Found Him! My 'Glass-Hearted' Ex is a Pop-Up Star - Chapter 24

The interior was dim. The only light source was a brass lamp on the table with a frosted glass shade that gathered the light, casting a glow onto the embroidered tablecloth.

“I get it,” Grace said, touching the crystal ball with an ambiguous tone. “Does that include sexual desire?”

Duan Zhuyan froze for a moment. He did not know how to respond at first, but it seemed she was not wrong. He replied awkwardly, “Understand it however you like.”

“Understood. My service is one question per reading, sixty-nine pounds per question,” Grace said with a smile. “However, your way of asking is a bit too broad. Why do you not change the question to something more direct? We can take a look at that first.”

“Why is this so troublesome?”

Duan Zhuyan clicked his tongue. He was already feeling restless and impatient, and now he wanted to leave even more. He frowned, thought for a while, and said, “Then help me see what he actually thinks of me right now.”

“Your ex-boyfriend’s current thoughts on you, correct? Of course,” Grace said. “Now, clear your mind and focus on the question. I will shuffle the cards. You can either point out three cards from the deck or give me three numbers between one and seventy-eight.”

Duan Zhuyan recited three numbers.

Grace finished shuffling and pulled out those three cards. After looking at them for a while, she began making various exclamations, acting as if she were seeing something incredible.

Duan Zhuyan interrupted her melodramatic performance. “So? How is it?”

“Interesting.” Grace scanned each card with an air of mystery, her eyebrows furrowing almost imperceptibly. “Well, you two used to have a romance, but now I see nothing. It seems as if it was suddenly severed. Look at this Eight of Swords; it represents a kind of restriction and confusion. Your ex-boyfriend likely finds you quite baffling.”

Duan Zhuyan was speechless.

“The Wheel of Fortune,” Grace continued looking at the cards, muttering to herself. “This card is a turning point. It means change. An irresistible transformation is about to happen between the two of you. Things will not remain as they are.”

“Hmm, very interesting. The other party has turmoil and memories in his heart, but what is this emotion? Is it love? Can this be defined as love? Who exactly holds the initiative in this relationship? The Tarot tells you that when the change arrives, your heart will know better than you imagine where to go.”

Grace stopped abruptly and looked up at the wealthy young man. “Do you have anything else you want to ask?”

Duan Zhuyan remained silent. What was all this nonsense? He felt that she had left him with more questions than he had started with.

Duan Zhuyan frowned, unable to understand this artistic expression. He could not help but ask, “What does that mean? Does he still like me?”

Grace shrugged apologetically and said, “Well, the cards do not show that clearly. However, you can ask specifically later for sixty-nine pounds.”

Duan Zhuyan gritted his teeth. “Then how am I baffling? Why does he think that?”

Grace looked at the cards again, thought for a moment, and said, “Let me see. Well, I cannot answer that for now. It counts as a new question, so you can ask specifically for sixty-nine pounds.”

Duan Zhuyan was furious. “Then what is the transformation?”

“Oh, darling, those are separate prices,” Grace said, looking at him like he was a money tree. “Every question is sixty-nine pounds.”

Duan Zhuyan was completely silent.

Grace continued as she took a magnificent vintage box from the table. “Actually, you could look at our scented candles or our romantic crystal bracelets. The feedback has been excellent.”

“For example, this strawberry quartz and rose quartz are both for attracting true love. They can enhance your magnetic charm, turn ambiguity into certainty, transform arguments into hugs, and change a breakup into a reconciliation. It will make him obsessed and deeply infatuated with you.”

“It is quite a bargain too, only three hundred and ninety-nine pounds. Would you like me to take them out for a closer look?”

Duan Zhuyan was speechless. He finally realized exactly who the target audience for this Tarot divination was.

Grace displayed the crystals considerately. She had read Tarot for many wealthy international students and felt that Chinese clients often had more money than sense. After all, Tarot only reflects a current psychological state and is not necessarily accurate. Her main goal was to sell merchandise, and Grace was first-rate at deceiving people.

This cool, wealthy guy looked like a hopeless romantic who was clearly not short on cash. He fit her target audience perfectly.

Duan Zhuyan’s expression was quite unpleasant. Even though his face was partially covered, the air pressure around him turned noticeably lower. To be honest, if anyone in the lab dared to report experimental results to him in such an ambiguous manner, he would truly want to pry their brain open to see how it was wired.

Grace possessed a strong ability to read the room. She stopped mentioning the crystals, rested her hands on the table, and spoke like an elder comforting a younger person. “I know you have many doubts, darling, but love is between two people. The Tarot is only a guide. How things develop in the future still depends on human effort.”

Duan Zhuyan was completely defeated. The complex, warm fragrance filling the room made his headache worse. The scene was momentarily very quiet. Duan Zhuyan touched his forehead, and the stud in his ear reflected a hard, cold light. He felt that if he stayed any longer, his IQ would drop. As for those meaningless crystal bracelets, was she not joking? Furthermore, how could a grown man wear such styles? It was childish.

Duan Zhuyan stood up and stopped talking. He paid the witch and said coldly, “That is all.”

“Alright, thank you for coming.” Grace did not say anything else. She smiled and collected the divination fee while shuffling the cards.

As Duan Zhuyan walked toward the door, the sound of shuffling stopped. Grace suddenly spoke. “Since it is your first time here, I will say one more thing.” Her hand hovered over the deck. As she spoke, the movement of the air seemed to slow down. “Your ex-boyfriend is not lacking people around him.”

Duan Zhuyan turned back to look at her.

Grace maintained the same expression, her gaze fixed on him. “I expect he has appeared. A man wearing glasses, who speaks very little, is quiet and steady, and a bit nerdy.”

She seemed to smile, and the veil hanging from her head obscured her face. “It is better to be careful. Perhaps he is exactly the type he likes.”

The light was concentrated in one spot, looking mysterious and eerie. The heavy scent was not aggressive, but it persisted and set the mood. Duan Zhuyan could not help but frown. He gave her a faint glance, did not reply, and pushed aside the curtain to walk out.

The first thing Duan Zhuyan did upon leaving was scold Song Chengxu. He had driven here early in the morning, and it was only half past nine now that it was over. This was madness.

Duan Zhuyan took some mints from his pocket and poured a few into his mouth. He did not suck on them but bit them into pieces immediately. What kind of nonsense witch was that? What did she mean by Ying Ruo finding him strange and not knowing if it was love? And what was that last bit about his favorite type?

A man wearing glasses, who speaks very little, is quiet and steady, and a bit nerdy, was it?

Duan Zhuyan caught a casual glimpse of his own reflection in the nearby glass. He was not wearing glasses, looked quite fierce, was irritable, and his ears were full of studs.

He was the complete opposite! That woman was a fraud!

Duan Zhuyan propped his elbows on the railing behind him and ruffled his hair irritably. He lowered his head, his shoulder blades showing a clear and tense curve. His lips were pressed tightly in annoyance, his jaw set in a line, and his back teeth were clenched in displeasure.

He took out his phone and checked the WeChat chat with Ying Ruo again. There was not a single message. For some reason, after finishing the reading, Duan Zhuyan missed Ying Ruo intensely. He leaned against the railing and scrolled through their previous chat history one by one.

The background of the chat interface was a blurred silhouette of a back. The perspective was from above, showing the round top of a boy’s head. He had actually taken that photo secretly.

That was the first time they held hands. Ying Ruo was walking on the raised edge of the stones by the road. Duan Zhuyan was afraid he would fall, so he reached out to support him. As a result, they ended up holding hands in a muddle. Ying Ruo’s hands were so soft, his fingers slender, his skin smooth, and they were so small they could be completely enveloped. His nails were almond-shaped and beautifully formed, with a hint of pink at the knuckles, looking like a work of art.

When they truly held hands for the first time, Duan Zhuyan’s ears turned red to the point of exploding. Although he pretended to be fine and Ying Ruo did not notice, he knew his heart rate was quite irregular.

The more Duan Zhuyan thought about it, the more his throat felt dry. He crouched down in frustration and looked at the original photo for a long time. He remembered yesterday when Ying Ruo, with his beautiful flushed face, asked him if he wanted to kiss him.

He wanted to kiss him to the point of going crazy.

Duan Zhuyan entered the chat box. Why had Ying Ruo not come to find him yet? Was he angry? Duan Zhuyan frowned with a sense of grievance, his ears red, wondering if he should try to break the ice. Would asking “What are you doing” be too stiff? Would asking “Where are you” be very strange?

Duan Zhuyan hesitated for a long time before typing “I miss you.”

But that was too sappy. He did not have the face to send it, and he had no standing to say such words. Just as he was thinking about what to change it to, his hand slipped, and he sent it directly.

Duan Zhuyan panicked. “Damn it, hurry up and withdraw it!”

On the other side, Ying Ruo was in the library. He was looking at his computer and reading literature when a message suddenly popped up on his WeChat.

University BMS Duan Zhuyan: I miss you

Ying Ruo was confused. What was wrong with him now? Before he could even click into the chat interface, the message was withdrawn immediately. After a long pause, the other party tentatively sent two more messages.

The other party withdrew a message University BMS Duan Zhuyan: . University BMS Duan Zhuyan: Are you there?

That was very much Duan Zhuyan’s style. Ying Ruo blinked at those two messages. No wonder he felt it was strangely quiet today. It turned out Duan Zhuyan was only talking to him now.

After he had sincerely apologized yesterday, he found that Duan Zhuyan had already left when he returned home from the library. Not only had he taken out the trash, but he had also cleaned the house thoroughly. He was truly grateful for that. But what was happening now?

“Ying Ruo.”

At that moment, his arm was suddenly patted. Ying Ruo looked up to see his classmate Pei Yuan, who was in the same major.

“Is there still something you do not understand?” Pei Yuan asked, adjusting his glasses.

Ying Ruo smiled politely and said, “No more, thank you. You explained it very clearly.”

Pei Yuan nodded. He was wearing a plaid shirt and looked quite stoic. He spoke seriously, “This case is quite typical. Our side argues for non-inevitability, while the opposing side will definitely use the joint enterprise principle to illustrate that the precise outcome was unforeseeable. We must prepare our rebuttal and distinction in advance.”

“Mhm.” Ying Ruo had met him here by chance. If Pei Yuan had not introduced himself, he would not have known they were in the same major. However, thanks to him, Ying Ruo might not have been able to figure these things out by now.

The two discussed for a while longer before Pei Yuan said, “If you have any more questions regarding the mooting later, you can ask me anytime.”

Ying Ruo replied, “Thank you.”

It was about time, and it was getting a bit late, so Ying Ruo planned to buy some food and then go to class. At that moment, he suddenly remembered. Oh my God, he seemed to have forgotten to reply to Duan Zhuyan’s message.

Ying Ruo quickly opened his phone and checked the message Duan Zhuyan had sent him. It was already thirty minutes ago. Regardless, a creditor was still a creditor. Ying Ruo quickly replied to Duan Zhuyan.

Ying Ruo: Sorry for the late reply Ying Ruo: I am in the library

After waiting for a while, the other party did not reply. Well, alright. He was probably busy too. Ying Ruo picked up his backpack and said to Pei Yuan, “Then I will head out first.”

Pei Yuan had also finished packing. “Let us go out together.”

Ying Ruo found it hard to refuse, since the other person had taught him for free for so long, so he let him follow behind as they left the library together. It was not particularly late, and the sky was still slightly bright. Many students had likely just finished class, so there were many people on the street.

As soon as Ying Ruo stepped out, he saw a familiar figure. It was actually Duan Zhuyan. He did not know how Duan Zhuyan knew he was here. He was standing in front of him expressionlessly. With his broad shoulders and long legs, his handsome face was particularly eye-catching, yet he was cold and aloof, radiating an aura that warned people not to approach.

Ying Ruo was somewhat surprised. He looked at Duan Zhuyan, raising his fluffy head, his clear voice carrying a rising tone at the end. “How did you know I was here?”

The wind blew the youth’s bangs upward, his hair messy, revealing his smooth, white forehead. His eyes were bright. Duan Zhuyan looked at Ying Ruo’s wind-blown hair and really wanted to reach out and touch it, but he restrained himself. He spoke with feigned poise, “I guessed.”

Ying Ruo was quite supportive. Showing the little dimples on his face, he said, “Then you are quite impressive.”

Duan Zhuyan finally saw the person and felt much better after hearing him say that. However, Duan Zhuyan raised his eyes, his sharp, cold gaze directed behind Ying Ruo.

He had noticed just now. What was that guy behind Ying Ruo? Duan Zhuyan glanced casually at Pei Yuan. He was ordinary, dressed stiffly, his glasses were thick, and he was a total nerd. He was completely non-threatening.

But Ying Ruo did not reply to his messages. Could he have been staying with this nerd? Duan Zhuyan felt a sudden surge of displeasure. His gaze darkened, and he unconsciously poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue. “Studying?”

“Oh, I just finished my homework,” Ying Ruo answered honestly. “Um, do you have something to discuss?”

Duan Zhuyan’s Adam’s apple rolled. He had actually wanted to come and apologize to Ying Ruo, but the words would not come out. After being awkward for a long time, it turned into, “Do you not have anything you want to say to me?”

Ying Ruo was confused.

Silence. Duan Zhuyan stood there with his lips pressed tightly together, wanting to slap his own mouth.

“Ah, I do not seem to have anything to say for now,” Ying Ruo said, looking at Duan Zhuyan. “But if you have something to say, you can wait for me here for a moment. I think I left a notebook in the library. I need to go back and get it.”

Duan Zhuyan’s knuckles, which were white from being clenched, loosened slightly. He said stiffly, “Fine.”

Ying Ruo walked back into the library. Duan Zhuyan watched Ying Ruo’s silhouette disappear from his sight. Just as he was wondering what to do, Duan Zhuyan suddenly realized that the nerd from earlier was still standing there. He seemed to be looking at him.

Why was this guy still here? Duan Zhuyan put on a stern face again. He put his right hand in his pocket while letting his left hand hang naturally. He frowned, his dark eyes cold, as he looked at Pei Yuan with utter lack of understanding.

He looked the man up and down again. A man wearing glasses, who spoke very little, and was very nerdy in his shirt.

No, he was probably overthinking it.

Unexpectedly, Pei Yuan spoke first. “Who are you?”

Although Duan Zhuyan had a bad temper and lacked manners, this guy had come out with Ying Ruo after all. Perhaps they were classmates, so he could not be too arrogant. Thus, he introduced himself with a modicum of patience. “Duan Zhuyan, Biomedical Science.”

Pei Yuan looked him up and down. He did not say who he was but instead continued to ask, “What is your relationship with Ying Ruo?”

Duan Zhuyan was irritated. What was wrong with this kid? Duan Zhuyan was not very happy. He raised his eyelids, his eyes like deep pools narrowing slightly. His low, magnetic voice rang out, “Does it have anything to do with you?”

Pei Yuan did not care about Duan Zhuyan’s unfriendliness. He adjusted the glasses on his nose. He was normally like a block of wood, but the words he spoke were extremely blunt and clear. “I fell in love with Ying Ruo at first sight.”

Duan Zhuyan was stunned.

Pei Yuan added, “I am going to confess to him.”

Duan Zhuyan was shocked.

Pei Yuan continued, “Ying Ruo is serious, hardworking, and beautiful. It is normal that you like him too, but if you want to pursue him, you have to wait in line.”

The nerd’s face was completely devoid of expression. The tone of his voice was just like his shirt, buttoned all the way to the top. It was monotonous and dull. “When it comes to feelings, we must still respect who arrived first.”

Duan Zhuyan was speechless.

After Pei Yuan finished speaking, he did not forget to bow to him. Still maintaining his expressionless face, he said with the air of a senior, “Excuse me, I have work. I am leaving now.”

Then he left.

A new round of classes at the university had begun, and there were fewer students on the street. The wind whirled the fallen leaves on the ground. The wind carried the damp scent after the rain, brushing against the sleeves of people’s clothes.

Duan Zhuyan was left standing alone in the wind, completely bewildered.

What was all that just now? Love at first sight? A confession? First come, first served? And what in the world was that “excuse me”?

What kind of joke was this? When he was dating Ying Ruo, this guy was probably still learning his ABCs! This man was insane!