26 A Kind Connection (Part 2)

"Isn't this just daylight robbery?"

"She's a young girl, but she's got quite a dark heart!"

"You can't really say that. Doesn't the sign say 'no charge if not accurate'? That doesn't count as robbery."

...

The chubby boy's stall remained not far from Yun Ran's, but today, his gaze drifted toward her stall every now and then, leaving him with little interest in his own business. Watching the onlookers, none of whom dared to step forward, the boy grew anxious. This was Yun Ran's first time charging for her services, and he was dying to rush over and pay himself, if only to keep her from ending up with a big fat zero for the day.

Qu Ziwei's small stall sold second-hand accessories. While the prices weren't exactly cheap, many were branded, so business was decent. Seeing Zhu Shijia constantly glancing over at Yun Ran, she couldn't help but lean in. Although she didn't like Yun Ran, she had found the commotion last time quite entertaining and wanted to see it again. However, after waiting so long without anyone approaching, she felt like criticizing Yun Ran for being blockheaded—who charges such exorbitant fees for fortune-telling at a street stall? She felt like rushing over and erasing two zeros from the price on Yun Ran's sign!

"Why is Yun Ran so stupid? Those rich people already have their own trusted masters; why would they spend money here? Looks like there's no show to watch today!"

The chubby boy retorted immediately, "Haven't you heard that the real experts are often hidden among the common folk? How do you know she isn't a master?"

Qu Ziwei looked the chubby boy up and down and couldn't help but say, "You're acting strange—very strange!" Then, her eyes lit up, and she lowered her voice, "I heard people say you went to Yun Ran for a reading. Is that true?"

Yun Ran hadn't told the boy to keep his mouth shut. Even though she had rejected the Zhu family's overtures, it didn't affect the boy's reverence for her.

"Of course it's true! Her readings are incredibly accurate!"

If anyone else said that, Qu Ziwei would have surely suspected they were a shill for Yun Ran, but coming from Zhu Shijia, it seemed unlikely and unnecessary. Qu Ziwei felt a sudden itch; she had actually been tempted to get a reading herself earlier. But she was, after all, a young lady of the Qu family, and having previously looked down on Yun Ran and spoken ill of her, bowing her head to ask for a reading felt like losing too much face.

"Is... is it really that accurate?"

The chubby boy was anxious, desperate to vindicate Yun Ran: "Of course! Would I lie to you?"

Just as everyone thought Yun Ran was destined for a blank day, a young woman sat down directly in front of her stall.

"Hey, it's you!" Yun Ran exclaimed. She recognized her—this was one of the people she had crossed paths with earlier while watching the sunrise.

"No charge if not accurate? Should I pay first, or do I wait until you've finished and confirm it's accurate before paying?"

The young woman had a pleasant, wholesome appearance. She wasn't stunning, but she gave off an incredibly comforting vibe, as if being near her was a joy in itself.

Yun Ran smiled and replied, "You can pay after the reading."

"Aren't you afraid that after you read my fortune, I'll claim it's inaccurate just to avoid paying?"

"In this world, no one has ever managed to leave without paying for a reading from me."

The young woman's eyes crinkled into a smile: "You're quite confident! I want to find my biological parents, but I don't know my exact date of birth. Can you still read it?"

"Of course!" Yun Ran brought out the copper coins and placed them in the woman's hands: "Toss them."

The woman closed her eyes, murmured something to herself, and then devoutly tossed the coins onto the area Yun Ran had indicated. While Yun Ran studied the hexagram, the woman was incredibly nervous. Over the years, she had spent quite a bit on such things, and her friends all told her it was a scam. Yet, she always maintained a sense of reverence, hoping that one day she would truly meet a master who could help her find her biological parents. She didn't expect much; she just felt that for a person not to know where they came from was a pitiful thing. Even if the result was terrible—that she had been abandoned—it didn't matter; she could accept it.

"You are twenty-two this year. The hexagram and your physiognomy show that you are successful in your career and have both parents alive, though your early life was somewhat bumpy. However, you have a good mindset, so even when you encountered difficulties, you passed through them smoothly. You have done many good deeds over the years, accumulating a great deal of merit. That is why you were able to meet me—this is a karmic connection. Your parents are also looking for you. In half a month, if you follow your original plans, you will meet them."

In the past, many people had told her she would find her parents, but no one had ever mentioned the good deeds she had done. On that point alone, she was already willing to pay, let alone the fact that this young master had accurately mentioned her plans for the next two weeks. That was a very important project, and only a very select few knew about it. At this point, she was already fifty percent convinced.

Just as she was about to stand up to pay, Yun Ran lowered her voice and continued, "You know better than anyone that success depends on secrecy. Furthermore, do not give away the item you have worn since you were a child to anyone, and be wary of it being stolen. As long as your plans proceed smoothly, your wish will be fulfilled."

The woman froze. Now she was truly unnerved, looking into Yun Ran's eyes, which seemed to pierce through everything. Her hand instinctively went to her neck, where she used to wear a flawed wooden carving. The carving didn't look valuable, so even when she had been in a situation where she couldn't resist, no one had tried to steal it. But last month, a close friend had suddenly said she was interested in the carving and wanted to borrow it to wear. That was her best friend and a partner in her startup; they were so close they had promised to be each other's future children's godmothers. Under normal circumstances, she would have been happy to lend it to her friend, but for some reason, a voice in her head had told her she absolutely must not give the carving away. So she had lied, saying she didn't have it on her and didn't know where she had put it. Fearing her lie would be exposed, she had quietly tucked the wooden charm away and never wore it again.

The young woman looked at Yun Ran in shock, her mouth opening, but the words were stuck in her throat, leaving her unable to speak.

Yun Ran simply shrugged and pointed to the payment QR code: "Pay up."

The onlookers nearby immediately jeered: "She hasn't even confirmed if it's accurate yet, and you're already paying? This is too much of a farce."

"Ding! WeChat transfer of 2,000 yuan received!"

The person who had just spoken was instantly silenced.