Chapter 82

"...You yourself have never given birth to a son in your entire life, so why do you insist on forcing your daughter-in-law to have one?"

Xu Gui's words were truly astonishing, containing an immense amount of information. Everyone was completely dumbfounded. Looking at the old lady, she was utterly stunned, her bewilderment no less than the others.

Once everyone came to their senses, they forgot that the people around them were not people they knew, and began to whisper among themselves as if they were old friends.

"What do you mean by that, Master?"

"I don't quite understand either... Isn't this old lady trying to determine the gender of her daughter-in-law's unborn child? So she must have a son, right? How come the master said she's never had a son in her life?"

"Isn't what the master means simple? It means that the old lady's son is not her biological child at all!"

"Wow!"

The way everyone looked at the old lady changed.

Xu Gui then said, "You also gave birth to five daughters and not a single son, and were disliked your whole life. Why should your daughter-in-law suffer the same hardships you endured?"

As a tortoise, Xu Gui didn't quite understand the old lady's idea.

Logically speaking, the old lady had suffered the same hardships and should know best what it felt like to be disliked for not giving birth to a son. Yet, she insisted on inflicting the same suffering on her daughter-in-law.

Xu Gui: The tortoise doesn't understand, and the tortoise doesn't respect.

"...I don't understand what you're saying." The old woman looked flustered, but stubbornly insisted, "If I didn't give birth to a son, how did my son come to be?"

Xu Gui glanced at her and asked, "Wasn't that the child you adopted from someone else's family? When you gave birth to your sixth child and found out it was a daughter, you first lied to your husband and the others, saying the child was a son. Then, during your postpartum period, you had your sister find a boy to replace the daughter."

The old woman's expression changed, and she shouted, "I don't understand what you're saying, girl! Don't I know whether my son is my son or not? He's the one I carried for ten months and gave birth to, he's my own flesh and blood!"

"Oh?" Xu Gui said casually, "In that case, let your son and husband get a paternity test. Once the report comes out, it will be clear whether he is your biological son or not."

"Why should I do a paternity test because of what you say?" the old lady said, hands on her hips. "I know my own son better than anyone else!"

Xu Gui said indifferently, "If you're willing to lie to yourself like this, then lie to yourself. Anyway, you should know better than anyone whether your son is your biological child or not."

The old lady's eyes widened, feeling as if she couldn't breathe properly, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Just tell me, is my daughter-in-law having a boy or not?" the old lady said bluntly. "You're so good at fortune telling, then tell my daughter-in-law's fortune! If you can't tell, then you're a fraud, a charlatan!"

Xu Gui looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Whether I'm a charlatan or not is none of your business."

Meanwhile, the other onlookers were also discussing the matter.

"It seems the master was right. This old lady's son really isn't her biological son after all..."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, if what the master said was false, why would this old lady still ask the master to tell her daughter-in-law's fortune? She would probably have thrown a tantrum at the master by now. So, the master must have been right about the old lady's son's situation!"

"Wow, you're right! It seems this master really does have some skills."

The old lady never expected that her nonsensical ramblings would not only fail to make everyone doubt Xu Gui, but would also confirm that what Xu Gui said was true. This made her face turn green, and her expression looked extremely ugly.

"You think I'll just do it because you ask me to?" Xu Gui said arrogantly. "Don't you know I charge for fortune telling? For ordinary things, it's a thousand yuan a time, but as for things like life itself..."

She glanced at the old woman and said, "Life is priceless, so if you're going to calculate this, my price will be very high."

She stretched out her hand and spread her five fingers, making a five-finger gesture.

"Fifty?" the old lady blurted out.

Xu Gui: "..."

She withdrew her hand impatiently and said, "Five million!"

"Five million?" the old woman shrieked. "Are you robbing me?"

Xu Gui proudly stated, "In our line of work, this is the market price! However, it's fate that we met, ma'am. If you really want a discount, I'll give you a 9.9% discount."

The old lady stomped her feet angrily: "9.9% off? Is there any difference between this discount and no discount at all?"

"Yes, there is." Xu Gui's words were infuriating. "Nine point nine, it sounds very different..."

The old lady was furious. She gave Xu Gui a good scolding as she ran away, yelling that Xu Gui was a liar and a damned fraud, and cursing her to die a horrible death.

Xu Gui: "...Truly vicious."

However, the old lady's reaction only made everyone more certain that Xu Gui was capable of treating eczema. Her departure was like a drop of water falling into the ocean, without even making a ripple. The onlookers crowded around Xu Gui, eager for her to give them a reading.

As more and more people surrounded Xu Gui, someone suddenly shouted, "The police are here!"

police?

In an instant, the group of people who had been chattering turned around and saw a police car parked outside, with four policemen parting the crowd as they walked inside.

"How is the comrade who was about to jump into the river doing now?" The question was asked even before the person came in.

Upon hearing this, the woman sitting on the ground immediately raised her hand enthusiastically, as if she wanted to jump up and shout, "It's me! It's me who wants to jump into the river!"

Four police officers: ?

At that moment, everyone present saw the bewilderment on the faces of the police officers. This was probably the first time in their careers that they had come to a suicide scene. The person who had committed suicide was not only in good condition, but also seemed to be in a very positive mood.

For a moment, the police officers almost suspected they had received a false alarm.

At this moment, the woman who had been sitting on the ground stood up and said very eagerly, "Officers, please take me to the hospital..."

She looked around warily, feeling that everyone around her wanted to snatch the lottery ticket from her hand. So when the police approached, she grabbed the arm of one of the officers who looked particularly strong and reassuring, and urged, "Let's go quickly."

The police officers were even more confused.

"Didn't you want to commit suicide?" the police officer couldn't help but ask.

“Yes,” the woman nodded, then said matter-of-factly, “but I don’t want to think about it anymore. I feel like most of my troubles have disappeared!”

She's already showing great restraint by not raising her hands and gesturing wildly.

The police officers were somewhat confused, but the woman kept urging them on, so they had no choice but to leave with her.

While everyone's attention was focused on the police and the woman, Xu Gui secretly gave Yan Xiaomi a look, then lowered his head and disappeared into the crowd. So when everyone turned around, they found that Xu Gui was no longer there.

"Hey, where's the master?"

Meanwhile, the "master" everyone was talking about had returned to the park. She was wearing a mask, keeping her head down, and acting very low-key. However, Yan Xiaomi, who was next to her, kept glancing at her.

Finally, Yan Xiaomi couldn't hold back any longer and asked in a low voice, "Xu Gui, can you really tell fortunes?"

Xu Gui looked at her and nodded: "Yes, what, do you want to have your fortune told too? If you want it told, I'll give it to you for free!" Her tone was very generous.

Yan Xiaomi's face suddenly turned red, and she said somewhat awkwardly, "I don't really have anything to calculate."

Xu Gui raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure?"

"...Then help me calculate, what about my current crush? Is it possible for us to be together?" Yan Xiaomi, who had just said there was nothing to calculate, immediately looked at her expectantly.

Xu Gui looked at her with a half-smile. Yan Xiaomi was a little embarrassed, but still blushed and said, "I have a boy I really like recently, but I don't know if he likes me back."

Yan Xiaomi was somewhat conflicted.

She had liked that boy for quite some time, but she wasn't sure if he felt the same way about her. Of course, she could sense that he had some feelings for her, but his attitude wasn't very clear, so she wasn't entirely sure.

Yan Xiaomi sighed and said, "I actually thought about whether I should take the initiative..."

Since she wasn't proactive, she couldn't be sure if the boy was interested in her. However, her friends advised her not to be too proactive, saying that if a girl is too proactive, she will lose her value, and the boy might think she's easy to manipulate and won't cherish her as much.

Yan Xiaomi sighed and said, "So now I don't know what to do?"

Xu Gui glanced at her and asked, "And what about yourself? What are your own thoughts?"

Yan Xiaomi whispered, "I want to confess directly... I can't help it, this is all I can think about lately, it's really too torturous. I thought about it and decided that I might as well just confess directly. Anyway, whether it works out or not is just a matter of one sentence. At worst, I'll be rejected and sad for a while, which is better than me thinking about it every day."

Xu Gui smiled and said, "Then you can go ahead and confess. According to my calculations, the probability of him accepting your confession is as high as 100%."

hundred percent?

So that means it won't fail? Yan Xiaomi's eyes lit up.

Xu Gui looked at her and said, "You are a very good person, and he is also a very good person. His family is well-off, and everyone in the family has a good personality. If you marry him, you won't suffer any losses."

Yan Xiaomi's face instantly turned red. She cupped her burning face and said, "I... I was studying. I didn't think that much about it."

Who dreams of marriage before even confessing their feelings? And once she and the other person are together, will she already have names for their children? Yan Xiaomi covered her face, blushing at the thought that flashed through her mind.

"Is the friend who advised you not to confess your feelings a very good friend of yours?" Xu Gui asked casually.

Yan Xiaomi came to her senses and nodded while still covering her face with her hands, saying, "I guess so. We were friends in high school, and then we got into the same university. What a coincidence."

Their relationship in high school was just so-so. However, the probability of classmates from the same high school and the same class getting into the same university is extremely small. It's not an exaggeration to say that it was fate. Compared to classmates who are all strangers, it's natural to be closer to classmates you've known for a long time.

So, after they went to university, they naturally became close and became good friends. Yan Xiaomi believed that their relationship was very good.

Xu Gui glanced at her and said, "Perhaps you should be careful about your friend."

Yan Xiaomi: "Hmm?"

Xu Gui said lazily, "Your friend wasn't trying to advise you out of kindness. Didn't you realize that she actually dislikes you?"

Yan Xiaomi's bewildered expression deepened. She asked, "Huh? No, that can't be right. Why would she hate me?"

"Hmm, you've hit the nail on the head." Xu Gui looked intrigued. "Haven't you considered the possibility that she might also like that guy?"

Yan Xiaomi was shocked: "Really? She never told me this before?"

After she fell for that boy, she couldn't wait to tell her friends, but her friends also liked that boy? Yan Xiaomi thought about it and couldn't believe it no matter how she thought about it.

Xu Gui said, "You two met that boy together, right?"

Yan Xiaomi snapped out of her daze and nodded: "Yes..."

After the two girls became close in college, they participated in many activities together. They met the boy at a gathering of classmates from the same department, so they met him at the same time.

Xu Gui said, "It's a coincidence that you like that boy, and your friend also likes that boy... and that's how the conflict arises."

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiaomi felt a bit conflicted and said, "Why didn't she tell me? If she had told me, I wouldn't have mentioned my relationship with Dai Xu to her."

Dai Xu is the name of the boy she likes.

Seeing her expression of concern for her friend, Xu Gui couldn't help but chuckle and said, "You treat her as a friend, but she sees you as a rival in love. Didn't you say that you sensed that the guy clearly had feelings for you too, but he hasn't made any moves?"

That's why she's been so conflicted.

"Have you ever considered that it's not that the boy didn't take action, but that his actions were kept secret by your friend?"

"...No way?"

Xu Gui replied, "Why wouldn't I?"

During the time he spent telling fortunes for humans, Xu Gui realized that humans are truly complex creatures. Some are open and honest with their friends, while others are scheming and jealous of their friends. Yan Xiaomi was clearly unlucky and encountered the latter.

Xu Gui said in a calm tone, "That boy has a crush on you and wants to pursue you, so he asked your friend for advice. But your friend told him that you don't have any feelings for him, so he naturally stopped and didn't dare to do anything for a while..."

Yan Xiaomi didn't want to assume malicious intent about her friend, nor did she want to believe that he would do such a thing, but Xu Gui...

Yan Xiaomi pursed her lips.

“You can arrange to meet with the person you like and have an open and honest talk with him,” Xu Gui glanced at her. “Then, the whole truth will be clear.”

Yan Xiaomi's eyes flickered for a moment, then she nodded: "I understand."

She had been in high spirits just moments before, but now, because of Xu Gui's words, her mood had uncontrollably plummeted. She couldn't help but wonder: Could things really be like this? Is it possible that Xu Gui made a mistake? But... Xu Gui is a diviner.

After breaking up with Xu Gui, Yan Xiaomi searched for information about her online. The more she learned about Xu Gui, the more depressed she became.

She held her phone, rubbed her fingers together for a moment, hesitated for a while, and finally opened the chat interface. She found a line, clicked on it, and typed: "Dai Xu, do you have time tomorrow? I'd like to talk to you..."

After sending the message, she exhaled and held the phone to her forehead.

well……

*

After Xu Gui and Yan Xiaomi parted ways, Xu Gui returned to the company dormitory.

Unfortunately, when she returned, she saw many people coming and going in the dormitory. Judging from the things they were carrying, these people seemed to be moving. Xu Gui stood at the door for two seconds, tilted her head and looked inside, and saw that both of her roommates were actually at home.

He Yuan, whom she had met yesterday, was standing in the living room, and next to her was someone Xu Gui knew well—her other roommate, Su Ya.

As Xu Gui looked, He Yuan, who was facing the door, saw her and called out, "Xu Gui, you're back!"

Su Ya, who was standing with her arms crossed, turned around. When she saw Xu Gui standing at the door, her expression turned disgusted and critical. When Xu Gui came in, she said, "You're still staying in the dormitory?"

"Heh," she scoffed, tossing her hair in a pretentious manner, and said, "I thought you had already moved out of the dorm. It seems your new manager doesn't care about you much, letting you continue living in this doghouse."

As she spoke, she looked around with disdain.

Xu Gui glanced at He Yuan and saw that He Yuan's expression was somewhat uncomfortable when she heard Su Ya's words. Upon closer inspection, there was a hint of bitterness beneath her uncomfortable expression.

"I love the dorm." Xu Gui quickly looked away and said, "The dorm is so lively. When I want to have a late-night snack, there's someone to keep me company. I feel lonely living alone."

Su Ya scoffed and said disdainfully, "You're just being stubborn. If someone really arranged for you to stay out, I don't believe you would still find the dormitory lively... Sigh, I'm different."

Su Ya's tone became smug.

“My agent is different from your agent. He values ​​me a lot. As soon as I finish a show, he arranges for me to move out. He rented an apartment for me in Huida Community... You know Huida Community, right? Zhao Yang, the movie star, and the president of Hongda Group, they all live there!”

"The people who can live here are all either very rich or very powerful; ordinary celebrities can't live here."

Her meaning was quite clear: she was that "extraordinary star".

Su Ya sighed again, pretending to be serious, "Well, we're roommates in the same dorm, and now I'm going to abandon you and move to Huida Community by myself. It's a little embarrassing, but there's nothing I can do. You're just nobody, so even if I wanted you to stay there, the property management there wouldn't allow it."

“That’s true…” Xu Gui looked at her strangely and pointed out a fact: “But have you forgotten that we both participated in a program? In the program, you were tenth, and I was eighth, which is two places higher than you… Also, your Weibo followers are different. You only have two million followers, and I heard that more than one million of them were bought. But I have more than ten million followers, and they are mostly real fans!”

Compared to his initial unfamiliarity with these technical terms, Xu Gui now speaks about them with great familiarity and expertise.

He Yuan was initially feeling down because of Su Ya's words. After all, she was much older than Su Ya and Xu Gui, but the two of them had already made a name for themselves and gained some fame, while she was still just an extra in a minor role.

This situation, even just thinking about it for a little while, makes it hard not to feel depressed.

However, Xu Gui's two sentences made her chuckle involuntarily. But with Su Ya in front of her, she couldn't say anything, so she could only purse her lips and turn her head away to avoid Su Ya seeing her laughing and thinking that she was making fun of her.

However, Su Ya clearly didn't notice her expression at all, because all her attention was drawn to Xu Gui. She glared at Xu Gui, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly, before finally uttering a sentence after several seconds:

"Ha, you only made a little bit of a splash on the show, what's so great about that? There are still seven people ahead of you, if you're so capable, then take first place!"

Xu Gui replied, "There are still nine people ahead of you in the rankings. It will be much harder for you to take first place than for me."

Su Ya pointed at her: "You, you, you..."

Xu Gui lifted his eyelids to look at her, and said thoughtfully, "Besides, was it really because you became famous that you were able to move out? No, the cause and effect are reversed. To be precise, I should ask you: Did you really squeeze into the top ten based on your own abilities?"

Upon hearing this, Su Ya's pupils contracted, and her eyes almost bulged out.

Her expression was somewhat panicked, but she said, "...What do you mean? Are you saying I cheated? Are you overestimating me or looking down on the staff of Hunan TV? Humph, you're so despicable. Let me tell you, I made it into the top ten entirely because of my genuine talent!"

Xu Gui looked at her and said, "Since you say I have dirty thoughts, then what are you feeling guilty about?"

"I'm guilty?" Su Ya raised her voice, as if the louder she spoke, the more confident she felt, and said loudly, "I'm not guilty at all!"

Just then, the movers came over and said, "Ms. Su, we've finished moving everything. Would you like to leave now?"

Upon hearing this, Su Ya felt as if she had been granted a pardon and said without hesitation, "Let's go, let's go now!"

She then looked at Xu Gui and the others, and said arrogantly, "Hmph, anyway, I've moved out. You guys can just live your lives in this little dormitory!"

After saying that, she glanced quickly at Xu Gui, probably afraid that Xu Gui would say something "shocking" again. Without waiting for Xu Gui and the others to speak, she turned around and left. She left so cleanly and decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

Xu Gui watched her retreating figure: "She's clearly feeling guilty."

Upon hearing this, Su Ya stumbled and nearly fell. After she regained her balance, she didn't turn around and simply walked away.

Xu Gui looked at the dormitory and found that it was quite empty.