The perk of owning her own shop was that she no longer had to rush out early every morning.

Gu Xicao leisurely made her way to the shop after finishing breakfast downstairs. She had just arrived when Wang Laoshi came over and teased, “Boss, why didn’t you wait until noon to show up?”

Gu Xicao smiled. “You’re right. Next time, I’ll wait until noon to come.”

Wang Laoshi was momentarily speechless, then pointed toward the office. “Someone’s been waiting for you since this morning. Go see them.”

“This early?” Gu Xicao glanced at her watch. It was only 8:30. Who was coming to get their fortune told so early?

She didn’t know that the visitor hadn’t come in the morning—they had been there all night without sleeping.

Ah San had been sitting in the office for a while, growing increasingly anxious. Just as he was about to leave, the door opened, and Gu Xicao walked in, greeting him with a smile. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting, sir.”

Ah San froze for a moment, then hesitantly looked behind her. “Where’s the master?”

Having just sat down, Gu Xicao glanced at her tailored suit and felt helpless. She had dressed this formally to appear more professional, yet it still didn’t work.

Fine. Next time, she’d just show up in shorts and a T-shirt.

“I’m the master you’re looking for,” Gu Xicao said. “My surname is Gu. And you are?”

This young?

If Ma Qi hadn’t vouched for her, Ah San would have thought she was playing a prank on him.

After a moment of hesitation, Ah San sat down. “I’m Zhang San.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Zhang. Our rate is 188 yuan per session, payment upfront,” Gu Xicao said, resting her hands on the table. “What would you like me to help you with?”

“I’m not here for fortune-telling,” Zhang San replied. No sooner had he said that than Wang Laoshi entered the room with two cups of coffee. One he handed to Gu Xicao, the other to Zhang San.

Gu Xicao took a sip of her coffee, the faint aroma perking her up. She glanced at Wang Laoshi, silently complaining, You didn’t add sugar? Are you trying to assassinate your boss?

Wang Laoshi looked innocent, clearly unaware of her dissatisfaction.

“Mr. Zhang, aside from fortune-telling, we also offer feng shui consultations. We don’t do anything else,” Gu Xicao said tactfully.

Wang Laoshi nodded in agreement. While he could manage feng shui, anything involving charms or spells was out of the question.

Zhang San frowned. “Master, can’t you make an exception? I heard some experts in your line of work can cure illnesses, even cancer. Let me be honest with you: my elder brother has been paralyzed for three years. I’ve spent a fortune trying to help him. If you can cure him, I’m willing to pay up to 300,000 yuan!”

Wang Laoshi frowned and kindly advised, “Mr. Zhang, illnesses should really be treated in a hospital. To be honest, in all my years in this field, I’ve never seen anyone cure paralysis with these methods. As for the stories about curing cancer, those are just rumors.”

Zhang San’s face paled. Leaning forward, his belief in their abilities seemed to deepen because of their honesty.

“Master, I’m begging you. If you can cure my brother, the price is negotiable.”

“It’s not about the money—”

Before Gu Xicao could refuse, the system popped up: “His brother isn’t sick.”

“Huh?” Gu Xicao blinked. “What do you mean? Didn’t he say his brother is paralyzed?”

“He’s faking it,” the system replied.

Taking another sip of her coffee, Gu Xicao subtly signaled Wang Laoshi to hold off. Though confused, Wang Laoshi followed her lead and said, “Mr. Zhang, please wait a moment while our master calculates.”

Gu Xicao pretended to calculate while gossiping internally. “Are you serious? He said his brother’s been paralyzed for five years!”

“Yep, and for three years, his brother has been faking it,” the system explained. “On the surface, he’s paralyzed, but behind closed doors, he’s as agile as ever—dunking basketballs and sprinting around.”

Gu Xicao: “…What?! That’s ridiculous!”

She lowered her hand, meeting Zhang San’s expectant gaze. “Let me make this clear: I can’t cure illnesses. But in your brother’s case, I have a solution. It’s 188 yuan. If you agree, pay now, and we’ll head to your home right away.”

Zhang San’s initial spark of hope dimmed when he heard the first part, thinking all was lost. But when she finished speaking, his spirits instantly lifted.

Without hesitation, he pulled out the money. “Fine, it’s just 188 yuan. If you can cure my brother’s illness, I’ll pay whatever it takes!”

Wang Laoshi went outside to hail a cab. Sitting in the backseat with Gu Xicao, he asked uneasily, “Boss, are we really taking this money? Not to sound preachy, but we’re not exactly desperate for cash, and this sort of thing isn’t right.”

Wang Laoshi had been in the fortune-telling and feng shui business for years but had never resorted to selling talismans or miracle cures. That’s why, despite his experience, he was still struggling financially.

Gu Xicao closed her eyes to rest. “Stop asking questions. You’ll understand soon enough.”

Seeing her firm stance, Wang Laoshi kept quiet.

“This is my place. It’s a bit messy, but don’t mind that. Please, come in quickly,” Zhang San said.

He lived in public housing. As the door opened, two children were sitting by the entrance playing with toys, and a woman in an apron was nearby picking vegetables.

Seeing Zhang San with guests, the woman’s eyes showed a hint of wariness. “Zhang San, who are these people?”

“Sister-in-law, they’re two masters I invited to treat my brother,” Zhang San explained.

The two children immediately abandoned their toys and ran to Zhang San, clinging to his legs. “Uncle, we want ice cream. Give us some money!”

“What ice cream? Your uncle already pays for your school fees and living expenses. How can you have the nerve to ask him for money for snacks?” the sister-in-law chided. However, she didn’t stop picking vegetables or make any move to discipline the children.

Zhang San said, “Sister-in-law, don’t scold the kids. They’re just young.”

He pulled out a five-yuan note from his pocket and handed it to them. “Take this, but don’t buy too much.”

“Wow, Uncle, you’re so generous!” The kids gleefully took the money and ran off.

Only then did Zhang San lead Gu Xicao inside.

Their home was even smaller than the one Gu Xicao shared with Lin Yuan. The cramped space had two bunk beds, and one bed near the wall was curtained off. A man lay behind the curtain.

“Ah San, you’re back,” the man said, opening his eyes as though just waking up.

Zhang San walked over with Gu Xicao. “Big Brother, how have you been these days? Any improvements?”

Zhang Yi shook his head, his face full of dejection. “No, nothing at all. Ah San, don’t waste your efforts on me anymore. I’ve accepted my fate—I’m destined to be a cripple for the rest of my life.”

“Big Brother!” Zhang San’s eyes reddened as he pounded his knee. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t fought with you back then, you wouldn’t have ended up paralyzed. But don’t worry, I’ve invited a master this time. She’s very skilled. She’ll definitely cure you.”

Zhang Yi glanced at Wang Laoshi. “Is he the master?”

A twinge of nervousness crept into his heart. The older man looked somewhat seasoned—could he actually have some real abilities?

“No, this young lady is the master,” Zhang San quickly clarified.

Zhang Yi froze, looking at Gu Xicao. His heart settled back down, and he relaxed his furrowed brows. With a chuckle, he said, “Ah San, you’re so gullible. You’ve been scammed. How could a little girl like her be a master?”

“Whether or not I’m the real deal, you’ll see soon enough,” Gu Xicao replied, already used to such reactions. She glanced around the room and asked Zhang San, “Mr. Zhang, do you have a kettle in the house?”

“A kettle? Let me ask my sister-in-law,” Zhang San said, looking around and failing to find one. He called out for her.

His sister-in-law came over, apologizing, “Oh, I’m so sorry. The kettle broke yesterday when the kids were playing with it, and I haven’t had the money to buy a new one. If you need water, I can run downstairs and buy some for you.”

“No need for that,” Gu Xicao said, gesturing for Zhang San to step forward. “Go borrow a kettle from the neighbors. Make sure the water inside is boiled.”

“Boiled water? That’s going to be hot,” Zhang San muttered. “Why not just buy some? That’d be easier.”

Gu Xicao was about to explain but noticed Zhang Yi and his wife staring at them intently. She swallowed her words and said, “Fine, I’ll come with you to borrow it.”

Zhang San finally caught on. “Alright, then. Wang Laoshi, you stay here.”

Zhang Yi quickly gave his wife a look, and she smiled as she stepped forward. “Oh, how could I let you go borrow something? I’ll go instead.”

“No need, Sister-in-law. Just take care of Big Brother and keep Wang Laoshi company. I’ll go with the master,” Zhang San said, heading out with Gu Xicao.

Still suspicious, the sister-in-law tried to follow them.

Wang Laoshi’s eyes flickered with understanding. He grinned and, as if by accident, bumped into the table, sending a cascade of jars and containers clattering to the floor.

“Oh no, my clumsiness!” Wang Laoshi exclaimed, feigning remorse.

The sister-in-law, distressed over the spilled items, immediately crouched down to pick them up, too preoccupied to follow Gu Xicao and Zhang San.

The neighbor was kind enough to lend them a kettle, even joking, “Do you need anything else? Ah San, it’s been a while since we last saw you.”

Rubbing his stubbled chin awkwardly, Zhang San replied, “I’ve been busy with work, so I haven’t had time.”

“You’ve got it tough, supporting your brother’s whole family,” the neighbor said sympathetically, shaking their head. “But you should think about your own future. Supporting them for a few years is fine, but you can’t keep this up forever. You’re not getting any younger—when are you going to settle down and get married?”

The neighbor glanced at Gu Xicao and initially assumed she might be Zhang San’s girlfriend. After a closer look, they realized that wasn’t the case. This young woman, with her elegant attire and confident demeanor, was clearly out of Zhang San’s league.

“I’ll figure it out later,” Zhang San said with a forced smile. “Right now, I’ve found a master who says she can cure my brother’s paralysis. If that works out, my burden will be much lighter.”

“Cure paralysis?”

The neighbor nearly tugged out their own beard in shock. Staring at Gu Xicao, they pulled Zhang San aside and whispered urgently, “Are you out of your mind? Don’t get scammed! If someone could really cure paralysis, they’d be a billionaire by now.”