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"I... I."

The man found it difficult to continue, but after much mental preparation, he reluctantly admitted the truth.

"I want to inquire... if there's any way to avoid harming my wife."

Chapter 72

It was noon, and there were quite a number of people around, including tourists who had stopped to watch the commotion.

Upon hearing the man admit to being a wife-killer, whispers started to fill the air.

Throughout history, stories of women bringing misfortune to their husbands were abundant. Yet, it was rare to hear of a man willingly acknowledging that he was the one causing harm.

Chu Yuening, like the other onlookers, was surprised.

"Though there is talk of harmful influences in astrological birth charts, truly incompatible charts are few and far between. How can you be certain that you are the one causing harm to your wife?"

She had read countless horoscopes in her career.

So far, she had yet to come across a truly incompatible pair.

Di Zhenghao seemed to be recalling a sorrowful past, his hand supporting his forehead as tears of grief rolled down. "Master, please believe me, I really am a wife-killer."

"How else can you explain that every wife I marry ends up dying?"

A collective gasp echoed.

The neighbors were astonished.

Chu Yuening calmed the crowd and turned to inquire, "How many times have you been married?"

Di Zhenghao raised his hand.

The neighbors helped count, "One, two, three."

Upon completion of the counting.

The neighbors were startled.

"Three wives, all dead?"

"It seems we have a serious matter on our hands."

"Folks, jot down his appearance if you're close by. Three wives, three deaths—either he's a wife-killer or a reincarnation of the King of Hell. He's quite the collector."

"Single ladies, take note. Keep your distance from this gentleman; don't rush into ruin blindly."

Chu Yuening also sensed that things were more complicated than they seemed. "Give me your birthdate and the birthdates of your three late wives."

Di Zhenghao promptly provided the information, unlike others who might not remember their wives' birthdays. He knew each of his wives' birthdates with remarkable clarity.

"Are you sure there's no mistake?" Chu Yuening double-checked.

"Absolutely not," Di Zhenghao vowed. "Before coming here, I cross-checked my wives' birthdates with my father-in-law multiple times."

Chu Yuening took the paper with the four sets of birthdates and began to calculate and analyze them one by one.

In the process.

She looked at the distressed Di Zhenghao and asked, "If it really is due to an astrological incompatibility, what do you plan to do?"

"What else can I do?" Di Zhenghao gave a bitter smile. "When my wife passed away, I compensated her family. If her death was truly caused by our inauspicious match, I have plenty of money to offer them more."

Implicitly, he meant that if it was confirmed that he was the cause of his wives' deaths, he would provide additional compensation to his late wife's family.

"It wasn't easy for your father-in-law to raise his daughter."

Di Zhenghao's words won some appreciation from the neighbors. At least, he wasn't shirking responsibility.

"If it turns out that you really have a detrimental effect on your partners, do you still plan on getting married?"

Di Zhenghao waved his hand with a wry smile. "How could I get married? Wouldn't that just be harming someone else?"

"I married all three of my wives out of love. They were like the most vibrant and beautiful flowers, but they withered and faded because they were with me."

"Witnessing my beloved die in my arms, I've walked that path three times over."

No one could fathom the depths of Di Zhenghao's agony.

He was wealthy, indeed.

But no amount of wealth could reclaim the life of a single wife.

If he truly brought misfortune to his partners, he swore he would never let such a tragedy repeat itself.

"At first, I was reluctant to entertain the thought that I was jinxed," Di Zhenghao shared with the neighborhood folk.

It seemed as though he had found an outlet for his pent-up emotions, recounting his past experiences.

"My first wife was a nurse at the hospital. She was beautiful and innocent, always dedicated and caring towards her patients. I met her when I visited the hospital due to a cold."

"The moment she smiled at me, I felt no pain even as the needle pierced my vein."

A gentle smile graced Di Zhenghao's face as he reminisced. "We fell in love and got married half a year later. She was filial to her parents, and even after work, she would return home to tend to the house chores. She was the most gentle woman in the world."

"Our plans for the future included trying for a child after a year of marriage, first a boy, then a girl. But... before that year was up, she..."

His face was filled with sorrow and reluctance. "She was diagnosed with cancer."

He could never forget how his wife, weakened by relentless radiation therapy, lost all her hair and eventually passed away in his arms, emaciated.

"In just half a year, I lost her forever."

The neighbors couldn't help but sigh at the sight of this strong man shedding tears.

"It took me five years to start my life anew, and during that time, I met my second wife by coincidence. She was a bank employee, and due to business dealings, we often interacted."

"She was incredibly understanding. Upon learning about my previous wife, she comforted me and encouraged me to look forward."

"As our time spent together increased, we grew closer and eventually came together."

"After a year of marriage, she was involved in a car accident and left me forever."

Having experienced the loss of a spouse twice, Di Zhenghao approached relationships with greater caution. The fear of parting with love again made him close his heart, preventing himself from easily falling for someone anew.

As time passed.

He wasn't sure if it was due to loneliness or the infectious vitality of his third wife.

"My third wife was very young. Her vibrant life force reached out to me, a withered soul stuck deep in the mud, offering a lifeline. I knew that perhaps she didn't love me as deeply."

At this, Di Zhenghao smiled bitterly. "I was ten years older than her. I was no longer young, nor did I possess the charm of youth."