Everyone burst into laughter

Some mocked Gu Xicao for being delusional, while others sympathized with the plight of her and her younger brother, who had no relatives or support.

“All right, enough with the nonsense,” said Mrs. Leung impatiently, waving her hand dismissively. “You two need to move out by tomorrow.”

Clearly unwilling to waste any more time on them, she turned to leave.

Seeing things go south, Gu Xicao quickly called after her, “Mrs. Leung, aren’t you worried that your grandson hasn’t come home by now?”

Mrs. Leung paused, startled by the question. When the meaning behind Gu Xicao’s words registered, her face darkened. She turned back angrily. “Are you cursing my grandson?!”

“It’s not a curse; it’s what I’ve deduced,” Gu Xicao replied calmly.

She pretended to calculate something on her fingers, then confidently said, “He left the house an hour ago, didn’t he?”

Mrs. Leung froze.

An hour ago, her beloved grandson, Leung Jiabao, had asked for five yuan to buy a notebook. Knowing full well he was probably going out to play arcade games, she had still handed him the money.

But how could Gu Xicao know this? The siblings had just returned home moments ago.

“Hey, didn’t Jiabao leave about an hour ago?” Mrs. Lam interjected in surprise.

The neighbors playing cards at the elevator entrance nodded.

An hour earlier, they had seen Leung Jiabao eagerly taking the elevator down, cash in hand. Mrs. Lam had even commented to her card buddies about how quick the boy was to play games but slow to study.

“Fine, let’s say you guessed correctly. So what?” Mrs. Leung snapped, her face flushed with irritation. “My grandson is lucky and blessed. Nothing will happen to him!”

“He was hit by a car and is currently undergoing surgery at St. Mary’s Hospital.”

After Gu Xicao said this, she stepped back. The people living in this public housing unit were very martial and would fight every day, and Mrs. Liang was no pushover.

“You! You’re the one who’ll get hit by a car! I’ll beat you to death, you rotten-mouthed brat!”

Just as expected, Mrs. Leung flew into a rage, lunging at Gu Xicao.

The neighbors quickly moved to stop her.

“Landlord, come on, why argue with a little girl? She had a fever before—maybe it’s fried her brain!”

“Don’t hold me back! I’ll teach this kid a lesson!” Mrs. Leung struggled furiously.

Neighbors stepped in to mediate, some advising Mrs. Leung to calm down, while others whispered to Gu Xicao to apologize quickly.

“Apologize already! Do you want to sleep on the streets tonight?” Mrs. Lam hissed, giving her a pointed look.

Gu Xicao: “…”

Before she could respond, an elderly man named Uncle Ho leaned out of his apartment, shouting, “Mrs. Leung, there’s a phone call for you! It’s from the hospital!”

The commotion froze.

Even Mrs. Leung, red with anger a moment ago, stood as if doused in cold water. She turned to stare at Uncle Ho, then at Gu Xicao, her expression stunned.

“Better hurry and answer it, Mrs. Leung,” Gu Xicao prompted.

“Yeah, go on. The hospital wouldn’t call for no reason,” Mrs. Lam added, her tone suddenly serious. She glanced from Mrs. Leung to Gu Xicao, her earlier skepticism now replaced with unease.

The group escorted Mrs. Leung to Uncle Ho’s apartment to take the call.

Telephone were a luxury in this era—installation costs were high, and call charges weren’t cheap either. Only Uncle Ho’s family had a telephone in the building.

“Hello?” Mrs. Leung’s hands trembled as she picked up the receiver.

“Are you Mrs. Leung Yuxiang, the grandmother of Leung Jiabao?” came a voice on the other end.

“Yes, yes, that’s me,” Mrs. Leung stammered. “Is something wrong with my grandson?”

“Yes,” the nurse replied. “At 5 p.m., he was hit by a car on Hung Fook Street and rushed to St. Mary’s Hospital. He’s currently undergoing surgery. Please bring money as soon as possible.”

The nurse emphasized the need for payment.

Mrs. Leung could only manage a few panicked acknowledgments before hanging up.

“What is it? Did something really happened to Jiabao?” Mrs. Lam asked anxiously.

Mrs. Leung nodded mechanically, her face pale. “They said… they need money. I have to bring money.”

“Yes, yes, hurry and get it. We’ll go with you,” Uncle Ho urged.

Mrs. Lam helped Mrs. Leung gather some cash, while others called a taxi or packed a few of Jiabao’s clothes.

As the group prepared to leave, they saw Gu Xicao waiting calmly by the elevator.

This time, the neighbors’ laughter and mocking expressions were replaced with an almost reverent curiosity.

“You…” Mrs. Leung hesitated, her lips trembling as she looked at Gu Xicao. She seemed to want to say something but couldn’t find the words.

“I’ll come with you, Mrs. Leung,” Gu Xicao said. “In case anything happens, I can help.”

“Okay, okay,” Mrs. Leung murmured. For reasons she couldn’t explain, having Gu Xicao accompany her brought a strange sense of relief.

Perhaps it was because of how eerily accurate the girl’s prediction had been.

After they left, the neighbors erupted into discussion.

“Who’d have thought that little Gu could be so accurate? She even predicted the hospital!”

“Yeah! She always seemed so ordinary. Turns out she’s got real talent. We’ve seen it today!”

In Hong Kong, where superstition and fortune-telling were widespread, this event left a deep impression on everyone present. Tales of accurate fortune-tellers were common, but witnessing it firsthand was a rarity indeed.