Chapter 681

Wheel of Fortune! Fool Chikage!

The warm afternoon sunlight slanted through the activity room window, casting bright light spots on the old long table.

Qiutian Shana took the Tarot cards out of the box, the dark blue card backs shining with a mysterious luster in the sunlight.

She skillfully spread the cards on the table into a smooth arc, her movements carrying a bit of performative ritual.

"So, who goes first?" She raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the three people sitting around the table.

Xiyuanji Qilai raised her hand first, curiosity and anticipation shining in her amethyst-like eyes.

"Me! I want to ask about my recent fortune."

Qiutian Shana nodded with a smile, gathered the cards, and signaled Xiyuanji Qilai to shuffle.

"Concentrate your thoughts, thinking about your question."

Xiyuanji Qilai seriously used her fair and slender fingers to shuffle the cards somewhat awkwardly, then carefully drew one from the deck and placed it face down in front of herself.

Qiutian Shana flipped the card with her fingertips.

On the card face, an angel stood in the clouds, holding a holy cup in each hand, pouring liquid from one cup into the other.

The background was a blue sky and rolling mountains.

"It's 'Temperance' upright." Qiutian Shana looked at the card face, then looked up at Xiyuanji Qilai, her tone light.

"Xiyuanji-san's fortune these few days is quite good. This card means balance, harmony, and adaptability. The efforts you have made, whether in studies or other things, will all get good progress and returns. Your heart will also feel calm and satisfied."

Xiyuanji Qilai happily put her hands together, her eyes curving into crescents.

"That's great! Thank you, Qiutian-san."

Xuecun Lingyin sat opposite, her cold gaze sweeping lightly over that brightly colored Tarot card, and then glanced at Qiutian Shana's overly bright smiling face.

She, who was also interested in divination and Tarot cards, hummed almost inaudibly, but still spoke:

"... Then I'll ask about my recent fortune too."

Qiutian Shana gathered the cards again, her shuffling movements smooth and rhythmic.

"Xuecun-san, please draw a card."

Xuecun Lingyin stretched out her slender fingers, without too much hesitation, decisively drew one from the deck and placed it on the table in front of herself.

Qiutian Shana flipped the card.

In the picture, a towering stone tower was struck by lightning, the top was burning with flames, and two figures were falling from the tower's window.

"The Tower... reversed." Qiutian Shana blinked, her tone becoming somewhat subtle.

"Mm... Xuecun-san's fortune these few days might have some fluctuations. Although the reversed Tower reduces sudden catastrophic disasters, it still implies potential troubles, accumulated problems, or... minor unexpected setbacks."

She raised her head, looked at Xuecun Lingyin, and added:

"For example, be careful under your feet on the way home, pay attention not to trip or bump into anything."

Xuecun Lingyin, upon hearing this, frowned her slender eyebrows slightly.

The Tarot card pattern was indeed like this, and the explanation also seemed reasonable.

"... Is that so." She responded flatly, noncommittally.

It was Natsume Chikage's turn.

"What does Natsume-kun want to ask? Is it also about recent fortune?" Qiutian Shana asked while shuffling the cards.

Natsume Chikage thought for a moment and nodded:

"Mm, ask about my fortune."

He drew a card at random.

On the flipped card face, a young man in gorgeous clothing stood on the edge of a cliff, his expression cheerful, with a bottomless abyss under his feet, yet he only held a white rose in his hand, completely unaware of the danger.

"The Fool... upright." Qiutian Shana looked at the card face, then looked at Natsume Chikage, the smile on her face deepening.

"'The Fool' represents a new journey, infinite possibilities, acting on intuition, and... an optimistic spirit of adventure."

She gently tapped the card face with her finger.

"This means, recently if you have anything you want to try, or encounter seemingly difficult choices, you might as well follow your heart and intuition. As long as you have the courage to take that step, and remain optimistic and hardworking, you might very well welcome an unexpected turning point. It's a day full of opportunities."

Natsume Chikage looked at the carefree figure walking towards the cliff in the picture, nodded thoughtfully.

"A turning point... thank you."

Then, Xiyuanji Qilai's cheeks flushed slightly, and her voice became smaller:

"Then... that, can I ask one more question? About... love fortune."

A trace of realization flashed in Qiutian Shana's eyes, and she shuffled the cards again.

"Of course you can. Please focus on thinking about your question, then draw a card."

Xiyuanji Qilai closed her eyes for a moment, her long eyelashes trembling lightly, then solemnly drew a card.

On the card face, a goddess sat on a stone chair, wearing a crown dotted with stars, holding a sword pointing to the sky in her right hand, and holding a scale in her left hand, her expression serious and fair.

"It's 'Justice' reversed." Qiutian Shana's tone became flat and serious.

"This card in love divination, when reversed, often means... an unbalanced relationship, or facing difficult choices. It implies that the object you admire, Xiyuanji-san, might itself be in a state of needing to weigh things, or finding it difficult to make emotional decisions easily."

She weighed her words.

"The process of pursuit might not be too smooth, requiring more patience and understanding, and one must avoid making impulsive moves due to eagerness or anxiety. Otherwise, it might make the situation complicated, even leading to bad results. The card reminds you that maintaining an inner balance and a fair perspective to view this relationship is very important."

Xiyuanji Qilai was somewhat surprised to hear this, and whispered to herself:

"Patience... I understand."

Xuecun Lingyin watched coldly from the sidelines, but at this moment, she spoke up as if possessed:

"... I'll ask about love too."

Xiyuanji Qilai was very surprised:

"Lingyin, you actually ask about love?"

Xuecun Lingyin's cold face flushed slightly, pretending to be calm:

"You asked, so I'm just asking too."

"As for the standards for my object, aren't you very clear about them?"

Xiyuanji Qilai smiled:

"That's true."

Qiutian Shana didn't know the situation, just shuffled the cards again.

The card Xuecun Lingyin drew had a huge wheel in the center, with a Sphinx sitting above the wheel, and various mysterious symbols and creatures surrounding the wheel.

"Wheel of Fortune... reversed." Qiutian Shana was silent for a slightly longer time this time.

"This card reversed, in terms of feelings, usually means... bad luck, things going against one's wishes, or an irresistible downward trend."

She raised her eyes, looking at Xuecun Lingyin with a calm gaze.

"It might imply that due to the environment, timing, or... some inherent choices and persistence of your own, your love path will appear relatively bumpy, and a suitable candidate who can fully meet your inner standards seems hard to appear, or simply doesn't exist."

Qiutian Shana rubbed the edge of the card with her finger.

"However, the 'Wheel of Fortune' is always turning. The card is also saying, once that rare opportunity or person who might meet your expectations has already appeared, then, be sure to grasp it tightly, don't hesitate. Because with a reversed wheel, opportunities might be fleeting, and once missed, they won't return."

Xuecun Lingyin, after hearing this, had no change in expression on her face, but her fingers resting on the literary book tightened unconsciously.

She didn't speak, just glanced at that card with the complex wheel again, and then couldn't help but secretly glance at Natsume Chikage, her little heart beating extremely fast.

But no... this is not right!

Natsume-kun has no accomplishments in literature at all, how could he be...

Finally, everyone's gaze fell on Natsume Chikage.

Qiutian Shana's eyes flashed with a hint of cunning, and she asked with a smile: