Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 23

Divination

The next person to draw a card was Yu Liang.

Yu Liang was only twenty-three years old. He debuted as a trainee idol, but his career remained lukewarm until he shot to fame last year after starring in a BL drama, quickly joining the ranks of top-tier celebrities. He now held over a dozen endorsements and two dramas awaiting broadcast. Immediately after recording this variety show, he was scheduled to seamlessly transition to his next filming project.

Yu Liang had been sitting quietly since the beginning, carrying an air of maturity accumulated over years.

He didn’t rush to draw like Cai Zhiyang. Instead, he calmly tidied the deck, then steadily drew three cards. After placing them sequentially on the table, he flipped them over one by one.

First card: Ten of Pentacles, Upright.

Second card: The Empress, Upright.

Third card: Four of Wands, Upright.

As this set of cards was revealed, Cai Zhiyang next to him immediately gasped softly, “Wow, Yu Liang, your cards are incredibly stable. Happy family, a true winner in life!”

However, when Dong Qianqian behind the counter scanned the three cards, a fleeting look of understanding crossed her eyes. The fingers holding her pen paused for a barely perceptible second.

“Teacher Yu,” Dong Qianqian began, her voice deeper and slower than her previous interpretations. “Firstly, it is very clear that you possess an enviable, extremely stable material foundation and… a rooted home life.”

Her fingertip lightly brushed the full, abundant outline on The Empress card and the pomegranate pattern on the skirt, symbolizing fertility. “You yourself possess a powerful energy field, and you have forged deep connections, whether in the realm of visible achievements or in more core and private dimensions.”

Her gaze returned to the celebratory castle on the Four of Wands, then she pointed to the very center of the harmonious family scene on the Ten of Pentacles, deliberately using abstract, grand terminology.

“This harmony and completeness are built upon an extremely precise, complex, and multi-dimensional support structure. Maintaining it requires wisdom and patience far exceeding the average person.”

“Furthermore, the cards suggest that the surface is far from calm. Beneath the water, things are vast and complex, requiring meticulous upkeep. Otherwise… what is done cannot be undone.”

As soon as Dong Qianqian finished speaking, she immediately reached out, quickly gathered the three cards, stacked them, and returned them to the center of the deck. Her movement was decisive and firm, as if forcefully shutting a narrow door that offered a glimpse into secrets.

“Alright, thank you for the interpretation. It was very insightful.” Yu Liang’s voice was so steady it held no ripple, like a breeze passing over ice.

Cai Zhiyang was still confused. “What was all that about? I didn’t understand a single word.”

Dong Qianqian clearly didn’t want anyone to dwell on the previous three cards and urged, “Next, next.”

Jiang Zhou, being close by, was pushed forward.

He felt somewhat uneasy, his fingers unconsciously curling and relaxing.

Initially, he had only considered Dong Qianqian’s Tarot reading as a casual pastime, but after the first two rounds of interpretation, he vaguely realized she might genuinely be skilled.

He feared that the unspeakable thoughts deep within his heart would be ruthlessly exposed by the cards.

But now, with everyone’s eyes on him, there was nowhere to hide.

Jiang Zhou took a deep breath, extending his fair, slender, yet slightly trembling fingers. He cautiously drew two cards from the top of the deck and slowly flipped them over—

The cards revealed: The Lovers, Reversed, and Two of Cups.

The surroundings instantly fell silent, broken only by the faint crackle of the candle wick burning.

Dong Qianqian’s fingertip gently tapped the reversed Lovers card, her pad tracing the outlines of the figures on the card that seemed distorted by an invisible force.

“A very intense emotion is burning here, like subterranean fire buried beneath permafrost,” her soft voice carried a magical penetration, rippling through the silence. “You are not unaware of it; rather, you have chosen to… suppress and avoid it.”

She was right.

Jiang Zhou stiffened, motionless, as if even his breathing had stopped.

Dong Qianqian paused briefly, then slid her finger toward the Two of Cups, symbolizing connection and shared drinking.

“Two hearts could have echoed each other, but you seem to be… gazing up at an unattainable bright moon, only daring to feel its light from afar, fearing to disturb that light. Or perhaps, fearing that the light will scorch the secret within your heart.”

“The Two of Cups, which usually symbolizes mutual understanding, here seems more like the focus of your gaze. It’s as if…” She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice even further, “you are staring at the moon across a bottomless Milky Way, both longing for its brilliance and fearing to approach. Is that right?”

The moment the words “gazing up at an unattainable bright moon” fell, the temperature drained from Jiang Zhou’s body, and all color fled his face.

“I…” His mind was blank, and he was almost speechless.

“Damn! CEO Jiang! Is she talking about the person you had a crush on in college?” Cai Zhiyang’s words abruptly pulled Jiang Zhou back to reality.

“Yes,” Jiang Zhou managed a strained smile, tucking his hands into his jacket pockets, his fingertips digging deeply into his palms.

“It really is! CEO Jiang, you are truly devoted!”

“Who exactly is this person! To make CEO Jiang so unforgettable!”

“None of your business. It certainly won’t be you,” Zhang Qian interrupted Cai Zhiyang’s eager questioning in time.

“Why wouldn’t it be me?” Cai Zhiyang, realizing he had spoken too much, played along with Zhang Qian’s joke. “I am handsome and dignified. Maybe CEO Jiang fell in love with me at first sight and can’t get over it!”

“Dream on! Who here isn’t more handsome than you?”

Cai Zhiyang glanced at Shen Zhiyu and Yu Liang…

Then at Dong Qianqian and Hua Qian…

It seemed he was indeed overestimating himself.

Shen Zhiyu, sitting in the corner, cast a seemingly casual glance their way, his gaze suddenly sharp and cold before retracting.

Is that so?

Still unforgettable?

Shen Zhiyu recalled Yuan Chong’s appearance. Utterly unremarkable, not even as good-looking as Jiang Zhou himself. He wouldn’t look twice if Yuan Chong were thrown into a crowd.

Such a person could be held up as the bright moon by Jiang Zhou, secretly loved for years, only daring to gaze from afar?

It seemed Jiang Zhou’s eyesight wasn’t very good either.

Shen Zhiyu pressed his lips together, his thick eyelashes lowered, casting a shadow of near-malice on his lower eyelids. He put down the coffee that had long gone cold, his tall frame casting a highly oppressive shadow over the counter.

He drew two cards and casually flipped them over.

The Tower, Upright. A massive tower standing beneath a black sky, being struck by lightning and collapsing.

King of Swords, Upright. A monarch seated on a cold throne, holding a great sword, his eyes sharp and authoritative.

Dong Qianqian took a deep breath, her voice even more solemn than before. “Teacher Shen…”

She carefully chose her words. “The King of Swords signifies extraordinary intellect; controlling the overall situation is his instinct. But this absolute rationality and desire for control also construct an insurmountable barrier.”

She pointed to the lightning tearing the sky and the scattering bricks on The Tower card. “This Tower symbolizes a certain unshakable belief you may have held onto for a long time, or perhaps… a complete emotional closure? This is not weakness; on the contrary, it was once your powerful pillar. But now…”

Her words suddenly cut off, and her pupils widened slightly.

A card, neatly stacked on the side, slid out from the top of the deck without warning, slowly and decisively. It landed with a soft “tap” between The Tower and the King of Swords.

Wheel of Fortune, Upright!

The wheel spun, the lion, angel, eagle, and bull at the four corners symbolizing the forces that constitute the world, with the mysterious Sphinx at the center. It appeared so abruptly, carrying an undeniable decisiveness, as if breaking free from the constraints of time.

“Ah—” Gasps erupted in the small shop.

“A card fell out, what does that mean?” Cai Zhiyang leaned in again.

Dong Qianqian’s breathing quickened. Staring at the unexpectedly revealed Wheel of Fortune, her voice was tinged with excitement. “Fate is forcefully intervening.”

She pointed to the wheel. “These irresistible gears have begun to turn. No matter how solid your past defenses were, the storm of destiny has arrived, signaling that a profound transformation is inevitable. The old order will be reshaped, and everything buried beneath the ice and snow…”

Her voice was low and clear, like a prophecy. “Will, under this rotation, welcome the thaw of spring.”

“Meow—” A lazy cat sound broke the excited pronouncement.

The black cat that had been lying on the rug in the corner suddenly jumped onto the counter. Its snowy white paw precisely nudged the stack of cards, pushing out one card that was face down.

Then, the white paw lightly tapped it, and with a “pat,” the card flipped over, face up, landing right on the edge of the Wheel of Fortune—

The Devil, Upright! A demon with a tempting smile, controlling a naked figure with chains. The aura of temptation, desire, indulgence, intense possession, and obsession rushed forth.

Everyone instantly fell silent. No one dared to speak again, and an eerie silence solidified in the air.

Dong Qianqian silently picked up the cat and quickly gathered the cards.

“That was an accident just now, it doesn’t count.”

Two accidents occurred tonight. Dong Qianqian didn’t dare to draw cards for Shen Zhiyu anymore, fearing further complications.

Cai Zhiyang also noticed this and said, “It looks like our auspicious time for tonight is over. We’ll have to come back another day to draw.”

Everyone agreed, attributing the accident of The Devil card to the wrong time. After chatting for a while, everyone dispersed to rest.

Jiang Zhou and Shen Zhiyu walked back together.

Jiang Zhou had forgotten his own embarrassment over his inner thoughts being exposed; his mind was entirely occupied by Shen Zhiyu’s accidental Devil card.

It was all that black cat’s fault!

How could Shen Zhiyu possibly be associated with The Devil card?

Jiang Zhou mentally noted this, determined not to let the production team edit this segment into the final cut.

“That card was very accurate,” Shen Zhiyu suddenly said.

Jiang Zhou knew exactly which card he was referring to.

Fearing he would take it to heart, Jiang Zhou comforted him, “It was an accident. No one will take it seriously.”

“Don’t think too highly of me,” Shen Zhiyu suddenly stated.

“Not just me, but anyone.”