Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Ye Qianqian was very clear in her speech as she laid bare her entire family history in front of the Shens.

  Shen Zhilie quietly tightened his arm around her waist as a gesture of consolation and support.

  Ye Qianqian glanced at Shen Zhilie and continued. “When I was in high school, my grandmother was very ill and needed medical treatment for a few years. After suffering through years of her ailment, she finally couldn’t hold on anymore, and passed away. My family was very poor then, and I had no choice but to leave town to seek employment in order to pay for my living expenses and school fees. When I was in university, I almost dropped out. Fortunately, my best friend came to my aid, allowing me to get to where I am today. Grandma, does such a life sound like one of fortune to you?”


  Ye Qianqian was very firm in her resolve. She looked Old Mrs. Shen squarely in the eye and spoke every word in an unquestionable tone.

  Old Mrs. Shen’s brows slowly furrowed together as she heard Ye Qianqian’s words. To the side, Shen Longyue and his wife were touched by the story.

  “No one on this earth has an easy life. I built this family from the ground up, too. Back then, you grandmother said that I was destined to achieve nothing, too.” Shen Longyue took a sip of milk and sighed heavily. “Although your grandmother wasn’t a medium yet, she went to discuss it with her group of friends, too. On that front, she hasn’t changed at all.”


  “Longyue! How can you speak of your mother this way?”


  “Mom, times have changed. Stop believing in such things.” Shen Longyue looked exasperated. “Zhilie isn’t young anymore, either. Now that he’s finally found a girl that he likes, why do you keep insisting on breaking them up? You said it yourself that doing things like that lessens one’s karma!”


  “If it’s for the sake of my grandson, I don’t care about my karma! I’m doing all this for Zhilie’s good!”


  “I don’t believe in any of this.” Shen Zhilie pulled Ye Qianqian close. “Come on, let’s go.”


  “Shen Zhilie!”


  Shen Zhilie simply ignored her and led Ye Qianqian back into his room. Ye Qianqian turned to Shen Zhilie and asked, “Do you really not believe it?”


  Shen Zhilie found a comfortable set of house clothes in the cupboard. He glanced at Ye Qianqian with an expression of disdain and replied, “Of course I don’t. Didn’t I already say so last night?”


  “I just think that when it comes to such matters, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”


  Shen Zhilie paused mid-action while changing when he heard that. He looked at Ye Qianqian as if he were looking at a ghost, and asked, “Ye Qianqian, do you seriously think you’re going to die?”


  Ye Qianqian looked away imperceptibly and muttered, “Actually, someone said something similar a long time ago, too.”


  A look of surprise crossed Shen Zhilie’s face. He stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

  “There was a blind man in our town. We used to call him Uncle Blind Man. Uncle Blind Man was said to be possessed by the gods and could summon them, as well as ghosts, at will……”


  “He foretold your future?”


  “Not really. Back then, I just thought that he was joking.”


  “What did he say?”


  “He said, ‘This little girl has a pretty good destiny, but she has to beware the villain in order to avoid life’s dangers.’”


  “He really said that?”


  “I can’t really remember what he said verbatim, but that was the gist of it.”


  Shen Zhilie was silent. He undressed and changed into a shirt and said, “Let’s go back to Yun Town now and get to the bottom of it.”


  “What? We’re not waiting until tomorrow?”


  Hadn’t he said that they were going to register their marriage on Monday?

  Shen Zhilie changed out of his pants and neatened his clothing. In a somber tone, he said, “We can register it in Yun Town all the same.”