Struck by lightning

The exterior walls of the slightly old residential building are covered with black marks from the accumulation of soot, and the steel unit doors creak in the wind, each sound a piercing screech.

Inside a floor-to-ceiling window on the right side of the third floor, tightly sealed curtains ruthlessly shut out the natural light from outside; behind the curtains was Wen Dai, reporting to Qi Ya that the ritual was complete.

She slumped back in her chair, her bones limp, and after sending the message, she slammed her phone down on the table with a "thud." Her falling arm struck her thigh, and her tilted neck brought her face to face with the ceiling, her pupils gradually losing focus.

Seven thousand yuan... not enough, far from enough; if she continued to struggle like this, she wouldn't have a chance to save up enough money to overturn the arson case from eleven years ago. To make matters worse, she had no connections; her relatives treated her like trash, as if associating with her would bring her some kind of bad luck; her former neighbors all kept quiet, wishing they could gouge their eyes out and throw them away to show they had no ability to see.

"Hoo..." A breath escaped from her lips. Wen Dai moved her neck. Her wandering thoughts made her ignore the new message that popped up on her phone screen. Her outstretched hand instinctively turned off the phone screen.

Since the probability of encountering bourgeois individuals at the temple gate is high, she might as well go there every day to wait for them. Who knows, she might meet a benefactor who can lend her a helping hand. To overturn the case, she can no longer pin her hopes on her savings; she must build a network of connections for herself.

It's a pity about this noblewoman named Qi Ya. She cheated on people against her conscience, so it's really too embarrassing to develop a deeper friendship with her.

Wen Dai picked up a folding chair and a small bag, which contained some talismans and tools needed to make them, following the principle of better to have them than not to use them.

Even though she didn't have enough money to do anything important and could only use it for living expenses, she still couldn't bear to spend it on travel. It was a full seven kilometers from her neighborhood to the temple. She would first take the subway to get to the vicinity, and then walk two kilometers to reach the temple.

The sweltering heat of over thirty degrees Celsius had left her light pink sun-protective clothing stained with sweat, and clear water droplets clung to the exposed white fabric at the neckline. Upon spotting her aunt, who was still standing guard at the temple entrance as usual, Wen Dai's furious outburst turned into a leisurely stroll. She carried a folding chair and walked unhurriedly to the other side of her aunt, sitting down and clutching her small bag, a mischievous glint in her peach blossom eyes.

"Oh my, sis, you're so diligent! How many orders have you taken? If you ask me, you shouldn't be in this line of work if you don't have real skills. Cheating and swindling will get you punished." As if she had forgotten about how she had deceived Qi Ya, Wen Dai subconsciously picked up a retort to this aunt; just to find some amusement for herself and relieve some of the pent-up frustration in her chest.

Unexpectedly, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck the clear, cloudless sky above her; even more unexpectedly, this lightning bolt struck right in front of her.

The blinding white light, unlike the clarity of the sunlit sky, was more like the silver light reflected from a knife, striking her with extreme sharpness, yet never touching the ground. Like a fleeting moment, it left her and her aunt on the other side sitting there, stunned and bewildered.

As you descend the steps in front of the temple, you'll see many pedestrians on the street stopping, but most of them are instinctively hesitant due to being startled.

There was a long, loud rumble. The aunt mechanically turned her head toward her and murmured, "Am I dreaming... Did you see that?"

Her heart, which had stopped beating from the shock, began to pound rapidly. Wen Dai swallowed hard, her forehead twitching slightly, and unconsciously murmured in response, "I saw it."

"See? This just proves what I advised you! Even God is on my side, warning you. So, sister, let's change careers as soon as possible." Her tone suddenly changed again as she suppressed her heart pounding wildly in her chest; she forced a smile onto her face, her stiff lips held together by force.

When an unusual phenomenon appears before one's eyes, even the most composed person would be on edge, let alone this aunt who only knew a little about such things. Provoked by this, she immediately grabbed a chair and ran away. She feared she might make money but not live to enjoy it.

Wen Dai raised her hand to her chest; the thumping in her palm was unmistakable. She frowned and thought silently: she could no longer abandon the original intention she had when she entered this profession for the sake of quick success and instant benefits. But she desperately wanted to overturn the verdict for her parents in the afterlife.

Fate, like a cruel mistress, often has to stab at her most vulnerable spots with a knife. There are too many.

Just as she was lost in her own world, a shadow suddenly fell from above, catching her attention. Instinctively, she looked up, and the man who fell into her eyes made her feel as if she were tied to the spot.

Her slicked-back hair allowed only a few stray strands to fall across her forehead, and the sharp contours of her narrow V-shaped face diminished some of her femininity. A beauty mark adorned her fox-like eyes—positioned exactly opposite to her own—and her vibrant Cupid lips parted, releasing a low, husky voice into her ear: "Wen Dai, so you are, you little liar. So young and already using underhanded methods to scam people, you really have a bright future ahead of you. Trying to surpass your predecessors and get a life sentence? Pay up, I'm a lawyer; if you don't pay up, I'll have to take professional action, after all, seven thousand is enough to file a case."

Trying her best to pull her thoughts away from his dark eyes, Wen Dai stood up abruptly from the folding chair. However, her height when she stood up did not give her any more imposing presence in front of the newcomer—she was only shoulder-high to him.

"What do you mean by fraud? How is this fraud? What's wrong with you? You're just spouting nonsense. You call yourself a lawyer? Do you even know that what you're doing is defamation?" Wen Dai glared at him with her captivating eyes, her tone fierce but inwardly weak. A suspicion crept into her mind as the identity of the person before her floated into her thoughts. When she first consulted on Qi Ya's case, even the image of her son was as blurry as a fog. Yet, the person before her now strangely matched the silhouette she had sensed back then.

And then, her heart began to beat strangely again, as if it were being held and kneaded in someone's hands—sometimes filled with satisfaction, sometimes so bitter that she wanted to cry.

Chen Sizhe's eyelids drooped, his gaze towards her consisting of indifference and mockery. His long fingers, tucked into his pocket, held up a peach blossom charm wrapped in a plastic bag. He raised an eyebrow and said leisurely, "Turning the tables? Do I have to slap the evidence in your face before you'll admit it?"

It really was him.

Wen Dai swiftly reached out to snatch the peach blossom charm back; however, the man seemed to anticipate her actions, subtly shifting the charm's position from her right hand to her left, alternating between high and low.

A sarcastic smile played on his lips as he looked down at her with undisguised contempt. His nonchalant tone was laced with barbs: "I overestimated you. You're all show and no substance. Now that you're about to die, you're trying to destroy the evidence."

Feeling utterly humiliated by his taunts, Wen Dai abruptly withdrew her hand, her upturned peach blossom eyes blazing with anger. She said impatiently, "So what do you want? I didn't charge for the peach blossom charm; that seven thousand yuan was for the ritual I performed, and it wasn't like I asked for it. Your mother transferred seven thousand to me voluntarily. So what if I took too much? You're a lawyer, would you return any excess fees your clients pay you?"

"Why should I back out? I'm a compliant and legitimate lawyer in a compliant and legitimate law firm. My client's willingness to pay me extra fees is a sign of trust and affirmation of my abilities. What about you?" Chen Sizhe's tone was so matter-of-fact that even though Wen Dai was almost two heads shorter than him, he couldn't lower his chin. As a result, Wen Dai, who was looking up at him, could only meet his nostrils precisely.

The man who snorted at her relentlessly spoke in a melodious, melancholic voice, yet each word was sharp and barbed: "You charlatan, you look young, but you're all talk and no action, using fortune-telling and divination to swindle people. Can a materialistic society tolerate a charlatan like you? Hurry up, either pay me back, or I'll report you to the police."

"What do you mean by 'returning the money'? Isn't a transaction simply a matter of mutual consent? Your perspective is really narrow. You call this a materialistic society? What kind of society is it if it only allows one set of ideas to exist? Anyone who doesn't know better would think we've gone back to the Qing Dynasty. Are you trying to put mental shackles on me and brainwash me? I put in the effort to perform the ritual, so it's only right that your mother gives me money. The transaction is over. I don't think my abilities are flawed. If I were incompetent, could I have discerned your traits without your mother giving me any information?" Wen Dai clenched her fists, her raised palms flushed red, the red spreading to the corners of her eyes, making her watery peach blossom eyes look like she was about to cry.

Her purse was a stingy purse, and her current situation didn't allow her to accumulate any more money. Chen Sizhe's threat became the catalyst for her grievances, and tears almost welled up in her eyes. What came out of her throat was guilt turning into indignation: "Where did I not say something? You will indeed marry a spendthrift wife in the future! She will indeed unintentionally steal your mother's things! I just can't see what your future wife will look like, but everything else is a foregone conclusion; I admit that I overcharged for the ritual to cut off your unwanted romantic advances, but you must also admit that there is no such thing as a destined match in this world. I'm not sure if I can cut off your spendthrift wife as a bad romantic advance, so I'm just trying it out!"

Unfortunately, Chen Sizhe seemed heartless; he was a man forged from stone. Her tears, which were about to spill, only elicited a cold laugh from him. "Sophistry. Some of the deaf and dumb swindlers in hospitals will slip you a small item after getting your donation; but once you report it to the police, the money you gave out won't be defined as money spent on that small item, and the money the swindler earned won't be defined as legitimate income from selling that item; fraud is fraud, and there's no such thing as you enjoying the fruits of your labor; your fruits are the fruits of fraud, and those fruits grow in detention centers and prisons."

Wen Dai's neck felt as if its bones had been removed. Her head slumped, tears dripping from her eyes and falling to the ground, staining the light gray skin with a deeper hue. She bent her arm, which was in a sling, and pulled her phone from her pocket. Her fingers swished rapidly across the cool screen. A message from Qi Ya, which she had ignored, suddenly appeared—[I took the peach blossom charm out of my bag and put it on the coffee table, then forgot to put it away. My son found it. He's an atheist, and he pressed me for details, so I had no choice but to tell him. Please, whatever you do, don't go to the temple today!]

Her fingers paused for a moment, then silently switched to the QR code page. Wen Dai's previous stubbornness vanished like dust in the wind, and her voice was low and slow, as if she had lost her breath: "Show me your payment code, I'll transfer it to you now."

The man's actions in taking the money were swift and decisive, as if he had been prepared all along. As soon as Wen Dai finished speaking, his screen displaying the QR code for receiving payment was thrust in front of her.

"Beep, beep." The transfer, split into two transactions, made a sound.

Wen Dai's arm, which was holding the phone, slumped down. She looked away from her tear-filled eyes, her gaze settling on the leaves rustling on the ground in the breeze. Her head was bowed so that only the tops of her hair were visible. Her tone was calm: "Okay, can you go now?"

Looking at the seven thousand yuan he had just received, Chen Sizhe's brows relaxed. He put his phone back in his pocket, put his hands in his pockets, raised his chin, and let his downcast gaze wander over the dejected girl in front of him. For some reason, he suddenly asked, "How can you be so sure that what you're saying is true? What if I have no intention of getting married at all?"

"I've already transferred the money to you, why are you still talking so much nonsense? Anyway, I'm just certain of it, whether you believe me or not is none of my business. I'm not only certain that you'll marry a spendthrift wife in the future, I'm also certain that you'll love her to death... It's so annoying, if you don't leave, I will." The sunlight she hated most was blocked by the person in front of her, but Wen Dai only felt suffocated, as if what had been taken away was not sunlight but oxygen.

She bent down, picked up her folding chair, and strode around the person standing in front of her, descending three or four steps at once, almost fleeing.

Her steps grew longer and longer, each teardrop so tightly packed together they formed a narrow river. Wen Dai's nails dug deeply into her palms; in truth, she wanted nothing more than to tear herself apart. Her lower lip, bitten by her teeth, emitted a metallic scent that seeped out in wisps. Hatred filled her heart.

Instead of going to the subway station, she took the road in the opposite direction from home.

After several twists and turns, passing through deep, narrow alleys, her legs showed signs of exhaustion, yet she remained unnoticed by her owner. In the glittering main urban area, Wen Dai peeled away the outer shell and arrived at an area even more desolate than the urban villages—descending the broken, narrow cement steps, all she could see was gray; it was as if the world hadn't had time to color them, hadn't had time to give them life, and the rows of bungalows were enough to pull the timeline back to the distant last century.

The old men gathered under the low trees were playing chess, while a few women carrying basins had probably just returned from washing clothes by the river. The dampness and the smell of sweat blended together, creating a corner belonging to the marginalized people at the bottom of society.

Wen Dai found a single room made of blue iron shed with practiced ease. She raised her hand and knocked on the white iron door, her knuckles making a clanging sound.

Before long, the iron gate was pulled open slightly, and an eye with only ink on it appeared from the dark gap, looking up at her from below.

Upon seeing who it was, the person inside opened the door, and a boy as tall as Wen Dai's eyebrows rushed over and hugged her. His skin was yellowish-white—sickly. His hands gripped the fabric of her clothes, the skin pressed against his bones, and the five coins tied to his wrists jingled together.

"Sister Wen Dai!"