Tales of Folk Feng Shui Mysteries

Thinking of Yicheng's contrasting expressions—the warmth of his smile, the wrath in his fury—it was clear that these extremes were deeply rooted in his childhood trauma.

"Let's go. Take me back to Shenyang. It's getting late," I said, pointing down the road.

Jiang Shiyu told me the car was just nearby. I followed her, and we drove back to Tiexi. After getting out of the car, I casually tried asking her for Liu Ruoyi's phone number again. Thankfully, this time she wasn't mad. The moment I got the number, I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

Just as I stepped out, Jiang Shiyu suddenly called out, "Zhang Dabao!"

"What is it?" I stopped in my tracks.

She stared directly into my eyes, seriously asking, "When Master Yicheng said something was wrong with you today... can you tell me what he meant?"

"It's nothing, really. Just a little heatstroke, don't worry. Get home safe, drive slow," I grinned sheepishly.There was no way I was going to tell anyone about my lost life span. What I needed to do now was find the place Night Wanderer mentioned. Two years may sound like a long time, but in reality, it's over in the blink of an eye.

"Well, if you're feeling unwell or anything's wrong, you can go see Master Miaoyin. He's really powerful. I believe he can help you," Jiang Shiyu offered kindly.

I shook my head quickly. No matter where you are, there are always rules to follow. If you ignore them, you'll end up with nothing. I politely declined her kind gesture and went back home. The moment I walked in the door, I hurriedly called Liu Ruoyi.

The ringtone played an annoyingly cheerful ethnic tune. Finally, the call connected. A sleepy voice answered, "Hello?"

I felt like I couldn't even breathe. Everything I'd gone through today felt like a journey between life and death. But at least it was finally over.

I said, "It's Zhang Dabao, I..."

She cut me off before I could finish."Hold on, I'll call you back in a bit." Then she hung up.

About half an hour later, my phone rang again.

Liu Ruoyi's voice was rushed: "Dabao, how are you? I haven't dared to leave the house these past few days. My boyfriend was around just now—sorry about earlier."

Boyfriend...Right. She'd said she had a boyfriend. But hearing it firsthand still felt like someone dumped a bucket of cold water on my head. My heart plummeted from the heavens to the pits of hell.

At first, I just wanted to make amends for what I'd done wrong in the past. Now that I had the chance, the pain felt unbearable. How ridiculous.

"Hey, Dabao, are you there? What happened?!" she urged.

I snapped out of it."You're safe now. The weasel is dead."

"Really? Oh my god, thank you! Thank you so much! I've got something to do, talk later!"

Beep beep. She hung up, leaving me stunned.

I stood there, frozen. I had risked everything for her, even lost 45 years of my life span. Was it worth it?

A forced melon is never sweet.Back in the day, I made a promise to Liu Ruoyi that I failed to keep. That promise became karma, and the price I paid today was the consequence.If I had gone to university and kept my word, none of this would've happened.And I wouldn't have ended up walking this path, becoming a fortune teller in the mystical arts.

Honestly, I was depressed—deeply, deeply depressed.I turned off my phone, locked myself in my room, and didn't eat for three straight days. Only drank some water.

On the fourth day, I turned my phone back on and ordered delivery. But I had just eaten half of it when my phone rang.

It was Jiang Shiyu. I answered.

Her voice came through in a loud, scolding shout:"Where the hell have you been?! I've been calling you nonstop these past few days! I thought you were dead!"

"Sorry... something came up. I just disappeared for a while," I said weakly.My voice was faint, both from depression and the lack of sunlight.

She asked if I was sick.I told her I wasn't. Then she said,"Come out and meet us. Tomorrow's the seventh day since those classmates passed. Everyone's planning to get together and pay our respects. After all, we were classmates once. I think you should show your face. Also... I might be going to the U.S. in a few days."