Chapter 1:

Ganzhou, also known as Qiancheng, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangxi Province.

Feng Shui originated in China, and the roots of Chinese Feng Shui trace back to Ganzhou. During the Tang Dynasty, the renowned Feng Shui master Yang Yunsong personally conducted site selections for the city walls, gates, temples, and government buildings of Ganzhou. He refined the ancient Chinese Feng Shui system and established the Jiangxi School of Form School Feng Shui theory, which is revered by Chinese Feng Shui practitioners around the world as the founding ancestor.

Three days ago, Lin Qiao arrived in Ganzhou and is now waiting to meet a contemporary Feng Shui master rumored to be a descendant of Yang Yunsong.

This meeting was arranged three months ago by Lin Qiao. It took her three months to finally secure this opportunity to meet the so-called “Master.” It wasn’t because he was too busy, but rather because he simply didn’t want to meet her.

Lin Qiao is from Beijing and graduated from Peking University. She is a staunch socialist citizen who firmly opposes superstition. The reason she came to seek an audience with this master, who has been exaggerated into something almost mythical, is because her family’s business has been deteriorating in recent years. Her father, after witnessing a friend’s miraculous recovery thanks to the master’s Feng Shui advice, insisted on seeking help from the master. Lin Qiao strongly opposed the idea, but her father secretly went to Jiangxi and ended up in a car accident and was still denied an audience.

To make her father give up, Lin Qiao decided to visit the master herself. Through her best friend Wang Jiaqi’s husband, she obtained the master’s contact information. She pleaded for three months with the master’s assistant to finally secure this opportunity to meet the master in person.

Speaking of her best friend Wang Jiaqi, it’s impossible not to mention her father, Wang Jin, who is the very friend Lin’s father referred to as having turned his fortune around.

Uncle Wang, as he is known, is an experienced businessman. In recent years, like Lin’s father, he has struggled financially, and his family’s situation has become increasingly difficult. Lin Qiao and Wang Jiaqi grew up together. She knows that Wang Jiaqi has a boyfriend named Fang Zheng, a wealthy overseas returnee. It was this boyfriend who arranged for the mysterious Feng Shui master to help Uncle Wang, completely reversing the Wang family’s misfortunes. As a result, Wang Jiaqi also improved her standing with her future mother-in-law and successfully married into a wealthy family.

Lin Qiao has always believed that the Wang family’s good fortune came from the strategic advice of the rich businessman Fang Zheng, and had absolutely nothing to do with that arrogant, so-called “master.” However, her father held the exact opposite view and stubbornly refused to accept her opinion, which finally forced her to give in.

This time, for the sake of her stubborn father who won’t give up until he hits a wall, Lin Qiao decided to go through with it.

After waiting for about an hour in the elegant and quiet hall of a three-story traditional Chinese-style villa, Lin Qiao could no longer contain her impatience. She quietly went upstairs and found Duxinling, the assistant she had been in contact with, and politely asked how much longer she would have to wait. However, the response she received left her unable to remain calm.

“Miss Lin, I was just about to look for you. I’m really sorry, but Mr. Shen suddenly has something come up today and can’t meet with you. Please go back first, and we’ll contact you again when he’s available.”

The young man in a suit and tie apologized sincerely, then gestured politely toward the exit.

Lin Qiao was momentarily stunned. “What did you say?”

“I’m really sorry. It was unexpected, and no one wanted this to happen,” Duxinling explained in a very formal tone.

Lin Qiao replied with frustration, “Unexpected? How can your boss do this? I’ve waited so long already. Do you think it was easy for me to come all the way here?”

Duxinling pursed his lips. “I’m sorry, Miss Lin, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Also, I’m his business partner, not his employee.”

Lin Qiao said helplessly, “He made me wait three months just to meet him. I traveled all the way from Beijing to Jiangxi, back and forth. I’ve been waiting here for three full days. There’s a pile of work waiting for me back at the company. Now you tell me he suddenly has something come up and has to cancel? Do you even think this is reasonable? Is meeting him really this difficult? I’m not even here for anything serious—I’m just here to learn from him!”

Duxinling seemed completely accustomed to her reaction and calmly replied, “I’m sorry, Miss Lin. This was indeed our mistake. It won’t happen again next time.”

“When will the next meeting be?” Lin Qiao asked, her expression darkening.

Duxinling answered, “Not sure yet. We’ll have to wait for Mr. Shen’s schedule. He said that after today, none of the dates in the next month are suitable for meeting with you—it’s considered inauspicious.”

Hearing this, Lin Qiao almost lost her composure. She forced herself to stay calm and gritted her teeth, saying, “Fine, I’ll wait.” Then she turned and walked downstairs, grabbed her bag, and quickly left, as if trying to escape the place as fast as possible.

From the second-floor window, Duxinling watched her leave and couldn’t help but sigh. In fact, today really was an unexpected incident. He had already arranged the meeting, but the son of the other party suddenly skipped school and went missing. The school teacher called to urge the parents to go look for him, so the meeting had to be canceled. Although the son wasn’t his biological child and he didn’t seem to pay much attention to him normally, deep down, he still cared. It was just that Lin Qiao had really bad luck—her whole family seemed to be plagued with misfortune.

After leaving the premises, Lin Qiao’s frustration only grew worse. She wasn’t the kind of person who liked to be aggressive, but the other party had been too harsh on her. They had kept her waiting for three months, and just when she finally got the meeting, it was suddenly canceled. Anyone would find that unbearable.

Annoyed and carrying her backpack, she walked out of the remote area and called the taxi she had arranged earlier. Soon after, the driver arrived, and she got into the car and left.

Luckily, she had the foresight to get the taxi driver’s number. Otherwise, with no public transportation and no way to hail a cab around here, she would have been completely stranded.

The hotel where Lin Qiao was staying was in a quiet area with few shops around. Feeling troubled, she returned to the hotel, took a shower, and then went out for a walk. She walked past the hotel into a passage, turned a few corners, and followed a neat row of willow trees swaying gently in the breeze. When she passed by a school playground, she stopped and watched the grassy field while letting the wind calm her mind.

Suddenly, she heard a child crying from a nearby alley. Frowning, Lin Qiao quickly ran over and stood by the wall, peeking inside. She saw some college students bullying a primary school student. She felt relieved but also worried at the same time.

Four teenagers who looked like middle schoolers surrounded a little boy with bruises on his face. Although he had been beaten, the boy still looked defiant. Holding tightly onto his backpack, he stubbornly said, “I don’t have any money!”

Lin Qiao couldn’t help but sigh. This kid was really stubborn. Money could always be earned again, but if he got hurt, it would be a serious problem.

Although she was in a foreign city and didn’t want to get involved in trouble, Lin Qiao finally stepped into the alley. She was tall, standing at 170 cm, with a serious expression and an intimidating gaze, which gave her a certain amount of authority over the group of children.

“What are you doing?” she asked emotionlessly.

The four teenagers, after all still children, panicked at the sight of an adult. They exchanged glances and then fled in the opposite direction.

Lin Qiao approached the little boy, helped him up, and took out some wet wipes from her backpack to gently clean the wounds on his face. Her movements were very gentle, and her eyes were kind and warm, which helped ease the boy’s tension. He obediently endured the pain without making a sound.

Who doesn’t like a well-behaved child? Lin Qiao gently patted the boy’s head and softly asked, “Does it hurt?”

The boy shook his head. “No.”

“You’re lying,” Lin Qiao sighed. “It’s bleeding—how could it not hurt? Never mind, where do you live? Let me take you home.”

Lin Qiao stood up, took the boy’s hand, and prepared to take him home. He wasn’t very tall, looking like he was only in first or second grade, with big eyes full of gratitude and shyness as he looked up at her.

“Sister, just take me back to school. I’ve been gone too long. The teacher must have called my dad already, and he’ll come to pick me up,” the boy said, looking up.

Lin Qiao smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll take you back to school.” She held his hand and walked a few steps forward. Noticing his awkward gait, she realized he might also be injured in his legs. She bent down and picked him up, and the two of them walked out of the alley together.

The boy’s school was the one she had just seen. This was the back entrance of the school. Since all the students were in class, the playground gate had already been closed, and it seemed no one was going to have physical education. They would have to go around to the front entrance.

As Lin Qiao turned around with the boy in her arms, preparing to leave, she saw a black Audi A8 pull up in front of her.

A man got out of the car. He was tall, with a slim waist and broad shoulders. He was dressed in a crisp black suit and a neatly tied tie. He glanced at her expressionlessly. His face was sharp and angular, his eyes as bright as stars in the night sky, and his pale skin looked like early spring snow, glowing with brilliance.

His gaze lingered on her for only a few seconds before he silently took the boy from her arms. His long, cold fingers brushed against her body, sending a shiver through her.

Ganzhou, also known as Qiancheng, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangxi Province.

Feng Shui originated in China, and Chinese Feng Shui traces its roots to Ganzhou. The renowned Feng Shui master Yang Junsong of the Tang Dynasty personally selected sites for Ganzhou’s city walls, gates, temples, and government offices, refining the ancient Chinese Feng Shui system and establishing the Jiangxi Form School of Feng Shui theory. He is revered as the founding master by Feng Shui practitioners of Chinese descent worldwide.

Lin Qiao arrived in Ganzhou three days ago and is now waiting to meet a contemporary Feng Shui master who is said to be a descendant of Yang Junsong.

This meeting was scheduled three months ago. She had to wait three months for the privilege of meeting this “master”—not because he was particularly busy, but because he didn’t want to see her.

Lin Qiao is from Beijing, a graduate of Peking University, and a staunch supporter of socialism who opposes superstition. The reason she sought an audience with this widely rumored master is that her family’s business has been declining in recent years. Her father, after seeing a friend receive guidance from the master and turn his fortunes around, insisted on seeking the master’s help. Lin Qiao strongly opposed the idea, but her father secretly traveled to Jiangxi. Not only did he get into a car accident, but he was also turned away.

To make her father give up, Lin Qiao decided to visit the master herself. She obtained the master’s contact information from her best friend Wang Jiaqi’s husband and spent three months persuading the master’s representative before finally securing this meeting.

Speaking of her best friend Wang Jiaqi, it’s impossible not to mention Jiaqi’s father, Wang Jin—the very friend her father mentioned who turned his fortunes around.

Uncle Wang is a seasoned businessman who, like Lin Qiao’s father, had been struggling financially in recent years, leaving his family in increasingly dire straits. Lin Qiao and Wang Jiaqi grew up together, and Lin Qiao knew that Jiaqi had a returnee boyfriend named Fang Zheng, a genuinely wealthy man. It was this boyfriend who helped Uncle Wang connect with the mysterious Feng Shui master, reversing the Wang family’s decline. Even Wang Jiaqi managed to improve her standing with her potential mother-in-law and marry into a wealthy family.

Lin Qiao always believed that the Wang family’s turnaround was due to Fang Zheng’s strategizing and had nothing to do with that arrogant fraudster. But her father thought the exact opposite, stubbornly refusing to listen to her advice, which ultimately forced her to take matters into her own hands.

Just this once, for the sake of her stubborn father, Lin Qiao resigned herself to the situation.

After waiting for about an hour in the elegantly quiet hall of a three-story Chinese-style villa, Lin Qiao finally couldn’t take it anymore. She quietly went upstairs to find Du Xinling, the representative she had been in contact with, and politely asked how much longer she would have to wait. But his answer left her anything but calm.

“Miss Lin, I was just about to look for you. I’m truly sorry, but Mr. Shen suddenly has something urgent to attend to today and won’t be able to make it. Please come back another day. I’ll notify you when he has time.”

The young man in a suit apologetically finished speaking and gestured for her to leave.

Lin Qiao was stunned. “What did you say?”

“I’m really sorry. This came up suddenly, and none of us expected it,” Du Xinling explained in a very formal tone.

Lin Qiao replied with difficulty, “It came up suddenly? How could your boss do this? I’ve waited so long. Do you think it’s easy for me to come all this way?”

Du Xinling pursed his lips and said, “I’m sorry, Miss Lin. There’s nothing I can do. Also, I’m his partner, not an employee.”

Lin Qiao said helplessly, “He made me wait three months to agree to a meeting. I’ve traveled back and forth from Beijing to Jiangxi, waited here for three full days, and have a pile of work at the company waiting for me. Now you’re telling me he suddenly canceled? Do you think this is appropriate? Is it really that hard to meet? Am I here to learn some secret technique?”

Du Xinling seemed accustomed to her reaction and calmly said, “I’m sorry, Miss Lin. This was our oversight. It won’t happen again next time.”

“When is the next meeting?” Lin Qiao asked with a grim expression.

Du Xinling replied, “I’m not sure yet. We’ll have to wait for Mr. Shen’s message. He said that after today, there are no suitable days to meet with you for the next month. It’s inauspicious.”

Lin Qiao nearly lost her composure at these words. Forcing herself to stay calm, she gritted her teeth and said, “Fine, I’ll wait.” With that, she turned and went downstairs, grabbed her bag on the first floor, and quickly left, as if she couldn’t wait to get away from the place.

Du Xinling watched her departing figure from the second-floor window and couldn’t help but sigh sympathetically at her misfortune. Today really was an unexpected incident. He had originally arranged the meeting, but the other party’s son had suddenly skipped school and gone missing. The homeroom teacher called urging the parent to search for him, forcing the cancellation. Although the son wasn’t biologically his, and he usually didn’t pay much attention, he still cared deeply for the child. It was just bad luck for Lin Qiao—misfortune seemed to follow her family.

After leaving the property, Lin Qiao’s frustration only grew. She didn’t like being aggressive, but the other party was truly tormenting. First, they strung her along for three months, and just when they finally agreed to meet, they canceled abruptly. Anyone would find it unbearable.

Carrying her backpack, she anxiously walked out of the remote area and called the taxi she had booked earlier. The driver arrived shortly, and she got in and left.

Fortunately, she had been cautious enough to get the taxi driver’s number. Otherwise, with no buses or taxis around, she would have been exhausted.

The hotel Lin Qiao was staying in was located in a quiet area with no messy shops nearby. Feeling upset, she returned to the hotel, took a shower, and went out for a walk. She绕过 the hotel and entered a pathway, turned a few corners, and walked along rows of neatly swaying willow trees. When she passed a school playground, she stopped to enjoy the breeze blowing across the grass.

Suddenly, a child’s crying came from a nearby alley. Lin Qiao frowned and quickly ran over, peeking around the corner to see university students bullying an elementary school student. She felt relieved but also concerned.

Four teenagers who looked like middle school students surrounded a little boy covered in injuries. Though beaten, the boy remained stubborn, clutching his backpack and refusing to hand it over, insisting firmly, “I have no money!”

Lin Qiao couldn’t help but sigh. This child was so stubborn. Money could be earned again, but what if he got seriously hurt?

Although she was in an unfamiliar place and reluctant to cause trouble, Lin Qiao eventually entered the alley. She was quite tall, standing at 170 cm, and with her serious expression and stern gaze, she had a certain威慑力 in front of the children.

“What are you doing?” she asked expressionlessly.

The four, after all, were just children. Seeing an adult, they panicked, exchanged glances, and then ran off together in the opposite direction.

Lin Qiao walked over to the little boy, helped him up, and took wet wipes from her backpack to gently clean his wounds. Her movements were tender, and her eyes were kind and friendly, which eased the boy’s紧张的心情. He obediently didn’t cry out in pain.

Who doesn’t like an obedient child? Lin Qiao patted the boy’s head and asked softly, “Does it hurt?”

The boy shook his head. “No.”

“Nonsense,” Lin Qiao sighed. “You’re bleeding. How could it not hurt? Anyway, where do you live? I’ll take you home.”

Lin Qiao stood up, took the boy’s hand, and prepared to walk him home. He wasn’t very tall and looked quite young, probably only in first or second grade. His large, watery eyes gazed directly at her, filled with gratitude and shyness.

“Big sister, you can just take me back to school. I’ve been gone from class for so long, the teacher must have called my dad. He’ll come pick me up,” the boy said, looking up at her.

Lin Qiao smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll take you back to school.” She held his hand and walked a few steps, noticing he walked strangely. Realizing he might be injured on his leg as well, she bent down and picked him up. Together, they left the alley.

The boy’s school was the one she had just seen. This was the back gate of the school. Since classes were in session, the playground gate was closed, and it didn’t seem like anyone was having PE class. They would have to go around to the front entrance.

Lin Qiao, carrying the boy, turned to leave when a black Audi A8 pulled up in front of her.

A man got out of the car. He was very tall, with a slim waist and broad shoulders, wearing a crisp black suit and a neatly tied tie. He glanced at her expressionlessly. His face was lean, his eyes like stars in the night sky, and his skin as pale as early spring snow, glowing with a radiant light.

His gaze lingered on her for only a few seconds before he wordlessly took the boy from her arms. His long, cold fingers brushed against her, sending a shiver through her.

The boy, now held by someone else, didn’t fuss but instead seemed very happy, complaining委屈又撒娇, “Dad.”

Lin Qiao was taken aback, looking surprised at this man who was definitely no older than thirty. There was no wedding ring on his left ring finger. He was now frowning intently at her, his faintly pink薄唇 slightly parting. His voice was low, polite, but cold and devoid of emotion: “Hello.”

Lin Qiao quickly snapped out of it, somewhat embarrassed. “Hello.”

The boy wrapped one arm around his father’s neck and pointed at Lin Qiao with the other. “Dad, some guys just tried to steal the pocket money in my backpack and hit me. This big sister saved me.”

Lin Qiao touched her face and gave the father and son a warm smile, thinking to herself, Thank goodness I wasn’t mistaken for a child abuser.

Hearing his son’s words, the father’s expression didn’t change at all. He looked at her calmly. Her features were exceptionally beautiful, her captivating peach-blossom eyes hesitantly watching them, clear and relieved, though she had a瓜子脸.

The *Zhouyi Lecture Notes* discussed the theory of the five elements and facial features, mentioning that the metal-element甲子脸 referred to the瓜子脸. The瓜子脸 is considered the most beautiful face shape in modern times, but beauty comes at a price. People with瓜子脸 often face hardships in emotions, studies, and life—it is the most challenging of the five face types.

His observation took only a glance. He put the boy down, took a business card from his inner suit pocket, and handed it to her casually. “Shen Qingzhou. Pleasure to meet you.”

Lin Qiao froze on the spot, her嘴角抽搐 involuntarily as she said, “It’s you?”

Wasn’t this the very Feng Shui master she had gone through great pains to meet but failed to see? So he had canceled suddenly because his child was missing. No wonder it was so urgent. It made sense.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t seem at all curious about how she knew him. After introducing himself, he said coldly, “Thank you for saving my son. I will repay you generously another day. I need to take him to the hospital now. Goodbye.”

His request was reasonable, and Lin Qiao naturally didn’t refuse. She politely bid him farewell, watching as he placed the child in the passenger seat, walked back to the driver’s side, opened the door, and got in. His legs, encased in black suit pants, were long and straight.

Just before closing the door, he nodded to her again, his narrow phoenix eyes slightly upturned at the corners, meaningful.

Under the gentle breeze and green willows, this gesture made Lin Qiao so shy she could only lower her head, lower it again, and then even further.

Lin Qiao was momentarily stunned. She looked at this man, who was clearly no older than thirty. His left hand bore no wedding ring. His eyes were now tightly fixed on her, his slightly flushed, thin lips parting slightly to speak in a low, polite, yet cold and emotionless voice: “Hello.”

Lin Qiao quickly regained her composure and said somewhat awkwardly, “Hello.”

The boy wrapped one arm around his father’s neck and pointed at Lin Qiao with the other, saying, “Dad, some people wanted to steal my pocket money and hit me. This sister saved me.”

Lin Qiao touched her face and gave the father and son a warm smile. She thought to herself how lucky she was not to be mistaken for someone who bullies children.

After hearing his son’s words, the boy’s father showed no change in expression. He looked at her indifferently. Her features were unusually delicate, her alluring peach-blossom eyes hesitantly gazing at them, filled with clarity and relief—but she had a heart-shaped face.

In the “Commentary on the I Ching,” there is a chapter on the Five Elements and facial features, where a heart-shaped face like hers is referred to as the “Metal Element Face.” A heart-shaped face is considered the most beautiful in modern aesthetics, but beauty comes at a price. People with heart-shaped faces often endure hardships in love, study, and life, making them the most unfortunate among the five types of facial features.

He finished his brief observation in an instant. He put the child down, took out a business card from the inner pocket of his suit, and handed it to her casually. “Shen Qingzhou. Pleased to meet you.”

Lin Qiao was instantly stunned, her lips twitching involuntarily. “It’s you?”

So this was the Feng Shui master she had gone through so much trouble to meet but had been unable to see. No wonder he canceled the meeting so suddenly—it was because his son had gone missing. That made sense. It was understandable after all.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t seem the least bit curious about how she recognized him. After introducing himself, he said coldly, “Thank you for rescuing my son. I will properly express my gratitude another time. I need to take him to the hospital now. Excuse me.”

His request was reasonable, so Lin Qiao naturally didn’t refuse. She politely said goodbye to him and watched him place the child into the front passenger seat. He walked back to the driver’s seat, opened the door, and got in. His legs, wrapped in black dress pants, were long and straight.

Before closing the car door, he nodded at her once more. His long, phoenix-shaped eyes slightly lifted at the corners, giving her a meaningful glance.

Under the gentle breeze and green willow trees, that simple gesture immediately made Lin Qiao feel so shy that she could only lower her head—again and again.