If it were someone else who had personally witnessed being entwined by black lines and even had their life threatened,
The only person who could save them offered only a talisman and told them to wait; they’d probably go insane and cling to the lifesaver without letting go.
But this man comes from a family that deals in funerary businesses and knows quite a few rules of the Xuan Sect; all he had in his eyes for Yun Ran was gratitude, not a hint of dissatisfaction.
After receiving the talisman paper with both hands, his gaze unconsciously fell on his shadow, and in a daze, it seemed to tremble slightly.
This immediately made the man’s heart hang in suspense again – the thought of his own shadow trying to replace him was enough to send chills down his spine.
The man’s attitude pleased Yun Ran, who gave a nod: "Don’t worry, your shadow will behave this whole month!"
Though Yun Ran looked young, she somehow gave off a reliably reassuring aura, and the man finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After paying, the man bowed to Yun Ran once more before leaving.
It wasn’t until the man had walked far away that those who had been chattering and watching the excitement seemed to finally snap back to reality.
Some felt their legs go weak, while others felt a tightness in their throats.
But they were cheap thrill-seekers who couldn’t resist getting a verbal bargain.
"God, the stuff that girl was spouting almost scared me to death – this ’Shadow Devouring Master’ business sounds too fantastical. It couldn’t be a scam, could it?"
"But that young guy just now, when he arrived, was as pale as a ghost and overdressed; yet he left looking all fine..."
With these words, those who had been talking tough suddenly felt an inexplicable tightness in their chest and quickly took their companions and left.
The sun was slowly setting now, and some of the stalls around were starting to pack up.
Yun Ran thought that after speaking of the Shadow Devouring Master, surely no one would be daredevil enough to seek fortune-telling.
Qu Ziwei, with a cup of milk tea in hand and a look of merely being a spectator, sat directly in front of Yun Ran’s stall.
With a somewhat arrogant expression, she said: "You didn’t fulfill your three fortunes today, right? Considering we’re high school classmates, I’ll reluctantly do you a favor. Just give me a casual reading."
Seeing that Yun Ran didn’t react, Qu Ziwei, being a pampered daughter of the Qu Family, had proper manners despite her arrogance and actually blushed a little.
Unable to apologize, Qu Ziwei could only push her milk tea in front of Yun Ran: "Here, drink this."
One doesn’t turn down good fortune without being a fool, and Yun Ran was not dumb; she took the milk tea, inserted a straw, and began to drink.
After taking a few big gulps, Yun Ran looked straight at Qu Ziwei: "Tell me, what do you want to know?"
Qu Ziwei did not expect Yun Ran to be quite so easy to talk to.
Qu Ziwei stopped mid-sentence, noticing that the onlookers, who were thought to have dispersed, had gathered around again, and a flash of displeasure crossed her eyes.
"Hey, miss, you were setting up a stall not too far from here, right? Why did you come to have your fortune told too?"
"We’re all stallholders on the same street. Surely there’s no charge, right?"
Upon hearing this, Qu Ziwei immediately felt underestimated; she pulled out her phone, made a payment by scanning a code, and still paid the full price.
After all, she was the young Miss of the Qu Family; how could she fuss over such a small amount of money?
Listening to the sound of the WeChat payment notification, those who had said they wouldn’t charge were once again proven wrong.
After paying the fee, she didn’t bother with the onlookers anymore and went straight into her troubles.
"I want to have my sister-in-law’s situation read. As you should know, my brother and my sister-in-law have been married for nearly ten years and they still don’t have a child.
They’ve been to the hospital for check-ups, and there’s nothing wrong with either of their bodies, but they just can’t get pregnant. My mom and my sister-in-law are practically enemies now.
When I was little, it was mostly my sister-in-law who raised me. Now, one is my birth mother and the other my dear sister-in-law; whomsoever I support, I can’t avoid being the bad person..."
Yun Ran could tell that Qu Ziwei was treating her like a fertility goddess.
She knew a thing or two about the Qu Family affairs; Qu Da and his wife were childhood sweethearts with a great relationship, marrying just as they came of age.
Both sides were a good match in terms of social standing, which could have been considered a perfect union, yet life always has its imperfections.
With their affluent background and being the classic couple of talent and beauty, the absence of a child turned the household upside down.
Hearing from the ladies gossiping over afternoon tea, the lady of the Qu Family had given an ultimatum, pressuring Qu Da and his wife to divorce.
If they don’t divorce, then find someone else to have a child and bring it back to be registered under Qu Da and his wife’s names.
Such things aren’t uncommon among the wealthy, but they’re somewhat callous and a bit embarrassing all the same.
Yun Ran couldn’t quite find it within herself to sympathize.
"Let me see a recent photo or video of your brother and his wife."
Qu Ziwei had been prepared and, worried that Yun Ran wouldn’t see clearly, she directly took out the tablet from her bag and placed the photo in front of Yun Ran.
Yun Ran had heard much gossip, but she had scarcely met any of these subjects of gossip in person.
After looking over the couple’s photos, Yun Ran’s gaze paused for a moment, as if she saw something amiss, and looked over them carefully again.
Qu Ziwei watched Yun Ran closely, growing nervous as she observed her expression.
She feared that Yun Ran would say the same as other fortune tellers – that her brother and sister-in-law, when apart, could have children, but together, they were fated to be lonely for life.
Yun Ran didn’t keep her in suspense and said directly, "Judging by their faces, your brother and your sister-in-law should have at least three children, but there’s a darkness and obscurity in their Children Palace."
Upon hearing that her brother and sister-in-law should have children, Qu Ziwei couldn’t care about anything else and immediately grasped Yun Ran’s hand.
"You must help my brother and sister-in-law. If they can have a child, I’ll have my sister-in-law give you a huge red envelope, starting at one million!"
From Qu Da and his wife’s facial features, it seemed like there was a saboteur at work. Yun Ran initially planned to suggest Qu Ziwei check the servants at home.
But upon hearing about the big red envelope, she couldn’t pass that up.
Now, even if the saboteur was a mouse from the Qu Family, she’d have to personally catch the mouse, boil water to flood the hole, and then seal it off!
"Show me photos of your family’s villa!"
Qu Ziwei didn’t understand why Yun Ran was suddenly energized but did as told.
After seeing the villa, Yun Ran started to do the fortune-telling calculations.
"Among your servants, is there a 45-year-old single woman born in the year of the Tiger, who only has one daughter and has been with your family for at least 20 years?"
With such specific details, it was almost as if the only thing Yun Ran hadn’t done was cite the servant’s ID number, and Qu Ziwei nodded repeatedly in confirmation.