TGA Chapter 70

Shi Tuyi felt deeply ashamed by Chu Qianli’s words. However, in order to find the missing Qingqing, he had no choice but to speak about the difficult and awkward matters.

Shi Tuyi had lived a reckless life in his early years. On the surface, he was refined and articulate, relying on his family’s modest wealth, he went through a period of wild behavior. While a playboy’s flirtations were just that, when real interests were at stake, he was clear-headed, understanding that while wildflowers were alluring, they shouldn’t be brought home.

Although his romantic life was a mess, Shi Tuyi was a sharp-minded and calculating man. Not only did he manage the family hotel business well, but he was also secretly planning to go straight. He planned to find a wife of suitable social standing, a strong partnership that would elevate both their businesses.

With plans already set in his mind, he had to clean up the past. Qingqing’s biological mother had noticed Shi Tuyi’s intentions and, while cutting ties with him publicly, secretly gave birth to Qingqing, intending to use the child to blackmail Shi Tuyi.

At that time, Shi Tuyi was already engaged to his current wife, Ji WenB. Suddenly having a child would ruin the plans. In the end, Qingqing’s mother demanded a large sum of money and left, while Qingqing was registered under Shi Zhaohong and Fang Qiu’s names, never calling Shi Tuyi “father” at home.

This was a move that allowed for both offensive and defensive tactics. On the surface, Qingqing had no relationship with Shi Tuyi or his biological mother, but those in the know understood he was Shi Tuyi’s biological son.

Now, Shi Tuyi was concerned about Qingqing, mostly due to frequent friction with his wife Ji WenB. The couple had no children, and their marriage was primarily for commercial benefits. Now, there was an underlying conflict over property and company holdings. If they were to break up, Shi Tuyi would still have backup plans and had even moved some assets.

As Shi Tuyi was discussing family matters, Mei Rujing was secretly texting under the table, sending a message to Chu Qianli.

[My misandry is about to flare up.]

Chu Qianli glanced at the WeChat message and quietly replied: [Marriage is essentially an economic relationship.]

Although no one was a “good person” in the Shi family affair, the missing child still needed to be found; he couldn’t just be left adrift.

After Shi Tuyi finished speaking, he fidgeted uncomfortably. He was usually a man of propriety and felt uneasy revealing such personal matters.

Chu Qianli, however, remained calm and asked, “Does the child know about this?”

“Qingqing?” Shi Tuyi hesitated. “He probably doesn’t know. He usually calls Fang Qiu ‘Dad.’”

Shi Tuyi’s gaze shifted away, and sweat beaded on his forehead as he nervously asked, “Are these details really important?”

“If the first divination could find the person, then these details wouldn’t be necessary, but the matters of the Shi family have complicated our divination,” Chu Qianli replied. “Rujing, could you explain the first divination again? This time, let’s focus on the process, not the result.”

Shi Tuyi looked surprised. “The process?”

Chu Qianli nodded. “Divination isn’t always black and white when it comes to fortune or misfortune. Typically, if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, it’s called a good omen. Some things can be judged just by the result, but others need to be understood through the process.”

“Are you asking about the mutual hexagram and the changing hexagram?” Mei Rujing asked. “From the first mutual hexagram, it seems the child might have been reprimanded at home or had a conflict with someone, which could have led to him running away. I also mentioned this to Mr. Shi at the time.”

Shi Tuyi replied, “…Yes.”

Chu Qianli asked curiously, “What kind of person is Qingqing? Does he often argue with others?”

“No, he’s very well-behaved at home…” Shi Tuyi trailed off, suddenly feeling something was wrong. He stopped speaking and began to have some unfounded suspicions.

Chu Qianli said, “That’s strange. I thought he might be rebellious. What about the second divination?”

Mei Rujing explained, “The second divination indicates a dangerous situation in terms of the relationship between the body and the image. The child might have realized he was being searched for, and went to a remote area downstream of a dam, near a power station, where there’s water and electricity.”

“Are you saying he doesn’t want to go home and intentionally wants to evade those looking for him?” Chu Qianli asked.

“Yes, according to the divination, he ran away on his own initiative and wasn’t threatened.”

Shi Tuyi exclaimed, “But why would he run away? And how would he even know he’s being searched for?”

Chu Qianli maintained a sincere expression and kindly explained, “Mr. Shi, each divination focuses on one thing, otherwise the hexagram becomes chaotic. That’s our rule.”

Shi Tuyi was stunned, unsure of what to do.

Tan Muxing spoke lightly, subtly translating, “If you want to know more, that’s a separate matter.”

Shi Tuyi was confused, “But isn’t this all about finding the person?”

Chu Qianli shook her head. “Finding a person is about locating their position. Asking about the matter is about finding the root cause. These are two different things, and the questions are different.”

“Then if I want to ask about the matter?” Shi Tuyi seemed to understand, looking at the three of them, glancing at Chu Qianli and then at Mei Rujing, hesitating. “Should I ask…”

Both Chu Qianli and Mei Rujing could perform divination, and Shi Tuyi was caught in a dilemma.

Chu Qianli quickly waved her hand, looking uncomfortable, and avoided the question. “Sorry, my workplace is strict!”

Mei Rujing, seeing that they were trying to spare her from the awkward situation, said emotionlessly, “Mr. Shi, our contract is for three hexagrams. Once this one is finished, the matter is settled.”

Mei Rujing only needed to complete the three hexagram contract, and then she was free to go, with no further obligations in this matter.

After much hesitation, Shi Tuyi still wanted to know the truth. He steeled himself and said, “Please, Master Mei.”

“What’s your question?” Mei Rujing asked.

“Just ask why Qingqing ran away from home,” Shi Tuyi suddenly realized. “I’ve only just realized, he’s not a troublesome child. There’s no reason for him to suddenly run off.”

Mei Rujing extended her hand, the bells on her wrist tinkled sharply, and she quickly completed the count, drawing a hexagram on the spot. Mei Hua Xin Yi was efficient and swift, and the divination process was relatively simple, unlike some complex methods.

Mei Rujing furrowed her brows and said, “The child’s emotions are conflicted and complex. He previously communicated with an older woman, which led to the idea of running away from home. He is still in contact with that woman now, but their connection seems to be gradually breaking off.”

“An older woman?” Shi Tuyi panicked and asked, “Is it the nanny? Or someone else?”

“I’m not sure, but she’s someone who interacts with him frequently,” Mei Rujing added. “Based on the hexagram, their conversations were about family matters. It’s likely the child discovered the truth about his parentage.”

Mei Rujing frowned and said, “The hexagram only describes characteristics; it doesn’t tell a straightforward story. At first, I didn’t know the details of the Shi family’s situation. I only divined the child’s location, so naturally, I wasn’t aware of these intricacies.”

Shi Tuyi exclaimed in disbelief, “But there are only a handful of people who know about this!”

Pretending to be unaware, Chu Qianli acted as if she had just realized something and said, “Still in contact? No wonder you couldn’t find him. If someone’s leaking information, it wouldn’t matter if we cast one hundred or one thousand hexagrams—it’d all be useless.”

“I told you yesterday that their methods were flawed, and they even argued with me about it…” Mei Rujing said irritably. “Mr. Shi, although they were in contact, that connection is about to be severed.”

“I’ll say something unpleasant: if you don’t act quickly, the consequences will be dire.”

Shi Tuyi looked uneasy.

Moments later, Shi Tuyi led the three back to the house. As soon as he stepped inside, he looked directly at his younger brother and instructed, “Zhuoqu, have the police search the area north of the dam, and finalize the contract with Master Mei.”

Shi Zhuoqu replied, “Understood.”

Fang Qiu was stunned. “Did the divination say Qingqing is north of the dam?”

Shi Tuyi squinted slightly and said in a low voice, “Yes, why?”

After finishing his call with the police, Shi Zhuoqu approached the three with a polite demeanor and said, “Masters, this way, please.”

“Brother, how can you settle the payment before the child is even found!” Shi Xihong protested upon seeing Chu Qianli and the others preparing to leave. “At the very least, wait until we have some concrete results. They can’t just leave after completing the divination!”

Fang Qiu tried to mediate, “Big Brother has his reasons…”

“What does that even mean? You just said we should have gone to someone else for the divination!” Shi Xihong retorted, dissatisfied. “What if this turns out like the previous two times? We can’t let them just leave!”

“…Fine, fine.”

Shi Tuyi, growing suspicious, asked, “Indeed. Fang Qiu, you were rather rude to Master Mei earlier, weren’t you?”

The night before, Mei Rujing had a heated argument with Shi Xihong and Fang Qiu, nearly escalating into a full-blown falling out. This was part of why she had considered breaking the contract—she didn’t see why she should endure mistreatment while working.

Initially, Shi Tuyi thought the couple’s behavior stemmed from anxiety over finding the child. But now, he sensed something deeper, especially as Fang Qiu seemed eager to drive Mei Rujing away, while Shi Xihong continued to clash with her.

“Well, it’s because her friend is still around…” Fang Qiu muttered, his gaze shifting toward Chu Qianli. “I just didn’t want to delay things.”

Mei Rujing’s face turned cold. “You’re really something—avoiding trouble with the well-connected and bossing around those who aren’t?”

At that moment, Shi Zhuoqu’s phone lit up. He glanced at the caller ID, gestured for silence, and stepped aside to answer. “Yes, understood… Alright.”

“Brother, they’ve found the child, but not north of the dam,” Shi Zhuoqu reported, still on the call. Relaying the details, he continued, “The police checked the surveillance footage around the neighborhood and identified someone—a local unemployed woman—who led them to confirm Qingqing’s location!”

Fang Qiu broke into a cold sweat and stammered, “An unemployed woman? What surveillance footage?”

Shi Xihong was equally confused. “Brother, when did you contact the police?”

“Just earlier, while we were in the house.” Shi Tuyi was furious. “And now I want to ask you: Qingqing’s daily life is managed by you two. He should only be interacting with the nanny. Who is this woman?”

“I refuse to believe that an unemployed person can freely come and go in this neighborhood!”

Mei Rujing had said Qingqing decided to run away after speaking with an older woman. However, Shi Tuyi couldn’t find a suitable candidate among the nannies. So he had contacted the police, pulled surveillance footage from their upscale neighborhood, and discovered that Qingqing had been frequently interacting with a certain older woman. She appeared to be a scavenger from the area, though how she entered the neighborhood and befriended the boy remained unclear.

One week before Qingqing’s disappearance, the two had been in contact. Yet Shi Tuyi couldn’t figure out how she knew about the boy’s background or why she would encourage him to leave home.

As he pondered the situation, Shi Tuyi noticed Fang Qiu’s odd behavior and suddenly remembered that he had transferred some assets to Qingqing’s name not long ago.

Shi Xihong was aware of her brother’s asset transfer, but it couldn’t stop her husband, Fang Qiu, from harboring ulterior motives. If something happened to Qingqing, those assets would naturally change hands. Even if Shi Xihong and Fang Qiu divorced, the property would still need to be divided.

Shi Tuyi had initially transferred the assets to his sister instead of his brother because Shi Xihong had Qingqing as leverage, whereas Shi Zhuoqu did not.

The number of people who knew Qingqing was listed under Shi Xihong and Fang Qiu was small. Those aware of the asset transfer were even fewer, narrowing down the suspects and making the truth evident.

Fang Qiu, driven by greed, had apparently enlisted the help of an unfamiliar woman to lure Qingqing out of the house. He even instructed the boy on how to evade police searches, likely with the ultimate goal of confirming Qingqing’s “demise.”

“Zhuoqu, take the masters to the adjacent room.” Shi Tuyi had no intention of letting outsiders witness his family’s scandals. He signaled for someone to block Shi Xihong and Fang Qiu’s path, ready to deal with the traitor.

“Everyone, this way, please,” Shi Zhuoqu said.

The three followed Shi Zhuoqu out of the reception room. While he went to retrieve the contract and payment, they waited in the hallway.

Mei Rujing sneered. “He played a dirty game in the past, and now his brother-in-law is doing the same. Truly, birds of a feather flock together—one dog biting another.”

She hadn’t known the details at first, and two hexagrams had failed to locate the child. Who could have expected such tangled interests within the Shi family?

Tan Muxing summarized, “This is like an internal power struggle in a criminal gang. The most innocent one is the child.”

Chu Qianli remained calm. “Those who drown are often the ones who know how to swim. The smarter they think they are, the more likely they are to fall because of their own schemes.”

“If he truly reflects and changes after finding the child, that would be good. But if he continues as before, his current wife isn’t one to be trifled with either.”

Fang Qiu and others harbored ill intentions, but Shi Tuyi was far from innocent himself.

Chu Qianli had also predicted Shi Tuyi’s future earlier. He would likely face significant financial losses due to his current marriage. After all, Ji Wen B didn’t marry him for love, and their relationship was bound to deteriorate completely at some point.

Two people with ulterior motives came together for personal gain, and they’re surrounded by others with similar intentions. There’s no way this will end well. Of course, this has nothing to do with her. She wouldn’t offer a warning; as long as the child is safe, her work is considered done.

“Master Mei, could you please confirm this?” Shi Zhuoqu walked over and said, “Once you confirm, we’ll process the payment.”

Mei Rujing went to the adjacent room to finalize the payment. Shi Zhuoqu stayed behind with Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing, waiting in the hallway for a while.

From the reception room came the sound of an intense argument. Shi Tuyi was clearly furious, evidenced by the sound of glass shattering and chairs being slammed.

Shi Zhuoqu didn’t want to go in either. He feigned ignorance and stood outside.

Chu Qianli, originally pacing around Tan Muxing, boredly tugging at his backpack straps, suddenly noticed the calm and silent Shi Zhuoqu. Intrigued, she began to study him curiously.

Shi Zhuoqu appeared much younger than Shi Tuyi or Shi Xihong, looking to be in his late twenties or early thirties. Noticing Chu Qianli’s intense gaze, he asked in confusion, “Yes? May I help you?”

Caught staring, Chu Qianli boldly replied, “Are you Mr. Shi’s younger brother?”

“Yes.” Hearing the shouting from the reception room, Shi Zhuoqu paused for a few seconds before saying, “Sorry you had to witness this.”

Tan Muxing, sensing Shi Zhuoqu’s composure, found it odd and asked with concern, “Are you alright?”

Shi Zhuoqu didn’t seem particularly concerned about the situation inside, which puzzled Tan Muxing.

“I’m fine. I’ve been studying abroad for a long time and only recently returned,” Shi Zhuoqu explained.

The implication was that he wasn’t very familiar with Shi Tuyi and the others and was therefore unaffected by their affairs.

“Where do you two work?” Shi Zhuoqu asked calmly. “I’ve seen Master Mei perform divinations—it’s truly impressive.”

“Just a small, insignificant place,” Chu Qianli said modestly, waving her hand. She avoided divulging any personal information and instead inquired, “What about you? Where do you work? It doesn’t seem like you’re involved in hotel management.”

“I currently work for an overseas auction house. I came back because of the family situation.”

“Oh, which auction house? I’m pretty interested in auctions!”

Tan Muxing thought to himself that Chu Qianli wasn’t interested in auctions but rather in shopping.

Shi Zhuoqu hadn’t expected Chu Qianli to press further. He took out a sleek business card with his English name and the name of the auction house printed on it.

After examining the card and seeing the English name, Chu Qianli raised her head thoughtfully and smiled. “Could I ask how your name is written in Chinese?”

Shi Zhuoqu hesitated, his fingers twitching slightly.

Chu Qianli blinked, looking at him expectantly.

After a few seconds of deliberation, Shi Zhuoqu, not wanting to seem suspicious, replied, “Of course. It’s the ‘Zhuo’ with the ‘king’ radical and the ‘Qu’ from ‘channel.’”

Chu Qianli eagerly nodded. “Got it, got it. Then, could I ask your zodiac sign? How old are you this year?”

Shi Zhuoqu, already wary when saying his name, now felt a heightened sense of caution. He asked, trying to stay calm, “Why are you asking this?”

Chu Qianli remained unfazed, making up an excuse on the spot. “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just worried about Sister Rujing’s future. I’ve been asking everyone these questions lately, so don’t mind me.”

“…”

Tan Muxing, knowing Mei Rujing’s disdain for men, suddenly grew worried. If Mei Rujing returned to hear this, she might beat Chu Qianli to a pulp.

I am just a novice translator and Chinese is not my native language. I try my best to translate the chapters as accurate as possible.
If there are any mistakes then kindly comment and remind me. Your support means a lot.