When Jian Xi came back, He Qingchen had already taken a shower, changed into loungewear and was sitting on the sofa waiting for her. Seeing that she hadn't been drinking, he was relieved and let her go to bed.
Over the next few days, the renovation of the little wooden house began. Su Yinghe occupied Jian Xi every day, picking her up in the morning and sending her back at night, taking her to almost every corner of B City.
Jian Xi also used what little time she had before going to bed at night to complete her storage bracelet, leaving some unfinished beads that she made into several peace talismans, which she personally engraved with peace charms.
There was no need to give one to He Qingchen since he was already wearing the Five Emperors coin pendant she made for him around his neck, which was much more powerful than these peace talismans.
So she made one for Old Master He, one for Huo Chengxi, one for Su Yinghe, and one each for He Qingrou and He Jiaxu.
In just a few days the little wooden house was renovated, but He Qingchen did not let Jian Xi move in right away. Although the renovation materials used were the best, it was still better to air out the smell for a while. He had always been most cautious when it came to anything regarding Jian Xi ever since they were young.
Two days later, Jian Xi welcomed her first client.
Xu Yao had discussed this with her beforehand, so she knew that the man in front of her was called Zhou Junhe and was the heir of the Zhou Family.
When Zhou Junhe first arrived at Pleasant View Creek Garden, he was quite restrained. It wasn't that he had never seen the world before, but this was He Qingchen's residence! Everyone in their social circle knew He Qingchen's temperament, and even his close friends wouldn't dare to casually step into his private domain, let alone the main building or even the yard. So when Assistant Xu told him to go to Pleasant View Creek Garden for a reading, he had confirmed it several times in disbelief!
On his way there, he thought that even if Miss Jian's reading was inaccurate, he certainly wouldn't say anything about it. After all, it was just 10,000 yuan at most, which was like a drop in the bucket for these prestigious families, barely enough for a meal.
When Zhou Junhe arrived, Jian Xi had already brewed tea and was waiting. With a sideways glance, he looked over the small wooden house. Though small, it had everything one needed. The whole decor was based on natural, original colors for an antique style. A landscape screen separated the front hall from the reception area, completely obscuring the inside from the entrance.
The assistant told him to wait here for a moment while she went in to announce his arrival.
This assistant was called Gu Lingling. She was originally Assistant Xu Yao's assistant. Now Xu Yao had sent her here specifically to receive Jian Xi's clients.
"Miss Jian, your client has arrived." Gu Lingling went inside and told Jian Xi.
"Please come in," Jian Xi replied.
Zhou Junhe was invited inside. There he saw a large tea table with a beautiful woman in green seated inside. This was his first time seeing Jian Xi, and she made quite an impression on him. The young lady looked quite young, yet she had a gentle and tranquil grace.
Of course, that was just his superficial impression since they weren't familiar.
Across from Jian Xi was a cup filled about seven-tenths full with steaming hot tea, clearly indicating that was his seat!
"Mr. Zhou, please have a seat," Jian Xi said with a smile.
Zhou Junhe sat down. "Thank you."
After a brief moment of silence, Jian Xi spoke up, "Mr. Zhou, would you like me to give a reading or analyze your birth chart?"
When Zhou Junhe entered, Jian Xi already knew that he was just here to go through the motions. But adhering to professional ethics, she still asked first.
"What's the difference?" Zhou Junhe asked, puzzled.
Jian Xi pursed her lips in a forced smile. "They're different. A reading asks about matters at hand while a birth chart analyzes fate."
Her explanation was simple and easy to understand. Zhou Junhe quickly grasped the difference. After thinking for a bit, he said, "Hmm... Then I'll go with a reading. Ask about...ask when I can have a child!"
Jian Xi had already taken out her two Five Emperors coins, but hearing his question, she was puzzled. Putting the items in her hands down, she said, "Mr. Zhou, you already have a daughter."
At first Zhou Junhe froze for a second, then he felt it was a little funny. He reminded her, "Miss Jian, I'm not even married yet, how could I have a child?"
At the same time, he thought to himself that He Qingchen's sister wasn't very accurate in her readings either. It seemed her high praise recently was mostly just flattery towards He Qingchen!
Jian Xi shook her head in disagreement. "No, Mr. Zhou. The palace of children on your facial features clearly shows you already have a daughter." As she spoke, she pinched the two Five Emperors coins and tossed them onto the table surface.
Zhou Junhe watched the two spinning Five Emperors coins on the table, then looked back at Jian Xi's serious expression. Although he didn't understand, surely she wouldn't try to trick him like this? Weren't fortune tellers supposed to use three copper coins? How come Miss Jian was only using two coins!
Just as he was feeling speechless, the two Five Emperors coins stopped spinning. Jian Xi slowly spoke, "The reading shows that two years ago in mid-July, you were plotted against by a mortal enemy."
Zhou Junhe was startled. When he thought back, there was indeed such an incident. But he didn't feel it was anything remarkable. After all, everyone in their social circle knew about that incident, and he was the first client with such a long appointment time. It wouldn't be surprising if she had looked into his background in advance.
But Jian Xi's next words made his eyes go wide.
Jian Xi didn't continue talking about the previous incident. Instead, she changed the topic. "In college, you had a girlfriend you loved deeply, but due to your mother's objections, you two ultimately didn't end up together. She's the mother of your daughter."
"How...how is that possible? We broke up in our senior year. It's been four years now. And when we were together back then, we hadn't...we didn't..."
At that time, he had been very responsible towards Xu Yao. Even if it was difficult to endure, he didn't do anything to her. He wanted to save all the beautiful moments for when they got married after graduating college. But unexpectedly, they still didn't make it over that rocky path in the end.
Part of the reason they broke up was also Xu Yao's inferiority complex. Her family circumstances were average, even a bit difficult. When she found out he was the Zhou Family's young master, she felt very inferior. Then his mother's opposition directly caused her to overthink until their arguments became more and more frequent, finally leading to their breakup.
Jian Xi sighed. "Two years ago, she was working at the bar where you got in trouble that night. The day you got in trouble, she was the one who took you to the hotel."
Zhou Junhe's pupils contracted. He gaped for a long time, unable to get any words out.
After a while, he processed this information. His expression was hard to describe, possibly due to the tremendous shock from this revelation. He got up and said, "I'll look into this matter. Thank you for your reading, Miss Jian. I'll have my assistant transfer the reading fee shortly."
