He Jianping was a very polite person. When he first didn’t believe Chu Qianli, he still said they would have lunch together at noon. He genuinely thought that once the payment was made, the fortune teller should take care of everything. He would call the person “Master” repeatedly, but in his heart, he didn’t feel like he was asking for help.
The Six Lines divination practitioner didn’t understand this concept, but Chu Qianli was very clear on it.
Chu Qianli habitually began setting up the divination chart. She stared at the star chart for a long time, observing the development of the situation.
He Jianping, seeing that she was silent, eagerly watched her, quickly asking, “So, how is it?”
Tan Muxing felt that He Jianping was rushing too much. How could you ask for results just after setting up the divination? He had never heard of anyone asking for immediate results after a task was set up. He picked up the teapot and poured tea for He Jianping, saying, “Uncle Jianping, don’t rush, have some tea.”
He Jianping sat back upon hearing this. He took a sip of hot tea but was still feeling restless.
Chu Qianli paused for a moment. She put her phone aside, took out paper and pen from her bag, and said, “We still need to change the method of divination.”
He Jianping hastily asked, “Why?”
“Because the issue has become more complicated. It’s not the same as last time,” Chu Qianli noticed his anxious expression and smiled, “Of course, there’s always a way around it. Can you write down the birthdate of that domestic company boss?”
He Jianping, due to business confidentiality, did not reveal the company name or the materials’ names.
He Jianping took the pen and paper, scratched his head, and asked in confusion, “Do you need the exact date? I don’t think I know it.”
Chu Qianli kindly asked, “Do you know his zodiac sign?”
“He should be born in the year of the Horse. Is he from 1966? Let me check his social media…” He Jianping said doubtfully, “Why are you asking this? Do we still need this?”
Chu Qianli patiently explained: “Different methods of divination have different strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Mei Hua divination can be done easily and is very convenient for quick readings. But if you want a more detailed analysis, it requires more skill from the diviner. It mainly provides the most concise answers.”
These divination methods that are quick and convenient often give vague information, sometimes using a single sentence to cover everything. In a sense, it’s like a language comprehension exercise in a Chinese literature exam. Everyone interprets the same poem differently, and you can’t say the poem itself is wrong—it’s just that the person reading it has different skills.
“There are other divination methods that require more information, and they provide a lot of details. If you’re just asking for results, it can feel unhelpful, but if you need to see the process, then this kind of divination is more suitable.” Chu Qianli explained patiently.
He Jianping felt confused but was curious. “Oh, oh, so what method are you using?”
“I’m using Zi Wei Dou Shu now. It’s actually a method for fate prediction, but since divination methods are interconnected, it can also be used for fortune-telling, which is called Zi Wei divination, or ‘Zi Zhan’ for short,” Chu Qianli explained. “I will use the Tai Sui to enter the divination, select key palaces, and then interpret the situation.”
He Jianping furrowed his brow slightly. “I don’t really understand.”
Chu Qianli took a deep breath, trying to adjust her mood, and smiled. “Alright, let me explain with a scientific approach. The divination chart is a model of space-time. You and that boss are special individuals, but you don’t have names in this space-time model yet. We need to figure out where you are.”
“You just mentioned that the boss was born in 1966 and is a Horse, with the Tai Sui being Bing Wu. After we input the Tai Sui into the chart, we assign it to the corresponding palace. Then, that boss will have a name in the model. If we didn’t know his birth year, we’d need to use other information to identify him.”
The divination chart will not directly have the names of He Jianping and the domestic boss. Instead, their specific characteristics are used to find the right palaces.
He Jianping suddenly understood. “I get it! It’s like the little figurines on a sand table. The information you need is used to mold the corresponding figurine.”
Chu Qianli nodded. “Exactly.”
He Jianping said, “So these things aren’t that mystical. To be honest, after I finished the Six Lines divination, I almost thought the whole thing was just a money-grab. He kept talking to me about vague and irrelevant things!”
Tan Muxing quietly lowered his head. He thought to himself, Chu Qianli is explaining Western astrology, and Uncle Jianping complains it doesn’t have enough Eastern charm. The Six Lines diviner practices Eastern methods, and Uncle Jianping still finds it confusing and unhelpful. It really is hard to please him.
Tan Muxing started to understand why Master Qian Men never came down from the mountain—the demands and situations from people below were truly endless.
Chu Qianli finally got He Jianping’s birth data and began setting up the Zi Wei chart. The Zi Wei Dou Shu chart also has twelve palaces, but unlike the star chart, the divination chart is square in shape.
Of course, Zi Wei Dou Shu has fourteen main stars: Zi Wei, Tan Lang, Ju Men, Lian Zhen, Wu Qu, Po Jun, Tian Xiang, Tian Tong, Tian Ji, Tian Liang, Tian Fu, Tai Yang, Tai Yin.
Chu Qianli thought for a moment and asked, “Uncle Jianping, does that boss have two children? A boy and a girl?”
Chu Qianli didn’t know the domestic boss’s family situation and still needed external information to help with her judgment.
“Oh, yes, how did you know?” He Jianping flipped through the boss’s social media and said, “His eldest son is older than all of you. His younger daughter seems to still be in school. I’ve seen a family photo he posted.”
Chu Qianli asked, “Has he ever talked to you about his son’s job situation?”
“No, we never talk about that. I haven’t even met his family,” He Jianping waved his hand.
“Then you should try to meet his family.” Chu Qianli thoughtfully rested her chin on her hand. “If you only talk to that boss about the overseas project, he’ll probably scold you fiercely.”
He Jianping felt helpless. He blurted out the boss’s last name and sighed, “I won’t talk to Old Wang about the overseas project. He’ll definitely point at my nose and scold me for being ungrateful and dishonest. As soon as he hears about it, he’ll jump to conclusions. It doesn’t matter if I don’t break the contract in the end—he’ll still think I’m guilty as soon as I have the thought.”
He Jianping knew about Boss Wang’s fiery temper and didn’t know what to do. Maybe someone else could communicate with him, but Boss Wang would only think he was lacking in loyalty.
No matter what He Jianping thought inside, he always had to maintain politeness and courtesy on the outside. Boss Wang was not like this; he couldn’t even be bothered to maintain face.
Chu Qianli said seriously, “No, you have to go and talk to him. Otherwise, this issue won’t be resolved.”
“You don’t know, his temper is really terrible! How am I supposed to talk to him?!” He Jianping said in a flustered tone. “Sometimes when he drinks too much, he starts yelling at people and calls us one by one to curse us out. A lot of people can’t stand his temper!”
He Jianping’s character was relatively good, and he was able to get along with Boss Wang, which was one of the reasons he was able to secure the cooperation in the first place.
“I know, I know,” Chu Qianli spoke to comfort him, “Uncle Jianping, but if you want to change your fate, you have to overcome some ingrained ways of thinking.”
“Some people say that character determines fate. There’s a little truth to that. Our character leads us to take different actions, which then produce different results. Many people believe fate can’t be changed because breaking free from old thinking is as difficult as completely overturning oneself.”
He Jianping paused for a moment.
Chu Qianli continued, “I’m not saying you have to completely discard everything. If a person were to completely shatter their original thoughts, they’d feel very uncomfortable. But when it comes to the key moments that require change, you need to make some slight shifts.”
Whether it’s the star chart or the Zi Wei Dou Shu, both emphasize the importance of a person’s psychology.
“If a person completely denies their own character, they might not feel happy, because it might be their most comfortable state. However, if a person only follows their natural tendencies, many predictions become inevitable.”
The proper approach is to align with one’s true self most of the time, but make changes at key points, striving for balance.
This is extremely difficult, which is why many people who study fate view it as a form of cultivation.
He Jianping was still doubtful, hesitating, “But I’ll definitely get yelled at…”
“Yes, I’ve calculated that you will get yelled at, but we want to solve the problem,” Chu Qianli nodded obediently. “So, I’m telling you that you need to meet his family, plan a day when both of you bring your families, and then discuss the matter with him.”
“I know Uncle Jianping doesn’t like confronting people, but if you don’t take this step, to be honest, after I finish your divination, I won’t be able to help you,” Chu Qianli smiled sweetly. “I can only do the divination, but I can’t help you take action. But if you don’t take action, you’ll still need to pay.”
“……”
“I also know Uncle Jianping would never try to dodge paying. You argued with the Six Lines practitioner for so long, but in the end, you didn’t ask for a refund. From your character, that was the outcome. No matter how much you argue, you always leave some room for reconciliation.”
“…………”
He Jianping had many complaints about the Six Lines practitioner, but in the end, he simply accepted it and didn’t shamelessly ask for his money back. He did have high demands, but he was still quite proactive with the payments.
He Jianping ultimately decided to go back and think it over. He asked Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing if they needed a car, and the three of them waved goodbye at the tea house entrance.
On the street, Tan Muxing watched He Jianping’s figure disappear into the tea house and hesitated, “Do you think Uncle Jianping will give up?”
“No, he’ll probably go upstairs and call. He was just putting on a show in front of us,” Chu Qianli said casually. She then excitedly checked the figures on her phone. “But he paid so readily, the matter isn’t even settled, yet he just paid the full amount!”
Chu Qianli felt as though the numbers before her had turned into a golden sundial. She suddenly understood He Jianping’s anger. He probably paid the Six Lines practitioner directly at the time, but the other party hadn’t taken all his concerns into account, which made him feel betrayed.
Chu Qianli sighed, “This kind of character has both advantages and disadvantages. In business, it’s easy to make powerful friends, but it’s also easy to get scammed. Fortunately, his financial luck is still okay.”
Everyone’s character has two sides. Some bosses will hold a grudge against the Six Lines divination practitioner for failing them, but He Jianping is not like that. He has used this very character to master the way of making money.
Chu Qianli finished the divination after receiving the payment and didn’t pay attention to the subsequent developments.
Tan Muxing was responsible for the feedback and after-sales of the Magical Girl squad, and not long after, he received the good news from He Jianping. The latter even warmly invited them to a celebration banquet.
Although He Jianping had said he would think it over in front of Chu Qianli and the others, as soon as he went upstairs, he invited Boss Wang and his family to play golf. Boss Wang wasn’t interested in golf, but couldn’t resist the persuasion of his family, so he finally agreed.
The two families met at the golf course. Some played golf, others chatted, and things started off quite pleasantly. However, when He Jianping casually mentioned the overseas project to Boss Wang, the latter immediately became enraged. His face darkened, and he angrily stood up, even seeming to want to push He Jianping.
Boss Wang’s eldest son, unable to tolerate the situation, stepped in to stop his father’s outburst. He then patiently listened to He Jianping talk about the overseas company. By the end, he even showed some interest and proposed that the three parties could establish a cooperation.
He Jianping’s face lit up with joy, but Boss Wang remained angrily silent.
“Dad, I’m not trying to criticize you, but look at your terrible temper—who can stand it? Only Uncle He has been putting up with it all these years, not bothering to argue with you. So many people have fallen out with you later!” The eldest son said, clearly displeased with his father’s stubbornness. “No one has broken the contract, and yet you’re over here throwing a tantrum?”
Boss Wang retorted firmly, “That’s what he deserves! We’ve had so many years of friendship…”
“Friendship can’t withstand you treating people like this! Haven’t you suffered enough because of your temper?” the eldest son snapped. “We’re all in business to make money, do we all have to tiptoe around you?”
The eldest son was now taller than his father. While Boss Wang would go around offending people and yelling at others, his son’s words made him lower his head, unable to argue back, and he sulked, avoiding eye contact.
He Jianping gently tried to calm them down, “Alright, alright, it’s not that bad.”
“Uncle He, don’t mind him. I’ll talk to him when we get back,” the eldest son said in a gentler tone. “I know the company you’re talking about. I’m not just being polite when I say a three-way cooperation is possible. My dad’s just out of touch with the times.”
Boss Wang, publicly scolded by his son, was furious but remained silent, too angry to speak.
The eldest son had been involved with the company for a long time. As soon as he started working alongside his father, he discovered many problems and sometimes found it exhausting. Many good opportunities were ruined because of his father’s temper, leaving the company’s staff to suffer.
The eldest son had never met He Jianping before, but he had heard of the friendship between He Jianping and his father. Uncle He had been putting up with everything out of restraint, while his father always felt that by giving He Jianping projects, He Jianping should submit to him.
The conditions offered by the overseas company were better than those of He Jianping’s own company. When He Jianping mentioned this, it was without any ill will, but his father immediately started to curse, which was completely unreasonable.
He Jianping originally didn’t have the funds or the capacity for production, but if he could manage a three-way cooperation, both of these problems would be solved. What made him happiest was that Boss Wang’s son was more reasonable than his father, and the younger generation didn’t casually drink and curse.
He Jianping, in high spirits, said, “Muxing, how did you know about his son? I have to say, it’s really strange. Old Wang has such a bad temper, yet his son turned out well and didn’t inherit his father’s traits at all…”
“This thing’s done for sure. Another day, you and the young master should come to the tea house, and we can gather again!”
Tan Muxing relayed He Jianping’s invitation to Chu Qianli, along with the details of the outcome.
Chu Qianli was always very polite to her clients, but her private responses were simple and blunt. She laughed and said, “Hehe, no money, no gathering.”
Now that the golden sundial was in hand, who wanted to have a meal with the client?
Tan Muxing nodded in understanding. “Alright, I’ll tell Uncle Jianping that you’re busy with your studies and that you’re not available to go to the tea house on weekends for now.”
At the villa, He Shichen stared at the golden sundial in the yard. He felt that things were completely out of control. For the first time, he realized that a troublesome kid wasn’t just a troublesome kid.
Ordinary troublesome kids, when forced to save money, couldn’t get any more to continue spending. However, a kid involved in feudal superstitions was different. He had no idea where they had gone to fool people and then bought a golden sundial.
He Shichen quietly stared at the golden sundial for a long time. Eventually, his expression remained calm and neutral as he went back inside, planning to find an opportunity to discuss the home security situation with his parents.
In the classroom, Chu Qianli had disappeared somewhere, and Tan Muxing was sitting alone at the desk when he suddenly noticed someone stop by his side. He was surprised and turned around, only to find that it was He Shichen.
He Shichen’s expression was calm. “Let’s talk.”
Tan Muxing froze for a moment and asked softly, “…Talk about what?”
To be honest, Tan Muxing had never interacted with He Shichen before. It wasn’t just that Tan Muxing wasn’t good at making friends, but also because He Shichen had a certain arrogance at his core.
He Shichen felt that talking to most people was a waste of time; he only bothered to converse with those who were on equal footing with him.
“She recently bought a golden sundial to place in her home,” He Shichen said calmly. “The people at school can’t afford that much money. It must have been you who introduced her to it.”
Tan Muxing lowered his head in guilt after hearing this. He could easily imagine He Shichen’s frustration, and no wonder he had come to him about it.
“This is her mock exam report card. I think you should understand, with her current scores, forget about university, she might not even manage to graduate from high school,” He Shichen said slowly while holding the report card. “I hope you don’t introduce her to any more fortune tellers. For now, help her pass the midterm exams.”
The mock exams didn’t affect her permanent records, but the midterm exams were tied to her graduation and school applications.
He Shichen’s suggestion was reasonable, and his efforts to encourage progress were quite positive.
Tan Muxing weakly voiced, “…Why do you think I can do something you can’t?”
Tan Muxing didn’t understand how He Shichen thought. He couldn’t even force his deskmate to study, so how could he be expected to solve this problem?
He Shichen, hit where it hurt, stiffened for a moment. “…”
After a brief pause, he said in an indifferent tone, “I’ll supervise her at home, and you’ll supervise her at school. We’ll divide the work based on our locations.”
Tan Muxing was confused. “?” No, this work has nothing to do with me.
Without waiting for Tan Muxing to reply, He Shichen made the arrangements and left, giving him no chance to refuse.
Tan Muxing watched He Shichen leave, and by now, he had figured out a common trait among the He family.
They liked to assign impossible tasks right away, without ever teaching you how to do them, all while calling it nurturing all-around growth. Whether it was Chu Qianli or He Shichen, they were both like this.
Low emotional intelligence: “I can’t do this, so you should.”
High emotional intelligence: “I’ll help you find your life’s value, set goals to inspire you to think and grow, so that you can deal with crises in the long run.”
