TGA Chapter 38

Chu Qianli was scared off by Qi Yan. Although she had figured out Qi Yan’s star chart, she still wasn’t adept at dealing with her, so she quickly made an excuse to slip back home.

Qi Yan didn’t tease Chu Qianli anymore, arranged a vehicle for her return, and within a couple of days, sent the Tarot painting and the pearl-embedded celestial globe to her.

At the He family’s villa, Yu Shen stared at the golden celestial globe in their home, puzzled, and asked, “Shichen, do you know where Qianli got the money to buy these?”

He Shichen, facing his mother’s inquiry, didn’t want to mention the divination, and his scalp tingled. He vaguely answered, “…Some of the money was from me.”

Yu Shen nodded in understanding: “Then make sure to be more careful this year, don’t buy anything else. We can’t fit more things at home.”

He Shichen muttered, “…Telling me this probably won’t make a difference.”

“Wasn’t it your money?” Yu Shen gave him a surprised look. “Are you really planning on buying a big courtyard house? Otherwise, how will we fit so many things?”

He Shichen: “?”

In the bedroom on the second floor, Chu Qianli tore open the tightly packed wrapping and, as expected, saw the Tarot painting she had been longing for. She tossed aside the shock-absorbing materials, then began the laborious task of unframing it. After much effort, she finally removed the original painting.

The back of the Tarot painting also glimmered, covered in exquisite, beautiful dark patterns. When illuminated under strong light, there was a faint red crystal sparkle. The twenty-two Major Arcana cards formed a vast starry sky, tightly stitched together without any visible gaps.

Chu Qianli, determined and ruthless, began to break the painting apart. She heard a crisp, delicate sound as the starry sky painting shattered into neatly ordered, uniformly sized Tarot cards. She carefully examined the card faces, and they were flawless, with no frayed edges.

Chu Qianli loved the new deck so much, and couldn’t wait to try it out, but then hesitated.

This deck only had the twenty-two Major Arcana cards. Should she use the cards she had to do a reading, or should she find a set of Minor Arcana to complete the deck?

Chu Qianli decided to try all the methods. She hadn’t fully studied the images on the cards yet and needed more time to familiarize herself with the new tool.

The crescent moon rose, and the night deepened. Outside the window, the villa area was quiet.

On the desk, the colorful Tarot cards were scattered messily, and Chu Qianli was frantically examining the cards while scribbling her thoughts in a notebook. She had already glanced over the images on each card, but there were still many details she couldn’t understand. Since the deck didn’t come with an instruction booklet, she could only rely on her own deductions.

“Who exactly is Lyle Gadbury…” Chu Qianli complained, “Even if this teacher used a pseudonym for the artwork, they should still convey some information in the cards. Otherwise, how would a child learn?”

Many astrologers in the past, fearing that their prophecies might lead to their deaths, left behind ambiguous and difficult-to-decipher images and texts to avoid being caught. In history, an astrologer once predicted the Great Fire of London and was arrested after the fire, with people suspecting that he was the arsonist.

Chu Qianli understood the caution of her predecessors, but she felt like an underground intelligence worker, struggling to crack a code. She could only gather fragmentary information.

When she first learned astrology, she couldn’t even form sentences, but now with this deck, she felt like a beginner again.

The common Tarot systems available on the market were the Marseille, Waite, and Thoth decks. This deck was from the eighteenth century, possibly predating some of these systems.

Each Tarot system is closely linked to its founder, and since Chu Qianli didn’t know anything about Lyle Gadbury’s life, she couldn’t interpret the meanings of many of the cards accurately.

She picked up a piece of paper with several clues written on it, followed by some uncertain question marks.

Red stone? Starry sky in the village? Grandfather? North, South, East, West? Seven?

Divination often describes characteristics but doesn’t provide specific names, so these were the associations she could make.

Should she take a break and return to the village to take a look?

Chu Qianli ran her fingers over the Tarot cards and decided to name them the “Crimson Crystal Tarot,” as the card faces were covered with subtle red glitter, and the red stone was often mentioned in the readings. She didn’t know the material of the cards, but despite being an antique, the quality was surprisingly durable, and the feel was superior to many new decks.

The next day, Chu Qianli, wearing her school uniform and carrying her bag, stood drowsily by the car, unwilling to get in.

She yawned and rubbed her eyes, saying, “Brother, you can go ahead. I’m not taking the car today.”

He Shichen frowned and impatiently asked, “What are you up to this time?”

“I’ve been avoiding four-wheelers lately, I think it’s better not to take the car.”

“Are you also planning to avoid the classroom, thinking it’s better not to go to school?”

“Ah, how did you know? Though the stars didn’t mention it, that’s what I was thinking in my heart.”

“…Get in the car immediately! If you keep dawdling, we’ll be late!”

Chu Qianli refused to get in the car, even after being urged for a long time, which drove He Shichen to the edge of frustration. The two of them, like a hawk chasing a chick, circled around the car a few times, leaving the driver quite helpless.

He Shichen felt embarrassed to be chasing her in front of others and angrily said, “How are you going to get to school if you don’t take the car?”

Chu Qianli pushed her bicycle out of the small yard, elegantly hopped on, and slowly began to ride away. She waved casually and said, “Haven’t you city folk seen a two-wheeler before? Before cars were invented, did humanity not exist?”

He Shichen saw her holding the handlebars with one hand and waving the other in the air. His fists clenched, and he said in a stern voice, “Don’t ride with one hand!!”

Chu Qianli rode to school, barely making it on time. Once she entered the classroom, she collapsed on her desk.

Tan Muxing noticed her heavy dark circles and asked with concern, “You don’t look well today.”

“I stayed up late studying things yesterday, and then had to ride my bike here this morning. I’m so tired.”

“Why suddenly decide to ride a bike?”

“To save energy and reduce emissions, it’s everyone’s responsibility.”

Tan Muxing was slightly reassured. Since she still had the energy to joke, there didn’t seem to be anything seriously wrong.

Time passed quickly, and the school year was nearing the end. Not only were there exams to prepare for, but they also had to organize a school party. He Shichen, Qi Yan, and other student council members were busy with preparations. They weren’t required to perform on stage but were mainly responsible for executing the event’s logistics.

Each class also had to prepare a group performance. Chu Qianli’s class decided to put on a play. The main roles would go to the most active students, while those less interested could take smaller roles with fewer lines.

During the class meeting, Ruan Ya and others were assigning roles, and Qiu Qingkong came over to chat with Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing.

While refreshing her Magic Card Girl Squad data, Qiu Qingkong asked, “Teacher, when are we filming the video? It’s been so long since we updated.”

Chu Qianli hid behind her book to avoid answering. She looked like an ostrich burying her head in the sand and lamented, “I can’t hear, I can’t hear, little Ke is chanting!”

Tan Muxing quietly reminded, “The finals are coming, reviewing is more important. Let’s film after the exams.”

Chu Qianli, more pained, whined, “I can’t hear, I can’t hear, Zhishi is chanting!”

Qiu Qingkong eagerly suggested, “We can choose between filming the video and reviewing! You must have a decision right away!”

Chu Qianli calmly closed her eyes, tilted her head, and pretended to “die,” saying, “Don’t disturb the deceased, bring me milk tea when you burn incense.”

Tan Muxing: “…”

Tan Muxing glanced at his phone calendar, thought deeply for a while, and cautiously asked, “Is He Shichen’s birthday next month?”

“Should be, but his contact list doesn’t have the date, it only lists the month,” Qiu Qingkong answered instinctively, then suddenly understood Tan Muxing’s intentions and exclaimed, “Teacher, when is your birthday?”

Qiu Qingkong had been confused when Tan Muxing brought it up, but now she realized he wasn’t asking about He Shichen.

All the classmates had filled out their contact lists, but Chu Qianli, who transferred to the school, hadn’t had her information recorded.

Chu Qianli froze for a moment, “Ah, I forgot…”

Qiu Qingkong, dissatisfied, said, “No way, are you fooling a child? You know how to correct birth times!”

Chu Qianli nodded calmly, “I’m not fooling a child, I’m fooling little Ke.”

Tan Muxing had long noticed that she never mentioned her birthday and gently said, “If we don’t know your birthday, we won’t be able to wish you a happy birthday.”

Chu Qianli scratched her head, “Actually, it doesn’t matter if you wish me or not, there’s nothing to be happy about. I only celebrated birthdays when I was a kid. I’ve never heard of adults still caring about their birthdays. You just get older after one, and sometimes you don’t even want to celebrate.”

Tan Muxing was quite puzzled. He had expected Chu Qianli to demand a cake and presents, perhaps making some ridiculous requests, which would be the behavior of a mischievous child, but he never imagined she had no plans to celebrate at all.

She usually thrived on a little attention, but now she was acting unusually.

Qiu Qingkong exclaimed, “You’re just as cold as He Shichen? He doesn’t want anyone to wish him happy birthday or give him gifts, so he didn’t write the date, only the month, in his contact list.”

“Many girls from other classes asked me to find out when his birthday is. If he had written the exact date, I bet his desk would have been overflowing with gifts on that day.”

“Is it really that extreme!?” Chu Qianli widened her eyes in surprise, then suddenly realized, “Right, who would dislike a money-making machine?”

Qiu Qingkong: “Are you afraid of receiving gifts too?”

Chu Qianli shook her head, “No, I want the gifts, I just don’t want to celebrate my birthday.”

Tan Muxing said, “But if you don’t celebrate your birthday, we don’t have an excuse to give you gifts?”

Chu Qianli hesitated for a long time, then succumbed to the temptation of gifts. She secretly whispered her birthday and added, “Actually, I don’t have a habit of celebrating birthdays.”

Qiu Qingkong said, “Life needs a bit of ritual!”

Tan Muxing smiled, “We can start the habit of celebrating your birthday from now on.”

Chu Qianli remained silent.

At that moment, class leader Ruan Ya walked to the back of the classroom and asked for their opinions, “I called you earlier, but you didn’t hear me. Qiu Qingkong’s role has been decided. Do you both want the minor roles with fewer lines?”

Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing were planning to slack off in the play. They just wanted to take on roles that would quickly exit the stage.

Chu Qianli nodded, “Is there a role with no lines?”

Ruan Ya answered, “There’s a general and a strategist, both with minimal stage time. I think you should play the strategist, and Tan Muxing can play the general. You probably can’t pull off the general’s outfit, but the strategist’s suit should suit you better.”

Chu Qianli decisively said, “Alright, let’s go with that!”

Tan Muxing froze, his face filled with hesitation. He awkwardly asked, “Are there any other roles? I might not be able to… play the general…”

Ruan Ya said, “The script is in the group, and all the other roles have lines. Why don’t you pick one now?”

Tan Muxing was troubled. He lowered his head and scrolled through the script on his phone but couldn’t find a suitable role.

Chu Qianli, curious, asked, “Why don’t you want to play the general? You’re quite suited for it!”

Chu Qianli mistakenly thought that Tan Muxing was experiencing a bout of self-doubt. She felt that there was no problem with her deskmate playing the general.

Tan Muxing, receiving her encouragement, reluctantly accepted the role, his feelings mixed.

Chu Qianli followed Ruan Ya to the podium, where she wrote down their names on the cast list. The strategist and the general didn’t even have character names, they were just standard extras.

“…Because the general kills people,” Tan Muxing said quietly as he watched her skip away, his voice barely audible, like a passing breeze.

The combined pressure of the school party and the final exams left the students exceptionally busy. Even He Shichen didn’t have time to worry about Chu Qianli riding her bike to and from school. Chu Qianli insisted on biking to school, refusing to ride a four-wheeled vehicle. Eventually, Tan Muxing began to accompany her on her bike rides home.

The two became one of the few cyclists at school. Occasionally, they would stop on the side of the road to buy something to eat, and after reaching the intersection, they would wave goodbye.

Chu Qianli said she wouldn’t be biking all the time, it was just that she couldn’t take a car for this period.

Tan Muxing had no objection. He went along with her wishes. At first, everything was calm, but recently he had started to feel something was off.

At the intersection, the two stopped in the bustling crowd and chatted casually while waiting for the traffic lights to change.

Tan Muxing, riding on his bike, couldn’t help but look back, hesitating before asking, “Are you in a hurry to go home? Do you want to take a ride by the river?”

Chu Qianli replied, “I’m not in a hurry, I’ll have to do homework once I get home. Do you want to go for a ride?”

“No, it’s just that I keep feeling like someone is following us,” Tan Muxing said, his expression uncomfortable, furrowing his brows. “I don’t know, it just feels strange.”

Tan Muxing had been sent to a training camp by his family to lose weight, but his weight didn’t change. However, he developed an inexplicable sense of crisis.

“Psychological effect?” Chu Qianli said casually. She glanced at the traffic lights, then suggested, “Hey, let’s race to see who gets to the river first!”

“Don’t ride so fast.” Tan Muxing reminded her as he tried to keep up with her.

On the road, a taxi was slowly driving by, and inside it sat Liu Kaijia

Seeing the cyclists disappear from sight, Kaijia hurriedly asked, “Driver, can you turn around?”

The driver spoke with a fluent Beijing accent, sounding impatient, “No, where exactly are you going? That road by the river is a one-way street. Just give me a straight answer, alright?”

“We’ll detour a bit…”

“Detour where? I’ve never seen anyone take a cab like this. I’m telling you, even Didi doesn’t allow changes to the route! Don’t mess with me!”

Liu Kaijia, already irritable, was even more upset after the driver’s words. In the end, during their argument, they pulled over to get out of the car, cursing, “Tch! Taxi drivers at the Imperial City are so arrogant, they’re like fortune tellers with big shots!”

By the time Liu Kaijia reached the river, there was no sign of the cyclists, and they had missed them.

At the banquet for Qi Yan’s birthday, Liu Kaijia had been kicked by a young girl. He turned to tell his master about the mysterious person who could see the purple micro (a form of astrology), but his master had asked him to stay in the capital for two more days. He didn’t know the girl’s name, nor did he know her background, but he remembered only “Internet.”

He had managed to find out the school Qi Yan attended, hoping to stake out Chu Qianli’s whereabouts. However, he never expected her to be riding a bicycle, so now even the license plate number was unattainable.

Liu Kaijia was a fortune teller, not a paparazzi or a private investigator, so he could only call his master.

As soon as the call was connected, before Liu Kaijia could say anything, the elder on the other end of the line immediately asked, “Have you seen Chu Yilie? He’s hiding in the capital now.”

Liu Kaijia, usually arrogant in front of others, was now speaking in a meek tone to his master, stammering, “No, Master, not yet, I only know the name of the girl’s school now. I don’t even know her name, and I haven’t found the person you mentioned…”

The elder was greatly displeased and said coldly, “Then why are you calling me? What are you stalling for over there?”

“The thing is…”

“The thing is what? I can’t believe you’re one of my direct disciples, and you don’t know how to calculate. Do you think I taught you astrology just to count stars!?” The elder shouted angrily, “Forget it, I can’t rely on you. Come back now, I’ll find the person myself!”

With that, the elder hung up decisively, not even giving Liu Kai’s family a chance to explain.

Liu Kaijia held the phone, feeling wronged, unsure where to vent his frustrations. He complained, “It’s like they don’t know how to calculate, but the logic is all wrong…”

Liu Kaijia felt his master hadn’t understood the cause and effect, and his anger felt completely irrational.

What does “you don’t know how to calculate” mean?

He simply couldn’t out-calculate Chu Qianli, which is why his master now knew of her existence. If he had been able to out-calculate her, none of this would have happened!

This logic was as jumbled as some companies that hire people.

Question: You don’t have work experience, why don’t you find a job?

Answer: I am looking for a job right now.

Question: You’re looking for a job with no experience, so how do you look for a job?

Answer: ?

Liu Kaijia felt lost and helpless, not knowing where to go or what to do on the streets of the capital.