Can't Hide My Love for You - Chapter 61

Cheng Yixin was stunned. She never expected her luck to be this poor. At the very least, she hoped for a “Middle-Tier” draw.

“Benefactor, this slip isn’t necessarily that bad. Try to keep an open mind,” the monk comforted her.

Clinging to a sliver of hope, she asked, “Master, what does the text on this slip mean? It says ‘Bottom-Tier’… is there any way to change my luck?”

The monk adjusted his reading glasses and signaled for her to hand over the slip. Cheng Yixin did so respectfully.

“Judging by the interpretation of this slip, your fortune was excellent during the first half of the year. Your career, work, and emotions were quite smooth, and in terms of love, you were able to meet the one you desired.” The old master adjusted his glasses again, looking at her. “You work in publicity or communication, don’t you?”

“Uh… yes, something like that.”

“Be careful in the second half of the year. Beware of ‘villains’ (backstabbers); there is a threat of a ‘war of words’ (scandal/slander).”

Cheng Yixin’s heart skipped a beat. She wasn’t usually a superstitious person, but the master’s words rang true. For the past two months, her “hot searches” had been frequently bought by others, and her public reputation was visibly declining. And as for the first half of the year—everything had been smooth. Counting the days, her meeting with Chi Yi happened right around that mid-year point.

“What should I do then?” She frowned unconsciously. “Is there any way to resolve this?”

“The interpretation suggests that the only person who can help you is yourself. Whether things turn out well or poorly depends entirely on your own thoughts.” The monk paused. “It’s inevitable to encounter setbacks in life. Keep a peaceful mind and be kind to yourself.”

“Okay,” Cheng Yixin felt slightly comforted. She hesitated, then asked, “And… my overall marriage/relationship prospects?”

The old master looked at the slip again, his brow furrowing slightly. His serious expression reminded Yixin of an old traditional Chinese doctor feeling a pulse; she was terrified he would say something she didn’t want to hear.

“As I said, this slip isn’t purely bad. That’s because your luck in love is better than in your career. You will meet someone you desire—perhaps your ‘destined’ partner.”

“Once you are certain of them, do not separate easily. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to meet such a person again.”

“I haven’t thought about separating.” Cheng Yixin glanced at Xiao Yu, who was watching curiously. Catching the hint, Xiao Yu walked away to “look at the scenery.”

“Master, I’m just a bit confused right now. Her conditions are excellent, and she’s an incredibly talented and kind person. I’m afraid I’m not good enough for her, but then I also feel like I’m not bad myself. It feels like I’m walking in circles.” Cheng Yixin lowered her head, kicking a pebble. Her movements betrayed her inner anxiety.

“All beings are equal. Most of our troubles are self-inflicted. Thinking too much isn’t necessarily a good thing; learn to self-soothe.”

“If being with someone only brings you negative emotions, it’s better to separate early. Aside from that, nothing else is a problem.”

“If there’s no money, go earn it. If parents don’t agree, work hard to gain their approval. The first step is to try; if there’s still no result after working hard, then worry about what comes next.”

“Communicate your hesitations and fears to the other person completely—the positive and the negative. Love is between two people; don’t think you have to endure it all alone.”

“I’ll think about that.” After hearing the master’s words, Cheng Yixin felt much better. She smiled at the monk. “Master, you really understand matters of the heart.”

“In our temple, we meet many people every year who want to become monastics because of relationship setbacks.”

“Do they actually become monks or nuns?”

“When the worldly ties are not yet severed, the Buddha does not accept them,” the old master said. “Most just want a place to confide. Once they walk out, they realize the world is beautiful. It’s like traveling; the road won’t be perfectly smooth, there might be small interludes, but that shouldn’t stop you from wanting to appreciate the beautiful scenery.”

The monk finished and took a strand of deep-red prayer beads from his pocket, handing them to her. Cheng Yixin took them instinctively, not sure what it meant. Seeing the monk put his palms together, she did the same and bowed.

“You are a kind person. Believe that there is more goodwill in this world than malice. Once you walk out of your own mind, everything will become clear.” With that, the monk departed.

Xiao Yu immediately rushed over, seeing the beads. “Wow! Sister Xin, did you buy these from the master? The color is beautiful!”

Only then did Yixin realize she hadn’t paid a cent and had been gifted the bracelet. “No, the master just gave them to me. What does it mean?”

“He probably thinks you have an affinity with the Buddha! Maybe he’s giving them to you for protection!” Xiao Yu thought of things she’d seen online. “People say if a prayer bead breaks, it’s blocking a disaster. Hopefully, wearing this will change your luck!”

Cheng Yixin found this logical, considering she was an “African King” (unlucky person) who drew a Bottom-Tier fortune. She slipped the beads onto her wrist; the deep-red color looked simple and elegant against her skin. She liked them more the more she looked at them.

She tucked the fortune slip into her phone case, added some “incense money” to the merit box, and they headed down the mountain. On the way back to the hotel, Yixin closed her eyes to rest. Xiao Yu, sitting nearby, was typing furiously on her phone, looking worried and glancing at Yixin every so often.

Yixin woke up during the drive and reached for her phone to scroll.

“Sister Xin!” Xiao Yu suddenly shouted, her voice booming in the quiet car.

“You scared me!” Yixin gasped. “Why are you so loud?”

“Nothing,” Xiao Yu laughed sheepishly. “I just wanted to say, it’s still early. Should we go somewhere else to browse?”

“No. Those steps wore me out. I’d rather just lie in the hotel and play on my phone.”

“Don’t you want to buy some local specialties for President Chi? There’s a lively street near the hotel.”

Specialties? She had bought those for Chi Yi days ago. There was no need to go again. Seeing her hesitation, Xiao Yu added with a look of expectation, “I want to go~ I want to buy gifts for my friends~ Come with me, Sister Xin!”

As a well-behaved assistant, Xiao Yu rarely acted this way. Assuming she really wanted to shop, Yixin agreed.

However, Xiao Yu dragged her along the entire evening without stopping. If not for the flight the next morning, Yixin felt Xiao Yu would have kept her out until dawn. By the time they returned to the hotel near 11:00 PM, Yixin felt half-dead after walking tens of thousands of steps. She showered, collapsed into bed, and fell asleep instantly without even needing to look at her phone.

The flight back to Jingning was at 10:00 AM, but Xiao Yu knocked on her door before 5:00 AM.

“Sister Xin, our flight was rescheduled to 6:00 AM. We need to leave for the airport now.”

Yixin was exhausted. Hearing about the 6:00 AM flight, her lack of sleep made her irritable. “Are you crazy? Why so early! What time is it even? I’m not awake yet!”

“Sister Wenjing asked for the change. She said there’s a job and she wants you back early.”

“She’s a slave-driver!” Yixin grumbled, her eyes barely open.

“Wash up first, Sister Xin! I’ll pack your bags.”

Yixin washed up in a daze. She didn’t even remember getting into the car; she only recalled it was still dark outside and the cold air bit at her nose. She slept the entire way to the airport. Xiao Yu watched her, then carefully pulled Yixin’s phone from her hand, turned it off, and tucked it into her bag.

When they got out of the car, Yixin felt slightly more refreshed. The sky was just starting to turn gray. She reached into her pockets for her phone but couldn’t find it. “Where’s my phone? Did I lose it?!”

“I have it,” Xiao Yu said earnestly. “You gave it to me when you got in the car.”

“Did I?” Yixin had no memory of it. “Give it to me, I want to check something.”

Xiao Yu pulled the phone from her bag. Yixin pressed the power button, but the screen stayed black. “Why is it dead? Did it run out of battery?” She held the power button down. Just as the logo appeared, Xiao Yu snatched it back.

“It’s out of juice! It went dark right after you gave it to me. I’ll charge it for you!”

Before Yixin could say more, Xiao Yu changed the subject. “Let’s go check in! If we miss this one, rebooking will cost a lot of money.”

Hearing about “a lot of money,” Yixin temporarily dropped the phone issue and hurried into the airport. The airport was quiet at that hour. They checked in smoothly and were boarding the plane from the VIP lounge almost immediately. Yixin didn’t get a chance to touch her phone all morning and just slept through the flight.

As the plane descended into Jingning, Yixin looked out the window. The weather was overcast and looked even colder. For some reason, her heart began to race. It felt like something bad was about to happen.

“Sister Xin, Sister Wenjing said she’s picking us up. We’re taking the VIP exit.”

“Okay.”

They grabbed their luggage and headed for the exit—a fast route that prevented fans from spotting them. The van was parked right by the elevator. As they emerged, Li Wenjing stepped out and hurried over like a gust of wind. Within two minutes, they were leaving the parking lot.

“Xiao Yu, give me my phone.”

Now that she was free, Yixin wanted her phone. Xiao Yu looked at Li Wenjing, then handed it over.

Li Wenjing looked at Yixin. “Yixin, have you been tired lately?”

“Tired? I’m exhausted.”

“Good. Then I’m giving you a week off. Rest well at home.”

Yixin froze, looking at Li Wenjing in confusion. “Since when are you this nice? Are you planning a new way to exploit me?”

“Of course not,” Li Wenjing laughed. “I’m letting you rest so you have time for your relationship. If you don’t want it, forget it.”

“I want it! I want it!” Yixin said quickly. “When does it start?”

“Starting now.”

“???” Yixin didn’t understand. They had rescheduled the flight specifically for a “job,” yet now she was on vacation? Li Wenjing was being unusually talkative, chatting with her the entire way.

“Sister Jing, do you have something you want to tell me?”

“Not… really.”

As they spoke, the van arrived at the entrance of the Junshan neighborhood. A swarm of people immediately surrounded the vehicle, frantically banging on the windows and taking photos, screaming Cheng Yixin’s name.

“???” Cheng Yixin was bewildered. “What’s happening? Are they blocking me??? Explain—what are they saying? What do I need to ‘explain’?? What do they want!!??”

Li Wenjing let out a heavy sigh she had been holding. “I’ll tell you everything once we’re home.”

There were too many reporters at the main gate. The driver had to circle to another entrance to get in.