Chapter 57: Moved by My Heart, I Kissed Your Lips

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Chapter 57: Moved by My Heart, I Kissed Your Lips

There are many different methods used in metaphysics. What Chen Yuan had just used was Four Pillars fortune-telling, but there were also methods such as bone reading and physiognomy. Each method focused on different aspects, and only by combining them all could one arrive at a truly accurate reading of a person’s fate.

These were all factors that had to be taken into consideration when analyzing someone’s fate. A person’s destiny was shaped by far more than just their date of birth.

“Your fate was originally supposed to be that of a beggar, if not for the fortuitous encounter you had.”

Chen Yuan was finally getting to the important part. He shifted the direction of the conversation and revealed the reason for the discrepancy between Cao Yaozu’s fate and his actual circumstances: a so-called “fortuitous encounter.”

It sounded rather dubious.

Everyone around them twitched at the use of “fortuitous encounter,” a term practically reserved for the standard protagonists of wuxia and xianxia novels. Even Yu Shenliu could not help narrowing his eyes.

Chen Yuan, however, saw nothing wrong with his choice of words and continued.

“A fortuitous encounter, as the name suggests, is an experience that is out of the ordinary. In novels, a protagonist might stumble upon some extraordinary opportunity and gain unparalleled martial arts skills or incredible power, completely changing the course of his life.”

“The reason I say Mr. Cao had a fortuitous encounter is because his encounter likewise changed the course his life was originally destined to take.”

“Generally speaking, there are only a few common types of fortuitous encounters in novels: stumbling upon a treasure containing secret manuals or something similar, meeting an expert at the bottom of a cliff, or discovering some hidden paradise.”

“In metaphysics, however, a fortuitous encounter primarily refers to meeting someone extraordinary. After all, the person who can have the greatest influence on your life is another person.”

“Just as fortuitous encounters are rare in novels, with most of the people who experience them being protagonists or other important characters, real-life cases like Mr. Cao’s, where a fortuitous encounter changes someone’s fate, are extremely rare as well.”

“The reason I asked about the mole on your chin earlier is because that mole is connected to your fortuitous encounter.”

As he listened to Chen Yuan, Cao Yaozu unconsciously raised a hand and touched the mole on his chin.

Remembering how Chen Yuan had previously been able to determine someone’s personality just by looking at the moles on their face, Yu Shenliu instinctively wondered whether Cao Yaozu’s fate had improved simply because he had grown this particular mole.

“No, it’s not like that.”

It was only when Chen Yuan answered that Yu Shenliu realized he had accidentally said his thought aloud. He subtly raised his eyes, inwardly startled by how relaxed he had become around Chen Yuan.

Was it because he trusted him? Or because of his feelings for him?

Even Yu Shenliu himself could not say for sure.

“A mole on a person’s face does not determine their fate. The time of birth determines their natal chart, while the Four Pillars derived from it reflect their destiny. A mole is likewise merely an outward manifestation of a person’s fate.”

“So even if you remove a mole, whatever is meant to happen will still happen. It will not make your fate any better. On the other hand, if you damage or remove a mole on your face that represents something auspicious, your ‘fortune’ can be affected and decline.”

“The mole on Mr. Cao’s chin represents a turning point in his fate. It is a ‘noble benefactor mole,’ which means that, as I mentioned earlier, Mr. Cao experienced a fortuitous encounter.”

“That encounter was meeting a noble benefactor. It was precisely because he met this benefactor that his original beggar’s fate was changed.”

At the mention of a “noble benefactor,” a look of surprise appeared on Cao Yaozu’s face.

Looking at Cao Yaozu’s expression, Chen Yuan knew he had been right. He raised his chin slightly toward Cao Yaozu and continued.

“And the type of benefactor capable of changing your fate narrows the possibilities even further. Normally, only three kinds of people can have that kind of influence.”

“The first are monks and Daoists. A monk or Daoist who has practiced for many years, or a particularly skilled fortune-teller, can elevate your fate to another level. In fact, novels and television dramas love to include characters like this, people who seem to know everything and can even extend someone’s life.”

However, this kind of fate-changing usually involved the other person giving a portion of their own cultivation to the person whose fate was being changed. That required the benefactor to possess sufficient compassion, as well as a strong enough karmic connection with the person whose fate they were changing.

“The second type is someone who possesses tremendous good fortune. That probably sounds a little vague… There’s a legend about Wei Zheng killing the Dragon King of the Jing River in a dream. You know the story, right?”

The moment Chen Yuan said this, everyone around them silently nodded. Clearly, they were all listening to Chen Yuan, thoroughly entertained by the spectacle.

“Technically, the Dragon King of the Jing River had violated the laws of Heaven, but he was still able to seek help from Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, and try to escape punishment. Of course, he was ultimately executed anyway.”

“But the story actually implies a certain principle: when someone is protected by tremendous good fortune, their innate fate will not have much influence over them.”

“This kind of tremendous fortune can be found in officials who govern a country, scholars whose writings have had an enormous influence and achieved lasting significance, and teachers who have taught countless students.”

“Put simply, the greater a person’s influence over others, the greater the fortune they themselves tend to possess.”

At that, everyone unconsciously turned to look at Yu Shenliu.

Going by Chen Yuan’s explanation, did that mean Yu Shenliu was also one of these people blessed with tremendous good fortune?

“The third type actually overlaps somewhat with the second. This type is a teacher. Or rather, someone who embodies the idea that ‘among any three people, there is always someone who can teach me something.’”

“Someone whose words or actions might suddenly teach you something at a particular moment, taking on the role of a teacher. And because you learned something from them, your life can subsequently change.”

After explaining the three types, Chen Yuan looked at Cao Yaozu.

“Mr. Cao, the person you encountered should have been the first type.”

“You… how did you know?”

Cao Yaozu was genuinely stunned.

In fact, he had noticed long ago that whenever fortune-tellers read his fate, they almost always came up with a “beggar’s fate.” And that was obviously wrong.

Over time, he had come to believe that no one could accurately read his fate. As for why, he had never really thought about it.

But after Chen Yuan’s explanation, could this really be the reason?

It was true that when he was a child, he had once encountered a monk after wandering around a temple. The monk had merely patted him on the head, and nothing else had happened.

Could such a simple gesture really have changed his fate?

To Chen Yuan, this was nothing more than a straightforward deduction.

Judging by Cao Yaozu’s words and actions, if he had been influenced by someone blessed with tremendous good fortune, he would not have turned out like this. And if he had actually learned something from someone, he would at least not be quite so reckless.

Generally speaking, practitioners tend to have a compassionate heart. Seeing that Cao Yaozu had such a poor fate, it would be perfectly normal for a practitioner to lend him a hand. Most cases where a benefactor changed someone’s fate were like this.

But Chen Yuan did not explain any of that, so to everyone else, it seemed incredibly mysterious.

At this point, someone listening nearby could not help speaking up.

“That doesn’t make sense. Even if that’s the case, Cao Yaozu isn’t the only person with a mole in that spot on his chin. How come we’ve never heard of anyone else with the same mole meeting a benefactor or having some kind of fortuitous encounter?”

“Of course there are other people with a mole in the same place as Mr. Cao’s. But that doesn’t mean every mole like this is a ‘noble benefactor mole.’”

After all, even people born on the same day could have completely different fates.

“For a mole like this to become a ‘noble benefactor mole,’ there are requirements for its exact position, as well as for the person’s birth details. Only when someone born within a certain period has a mole in this particular place can it be considered a ‘noble benefactor mole.’”

“It is precisely because that person encountered a benefactor that the mole appeared in the corresponding place.”

Only then did Chen Yuan finish explaining. He narrowed his eyes and smiled.

“There’s a saying: ‘First comes fate, second fortune, third feng shui; fourth, accumulate merit, fifth, study. Sixth, your name, seventh, your appearance, eighth, reverence for the gods; ninth, make friends with benefactors, tenth, maintain your health. Eleventh, choose your career and spouse wisely; twelfth, seek the auspicious and avoid the inauspicious.’ All of these things can influence a person’s fate.”

A person’s destiny could not be summed up simply by their birthday or how much good they had done. There were many factors that could affect one’s fate.

As Chen Yuan’s saying made clear, how could any of these twelve things not have an influence on a person’s overall destiny? And much of the time, it was impossible to say which factor mattered more.

A change in any one of them could bring about a major change in someone’s fate. Cao Yaozu was a perfect example of someone whose entire destiny had been changed by encountering a benefactor.

“So, Mr. Cao, the personality traits I described still apply to you, but your underlying fate is no longer that of a beggar. Instead, you’re destined for a modestly comfortable, peaceful life. That is the fate you have now.”

Cao Yaozu stood there in a daze for a while before finally saying, somewhat reluctantly, “As expected of Master Chen. You really are accurate. In all these years, you’re the first person who’s ever managed to read my fate correctly.”

As he spoke, his eyes kept drifting toward the money sitting on the table.

Damn it. Chen Yuan really was that good. There went a thousand yuan, just like that!

Yu Shenliu, meanwhile, was quietly pleased. Chen Yuan’s victory filled him with a sense of pride, and he could not help smiling.

“All right, Cao Yaozu. If you keep going, this is going to turn into Yuanyuan’s personal show. Why don’t you head back to your table?”

After a few words, he finally managed to send Cao Yaozu away.

Unfortunately, Yu Shenliu’s hoped-for peace did not arrive. Chen Yuan’s display of skill had caught everyone’s attention, and before long, a crowd came over to the table.

Some came to cultivate a relationship, some to offer him drinks, some to ask where his shop was, and others to sound him out about his relationship with Yu Shenliu.

Even Yu Shenliu’s darkening expression was not enough to hold them back.

After all the commotion, the wedding banquet finally came to an end. Chen Yuan had been toasted so many times that he was already thoroughly light-headed.

Fortunately, thanks to his good habits over the years, all that happened was that he became quieter. He did his best to keep a clear head and avoid causing anyone any trouble.

Yu Shenliu half-supported Chen Yuan as he settled him into the passenger seat. Although Yu Shenliu had done his best to shield Chen Yuan from the drinking, Chen Yuan’s tolerance was simply nowhere near his.

After so many drinks, he was thoroughly dazed.

Everyone went their separate ways, and by the time they got home, Yu Shenliu turned his head and found Chen Yuan already asleep against the seat.

With his neck tucked into all those layers of clothing, he looked almost like a little animal.

He was still just a young man, after all.

Yu Shenliu got out of the car, walked around to the other side, and opened the door. He leaned in, intending to carry Chen Yuan upstairs.

The young man was sleeping soundly, his eyelashes lowered and his lips slightly parted. With every breath, a faint scent of alcohol lingered around him.

Yu Shenliu reached out and first smoothed Chen Yuan’s slightly disheveled hair. The headpiece he had been wearing earlier had already been tossed aside.

Then his hand unconsciously slipped down from Chen Yuan’s hair and gently brushed the side of his face a few times.

Yu Shenliu was not thinking about anything. He did not even know what he was thinking.

His mind was completely blank as he moved, simply following the deepest desire within him.

From his hair to his cheek.

The young man’s face was not thin or angular. His cheek felt soft beneath Yu Shenliu’s touch, his skin smooth and delicate, pleasant against his fingers and palm.

His hand moved upward along the curve of his cheek. His eyelashes rested quietly, not moving at all. He was clearly fast asleep.

Beneath his eyes, tiny beads of sweat had gathered on the bridge of his nose. After all, he had been wearing Hanfu all day, and without getting used to it, the layers could feel quite warm.

Beneath his nose were his lips.

Perhaps because he had been drinking today, the two soft curves were a more vivid color than usual. Between them, two small white front teeth peeked out, half-hidden, bringing a rabbit’s teeth to mind.

With each breath, his lips moved ever so slightly.

At some point, Yu Shenliu’s hand had come to rest beneath Chen Yuan’s chin.

It stayed there, motionless.

He stared blankly at the sleeping young man’s face, with no idea what was going through his mind.

Then his fingers tightened slightly, lifting Chen Yuan’s chin.

At the same time, he leaned down, watching that familiar face draw closer and closer until his eyelashes brushed Chen Yuan’s skin and his lips met Chen Yuan’s.

Their lips touched lightly, simply, each passing its warmth to the other.

The faint taste of alcohol passed into his mouth.

Yu Shenliu froze, then suddenly realized what he was doing.

What was he doing!?

Almost immediately, he jerked his head back and released Chen Yuan’s chin, only to slam his head hard against the roof of the car.

It hurt.

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