6 Divination

“Come on! Why bother commemorating such a jinxed day?” Du Yu quickly waved her hand, eager to skip the topic. “That thing of yours… I’m really not interested in talking about it.”

Zhou Zhuofei replied expressionlessly, “Then why bring it up?”

“Alright, alright, no more talking about it.” Du Yu knew very well that although her friend claimed not to care and had made peace with it, if she truly didn’t care, how could she remember the date so clearly?

Changing the subject, she said, “Speaking of which, your company is part of a big group. With so many people there, you haven’t found anyone you’re interested in?”

Zhou Zhuofei lifted her eyes and looked at her calmly, her gaze steady but filled with disdain. “Company? Coworkers?”

Du Yu looked puzzled. “Does your company not allow office romances? I don’t recall you ever mentioning that.”

“Wait a minute. Work is already annoying enough; who has time to develop feelings for a colleague?”

“Is it really that extreme? The atmosphere among my coworkers is pretty good.”

“That’s probably because our companies are different. Anyway, no matter how handsome a guy is, once he starts discussing work with you, he stops being handsome and just becomes a living person. In my eyes, everyone is either a cooperative colleague or an uncooperative one—there’s no middle ground.”

Du Yu clicked her tongue in disdain. “You’re so seasoned from work you’ve become bitter. You can’t say it like that. Apart from colleagues, what about bosses or the higher-ups? I think the president of your company is quite handsome. I even saw him on a magazine cover when I passed by the newsstand.”

Zhou Zhuofei casually said, “President Ling is handsome, but he’s the male lead. Isn’t it natural for the lead to be handsome?”

Du Yu asked, “If he’s the male lead, then who’s the female lead?”

Zhou Zhuofei immediately shut up, realizing she had let slip what was on her mind. She must have been thinking too much about the plot yesterday.

She cleared her throat and feigned indifference. “Anyway, the female lead isn’t me or you, so it doesn’t concern us.”

Du Yu nodded in agreement. “True, if we were characters in a novel, we’d probably just be background extras whispering in a corner.”

After she said that, she noticed Zhou Zhuofei tug at the corner of her mouth, as if forcing a bitter smile.

“What’s that expression for?”

“Nothing. I just think what you said is very true.”

Du Yu smiled and then sighed. “Honestly, sometimes when work wears me down, I get lost in all kinds of wild thoughts.”

“Like what?”

“I wonder if someone will suddenly find me and tell me I’ve inherited billions from a distant relative, or maybe some clueless rich person will be willing to support me.”

Du Yu spread her hands, speaking plainly and boldly, her eyes shining with the desire to strike it rich overnight. “I really want to get rich quick and just enjoy life.”

Zhou Zhuofei patted the back of her hand sympathetically. “Then I guess there’s little chance in this lifetime. Let’s try to be born lucky next time.”

Sometimes, Zhou Zhuofei thought it didn’t matter to be just a passerby in life. Compared to being an extra like that, there were even more characters like Du Yu—never even named—and yet she not only had a role but also landed a decent job.

What did she have to complain about?

As they chatted, Du Yu suddenly thought of something. She pulled out a velvet pouch slightly bigger than her palm from her bag and took out a set of tarot cards.

“I happened to bring these today. Want to try a reading?”

Du Yu loved trying new things. Recently, she had developed an interest in the occult, so she bought books and tarot cards to learn on her own.

Zhou Zhuofei wasn’t really interested but didn’t want to dampen her friend’s enthusiasm, so she played along.

Du Yu shuffled and cut the deck with practiced ease, then asked, “Is there something troubling you right now, or a choice you can’t make?”

Zhou Zhuofei shook her head. “You know I don’t get hung up on things like that.”

“Then… let’s see your recent luck?”

In the end, under Du Yu’s guidance, Zhou Zhuofei picked a card from the deck. When she flipped it over, she saw two figures—a man and a woman—standing face to face, each holding a golden cup.

Zhou Zhuofei had no clue what it meant, so she looked at Du Yu for an explanation.

Du Yu’s eyes suddenly lit up at the sight of the card, excitement brightening her face. “Wow, it’s the Two of Cups!”

“Could you say something I can understand?”

“Wait a moment.” Du Yu eagerly pulled out a tarot guidebook from her bag, flipped through the table of contents, and pointed to the passage. “This card has a really good meaning. If it’s about work, it means you’ve been getting along well with your colleagues lately—harmonious relationships and good health. If it’s about love…”

She slowed down, enunciating carefully, “It could mean a breakthrough in romance. This card is also called The Lovers; maybe you’re about to meet someone who makes your heart skip a beat.”

Du Yu said this with enthusiasm, but Zhou Zhuofei felt nothing. Her mind was filled with skepticism. Her life was so stable, stagnant even—how could a crush suddenly appear? That would be like something out of a romantic drama.

“Yeah, right.”

“Why not? Think carefully—has anyone new joined your company recently, or have you met someone new?”

Zhou Zhuofei paused. Of course, she wouldn’t connect this to Zhan Zilang or the reading, but she replied, “That’s ridiculous. New faces show up at work every day. Your explanation is too vague to mean anything.”

“Don’t be so resistant. It’s just encouraging you to keep an open mind. Don’t assume a male colleague talking to you is just trying to get close.”

Du Yu clicked her tongue again, displeased at Zhou Zhuofei’s skepticism.

Zhou Zhuofei muttered quietly, “But that’s exactly what it is.”

“With that attitude, it’s no wonder you’re single.” Du Yu began packing up the cards while grumbling. “You weren’t such a homebody back in college.”

“I think I’m fine now—no worries about food or drink, nobody bossing me around, except for my parents nagging occasionally…” Zhou Zhuofei paused, then added, “I just ignore it.”

“Your parents only nag a little. They just want you to settle down when you meet the right person. That’s not bad. Look at my parents,” Du Yu rolled her eyes, wishing she could swap parents with Zhou Zhuofei.

“Your parents are still pushing you to change jobs?”

“Exactly. They don’t approve of my current work. They say if it doesn’t work out, I should come home and they’ll find me something stable.”

Du Yu’s expression was a mix of amusement and exasperation. “To them, no matter how much I earn, it’s never enough. They think a government job is the only real job. You have no idea how complicated I felt when they told me to quit and take a two-thousand-yuan job at home. When people are speechless, they really do laugh out loud.”

The two friends exchanged a glance and sighed simultaneously.

“It’s tough.”

“It’s miserable.”

The happy moments were always short-lived. As work time approached, Zhou Zhuofei and Du Yu embraced at the restaurant’s entrance to say goodbye.

“Take care. Work hard.”

“Make money and get rich quick!”

They parted ways. Zhou Zhuofei walked back to the company—a ten-minute stroll from the restaurant to the Universal Building.

She was walking peacefully on the sidewalk when she suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind her. Curious, she glanced back.

A casually dressed man wearing a baseball cap was running toward her. For safety, she stepped aside.

The man moved quickly and was suddenly right in front of her.

Though Zhou Zhuofei felt they had enough distance between them, once he was close, she thought it might not be enough and tried to dodge again, but her shoulder was brushed against.

Though the force was light, the bag hanging from her elbow was flung out, landing in the greenery beside the path.

Seeing this sudden mishap, the man immediately stopped, picked up her bag, dusted it off, and returned it while apologizing profusely.

“I’m really sorry. Are you okay?”

Zhou Zhuofei rubbed her shoulder, feeling no pain. She had her phone in hand, and nothing inside the bag was fragile. Seeing his sincere apology, she waved off his concerns.

The man’s hat brim was pulled low, obscuring his features, shadows stretching over his nose, only revealing a finely shaped jawline.

Combined with his stylish clothes, the mysterious look instantly made her think of celebrities in disguise on the street.

“I’m really sorry, but I’m in a hurry now. If anything of yours is damaged, feel free to contact me.”

He earnestly apologized again and pulled out a business card from his pocket, handing it to Zhou Zhuofei.

She took it and saw the design was simple: black text on a white background, displaying only a name—Jiang Shen—and a phone number.