpacking them one by one, delivering them to everyone’s rooms.
Chu Qianli didn’t wait for Aunt Li to enter her room and eagerly came out to get her package. After thanking her, she unwrapped the bubble wrap and took out a small wooden box, opening the lid to inspect it. The store was local, and the shipping speed was very quick.
Aunt Li didn’t look at the contents of the package but asked curiously, “What did you buy?”
Chu Qianli held up three crystal dice. They were different from ordinary dice, being twelve-sided. When they spun in her hand, they made a soft clinking sound.
“These are astrology dice,” Chu Qianli explained. “They’re a simple tool for divination.”
The three dice featured symbols representing planets, zodiac signs, and houses, totaling 36 symbols. They could be used to forecast short-term events. They were quick to use and easy to carry, though they were limited in that they tended to answer questions about the present situation and weren’t suitable for long-term predictions.
Every astrological tool has its strengths and weaknesses. Complex issues require more elaborate methods, but for simple questions, dice are a good choice.
Aunt Li, somewhat understanding but not fully, gazed at the gem-like dice and remarked, “They’re quite beautiful.”
She regarded them as just toys for a young girl, not thinking much of them.
In the living room, Yu Shen glanced at the time and reminded, “Qianli, after you’re done with the packages, tidy up a bit. We’re getting ready to go to Second Uncle’s house!”
“Okay!” Chu Qianli quickly responded and hurriedly ran back to her room.
He Shichen watched Chu Qianli rush upstairs. He hadn’t intended to get involved in her business, but he couldn’t help but say, “Mom, since we’re visiting Second Uncle, aren’t you going to fix up my sister’s hair?”
He still remembered the embarrassing scene in class. How could their parents be so careless about their own daughter’s appearance?
Of course, Chu Qianli was also outrageously careless. Could it be genetic?
Yu Shen smiled and said, “Qianli said she’ll trim it once it grows a bit longer. Besides, Second Uncle is family; he won’t mind her appearance.”
“I know you respect Second Uncle, but there’s no need to be too formal. It’s just a family dinner.”
He Shichen always held himself to high standards, with a strong sense of self-respect. He was meticulous in every way. Before his true background had been revealed, He Zhenghe and Yu Shen had been quite lenient with him, but he had always managed himself exceptionally well, sometimes to the point of being overly serious and even dull, not at all like a typical young person.
Yu Shen felt that Chu Qianli was closer to a typical young person’s state of mind, and it was clearly inappropriate for He Shichen to impose his standards on her. It wasn’t a matter of right or wrong, just that people are different.
He Shichen didn’t agree with Yu Shen’s viewpoint, but he also didn’t feel it was necessary to pay attention to Chu Qianli, so he chose to remain silent.
The family car stopped at the villa entrance. After Yu Shen urged her once more, Chu Qianli hurriedly ran downstairs and dashed to the car.
He Shichen and Chu Qianli shared one car, while He Zhenghe and Yu Shen took another. The two cars left one after the other.
Chu Qianli still had the astrology dice in her pocket. As she ran, the dice made a clinking sound, like colliding jade.
He Shichen had already decided not to bother with her, but now hearing the unusual noise, he frowned and said, “I suggest you don’t do that in public.”
Yu Shen and the others didn’t care much about appearance or etiquette, but it was impossible to stop others from gossiping. There were countless eyes on Chu Qianli now, all waiting to see her make a fool of herself.
Chu Qianli was utterly confused. “What’s wrong?”
When He Shichen saw her look so dazed and clueless, he became irritated. He impatiently opened the car door and coldly said, “Get in.”
Chu Qianli ran to the other side of the car. “I can open the door and get in myself.”
He Shichen’s blood pressure instantly rose. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Come back around and get in from this side.”
“Why?”
“It’s etiquette!” He Shichen didn’t care much about her posture, but he had his own car etiquette. When riding with ladies or elders, there were specific rules: he needed to open the door and let them sit in the back right seat.
When they went to school, He Shichen would open the door before getting in, and when they arrived, he would be the first to get out of the car. In the past, when they finished school, Chu Qianli had delayed things by chatting with Tan Muxing, breaking the rules once already—he couldn’t let her break them again.
Faced with He Shichen’s stubbornness, Chu Qianli had no choice but to go around to his side. She muttered quietly, “…You really care about everything, don’t you?”
He Shichen raised an eyebrow, displeased, and suspiciously asked, “Did you just say something uncouth?”
As she sat in the car, Chu Qianli tried to defend herself. “What’s wrong with ‘xingxing’? ‘Xingxing’ is so beautiful!”
He Shichen’s brow twitched. He slammed the car door shut and walked around to the other side, getting into the car with an air of restraint.
Watching his meticulous car-riding process, Chu Qianli could roughly understand why the original female supporting character was so smitten with the male protagonist. When she first arrived at the He family, she was fragile and sensitive, and the male protagonist had pointed out many things to her. Though the female supporting character eventually left the He family because of her infatuation, their early interactions had been smooth enough.
Of course, Chu Qianli was a bit careless and only thought that He Shichen was nitpicking. However, considering that he might be useful to her in the future, she could tolerate such small issues.
Chu Qianli sighed, “Brother, other people’s etiquette is gentlemanly, but I’ve never seen such a fierce gentleman. ‘Xing-style’ behavior is unacceptable.”
He Shichen turned his gaze toward the car window, pretending he didn’t hear her unreasonable remarks.
The family quickly arrived at their destination.
Chu Qianli’s second uncle, He Yuanyang, had worked on Wall Street in his early years. Now, he had fully returned to China to develop his career. He had never married and lived alone. He Zhenghe and He Yuanyang had a good relationship and would occasionally visit each other for family meals.
He Shichen held great respect for He Yuanyang, particularly admiring his cutting-edge investment ideas. He often discussed his own thoughts with him. When He Shichen was starting out and using a simulation system to trade stocks, He Yuanyang encouraged him to try his hand in the real market, even helping him set up an account and providing initial funds.
When He Yuanyang first met Chu Qianli, he greeted her warmly and even took out an envelope with a red packet prepared in advance.
“Thank you, Second Uncle. Wishing you prosperity,” Chu Qianli politely thanked him and accepted the red packet.
At the dinner table, as soon as He Yuanyang sat down, he began chatting with He Shichen, excitedly asking, “Shichen, have you seen the closing info?”
Since everyone lived in China, there was a time difference with the U.S. stock market closing.
He Shichen honestly replied, “Not yet.”
He Yuanyang chuckled, “Me neither. Let’s guess together and see who gets it right later.”
He Yuanyang and He Shichen started talking passionately about the stock market, throwing around various terms that left Chu Qianli completely confused. She didn’t understand words like Dow Jones, Alpha, or what short-term trading meant. Clearly, this wasn’t something high school students should be learning.
Chu Qianli sat quietly at the table, afraid of disturbing the two financial big shots with the last name He, lest she interrupt their grand discussions of investments.
He Zhenghe noticed her silence and kindly reassured her, “When Second Uncle gets into these topics, he gets really into it. Sometimes even I can’t keep up.”
He Yuanyang had a little quirk—once he started talking about investments, he wouldn’t think about anything else and would easily lose track of the situation around him. He wasn’t very savvy with social customs and occasionally said the wrong things.
Worried that his daughter might feel neglected, He Zhenghe took the initiative to engage her in conversation.
Having just received the thick red packet, Chu Qianli had no prejudice toward He Yuanyang. She was generous and said, “It’s fine. Making money is more important.”
She hoped Second Uncle would make a fortune and perhaps send another red packet. She didn’t need to talk, just generously give money.
He Yuanyang, thinking about the occasion, quickly changed the topic, smiling, “Qianli, are you interested in these things?”
He Shichen was eating slowly but had his ears pricked up, listening for her thoughts.
Chu Qianli shook her head. “Not really.”
He Yuanyang asked, “Do you have a basic understanding? Like, do you know the basics of the stock market?”
Chu Qianli replied, “The greenish leek fields?”
This was her true feeling—whenever she thought about the stock market, she thought of it as green.
The sound of knives and forks scraping against the porcelain plate was jarring.
He Shichen was speechless upon hearing her response. He accidentally lost his composure and murmured, “Sorry.”
He Yuanyang laughed and eased the situation, “Shichen, don’t be so uptight, it’s just a little green!”
“…” Although He Shichen had always respected Second Uncle, he still felt something was off after hearing this comment.
He Yuanyang, trying to find common ground with Chu Qianli, began explaining stock market terms to her.
Chu Qianli wasn’t interested in stock investments; she was only interested in the money made from investments. Everything he said went in one ear and out the other, and her gaze wandered in confusion.
After explaining the basics, He Yuanyang asked, “Do you understand now, Qianli?”
Chu Qianli honestly answered, “I’ve forgotten everything already.”
He Yuanyang wasn’t upset; in fact, he laughed heartily, “Not bad, not bad. You forget really fast!”
He Shichen: “…” This isn’t like Zhang Sanfeng teaching Zhang Wuji the Tai Chi sword!
He Shichen realized Chu Qianli wasn’t paying attention, feeling that she was missing a golden opportunity. So many people would jump at the chance to talk to He Yuanyang, who was a big name in the financial investment world!
It was like having Einstein teach you elementary school physics, and you still manage to zone out?
After the meal, He Yuanyang stood up and led everyone to the living room, suggesting, “Let’s have a little guessing game and see who can predict the closing results.”
He Shichen said, “I’ll guess crude oil.”
Chu Qianli asked, “What guessing game?”
He Yuanyang explained, “It’s just guessing what might surge before the market closes. Do you want to participate?”
This was a regular pastime between He Yuanyang and He Shichen. Chu Qianli didn’t understand why high school students would play such a strange game. Maybe the male protagonist needed to cultivate an interest in global economic forces from a young age?
“No prize guessing?” Chu Qianli chimed in. “Then I won’t guess. In my village, people gamble over three or five yuan.”
He Shichen frowned, “It’s the gambling in the village square that’s the problem.”
Chu Qianli waved her hand dismissively, “Oh, gambling over three or five yuan doesn’t count as gambling, right? It’s just a few bucks.” She caught He Shichen’s disapproving gaze and quickly backtracked, “Alright, alright, three or five yuan is money.”
He Yuanyang grinned, “Well, we could also gamble at home. Whoever guesses right gets other people’s red packets.”
He Shichen said, “Second Uncle, she doesn’t even know basic concepts. Taking money from children is too…”
He had no interest in gambling with Chu Qianli—it felt like taking advantage of someone much younger and weaker.
Upon hearing about the red packets, Chu Qianli immediately perked up, her spirits lifted. “I don’t care about money, I’m just interested in the stock market.”
He Shichen: “?”
Yu Shen and He Zhenghe were sitting side by side on the couch, watching the scene unfold with interest. Yu Shen smiled at the sight and said, “Then let us be the judges.”
“But I also want to guess crude oil. What do we do now?” He Zhenghe asked. “What will Qianli guess? Do you want me to give you some options?”
“Or if you find it too difficult, we can team up with Qianli to face off against Shichen,” Yu Shen added.
He Shichen, with a calm demeanor, replied, “That works too.”
Chu Qianli took out a die from her pocket and casually tossed it onto the coffee table. “No rush, let me first consult the stars and then decide if I want to team up with Second Uncle.”
The three dice made a crisp sound as they spun on the table before coming to a stop, showing Jupiter, Virgo, and the 4th house.
Chu Qianli carefully examined them and said, “Second Uncle, I want your red packet, so we won’t team up. You can team up with Brother instead.”
He Yuanyang was left abandoned and couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time, “…Actually, a lot of people outside want to team up with me, you know?”
He Zhenghe, intrigued by the dice on the table, teased, “Is this the most advanced financial investment tool? To think that even He Yuanyang might be laid off by this. I thought only AI could do that.”
He Zhenghe was involved in running an internet company, with a focus on artificial intelligence.
Chu Qianli nodded, “For me, yes.”
He Shichen was feeling speechless and coldly said, “I suggest you team up with Second Uncle.”
Chu Qianli replied, “No, I’m going one against two.”
He Yuanyang asked, “Then we’ll each fight on our own. I’ll guess gold, what will Qianli guess?”
“Probably corn?” Chu Qianli stared at the dice. She tilted her head and thought for a moment before adding, “Or maybe wheat, soybeans.”
Anyone could throw the astrology dice, but the key was in interpreting the results. That’s where the true difficulty of divination lay. Everyone associated different things with planets, signs, and houses, and it was through linking these fragmented pieces of information that the right conclusions could be drawn.
Even then, the information the stars provided was often vague or abstract, requiring logical deduction.
Right now, Chu Qianli knew it was “grain-like crops,” but not rice—she could only narrow it down. It was like when she read for Ruan Ya: she could tell it was “the hottest place,” but couldn’t pinpoint the exact location.
This was why so many charlatans existed in the field of divination. A slight misinterpretation could lead to wildly inaccurate answers.
He Shichen snorted inwardly, thinking that she was just giving away a point.
He Yuanyang was surprised, “The grain market? That’s quite an unexpected choice.”
“Let’s reveal the result then.” He Yuanyang brought over his laptop.
Since the U.S. stock market closed early in the morning, it wasn’t too long ago, and people in China usually only learned about the results after waking up.
He Yuanyang stared at his computer and sighed, “Sure enough, oil prices are still rising. It’s already hitting the highest point since last year. Shichen’s guess was quite accurate…”
He Shichen humbly replied, “As long as you pay attention to the news, it’s easy to know.”
That’s why he thought Chu Qianli was just making random guesses. She probably hadn’t even looked at the news.
He Yuanyang continued staring at the screen. Suddenly, his expression froze, and he sat up straight, muttering, “Huh? The grain market is experiencing a bubble, with soybean prices reaching the highest levels in five years?”
He Shichen: “?”
“Corn and wheat prices are also soaring to their highest points in years…” He Yuanyang said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “Is this a sign of inflation, or is someone speculating and driving up the prices?”
This was completely unexpected—someone seemed to be manipulating the market.
He Shichen: “???”
The agricultural product market indeed had a lot of speculative capital that could cause prices to skyrocket or plummet in the short term. There were many unpredictable factors in the market, and it came with high financial risks.
But Chu Qianli didn’t even understand the terms, yet she still managed to guess the outcome!
He Yuanyang couldn’t even calculate everything accurately, because human factors couldn’t be ruled out. If someone was deliberately manipulating grain prices, it could lead to an irregular market situation.
“Looks like grain prices will drop sharply next,” He Yuanyang predicted, shaking his head and laughing bitterly. “But this week has really seen a huge surge?”
He Yuanyang was relying on his years of experience to make predictions, but Chu Qianli had just casually thrown the dice!
He Shichen’s mind was buzzing now. All his past understanding was completely shattered.
As a materialist, this was a blow to his worldview.
He Shichen strode over to He Yuanyang’s side, leaning in to look at the screen. His pupils trembled slightly as he murmured, “Impossible. How can superstition beat professional analysis…”
He absolutely could not accept this; it meant that the knowledge he had learned had no value.
Chu Qianli, as though her tail had been stepped on, immediately flared up and shouted, “What do you mean superstition? How can you just slander people like that?”
As a follower of Marxism, she couldn’t stand hearing such things.
He Shichen pointed at the dice on the table, his voice rising for the rare occasion, “Then explain the scientific basis of this thing!?”
He couldn’t believe that dice could have any reasonable connection to the stock market.
Chu Qianli wasn’t going to back down. She argued back, “This is astrology! You can think of it as a form of big data analysis for fate. Since it’s big data analysis, how could it not be scientific!?”
Astrology and big data analysis both collect information, identify patterns, and summarize laws. They’re essentially the same thing—just different names for it.
He Shichen: “?”
He Zhenghe suddenly had an epiphany: “I think I get it now. So, astrologers are just data analysts.”
Chu Qianli put her hands on her hips, “Exactly, Dad is in the internet industry, so I actually have a family legacy!”
He Shichen: “!!?” What does the internet have to do with this legacy?
He Shichen suddenly understood.
Superstition wasn’t the scary part.
What was truly frightening was when someone packaged superstition with the most advanced jargon.
