The situation in the room suddenly changed. The two had originally agreed to guess the guests, but when Qi Chengliang called out Liu Kaijia’s name, it turned into Chu Qianli guessing her opponent’s situation.
Qi Chengliang noticed that Liu Kaijia was motionless. He quickly pushed past the people nearby and slapped Liu Kaijia on the shoulder, trying to bring him back to his senses.
Liu Kaijia stared at Chu Qianli in shock, his mind clearly not on guessing the guest’s situation anymore.
Chu Qianli tilted her head in thought, muttering to herself: “Liu Kaijia, Liu Kaijia, judging by your expression, it really seems like you have Wu Qu sitting in your destiny. The second character in your name should represent your family, and you must be born in 1988, right? You’re in your thirties, but you look like a master!”
Qi Yan commented, “You should just say he looks older.”
Chu Qianli replied, “Oh, I wish I looked older, then people would believe me more easily.”
Liu Kaijia, dressed in a Zhongshan suit and sporting a rugged look with a beard, looked at first glance like he was in his forties or fifties. When his age was exposed, he panicked and said, “Impossible, you’re tricking me! Even if it’s Zi Wei, there’s no way it could be calculated like this!”
Liu Kaijia, who studied Zi Wei Dou Shu, knew better than anyone the strengths and weaknesses of this divination system. The most powerful person he had encountered was his own master.
Others might name themselves based on their destiny, but Chu Qianli was deducing the destiny from the name itself. This reverse deduction seemed ridiculous to him!
“Divination systems develop just like math. Addition makes sense, but you wouldn’t understand multiplication?” Chu Qianli said calmly. “However, sects that are content to stick with their own methods generally don’t make much progress.”
In ancient times, Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology) was considered the study of emperors, and only the royal family or appointed officials were allowed to study it. Naturally, it wasn’t as widely passed down as the Four Pillars of Destiny (Ba Zi), which became more common. This led to fewer schools of Zi Wei Dou Shu, but also resulted in slower development, making it difficult to keep up with the times.
The Four Pillars of Destiny, on the other hand, was widely used among the common people, to the extent that even laypeople knew what “Ba Zi” meant, and it interacted with other forms of divination like the Six Lines (Liucai) and Mei Hua Yi Shu. As a result, many people studied it.
Chu Qianli laughed and said, “After studying astrology and Zi Wei, I actually figured out a few tricks. Otherwise, let’s have a guess about the master’s situation, and you can listen and see if I’m fooling you.”
“You were born in winter, right? In January, with Wu Qu sitting at your fate? Let me think about your birth hour… it should be…”
Liu Kaijia panicked and said, “Enough!”
Chu Qianli immediately stopped, acting obediently. “Alright, alright, no more playing. This story teaches us not to tell our names to strangers.”
If it were any other practitioner of divination, Chu Qianli would have no way of deducing anything from just a name. Unfortunately, Zi Wei practitioners tend to spend a lot of effort on naming, which sets them apart from other schools.
Qi Chengliang noticed that Master Liu was backing down and hurriedly urged, “Liu Kaijia, argue back! Show her what else you know!”
Liu Kaijia, furious, shouted, “Don’t call me by my name!”
His biggest mistake was revealing his real name to Qi Chengliang.
The confrontation between the two abruptly stopped. Others immediately noticed Chu Qianli’s abilities and eagerly said, “Master, can you tell me my fortune too? Can you tell me something about my name?”
“Ah, no, no, I wasn’t referring to Master Liu, I meant the master over here…”
“Little Master, my granddaughter was just born, and we’re picking a name for her. What kind of name would be good?”
“Isn’t naming important when starting a business?”
Suddenly, everyone crowded around, asking for help with names, all eager to have Chu Qianli help them figure it out.
They didn’t have real problems to solve; they just marveled at how accurately Master Liu was playing his divination game. But names are something everyone relates to, and it seemed like something anyone could use.
A large crowd gathered, making the scene somewhat chaotic.
Chu Qianli was startled, shrinking behind Qi Yan, but then realized he wasn’t tall enough to serve as a shield.
Grandpa Qi hurriedly tried to maintain order, shouting, “Chengliang, you handle everyone first. We’ll go to the back and rest for a bit!”
“Everyone, take a seat for a while. I’m old, my body can’t handle it. I’ll go eat some medicine in the back, and I’ll be back soon.”
Qi Chengliang was still arguing with Master Liu, and neither side seemed to notice.
Qi Yan helped Grandpa Qi up and led Chu Qianli away.
The three of them walked to a small room at the back of the main guest hall, finally escaping the noise of the crowd, taking a deep breath of relief.
Grandpa Qi looked at Chu Qianli, then at Qi Yan, and sighed, “Yan Yan, I know you don’t like your second uncle. You’re tougher than your father, but we are still family.”
When Qi Chengliang brought Master Liu, Qi Yan brought Chu Qianli; it really felt like they were in a competition.
Qi Yan calmly replied, “Grandpa, if others take me as family, I will do the same. But some people are just born without the concept of family.”
Grandpa Qi was silent for a moment, then said helplessly, “Sigh, everything rises and falls, good times end, and bad times come to an end. It’s the natural order of things. After I’m gone, you two can do whatever you like.”
Qi Yan felt a pang in her heart hearing this, but didn’t know how to respond.
Chu Qianli hurriedly said, “Pah, pah, pah, Grandpa Qi, don’t talk like that before your birthday.”
Grandpa Qi laughed. “I’ve lived a full life, seen everything, and let go of many things. I know the way kids live their lives. If I try to teach them, it just annoys people.”
“Yan Yan, you’re a determined child. I know you hate many things your second uncle says, but to me, you’re just like Dongqing and Xixi. In our family, no one says girls can’t run a business.” Grandpa Qi reminisced, “Your grandmother used to be a landlord’s daughter, but she still went out to join the revolution, or I wouldn’t have met her.”
“Family is still family. You can argue and break up, but don’t make it too final. Don’t go too far.” Grandpa Qi said seriously. “He is still your father’s brother after all.”
Chu Qianli thought about how Qi Yan had once considered running her car into Qi Chengliang, and she felt Grandpa Qi’s advice was not without reason.
Qi Yan lowered her head and said, “I know.”
Grandpa Qi continued, “And after I’m gone, you need to take care of your third aunt and Xixi. You know the situation with your third uncle. Didn’t Chengliang bring the master this time because of Li Yang? Even if he wants to flatter me, he’s still hoping for Li Yang’s improvement…”
Qi Yan felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if hearing someone speak of a final arrangement. She suppressed her emotions and said in a muffled voice, “Grandpa.”
Grandpa Qi remained calm. “Actually, Daoist Xu Qian told me about Li Yang’s situation. I know some things can’t be changed, but he is still my son. His condition has worsened suddenly in the past two years, and I still hope for a chance to try again.”
Qi Li Yang has always had poor health, needing to rest and recuperate. Even doctors couldn’t help, and looking for a master wouldn’t change anything.
Daoist Xu Qian could only provide some health methods, teaching Qi Li Yang how to calm his mind and avoid anger. His condition had stabilized for a while, but in recent years, for some unknown reason, it had worsened.
Chu Qianli quietly listened. She blinked and suddenly asked, “Grandpa Qi, what is your third uncle’s name? Do you know his birth date?”
Grandpa Qi was stunned. “Qi Li Yang. I’ll write it down for you, and I’ll tell you his birth date too.”
Grandpa Qi took a pen and wrote the three characters “Qi Li Yang” with strong, vigorous strokes.
Chu Qianli used Qi Li Yang’s birth date to cast an oracle and immediately understood Grandpa Qi’s state of mind. Qi Li Yang’s health was indeed poor, and his lifespan was limited. This was the hardest problem in fate studies.
Chu Qianli asked, “You said his condition worsened in the past two years?”
“Yes, we had consulted a Daoist master before. At first, the methods worked well, but one day, they suddenly stopped being effective…”
“And what’s his son’s name?”
“Eh, this has something to do with Xixi, but when Xixi was just born, Li Yang’s condition was still very good.” Grandpa Qi was surprised, and he carefully wrote down on paper, “The child’s name is Qi Xixi.”
Chu Qianli looked at the name on the paper and asked for Xixi’s birth date. She then commented, “This name isn’t ideal. He has the Sun star sitting in his fate, and the name has ‘Xi’ in it. His father’s health is poor, and the name has ‘Yang’ in it. This could cause the child to take his father’s name and harm his father’s health.”
Grandpa Qi looked embarrassed. “Xixi’s name was chosen by Li Yang himself. He put a lot of thought into it back then.”
Chu Qianli said, “I suggest changing the child’s name. Since the father’s health is so weak, we should keep the ‘Yang’ character. The child should bear a more reserved name to help his father’s health. It’s a small sacrifice for the child, but it will benefit his father.”
Grandpa Qi woke up to the realization. “It seems like Li Yang’s health started deteriorating after the name was chosen, but there was nothing wrong when Xixi was just born?”
“It’s the name that’s the issue. The child is actually fine. After you change his name, and continue with health practices and doing good deeds, things should return to normal,” Chu Qianli added. “Of course, some of this might have been suggested by someone else, and Grandpa Qi probably knows about it.”
Chu Qianli and the others could only offer guidance; they couldn’t defy the natural laws.
Grandpa Qi laughed. “I understand, I understand. As long as things return to normal, I’ll have no regrets! I can leave in peace!”
Qi Yan said in a stiff voice, “Grandpa, please stop.”
Chu Qianli renamed Xixi to Qi Xiucun and reminded the family not to call him by the nickname “Xixi” anymore. The formal name should be used instead, but that doesn’t mean everything will change immediately just because the name on the documents is changed.
Chu Qianli added, “As the child grows, if he plays games like QQ, WeChat, or King of Glory, he should avoid using certain characters in his online name. Consider his father’s feelings.”
Grandpa Qi responded, “…This really is keeping up with the times.”
After finishing this task, Chu Qianli asked about the Tarot painting and quickly received a response from Grandpa Qi.
Grandpa Qi readily agreed, saying, “No problem, it’s just some family collections. I don’t know what the painting looks like, but once Chengliang has finished displaying them, you can pick whatever you like, take as many as you want.”
Chu Qianli didn’t expect Grandpa Qi to be so generous. Her eyes immediately lit up, and she stammered, “Then, then I’d like to get another small item, a Western armillary sphere with pearls embedded…”
“Sure.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Qi!” Chu Qianli quickly bowed, like a live-streamer thanking for a tip, and softly said, “Wishing you a long life like the Green Qi tree, with your walking stick forever steady, and your steps lasting through the years! May the moon and lotus bloom forever, and may you fish with a silk line that spans the days and months!”
Grandpa Qi laughed and shook his head. “Thank you, thank you. You really have a lot of fancy words, kid.”
Chu Qianli admitted, “I learned them from the village couplets.”
After taking care of the matters with Grandpa Qi, the two of them quietly slipped out through the small door, without returning to the main guest hall.
Qi Yan, after finishing her conversation with Grandpa Qi, felt a little down. She made an effort to adjust her expression, forcing a smile and saying, “Alright, the matter is resolved. I’ll call a car to send you back.”
Chu Qianli sighed. “I didn’t know you could feel like this too.”
In the original story, Qi Yan was always calm, decisive, and the one who took control, never showing moments of vulnerability. She was the standard template of a strong person, always keeping her emotions in check, never showing weakness. But in front of Grandpa Qi, she had shown a bit of a choked-up emotion.
Qi Yan replied, “Are you saying I don’t have a genuine heart?”
Chu Qianli mumbled, “You even had someone else do the divination…”
Qi Yan calmly reminded her, “The Tarot reading and the armillary sphere should be brought by me.”
Chu Qianli immediately changed her tone, excessively flattering, “Sister, you’re beautiful and kind-hearted, truly the most sincere person!”
Seeing how flustered Chu Qianli was, Qi Yan smiled. “But because I was born into such a family, people often say I don’t have a genuine heart. It’s normal for you to dislike me. No wonder you didn’t want to help me with the divination.”
Hearing Qi Yan’s self-mockery, Chu Qianli softly defended herself, “It’s not that I didn’t want to help you, it’s that you didn’t want me to help. Divination is all about trust, and you were already guarding against me from the start. Actually, you’re afraid that I’ll predict you accurately.”
“Having someone else do the divination means you won’t expose yourself. You’re just afraid that I’ll dissect you completely, and you’ll lose control,” Chu Qianli continued helplessly. “That’s why I’m afraid of dealing with people like you. You’re not here for simple divination; you’re trying to guess my thoughts as well.”
People like Qi Yan, who were strong and had good luck, were like ancient emperors, whose thoughts were far more complicated than one could imagine.
Qi Yan asked, “Why be afraid? You could see Liu Kaijia so clearly, so you probably have us all figured out too. We should be the ones afraid.”
“This is your misunderstanding. It’s because I’m weak. Even if I know a few things, one wrong move could lead to my downfall. So I have to avoid certain people and situations to protect myself.”
Qi Yan raised an eyebrow. “Including avoiding me?”
Chu Qianli nodded.
Qi Yan fell into thought. She had asked others to do the divination because she was afraid Chu Qianli would see through her. So, later when trying to befriend her, she never mentioned the divination. She didn’t want to reveal anything about herself, but didn’t realize that Chu Qianli was also afraid of her.
Both of them kept their distance, wary of being hurt by the other, which is why they would never get close.
After a long silence, Qi Yan took out a piece of paper and pen that Grandpa Qi had used to write. She wrote down the time and place, then showed it to Chu Qianli, teasing her, “Is this okay, the ‘weak’ you?”
Chu Qianli quickly scanned the birth date and immediately committed it to memory, almost starting to cast the horoscope right then and there.
Qi Yan only handed over the paper for a few seconds, before swiftly snatching it back, tearing it up, and putting the pieces into her pocket.
Chu Qianli anxiously said, “Sister, let me take another look! Two or three seconds and I’ll forget it!”
Qi Yan warned, “I know you remember it. Don’t tell anyone, including He Shichen.”
Chu Qianli nodded honestly and made a zipper gesture with her hand at her mouth, then whispered, “I’ll tell you a secret too, but you mustn’t get angry, okay?”
Qi Yan: “What secret?”
Chu Qianli lowered her head in guilt, carefully observing Qi Yan’s expression, and cautiously pointed at her fingers. “Actually, I secretly corrected your birth time before. Back then, I already knew your birth date and time. Hiding that information doesn’t help…”
Qi Yan was the female protagonist in the original story, and her major life events were very clear, so it was easy to deduce her birth details.
If Chu Qianli didn’t know what Qi Yan thought of her, how would she have had the courage to go to her house? Wouldn’t that be like asking for trouble?
Qi Yan was stunned when she heard this. However, she wasn’t angry. She relaxed and said, “Forget it. With your ability, it’s easy. You calculate your things, and I’ll give you my attitude.”
Chu Qianli praised her, “Sister, you’re so magnanimous! No wonder you’re someone who handles big matters!”
Qi Yan questioned, “Then why do you still say you’re weak? Didn’t you already see through me?”
Chu Qianli, feeling guilty, said, “Well… I’m used to playing the poor little thing at home. People tend to fall into their old habits…”
Qi Yan felt something was off. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why secretly calculate my birth details? Are you interested in me?”
Chu Qianli: “?” Of course, you’re the female protagonist, so I’m interested?
Qi Yan smiled faintly and asked, “What did you do with my birth details? Are you trying to compare our charts?”
Chu Qianli: “???”
Chu Qianli hurriedly waved her hands. “No, no, no, sister… I mean, Qi Yan, you misunderstood. I absolutely didn’t mean anything like that. I just had a bit of a compulsive urge to play around and compare a little!”
Seeing how flustered Chu Qianli was, Qi Yan continued to tease her, deliberately smiling. “Then why didn’t you compare with others? Why specifically me?”
“Little master, this is just human nature. Your divination can’t fool anyone.”
“……”
Chu Qianli, seeing Qi Yan smile at her, was in a complete panic. She slapped her own hand in frustration, wondering how she could have been so careless with her idle hands back then.
As expected, getting obsessed with divination didn’t end well. Her retribution had already arrived!
