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by 陈年奶泡"Sorry, I'm not familiar with the etiquette here," Ah Min waved her hands, flustered.
Seeing Ah Min's nervousness, Chu Yuening softened her expression and said, "It's just a way of addressing each other. Call me whatever you're comfortable with."
Noticing that Chu Yuening's teapot had gone cold, Shanpo pushed her way into the stall, grabbed the thermos from the sugar water stand, and poured hot water into the teapot.
Steam rose as the hot water flowed from the flask.
"Dear child," Shanpo said, balancing the water carefully while jesting, "This must be your first time getting your fortune told, right? Ning Ning is very kind. Just speak your mind freely."
The other neighbors chimed in agreement.
"Yes, don't be afraid, little sister."
"Ning Ning is around your age. You can express your thoughts directly; there's no need to worry."
Seeing that Ah Min was still on edge, Chu Yuening suggested, "How about this? I'll read your fortune first. That way, you can see if it makes sense, alright?"
Ah Min nodded.
Chu Yuening studied Ah Min's facial features for a moment before inquiring about her birthdate and time. "You were born into a family with a relatively comfortable financial standing. Your Palace of Natal Chart, which also pertains to siblings, is influenced by both the Mao and You branches of the Earthly Branches, each symbolically tied to siblings. In your family, there are three daughters, and you are the third-born."
"Innocent and young, you didn't have to endure much hardship at home. Your two elder sisters vied to do the housework, and whenever there was something delicious, the whole family would think of you first."
"However," Chu Yuening mused, studying the character formations, "this is the Year of the Dog, and your zodiac sign is in conflict with it. Did you happen to get hit by a car in July?"
Upon hearing that he was hit by a car, Ah Min's round eyes lit up as he nodded vigorously. "Master, you're truly amazing!"
She had initially come to Temple Street after hearing from a colleague about an exceptionally skilled fortune-teller. She hadn't expected to find a familiar face.
Not only that, but the person was truly remarkable!
"On the night of the car accident, I was on my way back to my residence after work," Ah Min shared. "Fortunately, it wasn't severe, and I just needed a few days to recover from a leg injury." She continued, "After the accident, I took some time off from work. Even when I returned, I didn't mention this incident to my colleagues."
Ah Min felt that there was no point in discussing it.
In Hong Kong, the intricacies of human relationships revolve around profit. If one were to mention their recovery to colleagues, it would clearly imply an expectation of visitation gifts.
Thus, only the two of us are aware of this matter.
Chu Yuening proceeded with her analysis, "According to your eight characters, you have an unfavorable position of the positive seal and the correct official, indicating that you're not naturally skilled at interpersonal communication and tend to lean towards pessimism. You constantly fear being betrayed by those around you. In matters of the heart, you're prone to feeling insecure."
Ah Min echoed with fervent nods. "Master, you're spot on. Both my relationships ended with me suspecting infidelity from my previous boyfriends."
Ah Min rested one hand on the table, propping up his chin, while the other counted steadily.
"First love blossomed in school. Back then, he would escort me home every day, but for two consecutive days, he didn't. So, I went to find him, and he said he was too busy."
"I suspected he was being unfaithful, so I broke up with him without giving him a chance to explain himself."
Ah Min's character resembled many Hong Kong women – suspicious by nature but decisive once she confirmed her suspicions.
Chu Yuening calculated mentally, "Actually, you really misunderstood your first love."
"You thought he was cheating on you secretly, but during that period, his family situation had taken a turn for the worse. He hurried home early each day to protect his mother from abuse by his stepfather. It's a complicated matter; if you asked him, he might have been afraid you'd look down on him and thus didn't tell the truth."
Ah Min's mind was reeling. So, back then, her first love had rushed home early to protect his mother.
But she had nonsensically broken up with him.
Ah Min couldn't help but laugh through her tears. "So that's how it was? Then what about your second relationship?"
"He always answered his pager secretly and wouldn't let me see the messages. Of course, I was older and more mature by then. I wouldn't just blindly repeat my previous breakup antics without understanding the situation."
"I was much more emotionally rational. I patiently asked who was sending the messages and why he would be so secretive if he had nothing to hide. Why couldn't he reveal the contents of the pager?"
"He still refused to tell me, and in the end, we broke up."
Chu Yuening crossed her fingers in a gesture of divination.
Although the numerology was based on Ah Min's birthdate, it could also shed light on past relationships.
Soon, Chu Yuening had her answer.
"I calculate that at 21, you had a fated relationship that led to stability. That aligns perfectly with your second romance. At that time, he was preparing a surprise for you, getting ready to propose. Naturally, he couldn't tell you."
"Originally, if you had waited just one more day, everything would have come to light."
"But you packed your bags and left, giving him no chance to make amends."
Ah Min was taken aback by the truth; she had invested her sincerest emotions in her first love and placed her utmost trust in her ex-boyfriend.
In both relationships, she had given her all.
Yet...
The reality behind their breakups turned out to be so absurd.
Frustrated, she sighed, "Master, do you think there's any chance for me to change my suspicious nature?"
Chu Yuening shook her head. "Your destiny, as they say, is written in the stars from the moment you're born."
Noticing Ah Min's dejected expression, she added thoughtfully, "Perhaps you could consider communicating with your partner, expressing your needs, and asking them not to do things that might trigger your suspicions."
"Sigh..." Ah Min let out a deep sigh.
Chu Yuening proceeded with the calculation, and upon reaching Ah Min's fate line, she raised an eyebrow.
"Ah Min, what did you come here to have calculated?"
Feeling cornered, Ah Min replied reluctantly, "To be honest, I wanted to know about my current boyfriend."
"Master, originally, I was quite confident. But when you revealed that my previous two relationships ended due to misunderstandings, it shook my confidence."
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