Chu Qianli’s credentials were genuine, and what she said was true, yet her words left plenty to interpretation. It was as if she conveyed something while simultaneously leaving things unsaid, creating an air of mystery where everything seemed to be implied without being explicitly stated.
Shi Tuyi observed her composed demeanor and polite attitude, finding it hard to gauge her depth. Most people tend to flaunt what they lack, while true experts often maintain an understated and reserved approach.
Having glimpsed her name on the credentials earlier, Shi Tuyi hesitated before asking, “Master Mei, is this Teacher Chu… or rather, Chu-laoshi?”
“Mm.” Mei Rujing naturally knew the origin of Chu Qianli’s credentials but wasn’t about to elaborate. After all, Chu Qianli hadn’t lied; her words were impeccable, leaving no room for doubt.
Shi Tuyi quickly responded, “Alright, alright, let’s sit down and talk. Please, all three of you, take a seat!”
Chu Qianli casually handed the Sanqing Bell to Tan Muxing, who carefully stored it in his bag. Quietly following behind her the whole time, he really did seem like a staff member accompanying a superior.
Chu Qianli smiled. “Don’t mind us. You can discuss your matters; we won’t interfere.”
Mei Rujing, still upset from her earlier spat, sat down reluctantly with her face darkened, doing her best to suppress her irritation.
Shi Tuyi, wary of provoking her again, quickly took a seat beside Chu Qianli with a mix of anxiety and respect. “Ah, Teacher Chu, you’re too modest! It’s no bother at all. In fact, we urgently need your help…”
“Did Master Mei already mention the situation to you?” Shi Tuyi cautiously glanced at Mei Rujing for confirmation.
Seated on one side of the long table, Mei Rujing found herself directly across from the relatives of the client she had argued with earlier. Feeling too irritated to deal with them, she turned her head away in annoyance.
Chu Qianli stepped in to ease the tension. “She did mention a little—two divinations in a row, right?”
Shi Tuyi quickly nodded. “Yes, yes, exactly. Allow me to start from the beginning. I have a young son who’s been living in another city. Normally, we have a nanny at home to take care of him, but a few days ago, he suddenly ran away without saying a word. We were all extremely worried…”
“Mm-hmm, take your time. Don’t worry,” Chu Qianli replied casually, half-listening while letting her gaze wander to observe the expressions and seating arrangements of those present.
Chu Qianli and Shi Tuyi sat at the main seats of the long table. On one side sat the client’s relatives—a mix of men and women. The other side of the table was almost empty, save for Tan Muxing and Mei Rujing. The sparse seating arrangement created an unsettling atmosphere.
“At first, we reported it to the police and even sought help from the local TV station. Later, we invited Master Mei to assist. During the first divination, we almost found him—the surveillance cameras even captured his silhouette. By all accounts, that should have been the end of it…” Shi Tuyi sighed helplessly. “But somehow, the trail abruptly went cold mid-search, and we couldn’t find him anymore. That’s why we asked Master Mei to conduct a second divination.”
“The position of the second divination was even more off-track, mostly in places without surveillance cameras. We did find some traces, but still couldn’t locate the person. Everyone was really anxious that night, and Master Mei also felt a bit wronged,” Shi Tuyi cautiously glanced at the cold-faced Mei Rujing.
Last night, everyone had argued in the meeting room. The relatives felt that the information provided by Mei Rujing was delayed, while Mei Rujing believed the problem was with their lack of action locally.
Mei Rujing, clearly frustrated, replied, “We agreed that I would provide you with the location, but I never said I was going to search for the person on-site.”
Shi Tuyi nodded hastily. “Yes, yes, you’re right, but the plan changed unexpectedly. If possible, would you please make another trip? I can offer more money if needed…”
Mei Rujing interrupted, “It’s not about the money.”
A man sitting by the long table expressed his dissatisfaction, “What difference will it make if you make a trip? You’re always a step behind!”
“Master Mei, my brother has done everything he can. He hasn’t made things difficult for you with money, so please, just help us out,” said a woman sitting nearby, her tone sarcastic.
Mei Rujing immediately turned cold.
The conflict suddenly escalated, and the situation seemed on the verge of getting worse!
As a peacemaker, Chu Qianli noticed the rising tension and quickly intervened, “Mr. Shi, may I ask who these people are?”
“Family members. They’re all family. They’re just anxious,” Shi Tuyi responded politely, then furrowed his brows. “Alright, let’s not say any more. Everyone, please calm down!”
Aside from Shi Tuyi, Chu Qianli looked around at the group of people by the long table and noticed three individuals stood out in terms of status. Among them were the man and woman who had just clashed with Mei Rujing. Their relationship with Mei Rujing was particularly strained. The man was Shi Tuyi’s brother-in-law, named Fang Qiu, and the woman was Shi Tuyi’s sister, named Shi Xiaohong.
Next to this couple sat a man who was reportedly Shi Tuyi’s younger brother, named Shi Zhuoqu. He mostly stayed quiet and only responded to Shi Tuyi.
These three had the closest ties to Shi Tuyi and sat at the most prominent positions in the room, with everyone else circling around them.
“Mr. Shi, I haven’t had the chance to ask—what’s your full name?” Chu Qianli asked politely. “Sorry, it’s a bit of a professional habit of mine to ask for people’s names.”
“Oh, oh, oh, let me write it down for you,” Shi Tuyi replied, quickly grabbing a piece of paper and preparing to write. “But didn’t Master Mei ask for this information? She always proceeds with the divination directly.”
Chu Qianli casually replied, “Well, our methods are a bit different. She mainly predicts events using Meihua Xin Yi, giving clear and straightforward results, while I focus on destiny—Zi Wei Dou Shu. I delve more into the person’s own path in life.”
Shi Tuyi seemed to somewhat understand but was still unsure: “I see. So, did your calculations turn out differently?”
After reading Shi Tuyi’s name, Chu Qianli replied in a calm and pleasant tone, “Mr. Shi, to be fair, Master Mei’s divination result was fine. What I calculated wasn’t just the child’s location either. Recalculating the location now doesn’t make sense.”
Shi Tuyi’s expression changed dramatically: “What do you mean by that!?”
Shi Xiaohong anxiously said, “Does this mean… Qinqing has already…?”
Chu Qianli reassured, “No, no, no, the child is still fine. But if you insist on not looking for them, the final outcome might not be so good.”
Shi Tuyi was visibly shocked: “Teacher Chu, we are looking for them! We’ve been searching like mad!”
Chu Qianli smiled lightly, “Mr. Shi, it seems you want to find them, but saying ‘you all want to find them’ isn’t quite accurate.”
Shi Tuyi froze.
Chu Qianli continued, “I think this: If you truly want to find the child, Master Mei should help you calculate another divination. But if you’re not really interested, we can just conclude the previous two divinations. There’s no need to fly out of town specifically.” She sighed. “If you don’t want to search, then let the local police off the hook. Don’t drag them around. They have their own important work to focus on.”
Shi Tuyi’s pupils contracted: “What do you mean by that…?”
“Mr. Shi, you should know where I work…” Chu Qianli smiled while her words grew sharper. “It’s just that I’m here today accompanying a friend. To be blunt, if this were a normal situation, wasting police resources without cause, that’s a serious issue!”
Shi Tuyi still didn’t fully understand Chu Qianli’s position or the institution she was with, but now, feeling overwhelmed by her words, he quickly responded, “We didn’t report a false alarm!”
Chu Qianli calmly corrected him: “You didn’t report a false alarm, but it seems like you’ve been wasting everyone’s time.”
Upon hearing this, Shi Tuyi finally understood what she meant. After a moment of thought, he looked around at the people in the room. Then, he stood up first and suggested, “Masters, please follow me. Let’s go to the next room to talk.”
Shi Xiaohong was alarmed: “What does this mean, brother? Do we not get to hear this?”
Fang Qiu said, “We’re all worried about Qinqing’s whereabouts!”
Shi Tuyi gestured for them to remain calm: “You stay in contact with them over there. I’ll be back shortly.” He then addressed his brother: “Zhuoqu, check with the police about the current progress.”
Shi Zhuoqu replied, “Okay.”
Shi Tuyi led the three of them out of the room, this time not inviting anyone else. Mei Rujing, who had already grown tired of dealing with Shi Xiaohong and Fang Qiu, got up without saying a word and followed him.
The others watched as they left the meeting room.
Shi Xiaohong grumbled, “It’s probably that Master Mei has raised her prices again. Big brother is really something. We’re family, so why not just tell that person what’s going on? If you were going to say it, you should have said it earlier!”
The missing Qinqing was an illegitimate child, and there was another one in Shi Tuyi’s family as well. Therefore, the information about this couldn’t be leaked to anyone outside the family.
Fang Qiu commented, “But those who came with them today don’t seem simple. Their office building is apparently nearby…”
Shi Zhuoqu stood up: “I’ll go call the police and update them.”
He stepped out into a quiet corner and confirmed that no one was around before making a call.
“The situation has changed. Mei Rujing has brought her friends; they’re also experts in this field. They probably won’t be going over there.”
“She has friends? In the capital, it’s all controlled by the Qianmen, and she’s not familiar with the people from Qianshan. Where would her friends come from?”
“I’m not sure. She’s been working for a while and seems to have a significant background,” Shi Zhuoqu added. “Seems like she doesn’t do divination publicly but stays closer to the situation.”
“…That’s not easy to investigate, but these things are always full of hidden experts, many of whom aren’t even known by name.” The person on the other end sighed. “I was hoping to see how powerful the Mei family’s divination was, but it looks like I won’t get the chance this time. You’d better stay out of it. Let them handle their own situation.”
Shi Zhuoqu hung up after acknowledging the message. His original task was to lead Mei Rujing out of town, but with the plan now changing, he knew he should withdraw.
In the adjacent room, Shi Tuyi led the three of them to their seats and hurriedly said, “Masters, it’s just us now. Feel free to speak your mind.”
Chu Qianli smiled and said, “Mr. Shi, Master Mei has professional ethics and doesn’t like to inquire into the personal matters of her clients. But since I study people, may I ask—who exactly is the missing child to you?”
Shi Tuyi awkwardly replied, “It’s actually my youngest son.”
Mei Rujing coldly added, “He’s Mr. Shi’s son from an affair.”
Mei Rujing already knew the troublesome details of the Shi family. It was just the illegitimate son of a wealthy businessman, hidden away outside because they were too embarrassed to bring him into the family. She only cared about making money and didn’t bother with the messy drama.
Chu Qianli appeared puzzled: “But just now, when I divined, the child seemed to be linked to Mr. Fang. Could it be that the child is Mr. Shi and Mr. Fang’s?”
Chu Qianli had just performed a divination in the meeting room, using the seating arrangement of the group. Surprisingly, she found that Fang Qiu was also connected to the child.
Mei Rujing, who typically never inquired into people’s relationships, was now shocked: “What do you mean by that? They’re both men. How could they have a child!?”
Chu Qianli responded in confusion, “I’m just as confused. According to the divination, it seems that Mr. Fang is also the father of the child.”
Both Mei Rujing and Tan Muxing looked at Shi Tuyi with subtle expressions, their eyes full of suspicion. They both felt as if there was a “green cloud” looming over his head. Their faces seemed to convey “This lifestyle is indeed quite complex.” For a moment, they didn’t know what to say.
Shi Tuyi, feeling the weight of their gazes, flushed with embarrassment. He awkwardly defended himself, “No, no, no, it’s not what you think, Masters!”
Shi Tuyi, though ashamed to explain the family’s scandal, knew this was a matter of life and death. Reluctantly, he admitted his moral flaws: “Teacher Chu wasn’t wrong. Qinqing is currently registered under Mr. Fang’s family. He is legally the father…”
“But hardly anyone knows about this. How did you even manage to figure that out!” Shi Tuyi exclaimed, his fear evident. Mei Rujing only predicted events, but Chu Qianli studied people—naturally, the latter was much more intimidating.
Chu Qianli said politely, “Yes, indeed. We have no intention of commenting on Mr. Shi’s personal life, but if you truly want to find the person, it would be helpful if you could clarify the details, including the child’s specific situation. Mainly, we’re not familiar with your family’s way of measuring. Usually, there are multiple fathers and mothers involved, so it would be necessary to first unify the family members’ measuring units internally.”
