Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

As dusk settled, the two finally rose. Xie Jue helped her put on her veil and said, "Let's go, it's time to go back."

The two walked out side by side.

But just as I turned the corner of the stairs and was about to go down to the lobby on the first floor, a person walked towards me.

The man was around thirty years old, tall and slender, dressed in a blue cloth robe, with a wine gourd casually tied around his waist. His long hair was loosely tied up with a bamboo hairpin, with a few strands falling down his cheeks.

The man had a lean face with slightly deep-set eyes, but his gaze was exceptionally bright and calm. He possessed an otherworldly and otherworldly aura, with an air of otherworldly grace.

Zhuang Sheng walked leisurely up the steps and happened to come face to face with Xie and Jiang, who were coming down the stairs.

The moment their eyes met, Zhuang Sheng paused slightly, his gaze first falling on Xie Jue with a hint of scrutiny, before naturally turning to Jiang Sese, who was wearing a veiled hat.

The man stared at her, his gaze fixed on her.

But Jiang Sese didn't feel uncomfortable at all being stared at by Chen Jingang.

One's gaze cannot lie.

The man's gaze was completely different from Chen Jingang's.

Zhuang Sheng stopped at the landing of the stairs, turning slightly to block the two people's way down, but he did not appear rude, as if he had simply stopped there naturally.

"You two are distinguished guests, your presence as radiant as the evening glow, your fortunes as boundless as the Milky Way. Our meeting is surely predestined. Would you be so kind as to allow me to perform a divination for you?"

The man introduced himself as Zhuang Sheng and looked at Jiang Sese with a calm gaze.

Jiang Sese frowned subconsciously.

Fortune telling? In her past, she would have always scoffed at such mystical things, regarding them as mere tricks used by charlatans to make a living.

But now...

She has personally experienced something as unbelievable as time travel, so what else in this world is impossible?

Perhaps, there really are some inexplicable and mysterious trajectories at play?

As soon as this thought arose, the strange feeling that had been stirred in Jiang Sese's heart spread like ripples.

Jiang Sese couldn't help but want to stop.

But before Jiang Sese could speak, Xie Jue beside her spoke first.

Xie Jue's voice was low and calm, revealing no emotional fluctuations. His gaze fell on Zhuang Sheng's face, carrying his usual scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible inquiry.

He then nodded slightly, his tone surprisingly polite: "Please tell my fortune, sir."

Jiang Sese turned her head to look at Xie Jue with some surprise.

Given Xie Jue's personality, why would he be interested in a charlatan he'd just met on the street?!

This is really unusual.

Zhuang Sheng did not seem surprised by Xie Jue's agreement.

Zhuang Sheng's smile deepened slightly, his knowing gaze sweeping between Jiang Sese and Xie Jue before he calmly gestured for them to meet. He pointed to a relatively secluded corner beside the stairs: "Although this isn't an observatory, one can still glimpse some of the secrets of heaven. Gentlemen, this way please?"

Xie Jue nodded, glanced back at Jiang Sese, reached out and took her hand, his slender fingers threading through hers, interlocking their fingers, and then led her to the corner Zhuang Sheng pointed to.

Jiang Sese was stunned for a moment, then somewhat embarrassed, let Xie Jue lead her over.

Upon seeing this, Zhuangzi couldn't help but smile slightly.

Young people are so great! Even though they're married, they're still like newlyweds. They hold hands and their fingers are intertwined, and their eyes are so adorable.

He'd seen all sorts of famous moments, and now standing there, he felt a bit superfluous.

This dog food is so unexpected, it's impossible to guard against it.

Zhuang Sheng lowered his head and pretended to straighten his sleeves.

People often pretend to be busy when they feel awkward.

There was a time when he had held someone's hand like that, but the owner of those hands had long since passed away.

The corner was slightly darker, isolating part of the noise from the lobby.

Zhuang Sheng stopped, his gaze lingering for a moment on their clasped hands before he looked up, still with that detached expression, and went straight to the point: "I am most accurate in using characters to predict good or bad fortune. May I ask what you wish to inquire about? Please grant me a character."

Xie Jue led Jiang Sese to sit down, then lightly touched the tea with his right index finger and wrote a character on the table.

combine.

Zhuang Sheng stared at the character "合" (hé, meaning "to combine"), his knowing smile deepening, even taking on a somewhat meaningful tone.

Zhuang Sheng looked up at Xie Jue and asked in a calm voice, "What is it you wish to ask, sir?"

Xie Jue met his gaze, his thin lips slightly parted, but the words he uttered made Jiang Sese, who was standing next to him, suddenly turn her head to look at him, her eyes full of astonishment.

"Marriage."

Xie Jue's voice was completely calm, yet it rang out clearly from the corner.

"A predestined marriage?" Zhuang Sheng was also slightly surprised. He raised an eyebrow, looked at the two of them, and asked with a perfectly measured hint of doubt.

"Forgive my poor eyesight, but aren't you two husband and wife? What kind of marriage is this?"

Xie Jue remained calm and composed, giving an answer that surprised everyone: "It's about our marriage in the next life."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Jiang Sese was completely stunned, almost thinking she had misheard.

The next life?

This life isn't even over yet, and you're already thinking about that vague next life.

And Xie Jue actually wanted to calculate this in such a serious manner?

This is completely inconsistent with his pragmatic and current-focused personality.

Zhuangzi said, "The character '合' (hé) is composed of '人' (rén, person) and '一口' (yī kǒu, mouth), signifying a lifetime of companionship. Two people sharing a meal is the very image of a perfect marriage in this life. It is truly rare for a noble person to abandon this present-life fulfillment and instead seek the next life."

He's quite the romantic.

Xie Jue said calmly, "Human hearts are always greedy."

Having today, one thinks about tomorrow; having this life, one hopes for the next.

Zhuang Sheng glanced at Xie Jue silently.

This guy is an honest person.

This was the first time he had ever heard someone speak of greed so confidently.

However, to be so greedy as to want to reserve even one's next life is not just greed, it's obsession.

Zhuangzi clicked his tongue twice and said, "Although this union may seem like a match made in heaven, the cycle of fate is predetermined. As for destiny, meeting in this life is already the greatest blessing. The ups and downs of the next life are already arranged in the dark, and cannot be forced. The world turns, and gains and losses are left to fate. Excessive attachment can easily breed inner demons and bind oneself. Noble people hold power and are accustomed to scheming and controlling everything, but the cycle of fate is something that human power cannot interfere with. I hope you can let go of your attachments and simply enjoy this life."

Xie Jue raised his eyes to look directly at Zhuang Sheng and calmly asked, "Others let things take their course, but what if I insist on forcing things?"