The group of close friends was quite large, and before nine o'clock, several of them had arrived one after another at Yang Xi's shop.
Yang Xi brewed a pot of tea at the tea table, and everyone gathered around to drink tea and chat in a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere.
"I've got a surprise for you today!" Zhang Xiaobao said with a mysterious smile.
"Aren't they just a few girls? Why make such a big mystery out of it? With Xizi around, which girl would even look at the rest of us? They'll all be swarming around him, leaving us to play second fiddle again," Li Shusheng said, shaking his head with a sigh.
"Indeed! Xizi's looks are simply peerless. How can someone in this world be so handsome?" Xu Ansheng exclaimed with emotion.
"That's why, Xizi, God is fair. While giving you looks that could topple nations, He's bound to take something else away from you. It's been nearly three years now; it's time to let it go.
That fortune-teller's words last time were spot on," Xu Ansheng said to Yang Xi.
During a trip last time, they had run into a fortune-teller who took one look at Yang Xi's face and said, "This handsome young man has the physiognomy of a blessed person, but based on the birth date and year you provided, it should be the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
This young man carries an innate malevolence about him, leading to endless hardships throughout his life. Combined with his facial features, his destiny forbids him from having any close kin." These words laid bare everything about Yang Xi.
Yang Xi had never believed in fate, but everything that had happened to him one after another coincided so perfectly with the fortune-teller's words that he was forced to believe.
When asked for a solution, the fortune-teller, dressed in a purple mandarin jacket, had said, "Just let everything follow its natural course. Since fate denies you close kin, then avoid them. Have parents whom you do not acknowledge, children whom you do not recognize, and a wife whom you do not revere." Yang Xi could understand the first two parts, but he was baffled by the last phrase: "do not revere."
When Yang Xi wanted to ask for details, the man mysteriously replied, "Unspeakable, unspeakable. If some things are explained, the deities will take offense, and this old man will be punished." With that, even though Yang Xi took out twenty thousand yuan as a reward, the man left without even glancing at it.
Yang Xi stopped thinking about it. You either believe in the theories of destiny or you don't. He reminded himself that a person's fate is influenced by multiple factors, including genetics, environment, education, and personal effort.
Therefore, one should not judge a person's destiny solely by their date of birth, but should instead forge a wonderful future through one's own efforts and a positive attitude toward life.
At the family level, one must also maintain a scientific attitude and critical thinking, and avoid becoming overly superstitious about the study of destiny.
While the group was chatting away, Mai Zi drove up in his second-hand Cadillac CT5. Stepping out of the car along with him were five girls, all of them youthful and radiant.
Yang Xi recognized one of them: Li Wan'er, the best friend and colleague of his late wife. "Brother Xi, sorry to bother you," Li Wan'er said politely. The other four girls each introduced themselves to Yang Xi.
"Brother Xi, I'm Yang Ruoxi, and I'm part of the family with you," a tall girl said, reaching out to shake hands with Yang Xi. Though not exceptionally beautiful, she looked youthful, lively, and instantly endearing.
"I'm Zhang Lingfang, a colleague of Li Wan'er," introduced a petite, shy girl who was only around five feet tall.
"I'm Xu Jiaxin, Xu Ansheng's cousin. I've been wanting to get to know Brother Yang Xi for a long time, and I'm very glad to meet you," introduced a tall girl, nearly five feet ten, with a model-like figure and a very pretty face.
"Brother Xi, you're so handsome! I'm Su Muyao," said a girl who looked very young, gazing at Yang Xi with infatuation.
"Little sister, are you even sixteen?" Yang Xi asked curiously.
Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter. "Brother Xi, Muyao is my age, both of us are twenty-two. She was born with a cute baby face, so she looks like a high schooler, doesn't she?" Li Wan'er said.
"Alright, everyone is here now.
Let's take three cars. Xizi, drive your BMW X6 and take a few of the girls, while the rest of us guys load up the picnic gear and food. Let's move out," Li Mai arranged.
Yang Xi had no objections, started his car, and drove all the way toward Longtan, located about six miles from home.
Along the way, the girls seemed very excited, while Li Wan'er remained as attentive to Yang Xi as ever, a hint of lingering grievance still in her eyes.