Miao Xinran flipped open the first card: The Upright 'Tower.'
In the picture, a towering structure was struck by lightning and bursting into flames, with two men falling from the tower.
"Xinran, your background seems complicated; you must have experienced some natural and man-made disaster when you were young."
As soon as the words were out, Miao Xinran incredulously lifted her gaze to Chu Jin.
Miao Xinran flipped open the second card: The Reversed 'Sun'
In the picture, a smiling, confident child riding a horse leaped out from a walled enclosure. Behind him was a vast field of sunflowers, above which shone the radiant sun.
"After that disaster, you were rescued, probably by the person who is now raising you, right? See this wall?" Chu Jin pointed to the wall in the picture and said, "You used to live within these walls, but life has been kind to you. Someone brought you out from there, giving you a new life and freedom."
Miao Xinran's face had already begun to turn pale.
But she still trembled as she turned over the third card: The Upright Five of Cups.
In the picture under a gloomy sky, a person in a black cloak, head bowed, observed three overturned cups on the ground. Behind them stood two upright cups, and in front lay a wide river with a bridge leading to a village.
"Xinran, you're now facing a decision, on one side the person who brought you endless hope and freedom, on the other, the person who gave you life..."
Chu Jin had no sooner spoken when Miao Xinran could no longer contain her emotions and clutched Chu Jin, bursting into tears and sobbing out, "Jin, what should I do? I don't want to go back with them..."
All these days, she had been repressing herself, remaining the carefree Miao Xinran in front of others.
Only in the solitude of the night would she cover herself with her quilt and secretly cry in her bed.
Now, embracing Chu Jin as if holding on to a lifeline, she was reluctant to let go.
"Xinran, just follow your heart, if you don't want to leave, why should you care about those who once abandoned you,"
Miao Xinran stopped crying and said in a broken voice, "But... he doesn't want me anymore..."
The person who raised her, she hadn't seen him for three days now, and she felt anxious. She was terrified of being taken away, afraid of being abandoned a second time.
Chu Jin pulled out a tissue and offered it to Miao Xinran, asking, "He? You mean the person who gave you hope?"
Miao Xinran accepted the tissue and nodded, "Yes, I haven't seen him for three days."
Chu Jin smiled, "Silly girl, he hasn't abandoned you. He's just giving you space, letting you have enough time to choose."
"What?" Miao Xinran looked at Chu Jin somewhat confused.
"See this bridge?" Chu Jin pointed to the 'Five of Cups' and said, "On the surface, this card brings endless sorrow and loss, but isn't it also a card full of vitality? If you're willing to look back, the bridge is always there; you can return any time. So, Xinran, what's most important now is to follow your heart, look back, and there might be a surprising joy waiting."
Miao Xinran's emotions gradually stabilized, and a look of determination appeared in her eyes, "Thank you, Jin, I know what to do now."
"You're welcome," Chu Jin shrugged, "but if you really want to thank me, then help tutor me in math."
It has to be said, math is really difficult.
She needed a beacon of light.
**
In Capital City, the highest floor of a towering skyscraper in the most bustling district.
"Mr. Mo, all of Miss Chu's information is here. Please take a look."
Mo Zhixuan took the documents handed over by his assistant and flipped through them, his eyes swirling with a chill.
After a moment, he curved his lips into a dangerous arc and instructed his assistant, "Cancel all my appointments for this afternoon; also, get ready, I'm going back to the main house."
The assistant was taken aback. Cancel all the appointments for the afternoon? Including one involving a ten-figure project?
In his memory, Mr. Mo had never done something so impulsive — could it be for that — fiancée?
At the thought of those three words, the assistant couldn't help but shiver. There really were people brave enough to marry Mr. Mo —
Those people must be after either wealth or power —
"Very well, Mr. Mo."
**
After school in the evening, Mo Qingyi was already waiting at the gate.
Mo Qingyi waved at Chu Jin, "Jin, over here, over here."
"Xinran?" Mo Qingyi looked surprisingly at Miao Xinran next to Chu Jin, "You know Jin too?"
Miao Xinran was also stunned; the world could be so small, "Yeah, Jin is my deskmate..."
Miao Xinran glanced at Chu Jin and said softly, "So people do call you Jin."
Chu Jin: "..."
To celebrate their serendipitous meeting, Mo Qingyi suggested they go eat to celebrate.
"Let's go for a snack; I know a place with secret recipes, their delicacies are super authentic..."
Chu Jin habitually lifted her hand to brush through her hair, then nodded, "Okay, let's go."
After all, the Zhao family wouldn't be keeping dinner for her.
Miao Xinran had no objections.
The three walked side by side, moving forward.
Suddenly, a black car surged out from the intersection and blocked their way.
"Damn it!" Mo Qingyi kicked the car door, "Who's car is this? Daring to block my way, do you have a death wish or something?"
Click.
The doors on both sides were opened, and two tall, strapping men in black suits stepped out.
"Miss Chu," one of the men spoke with some politeness, "our master requests your presence."
These two men, with golden halos shimmering on their temples, were clearly no ordinary individuals.
"What for?" Mo Qingyi stretched out her hand to shield Chu Jin behind her, "In broad daylight, are you guys planning to abduct a young woman or what?"
Miao Xinran took out her phone, intending to call for help, only to find that her fully charged phone had instantly run out of battery.
Moreover, the usually crowded road had oddly not a single person in sight at this moment.
The surroundings were eerily quiet.