CHAPTER 181: CHAPTER 181: FORTUNE-TELLING 4_1

Over the years, he had developed his own method for identifying beautiful women. Photos alone were no longer enough to fool him. Thanks to Photoshop and beautifying camera apps, many ordinary-looking women could alter their appearance to seem like great beauties. Conversely, some truly stunning women often appeared plain in photographs. Therefore, when it came to unfamiliar women, he always insisted on seeing a video first. If she looked beautiful in the video, he would meet her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t waste his time.

At that moment, he recalled the woman from last night’s video call—her coy expression, her captivating eyes, and the adorable crimson blush on her cheeks... He wished he could rush to the hotel right then and sweep the beauty into his arms.

Just as he walked out of the parking lot, a fortune-teller grabbed his sleeve. "Sir," the man said, "how about a fortune reading? No charge if I’m not accurate."

Liang Sheng was quite annoyed. "Not interested, not interested," he brushed him off.

He walked a few more steps and found the path lined with fortune-tellers. It turned out there was a Daoist temple nearby, so although the street wasn’t long, a dozen or so blind or partially blind men had set up fortune-telling stalls.

Liang Sheng, clutching his briefcase, swaggered past them. As he neared the end of the street, a blind man stepped into his path and said calmly, "Listening to your footsteps, sir, it’s clear you’re due for some romantic encounters in the coming days."

"Oh?" Liang Sheng responded.

"Fate connects those who are meant to meet," the fortune-teller said. "I’ll tell you a few things. If I’m right, you can just buy me a pack of cigarettes."

Liang Sheng’s interest was piqued. He stopped. "Go on then, let’s hear it. If you’re accurate, never mind a pack. I’ll buy you a whole carton."

The blind man, showing no gratitude for the offer, said calmly, "’As they say, judge a gong by its sound and a person by their gait.’ Sir, you walk as if weighed down, yet your steps are light and unsteady. It’s clear that troubling matters have plagued you recently. And I believe there’s only one reason for it: women."

Liang Sheng’s ears perked up. "Go on," he urged.

"Your left foot seems to hover, while your right one lacks weight. This is a sign of kidney imbalance, undoubtedly from excessive indulgence. You are anxious because women from your past continue to bring you endless trouble. They cling to you like spider spirits, leaving you no peace day or night. This spiderweb will slowly contract, tightening around you like a vast net. If you don’t find a way to break free, not only will your family life be disrupted, but your career will also suffer a devastating blow."

"Your romantic fortune is indeed potent. While this can be a good thing, it also carries risks. Judging by the depletion of your kidney qi, three or four women feel you’ve wronged them. They are poised to bring you unforeseen calamities..."

Liang Sheng grabbed the blind man’s hand, his voice filled with excitement. "Incredible! That’s truly incredible! Master, please, show me the way! I will reward you handsomely..."

Lately, for some unknown reason, he’d been plagued by nuisance calls every day—from KTV hostesses, bar girls, and women from hair salons. He’d even been summoned to the police station for questioning a few times and fined. Having a prior record, he could only resign himself to his bad luck. Perhaps he had too many past flings coming back to haunt him, he thought. Gritting his teeth, he decided to change his phone number. But before he could, calls started coming in from epidemic prevention stations and health clinics... These, he dared not ignore. The callers from these agencies would always begin sternly. "Do you know a Ms. So-and-so?" they’d ask. "She has listed you as one of her ’friends.’ To prevent the spread of infection, you must be responsible for yourself and society. Please cooperate with an examination..."

One such call might have been dismissible. The problem was, he’d received three or four such calls from different epidemic prevention stations, each concerning a different woman. He had no idea how serious their conditions truly were.

He had been with so many women that he honestly couldn’t recall if he even knew these particular ones. But he couldn’t ignore call after call like this; he was genuinely scared.