Although the Lunar New Year celebrations last three days, the most festive atmosphere is undeniably on New Year’s Eve. Many young people leave home as early as the first day of the new year, rushing back to their jobs—as if their entire trip home was just for that one night of reunion.
After the New Year’s Eve dinner, Su Mo took Ye Qingyi out to experience the holiday vibe of their small city, while his parents stayed home to keep the tradition of “shousui” (staying up late to welcome the new year).
“I want to eat that!”
“You’ve never had candied hawthorns before?”
“I’ve only had the single ones, not the skewered kind.”
“Alright then.” Su Mo picked out the biggest, plumpest skewer for her.
They kept running into acquaintances along the way, leaving Ye Qingyi flustered from all the greetings. Some she even forgot, requiring Su Mo to whisper reminders.
It was always the same three words: Happy New Year!
Though sometimes, a title had to be tacked on.
Su Family Village was a fair distance from the city center—just a small town, really—but the New Year’s spirit here was far more vibrant than in the urban areas.
As the saying goes: The warmth of mortal life is the greatest comfort to an ordinary heart.
After strolling around, Ye Qingyi’s mind had settled considerably, though she couldn’t help worrying about her sister, Ye Qingyu.
According to the information Shen Hong had sent, Ye Qingyu was still inside an ancient tomb, facing significant trouble. While her sister was highly capable of handling emergencies, as her younger sibling, Ye Qingyi couldn’t help but fret.
Moreover, Shen Hong had subtly hinted at grim news: the tomb was highly unstable, requiring Ye Qingyu to remain there at all times to suppress it.
In other words, until the tomb stabilized, her sister couldn’t leave.
Sigh… When will I become strong enough to help her?
Noticing her low spirits, Su Mo said nothing—just quietly took her hand.
“Su Mo.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you know any way to quickly gain power?”
Su Mo was startled. “Don’t even think about it! Any shortcut to power comes with massive side effects. Not worth it.”
“Ugh, I was just asking! Why so tense?” Ye Qingyi huffed.
But Su Mo knew she wasn’t just idly curious. His expression turned serious.
“I know what you’re thinking—I want to do the same. But rushing things backfires. We need to build a solid foundation first so we can go further in the future. You were the one who taught me that, remember?”
Ye Qingyi stopped walking, her gaze softening as she looked at him. “How do you always read my mind and know just what to say?”
Su Mo straightened up with mock solemnity. “Why else would someone like you fall for me?”
“Ugh, you’re impossible.” His teasing lifted her mood a little.
They continued exploring, with Su Mo insisting on showing her “something special.”
At one point, they came across an eccentric man telling fortunes for a young couple, claiming his New Year’s Eve readings were the most accurate.
Su Mo nudged Ye Qingyi toward the crowd. “Come on, let’s see how your ‘colleague’ is doing.”
That earned him an eye-roll.
“Colleague? What I do isn’t fortune-telling—it’s fate prediction.”
“Same difference…” He tugged her closer.
The stall was crowded, mostly with onlookers.
The “master” was shaking copper coins for a divination, meticulously recording the results like a seasoned professional—nothing like a scammer.
“You two just got together, didn’t you?”
“Wow, Master, you’re amazing!” The girl gasped.
The master smirked mysteriously. “Easy.”
He sketched out the hexagram, then flipped through an interpretation book. Suddenly, his brow furrowed.
“The primary hexagram is Earth over Water (Shi). Be careful—your relationship may face interference and won’t last.”
The crowd murmured disapprovingly. Someone scoffed, “This guy’s a hack. Ruining a couple’s New Year’s Eve by predicting a breakup? Doesn’t even know how to ‘reverse fate.’”
The couple panicked. “What do we do? We just started dating!”
The boy squeezed his girlfriend’s hand, promising never to leave her, moving her to tears.
“Now, now, young ones, don’t fret! This humble Daoist will reverse your fate!”
He began scribbling over the original hexagram, then checked the book again—this time with a solemn nod.
“The mutual hexagram is Earth over Thunder (Fu). For your love to endure, both must put in the effort.”
“So there’s hope?”
“Indeed.” He kept scribbling. “Watch as I reverse fate once more! Amitabha!”
Finally, the master beamed. “The transformed hexagram is Thunder over Water (Xie). All past conflicts are resolved. True love prevails!”
Someone in the crowd jeered, “These ‘masters’ all use the same tricks. Even a kid could do it—create tension first, then deliver a happy ending for emotional payoff.”
The couple, overjoyed, asked the price. The master waved grandly. “Free of charge.”
Hearing it was free, the same skeptic pushed forward. “Master, read my fortune too! Reverse my fate—I want endless riches, hahaha!”
The master didn’t even look up. “Without sincerity, the divination fails. This Daoist cannot comply.”
“What?” The man turned red, cursing. “You scam artists dare act high and mighty? I’ll report you for fraud!”
The master smiled calmly, holding up his book. “The Book of Changes, one of the Five Classics of Confucianism. Go ahead and report me. I charged no fee and forced no one—where’s the fraud?”
As the man sputtered, the master pulled out his phone. “I recorded everything. Accuse me without evidence, and it’s you breaking the law.”
Defeated, the man stormed off.
Ye Qingyi clapped excitedly, suddenly eager for a reading. “Master, can you divine for us too?”
The master glanced up, then shook his head. “Apologies. Time’s up—I must go home.”
Ye Qingyi: “???”
Master, your acting needs work. That’s the lamest excuse for refusing us…
But unlike the angry man earlier, she just sighed in disappointment.
The crowd dispersed, baffled by the master’s free yet elusive service.
Yet as he packed up to leave, he suddenly paused and turned to Ye Qingyi.
“Since we’ve met, let this Daoist offer you wisdom: The false may become real, the real may become false. Sometimes, the unreal surpasses the real.“
And with that, he walked away—leaving Su Mo and Ye Qingyi utterly bewildered.