28. If there’s a bargain to be had, you’d be a fool not to seize it.

Most people, after seeing themselves entangled in black threads and facing an immediate threat to their lives, would have lost their minds. Had the only person capable of saving them merely handed them a talisman and told them to wait, they likely would have panicked and refused to let that person go.

However, the man came from a family in the funeral business and was well-versed in the rules of the mystical arts. In his eyes, there was only gratitude toward Yun Ran, with not a hint of resentment.

"Thank you, Master!"

As he took the talisman with both hands, his gaze subconsciously drifted to his own shadow. In a moment of disorientation, he thought he saw the shadow quiver. His heart sank instantly; the idea of one's own shadow seeking to replace one's self was a chilling prospect.

Yun Ran seemed satisfied with the man's attitude. She nodded and said, "Rest assured, for this next month, your shadow will remain docile."

Although Yun Ran appeared young, there was an inexplicable sense of serenity about her that finally allowed the man to heave a sigh of relief. After paying, he bowed respectfully to Yun Ran before departing.

It was only after the man had walked away that the group of gossiping onlookers finally seemed to come to their senses. Some felt their legs go weak, while others felt a tightness in their throats. Yet, true to their nature of being both cowardly and nosy, they couldn't resist making snide remarks.

"My goodness, what that young girl said was terrifying. 'Shadows consuming their masters'? That’s such a bizarre gimmick—it has to be a scam!"

"But look at that young man. When he first arrived, he was as pale as a ghost and bundled up in so many layers, but he looked perfectly fine when he left..."

At this, the person who had been acting tough suddenly felt an inexplicable dread and quickly dragged their companion away.

The sun was slowly setting, and some of the surrounding vendors had already begun to pack up. Yun Ran had assumed that after mentioning the "shadow consuming its master," no one would be bold enough to come for a reading.

Qu Ziwei, holding a milk tea, approached as if she were just passing by and sat down in front of Yun Ran’s stall. With an air of haughty indifference, she said, "You haven't finished your three readings for the day, have you? Since we were classmates, I’ll reluctantly do you a favor. Go ahead and give me a reading."

Seeing that Yun Ran didn't respond, Qu Ziwei, being a wealthy young lady, felt a flush of embarrassment despite her usual arrogance. She couldn't bring herself to apologize, so she simply pushed the milk tea in her hand toward Yun Ran. "Here, have this."

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Yun Ran wasn't foolish; she took the milk tea and began sipping it through the straw. After taking a few hearty gulps, she finally looked at Qu Ziwei directly. "Speak. What do you want to know?"

Qu Ziwei hadn't expected Yun Ran to be so easy to talk to. "Well, um..."

Qu Ziwei hesitated, noticing that the onlookers who had previously dispersed were beginning to gather around again. A flash of annoyance crossed her eyes.

"Hey, little girl, weren't you setting up a stall nearby just now? Why are you getting a reading too?"

"We're all vendors on the same street—surely you aren't charging her, right?"

Hearing this, Qu Ziwei felt belittled. She immediately pulled out her phone, scanned the QR code, and paid the full price. As a daughter of the Qu family, she hardly cared about such petty cash. The sound of the payment notification silenced those who had claimed it would be free.

Having paid, she ignored the onlookers and went straight to her problem.

"I want to ask about my sister-in-law. You should know that my brother and sister-in-law have been married for nearly ten years, but they don't have any children. They’ve been to the hospital for check-ups, and there’s nothing wrong with either of them, but she just can't conceive. My mother and my sister-in-law are practically enemies now. When I was young, it was my sister-in-law who practically raised me. You tell me—one is my birth mother, the other is my sister-in-law—I can't help either side without being caught in the middle..."

Yun Ran realized that Qu Ziwei viewed her as some sort of goddess of fertility. Yun Ran knew a bit about the Qu family; the eldest brother and his wife were childhood sweethearts who married as soon as they came of age. They were well-matched in status and deeply in love, which should have been a perfect union, but life always has its regrets.

Despite their wealthy background and status as a golden couple, the lack of a child had turned their home into a battlefield. According to the gossip among the ladies at afternoon tea, the matriarch of the Qu family had issued an ultimatum, forcing the couple to divorce. If they refused, she threatened to find someone else to bear a child for the eldest brother, which would then be registered under the couple's name. Such things weren't unheard of in high society, but it was heartless and humiliating.

Yun Ran couldn't help but feel a sense of pity. "Show me a recent photo or video of your brother and sister-in-law."

Qu Ziwei had come prepared. Worried that Yun Ran wouldn't be able to see clearly, she pulled a tablet from her bag and presented the photos. Yun Ran had heard plenty of gossip, but she had rarely met the subjects of these rumors in person.

After studying the photos, Yun Ran’s gaze paused slightly. She looked again, thinking she might have been mistaken.

Qu Ziwei watched her intently, growing nervous. She feared Yun Ran would say the same thing other masters had: that while her brother and sister-in-law could have children with others, they were fated to be childless together.

"Well?"

Yun Ran didn't beat around the bush. "Based on their physiognomy, your brother and his wife should have had at least three children, but their 'children palaces' are obscured by a dark, murky aura."

Upon hearing that they were meant to have children, Qu Ziwei ignored everything else and grabbed Yun Ran’s hand. "You must help them! If they can have a child, I’ll have my sister-in-law give you a huge red envelope—starting at one million!"

From the faces of the couple, it was clear that a malicious person was at work. Yun Ran had intended to tell Qu Ziwei to go home and investigate the household staff. But hearing about the huge red envelope, she changed her mind.

Now, even if the culprit was a rat in the Qu mansion, she would catch it herself, boil the water to flood the nest, and seal it shut!

"Show me the photos of your villa!"

Qu Ziwei didn't know why Yun Ran suddenly looked so energized, but she complied. As she looked at the villa, Yun Ran began to perform calculations.

"Among your servants, is there someone born in the Year of the Tiger, 45 years old, single, with only one daughter, who has worked for your family for at least twenty years?"

The description was so precise it might as well have been a social security number. Qu Ziwei nodded repeatedly.