“Celina, aren’t you going to introduce me?”

The client finally spoke with a smile after Gu Xicao and Zhou Xiufang had finished exchanging pleasantries.

Zhou Xiufang snapped out of her daze, a bit embarrassed, and quickly introduced them. “Ms. Wang, this is Master Gu, a very accurate fortune teller. Master Gu, this is Ms. Wang, the owner of the Haha Foods Company.”

Haha Foods Company?

That was a renowned food brand. Gu Xicao extended her hand for a handshake and said, “No wonder you have such a noble appearance, Ms. Wang. You truly have an impressive fortune.”

“Not at all, it’s all just luck,” Ms. Wang replied with a polite smile. She glanced around the area, hesitating slightly. “Are we doing the fortune-telling here?”

Zhou Xiufang looked at Gu Xicao and suggested, “Master Gu, is there a quieter place we could use? Ms. Wang isn’t short on money.”

“That’s no problem. There’s a café nearby; let’s head there,” Gu Xicao said considerately. After all, not everyone was comfortable having their fortune told on the street. It was only respectful to accommodate the client’s preferences.

She turned to Wang Laoshi, who rolled his eyes and shook his newspaper. “Go ahead, I’ll watch over your stall.”

“Thank you so much, Uncle Wang.” Gu Xicao grinned, clasping her hands in a gesture of gratitude before accompanying Ms. Wang and Zhou Xiufang.

Wang Laoshi put down his newspaper, his expression tinged with envy.

He had been sitting there for over two hours without a single customer. Meanwhile, the moment Xiao Gu arrived, she got clients right away.

Still, he couldn’t help but admire her skills, knowing they were far beyond what most people could achieve.

“Please have a seat, Ms. Wang, Ms. Zhou. What coffee would you like?”

Gu Xicao called a waiter over and asked for the menu.

“Just anything will do,” Ms. Wang said. “I’ve heard that you’re very accurate, and I’d like you to help me with my relationship and career.”

The waiter, overhearing this as they left, glanced curiously at Gu Xicao before walking away.

Gu Xicao smiled. “I do my best—it’s mostly good luck.”

Ms. Wang smirked slightly and took a slip of paper from her bag. “This has my boyfriend’s and my names along with our birthdates. Please take a look. As for the fee, don’t worry about it. If you’re accurate, I don’t mind paying thousands or even tens of thousands.”

“That’s unnecessary.”

Gu Xicao took the paper calmly. “I charge 188 yuan per person. If you feel like giving more, you’re welcome to, but 188 is perfectly fine.”

“Isn’t that a bit too cheap? Those reputed to be accurate usually charge thousands,” Ms. Wang said with a hint of skepticism.

To be honest, if it weren’t for her good relationship with Zhou Xiufang and the glowing articles she had read about Gu Xicao’s fortune-telling in the papers, she might have turned around and left after seeing the modest stall and how young Gu Xicao was.

“They are who they are, and I am who I am,” Gu Xicao replied. “Expensive doesn’t always mean good. For instance, a lunch priced at ten thousand yuan isn’t necessarily tastier than one costing a hundred. Don’t you think?”

“Exactly! That’s what I think too. Those high-end restaurants charge tens of thousands for a meal, but they can’t beat a bowl of wonton noodles from the shop downstairs—both filling and delicious,” Zhou Xiufang chimed in supportively.

Ms. Wang raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair. “Alright then, Master, please proceed. To be honest, I wouldn’t have considered consulting a fortune teller if I weren’t seriously contemplating marriage and feeling a bit uncertain.”

“Ms. Wang, given your substantial wealth, marriage might seem unwise. But you must have genuine feelings for the gentleman,” Zhou Xiufang said with a smile.

Ms. Wang sighed. “You’re right. I don’t know why, but when I see him, I feel an inexplicable closeness. I never even considered marriage before, but because of him, I’ve changed my mind.”

Cough, cough, cough.

Suddenly, Gu Xicao coughed, drawing puzzled looks from both Ms. Wang and Zhou Xiufang.

“Master Gu, is something wrong?” Ms. Wang asked.

“I have a few questions for you first, Ms. Wang,” Gu Xicao said in a low voice. “What is your relationship status with your boyfriend? I mean, physically.”

Ms. Wang frowned, her displeasure evident. “Is that question really necessary? Can I choose not to answer?”

“It’s very important,” Gu Xicao said bluntly. “It concerns your marriage and reputation.”

Zhou Xiufang was taken aback. She glanced at the now-stern Ms. Wang and softly explained, “Ms. Wang, Master Gu is always thoughtful with her questions. She wouldn’t ask without a reason. Please answer—it won’t leave this room.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Ms. Wang reluctantly replied, “We’ve developed some feelings for each other, but we haven’t confirmed our relationship yet. As for physical contact, there’s been none.”

In truth, her young boyfriend had only joined Haha Foods’ secretary department this year.

Ms. Wang, impressed by his youth and competence, had promoted him to her personal secretary. Their frequent interactions had deepened her feelings for him, which eventually led her to consider marriage.

“That’s good, then. There’s still time,” Gu Xicao said with relief. “Forgive me for being blunt—you can’t be with him.”

Ms. Wang frowned deeply. “Why? Is it because he’s more than ten years younger than me? Or…”

Her expression darkened as a possibility struck her. Gritting her teeth, she asked, “Could he be a spy sent by my estranged son?!”

Zhou Xiufang’s eyes widened. She had known Wang Rongyan for some time and was familiar with the situation at Haha Foods.

Although Wang Rongyan was the chairman of Haha Foods, the company wasn’t solely hers. It was co-owned by her, her late husband, her stepson Wu Qiangzhi, and a few other shareholders.

Wang Rongyan had a strong personality and was highly capable. After her husband passed away and the company faced a food safety scandal, she took charge and stabilized the situation, which led to her becoming the chairman. However, her stepson, Wu Qiangzhi, had never accepted her. He believed she had deceived his father and taken over the family’s assets. He had been trying to reclaim the shares and oust her from the company.

But Wang Rongyan had been in the workforce since her teens and was no pushover. Despite Wu Qiangzhi’s resentment, he had never been able to do anything to her.

“It’s not him,” Gu Xicao said, shaking her head. “But he would be pleased to see this situation unfold. The man you’re planning to marry isn’t a bad person—he’s hardworking, ambitious, and very filial.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Wang Rongyan asked impatiently.

“Yes, if that’s the case, the marriage seems like a good match,” Zhou Xiufang added.

Gu Xicao cleared her throat lightly. “But he’s related to you by blood. That’s the problem.”

What?!

Wang Rongyan’s mind buzzed. For a moment, she wondered if she’d misheard.

What did she mean by “related by blood”?

“That’s impossible. His surname is Yuan, and no one in my family has the surname Yuan,” Wang Rongyan said, her voice tinged with skepticism as she stared at Gu Xicao. She thought the so-called fortune-teller might have lost her mind.

Gu Xicao was about to respond when the waiter brought their coffee. She kept silent until the coffee was placed on the table and the waiter had left.

“Ms. Wang, there’s something you may not know,” Gu Xicao said. “When you were fifteen, you were deceived by a man, got pregnant by accident, and gave birth to a child because you had no money to terminate the pregnancy. Isn’t that true?”

Wang Rongyan’s face turned pale instantly.

Her lips trembled as she shot to her feet, pointing at Gu Xicao. “How do you know about that?! No one has known about this for years!”

“Ms. Wang, please calm down, or everyone will start looking at us,” Zhou Xiufang said, startled as she pulled Wang Rongyan back into her seat.

Wang glanced at the front desk, where a few waiters were staring at them in shock. Biting her lip in frustration, she took a deep breath and sat back down. “What else do you know? Did someone tell you about this?”

“No one told me,” Gu Xicao said, taking a sip of her coffee. “There’s no need to be so tense. Everyone makes mistakes when they’re young. We’ve all been deceived or taken advantage of before. Do you think I’d judge you for it?”

“Exactly, Ms. Wang,” Zhou Xiufang added. “Don’t let it bother you. Even I almost got duped by my ex. If it weren’t for Master Gu, I’d never have seen his true colors. You were so young when it happened—who would’ve wanted that kind of thing to happen?”

Wang Rongyan’s face remained pale.

She said nothing, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag. As she exhaled, smoke curled from her scarlet lips. “You don’t need to comfort me. I know I was foolish back then. I thought that sleeping with a man meant he loved me. If I hadn’t gone through that ordeal, I wouldn’t have become who I am today.”

Hearing this, Zhou Xiufang felt a pang of sympathy.

Her self-deprecating words were likely her way of consoling herself.

From having a child in her teens to becoming a successful businesswoman, she must have endured unimaginable hardships along the way.

“Are you saying Ah Tai is my son?” Wang Rongyan asked, her voice calm now as she forced a smile. “That’s impossible. My mother told me that child died right after birth.”

“She lied to you,” Gu Xicao said bluntly. “Back then, you and your mother could barely survive. Raising a child would’ve been impossible. Her only choice was to give the baby away and tell you he’d died to stop you from causing a scene.”

Wang Rongyan stared at Gu Xicao in shock, her throat dry. “She… lied to me?”

“Yes,” Gu Xicao confirmed with a nod. “If you don’t believe me, ask Yuan Tai’s grandmother. She should remember what your mother looked like.”

“But the birth dates don’t match, and Ah Tai’s age doesn’t line up!” Wang Rongyan protested, still unwilling to believe what she was hearing.

“Dates and ages can be falsified,” Gu Xicao said, tapping the table. “You can ask Mr. Yuan directly how old he really is.”

At these words, Wang Rongyan immediately stood up and went to the front desk to borrow a phone.

Watching her retreating figure, Zhou Xiufang leaned in and whispered to Gu Xicao, “Master Gu, you scared me with what you said. I was worried Ms. Wang was going to hit you.”

Gu Xicao sighed helplessly. “How could I not scare her with something like this? There’s no way to say it without causing shock.”

Zhou Xiufang thought about it and realized she had a point.

Who would’ve expected that the person they were dating turned out to be their long-lost child?

It was like something out of a horror story.

Luckily, their relationship hadn’t progressed too far; otherwise, the embarrassment would have been unbearable.