"It's because I'm too fat, I need to eat less from now on."
Observant Ye Zhi immediately offered him a way out.
She stepped back and hopped back to the couch, first sitting down before putting on her shoes, explaining with a smile, "My foot's numb, I need a moment."
In the darkness, she didn't see the hint of red on the boy's ears.
The night's rain had lessened a bit, and the wind wasn't as strong.
Tingling Garden had quite a few weeds, and there were two large locust trees planted in the garden. After the heavy rain, the ground was littered with fallen leaves, a complete mess.
The two of them sat quietly, not saying a word.
After a conversation, she seemed to notice, does the male lead talk a bit less?
To break the deadlock, it had to start with her again. Ye Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow, I'll have someone come to repair your small courtyard." After speaking, she gently asked, "Is there anything else you want to say?"
It wasn't very late, but there wasn't much to do here. She might as well go back, change clothes, and sleep.
The male lead's deep brown eyes were calm and impenetrable, leaving people unaware of what he was thinking: "No. It's late, you should go back."
Of course, he's the male lead; if people knew what he was thinking, he wouldn't be the male lead.
"By the way, fortune tellers and the like are all liars. My mother had my fortune read when I was a child, and they said I wouldn't make it past five. I'm seven now, and they're just charlatans. When you leave the manor, don't let these people cheat you out of silver."
Ye Zhi felt that wasn't enough, so she added more elaboration:
"I despise these con artists from the streets, scold them when they come. Everyone has their destiny, heaven predestines our fates. Some make themselves kings, while others become bandits. Everyone's fate is determined, and it can't defy the heavens."
"In short, I truly detest those fortune-telling charlatans."
These words seemed ordinary.
But in Shen Chen's ears, they struck like a thunderclap, hitting his heart.
His whole body was tense, slightly lowering his head, his hands clenched into fists, his face tranquil without joy or sorrow, completely motionless.
Did she say it intentionally, or was it just a kind reminder?
Could she know about that incident?
In fact, Ye Zhi definitely said it on purpose. In the novel "Concubine's Favor," it is noted: Fortune-tellers often say: 'With careful planning, there is no worry. The noble nods approval. Whether present or past, people and things renew fresh.'
When Shen Chen held power over the court, he became the so-called noble.
He despised these fortune-tellers, and at that time, proposed to the Emperor a significant reform to suppress them.
Over several years, fortune-tellers had to abandon their trade, turn to other professions to make a living, and lived exceedingly hard lives.
Some genuine fortune-telling masters were also implicated.
Later, a top scholar suggested to Emperor Jingping to emphasize the innate Eight Diagrams culture and divination, delivering lengthy expositions.
Seeing that Prime Minister Shen had no objections, Emperor Jingping restored the mandate allowing fortune-tellers to set up stalls throughout the streets and alleys.
At this moment, Shen Chen, who had been in high position for many years, had forgotten the childhood wounds and no longer cared to pursue them.
He always believed that because of the fortune-teller's words, calling him a disaster star, his grandfather treated him that way, resulting in his parents' deaths. He had lived in pain for all these years.
Ye Zhi thought, while he's still young and understands little, it might be good to guide him early. She mainly viewed fortune-telling as a kind of study.
She even researched Fu Xi's Eight Diagrams: Qian is one, Dui two, Li three, Zhen four, Xun five, Kan six, Gen seven, Kun eight. The Later Heaven Eight Diagrams (King Wen's Eight Diagrams): Kan is one, Qian two, Dui three, Kun four, Gen five, Zhen six, Xun seven, Li eight.
One should not condemn a whole group because of a single charlatan. Her words of despising fortune-tellers were just to pacify Shen Chen.
Once she passes the hurdle of being torn apart, she would read fortunes every day.