Chapter 74: Altering Fate

“What do you mean by ‘the lesson is carved onto his body’?” Liu Wei asked curiously.

Li Sicheng simply smiled without offering an explanation. After all, he couldn’t possibly tell Liu Wei that he had just altered Wang Lei’s fortune for the next few days, and that soon the man would be embroiled in an ill-fated romance with a man. Even if he did say so, Liu Wei would never believe it.

In truth, just as the world is governed by the five elements and the principles of feng shui, so too does the human body. The five elements and feng shui within a person directly affect one’s health and fortune, and just as in nature, these forces within the human body can be changed.

That’s why, when people feel they’re plagued by bad luck, they often seek out lucky charms, or wear amulets to ward off evil and misfortune. In doing so, they are actually altering the feng shui within themselves. Yet, most people don’t understand their own condition and blindly choose trinkets or charms. Those who happen to pick the right one see their luck improve; those who don’t, either see no change or even make things worse.

What Li Sicheng had just done—dipping his finger in Wang Lei’s blood and marking his chest—was to alter the five elements and feng shui within Wang Lei’s body, thereby changing his fortune.

Now, Wang Lei’s fate had been rewritten into the ill-starred romance he was about to endure. In fact, to be more precise, this dire turn of luck should be called “The Withering Chrysanthemum.”

Seeing Li Sicheng remain silent, Liu Wei wanted to press him further, but her phone suddenly rang in her pocket. Pulling it out, she saw it was her father calling.

“Hello, Dad? What’s up? Oh, I’ve already picked up my classmate Li. Yes, we’ll be right there.”

After hanging up, Liu Wei let the matter of the “lesson” drop for now. She simply reminded Li Sicheng, “When you meet my parents, don’t mention running into Wang Lei at the hotel entrance. I don’t want them to worry about me.”

Li Sicheng replied with a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, I know what to do.”

Only then did Liu Wei breathe a sigh of relief. “Alright, let’s go in.”

“Let’s go,” Li Sicheng nodded, and together they entered the Ronghe Hotel.

At that moment, the hotel manager was still standing by the entrance. Upon seeing Li Sicheng and Liu Wei approach, he hurried forward, taking over the doorman’s duty and pulling the door open for them himself, greeting them warmly, “Welcome, honored guests.” He then personally escorted them to the private dining room where Liu Wei’s parents awaited.

When the manager returned to the lobby, two security guards approached him. One, who was familiar with him, asked curiously, “Manager Zheng, what’s going on with you today? That guy got into a fight at our hotel entrance and you didn’t let us intervene, but now you’re even playing doorman for him?”

As the manager of Ronghe Hotel, Zheng only ever played doorman when important guests arrived. But the young man and woman just now didn’t look like anyone important, either by age or dress.

Manager Zheng gave them a knowing look and began to show off, “See, I knew you two would judge people just by their age and clothes! Did you notice the pen that gentleman took from his satchel?”

The two guards looked blank—they hadn’t paid the slightest attention to that detail.

After a moment’s thought, one said, “Wasn’t it just an ordinary fountain pen? Not even a gold one or anything…”

Manager Zheng laughed. “A gold pen? How tacky! Forget guessing, let me tell you: that pen may look ordinary, but it was handcrafted by a world-class master penmaker! Each one is unique! Did you see the eagle in flight on the cap? That’s the master’s personal mark!”

The two guards gasped in shock. They might not know much about luxury pens, but terms like “world-class,” “unique,” and “handmade” all spelled out one thing—expensive!

In awe, one couldn’t help but ask, “How much would a pen like that cost? Must be at least ten thousand, right?”

“Ten thousand?” Zheng’s tone was full of disdain. “Please, could you aim a little higher? Let me tell you, a pen like that costs at least a hundred thousand—and that’s in US dollars! And even if you have the money, you may not be able to buy one!”

“My god… a hundred thousand US dollars for a pen? That’s insane!”

“Wow… using such an expensive pen really means every word is worth its weight in gold!”

The two guards were dumbfounded.

A hundred thousand dollars—almost ten years’ salary for them! Imagine, a tiny pen worth that much—it was beyond their wildest dreams.

Manager Zheng was pleased with their reaction and added, “Now, do you think someone who uses such a luxury pen could be just an average person? People like that—we can only serve them well, never risk offending them!”

The two guards immediately showered him with flattery, which satisfied Manager Zheng greatly.

As for Li Sicheng, the owner of the pen, he actually had no idea about its value. He’d received it as a gift from a foreign craftsman after helping the old man out of a tricky situation. Li Sicheng knew the man made pens for a living, but was unaware of his reputation or how valuable his work was. He simply liked how smooth and comfortable the pen felt, so he kept it with him.

Fortunately, though the pen was crafted by a master, its materials were not ostentatious—no diamonds, gold, or other flashy embellishments. Since it was a gift and not bought with money, it wasn’t considered an indulgence, and didn’t bring any misfortune. Otherwise, Li Sicheng would have thrown it away, regardless of its worth.

While the Ronghe Hotel manager and security guards were speculating about Li Sicheng’s identity, Wang Lei, having wiped the blood from his face, entered a nearby budget hotel with a girl on his arm.

To his credit, Wang Lei was quite resourceful. Even after being beaten, humiliated, and running off first, he managed—with his shameless persistence and glib tongue—to coax the once-angry girl back into a good mood. Not only did she agree to get a room with him, she even paid for it herself.

Once inside, Wang Lei began to boast, “Baby, just wait. On Monday, I’ll take a few guys to that kid’s school. In front of his teachers and classmates, I’ll make him kneel before me and sing a song of defeat! Hmph, I, Wang Lei, have plenty of good brothers on the street. Mess with me, and nobody gets away unscathed!”

The girl’s eyes sparkled as she cooed, “Oppa, be sure to bring me along then. I want to see your heroics!”

“No problem, I’ll definitely bring you!” Wang Lei pounded his chest with pride.

“You’re the best!” The girl threw herself at him, showering him with kisses.

Wang Lei twisted around, pinning her to the bed.

“Wait, I haven’t showered yet…” the girl protested, giving him a gentle push.

“No need, I can’t wait any longer.” Wang Lei grinned lasciviously as he hurriedly undressed her.

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