To Feng Qingyi's surprise, within a single day she experienced not only a sprained ankle, falling in public, being unable to use her meal card despite having money on it, but also nearly being hit by a car.
She suddenly began to believe what Qian Jue had said about her bad luck.
Shen Hanyue had been by Feng Qingyi's side the whole time, expressing deep sympathy for the events she had encountered today.
This girl had inexplicably fallen at the entrance of the cafeteria, even though Shen Hanyue was supporting her. Somehow, she had suddenly ended up on the ground.
Then, when the two of them went to buy food in the cafeteria, everyone else's cards worked, but Feng Qingyi's card wouldn't scan.
After eating, as Shen Hanyue was escorting her back to the villa, a motorcycle came speeding towards Feng Qingyi out of nowhere.
If it weren't for Shen Hanyue's quick reflexes in pulling her aside, Feng Qingyi would probably be lying in a hospital bed by now.
"Qingyi, are you alright?" Shen Hanyue asked with concern.
Feng Qingyi hugged her, "I'm so miserable."
Shen Hanyue said, "You should rest well at home. I'll come pick you up before afternoon classes."
Feng Qingyi replied, "No need, I can walk by myself. Thank you so much for today, otherwise I might have been even worse off."
Shen Hanyue patted Feng Qingyi's shoulder, "There's no need for thanks between us. You stay here and take it easy, don't bump or knock into anything else. I'm heading off now."
"Okay, bye!" Feng Qingyi waved to Shen Hanyue.
After Shen Hanyue left, Feng Qingyi quickly took out her phone, intending to find Qian Jue and ask him some questions.
He had mentioned earlier that he had some business at the Wenyuan Pavilion, but now with her limping, it wasn't convenient for her to go there.
However, she thought she might be able to check the house, as he had been there several times before when she visited.
Feng Qingyi found some fruit in the refrigerator and carried it to the house.
She looked around the courtyard but couldn't see any sign of Qian Jue.
Just as she was about to leave, Qian Jue suddenly appeared from somewhere and snatched the fruit she was carrying.
"Little girl, did you come looking for me?"
Feng Qingyi looked at him without saying a word.
Qian Jue glanced at her foot, "Did you sprain your ankle?"
Feng Qingyi nodded, "Mm-hmm."
Qian Jue pulled an apple out of his pocket and started munching on it, "I told you to spend some money to ward off bad luck, but you didn't agree. Now look at you, you've become a cripple."
"You can really tell fortunes?" Feng Qingyi still doubted what he said.
Qian Jue: "You're in this state and you still don't believe? You're quite stubborn."
Feng Qingyi: "It's because you usually don't seem reliable, so I find it hard to believe you."
"So you're blaming me now!" Qian Jue said, somewhat helplessly.
Feng Qingyi looked at him, "Not really, I'm just saying. Is it too late for me to spend money to ward off bad luck now?"
Qian Jue: "It's too late. If you don't listen to your elders, you'll suffer the consequences. At least it won't be life-threatening, so don't worry too much."
Feng Qingyi made a sad face, "That's easy for you to say when you're not the one experiencing it."
Qian Jue: "Just be careful for the next couple of days, it's not a big deal. By the way, your tea house is doing quite well. I didn't realize you had a talent for business."
"You went to see it?" Feng Qingyi asked.
Qian Jue said, "I just went for a look around. The decor is nice."
"I heard there was a tea house there before that went out of business. Do you know why?" Feng Qingyi inquired curiously.
Qian Jue finished eating an apple and tossed the core towards a distant flower pot, "Why do businesses usually fail? They lose money, of course!"
Feng Qingyi: "...Alright then. I'll be heading back now."
"Next time, don't bring me fruit. If you must bring something, bring something we don't have here. The apples sold on the street are much sweeter than these," Qian Jue said.
Feng Qingyi: "How picky of you. Keep this up and I won't bring you anything anymore."
"Fine, since you brought me fruit, take this safety charm with you. Just keep it on you," Qian Jue tossed a paper charm to Feng Qingyi.
The charm floated in the air for a moment before landing steadily in Feng Qingyi's hand.
"Thanks, I'll be going now," Feng Qingyi said and left.
Qian Jue also picked up the bag and left the courtyard.
As night fell, Feng Qingyi received a video call from Qin Yuchuan.
These past few days, Qin Yuchuan seemed to have more free time and would call punctually every day.
Feng Qingyi answered the call, "Are you done with work?"
Qin Yuchuan: "I'm free for now. What's wrong with you?"
Feng Qingyi looked at Qin Yuchuan suspiciously, "What do you mean? Nothing's wrong."
Qin Yuchuan: "If nothing's wrong, why are you looking around nervously?"
"I... it's nothing really. I just accidentally sprained my ankle today," Feng Qingyi said softly.
Qin Yuchuan asked with concern: "Does it hurt? Have you seen a doctor?"
Feng Qingyi: "It's fine, I've already applied some medicine. The doctor said it's nothing serious, and it doesn't hurt anymore."
Qin Yuchuan: "I'm coming to see you."
"There's no need, you should rest early. I'm really fine," Feng Qingyi said, rubbing her ankle.
Without hearing a response from Qin Yuchuan, the video call was disconnected.
Feng Qingyi looked at her short pajamas and decided to find a jacket to put on.
Before she could find one, Qin Yuchuan had already arrived.
"Didn't you say you sprained your ankle? Why are you standing there? Come sit down quickly."
Feng Qingyi slowly walked to the edge of the bed and sat down, "You didn't need to come, I'm really fine."
Qin Yuchuan said nothing, kneeling in front of Feng Qingyi and grasping her ankle, "It's swollen like this and you say it's fine?"
"Be gentle! It wasn't hurting before, but now it hurts when you touch it," Feng Qingyi said softly.
Qin Yuchuan released her foot, "I'll help you apply a cold compress."
"Okay," Feng Qingyi nodded.
Qin Yuchuan found a towel in the bathroom, soaked it in cold water, and carefully applied it to Feng Qingyi's foot.
Feng Qingyi stared intently at Qin Yuchuan, suddenly feeling that maybe things weren't so bad after all.
"What are you looking at?" Qin Yuchuan looked up and met Feng Qingyi's gentle gaze.
Feng Qingyi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "Looking at you, of course!"
Qin Yuchuan gazed at her, "And are you satisfied with what you see?"
Feng Qingyi said, "If you smiled more, you'd look even better."
"Mm," Qin Yuchuan responded.
Feng Qingyi stared at him in confusion, wondering if that "mm" meant he agreed.
"I think that's enough, you don't need to keep applying the compress," she said.
Qin Yuchuan helped Feng Qingyi under the covers, "Mm, go to sleep early. If it still hurts tomorrow, send me a message."
"You're not staying with me tonight?" Feng Qingyi tugged at his clothes.
Qin Yuchuan stroked her head, "Be good, I still have some work to deal with tonight, so I can't stay with you."
Feng Qingyi let go of his sleeve, "Alright then, you should hurry back."
Qin Yuchuan leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Feng Qingyi's brow, "Rest well, good night."
After Qin Yuchuan left, Feng Qingyi touched the spot where he had kissed her, rolled over a couple of times in bed, then pulled up the covers and drifted off to sleep.
