Chapter Seventy-Three: [Inevitability and Chance] (Urgent Call for Monthly Votes!)

Chapter Seventy-Three: [Inevitability and Coincidence]

Inside the room, their conversation continued.

"Do you really know everything?" Chen Xiao had tried his best to calm down, but excitement still lingered in his voice. "You can foresee everything in the future? Doesn’t that mean you could..."

Yan Hua shook her head. She picked up a sunflower seed between two fingers and gently cracked it by her lips—most women do not look particularly elegant when eating sunflower seeds, yet somehow, Yan Hua retained an indescribable grace even in this tiny gesture, as if such subtle movements only made her more lively and charming.

"I understand what you mean, but I regret to inform you... I can see, yes, but there are differences in the future. Some futures are ‘coincidences’—they can be changed or influenced by human intervention. But some futures are ‘inevitable’; even if I can see them, I cannot change them." As she spoke, Yan Hua shook her head, a faint sadness coloring her expression.

Change... cannot change...

"For example, this chair and that teacup," Yan Hua’s voice was soft. "I saw they would be destroyed, but that was ‘inevitable’. I couldn’t change it, so I didn’t warn you. Even if I had warned you, you might have become anxious, curious, and ended up accidentally breaking them anyway. So whether I tell you or not, the outcome is the same—they end up destroyed."

Chen Xiao frowned. "So... some things can be changed?"

"Yes." Yan Hua nodded. "Like when I just asked you for a favor... Oh, young man, don’t forget, the first alley when you leave."

"...I still don’t fully understand," Chen Xiao said, brow furrowed.

Yan Hua pointed to her eyes. Her eyes were indeed extraordinarily beautiful, with a depth that almost invited one to fall into them.

"In the future I see," Yan Hua’s voice carried a sorrowful note, "it isn’t images, but roads. Some futures are a straight road—only one path, meaning that future is ‘inevitable’ and cannot be changed. But sometimes, I see not just a single straight road, but forks, crossroads—even intersections. That means those futures aren’t ‘inevitable’; they can be changed."

Chen Xiao grew a little tense, looking at Yan Hua. "Then... could you see my future... I..."

Yan Hua gazed at him for a long moment, then sighed softly.

"Young man, actually, since you walked in, I’ve been thinking..." A trace of apology appeared in her smile. "Strange, over the years I’ve met many, many people with abilities. Yet you are someone I’ve never encountered before—a special kind of individual."

She straightened up, reaching out to gently grasp Chen Xiao’s hand. Her eyes shone brightly, her voice solemn. "On you, I see many... many, many crossroads! You are someone whose future contains a great number of ‘changeable’ moments. This is extremely rare."

Chen Xiao listened quietly, his face unchanged, though his thoughts remained a mystery.

"Normally, those who come to seek my help, I tell them everything I know, regardless of the question—I’m willing to answer. A person’s life is like walking through a maze, and I enjoy offering kind guidance. Though many truths cannot be changed, if I can help someone make a better choice at a fork in the road, I’m glad." Here, Yan Hua’s tone suddenly shifted, becoming stern. "But for every visitor, I accept only ten minutes! Just enough time for a few questions—because, perhaps you don’t understand, perhaps most who seek help don’t understand. You think being able to foresee the future is a wonderful thing—but it’s not."

Yan Hua sighed. "I’ve seen many people. They do not realize that if you know too much about your own future—and if those things are ‘inevitable’ and cannot be changed—then... it is actually a very sad feeling."

She spoke sadly. "When I was nine, I knew my best friend would die in a car accident two days later, but I couldn’t change it. At thirteen, I sensed my mother would break her leg climbing the stairs—again, I couldn’t change it. At sixteen, I foresaw that my father would fall in love with another woman, saw it was inevitable, tried to change it, tried to use my abilities to keep him from meeting her—but I failed. My father still fell in love with her, left my mother, and my family broke apart."

Yan Hua looked intently at Chen Xiao. "Do you understand now? Sometimes, knowing the future is not a pleasant thing—especially when you know that sad things will happen, but you can do nothing to stop them."

She added, "And... when you can predict every day of the future in detail... then life loses most of its joy. Each day has no freshness, is no longer new... So I limit each visit to ten minutes, answer only one or two questions, ensuring guests don’t learn too much."

Chen Xiao grew agitated. "Then, may I ask, the problem I have now—will it bring me any misfortune in the future..."

"You mean your genetic issue?" Yan Hua smiled, but withheld the answer. "Sorry, I can answer for others... but for you, I refuse."

"..."

Chen Xiao was stunned. What did that mean?

Yan Hua held up three fingers.

"First, I see that your future contains many crossroads... The uncertainty in your life is much higher than most people! So I cannot give you an exact answer... If I tell you what possibilities you’ll face, I’m essentially telling you how to choose—which would mean manipulating your life, wouldn’t it?

Second, young man, I envy you greatly, because your life is full of uncertainty! So many crossroads mean every day ahead will be fresh for you. I envy you for that! Your life is full of possibilities! Unlike mine... my life is nearly just a straight line.

As for the third..."

Yan Hua finally smiled again. "The third reason is rather amusing... Before you arrived, someone asked me to refuse you service."

"What?" Chen Xiao was truly shocked!

Someone asked Yan Hua not to help him??

Who would do such a thing?

"I’m sorry," Yan Hua smiled, "but I can give you a small gift... The problem you worry about now, about your body and your genes, is actually... a crossroads too! That is, things could develop in a good or bad direction, and it all depends on your opportunities and choices in life."

Chen Xiao could only smile wryly. "That’s... not really an answer."

Yan Hua winked at him. "But I’m happy! After so long as a ‘seer’, I love telling guests about crossroads. Because... often, guests destined for tragic fates come to me, and though I see their misery, I must tell them so—such moments make me feel like the judge of their destinies. I dislike being the bearer of bad news! But you make me glad... because your future holds no 'inevitable' tragedies or sorrows. Yes, that's right... anything is possible!"

Chen Xiao almost wanted to roll his eyes.

...This Yan Hua must be a diehard fan of Li Ning.

...

With a face full of confusion, Chen Xiao walked out of the room and into the courtyard, still looking dazed.

"Finished asking?" Gong Gong glanced at him. "No, you don’t have to tell me what was said! That’s the rule!"

Chen Xiao pondered—he seemed to have gained something, but then again, perhaps nothing at all.

Anything is possible...

Damn! That’s just too perfunctory!

...

The second to go in was Bai Cai.

Bai Cai hurried into the room. At her first glance of the elegant Yan Hua, she couldn't help but admire her for a moment; then, the girl nervously stared at Yan Hua for a long time. Bai Cai’s cheeks flushed, twisting the hem of her clothes shyly, and finally stammered out a question:

"Please, may I ask, who will my future husband be? Is he... is he outside right now? Is he that young man out there?"

A few minutes later, Bai Cai ran out of the room, excited, but when she returned to the courtyard, her expression immediately collapsed at first sight!

...

Standing in the courtyard with Gong Gong was not Chen Xiao—but Xu Ershao!

That fellow stood under the elm tree, arms folded, grinning.

Bai Cai’s expression was as if she'd seen a ghost in broad daylight—horrified and despairing. Suddenly she shrieked, pointing at Xu Ershao: "You! You! Why are you here?! Where’s Chen Xiao?!"

"Chen Xiao?" Xu Ershao looked confused. "He seemed troubled and went back to the car... As for me... you all took so long inside, I got worried and just came over to check."

Bai Cai stared at Xu Ershao in utter despair, as if she wished she could tear him apart right then and there!

...

In the room, the back door opened and a tender voice laughed, "Yan Hua, thank you for your help."

Yan Hua did not turn around, only sipped her tea and smiled calmly. "You know how to say thank you... that's rare."

The girl who entered was none other than Phoenix!

Phoenix walked to Yan Hua, gently tugged at her sleeve, and smiled softly. "Well then... you only see everyone in the world once, so I’m your only friend who visits often! This time, you started it all..."

Yan Hua smiled, placing her hand over Phoenix’s small hand, her voice full of affection and indulgence, shaking her head in a wry smile. "Little Phoenix, I regret it now... I shouldn't have told you who your future man would be... If I hadn't, you wouldn't have gone looking for this young man... If you hadn’t looked for him, I wouldn't have met him... And I wouldn't have seen so many strange futures on him..."

But after a pause, her expression grew serious.

"Phoenix, I don’t know how to tell you."

"Hm? What is it?" Phoenix’s cheeks blushed.

"I feel uneasy... I’ve seen so many people, but today, when I saw this young man, it was the first time I felt such deep unease!" Yan Hua said earnestly. "His future path is very strange, full of anomalies... I found it difficult, almost impossible, to find a straight road, an ‘inevitability’! I’ve never seen anyone like this! That is, his entire future consists almost entirely of coincidences and ‘changeable factors’!"

Phoenix didn’t quite understand. "What does that have to do with your unease?"

"Because I worry about you!"

A hint of contradiction appeared in Yan Hua’s eyes as she frowned. "I can’t quite figure it out... Maybe I’ll put it this way."

She sighed, her gaze sharp as she looked at Phoenix. "In your fate, he is destined for you—inevitable! But in his fate, you are not destined for him; you are only a coincidence!"

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Chapter Seventy-Three: [Inevitability and Coincidence] (Unlocked).