Push Me Away When I Come, Don't Hold Me Back When I Leave - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: An’s Magic House, The Corrected Destiny

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“You’re lying… this kind of pickup line isn’t very popular anymore.” An Jinrou fiddled with the tarot cards on the table, “Although I don’t have any special abilities, I never forget anyone I’ve done a reading for, keeping them close to my heart. I’m sure I’ve never seen you before.”

Xia Ruoming looked at the shop owner before her, memories gradually becoming clear. Her appearance was exactly as remembered, with the only difference being that in her previous life, the shop owner wore a blue veil and blue shawl, while now both the veil and shawl were jade green.

“Is that so? Is that ability because the same person can only come for a reading once every 10 years?” Xia Ruoming revealed a secret known to few, something only those who truly believed in the shop owner would know.

An Jinrou immediately narrowed her eyes as she studied Xia Ruoming: “Hmm… seems like someone recommended you to come. I speak the truth, if I had really done a reading for you, I wouldn’t forget.”

“Yes.” Xia Ruoming replied accordingly. She didn’t want to reveal her reincarnation, but this shop had a secret rule. If the shop owner trusted you enough, she would tell you more beyond just fortune-telling. If she could pretend to be recommended by someone the shop owner trusted, that wouldn’t be bad either.

“Well then? What would you like to have read? Since you were recommended by someone special, I can make an exception and do three readings for you.” An Jinrou pushed the tarot cards toward Xia Ruoming, then gestured for her to sit down.

“In that case, let’s first read about my career prospects.” Xia Ruoming looked into An Jinrou’s eyes. She was indeed curious, if she took the path she had in mind this life, could she truly succeed? Would changes in the timeline create a butterfly effect?

After shuffling the tarot cards, An Jinrou drew nine cards and placed them face down on the table in a nine-square grid pattern, then gestured for her to choose one.

“Think about what you want to know while choosing, trust your first intuition, otherwise it won’t be effective.” She said with a slight playful smile.

Xia Ruoming closed her eyes, thought briefly, then chose the middle card.

“Well then, let’s see what your destiny holds.” An Jinrou turned over the middle tarot card.

“【The Emperor?】The emperor campaigns far and wide, reclaiming the distant Apennines, but plague and sin have already begun to grow in his realm. By the time he looks back, it’s too late, bandits roam his lands, plague spreads, and the sleepless emperor, overwhelmed, falls into eternal slumber. As emperor, you should understand how far your boundaries can extend, cold rationality is the answer to ruling a realm. An emperor can claim all lands his sword points to, but understand, no emperor can control the entire world. If you don’t control your desires, you might venture too far beyond your borders. The reversed Emperor also represents your gradually diminishing humanity and emotions, remember not to forget your true heart.”

“Ordinary, dictatorial, ambitions expanding yet lacking confidence, that is the king in the reversed Emperor card. Try to reasonably use each opportunity, trust those you should trust, give up what cannot be obtained, that is what you should do.”

“Then, for the next card, what would you like to know?” An Jinrou gazed at Xia Ruoming’s eyes with interest.

“Love.” Xia Ruoming said softly.

After reshuffling the cards, An Jinrou arranged them on the table just like before.

“Alright, please choose the card that concerns your life’s love.”

“Still the middle one.” Xia Ruoming turned over the middle tarot card again.

“【The Moon?】Ah, the reversed Moon, this is interesting. The moon’s reflection in the water is shrouded by rising mist, the falling darkness obscures the path ahead. You long to encounter new things, but shadows of the past have let fear take root in your heart. You’re always suspicious and overly cautious, with many choices but indecisive, thus missing many things. Please remember, the fear represented by the Moon comes only from your own heart, there is no real danger. Like a timid person walking at night, some fear long shadows, some fear the dark scenery. Though these fears differ, they all exist only because the person themselves is afraid. These things won’t really harm you, what’s dangerous in darkness are the creatures within it, not the darkness itself. The Moon will listen to your lonely dreams, and after moonset comes your light.”

“This card also represents that you will resolve misunderstandings, trapped situations will improve, you’ll have the chance to reclaim what you couldn’t obtain in the past. Though the process may be painful, everything will reach a good ending.”

Things that couldn’t be obtained in the past, which past did that refer to, the past before reincarnation, or just that laughable past before age 18? She indeed had many things she couldn’t obtain, but hearing these words instead left her confused. Those things lost before they could be obtained, what exactly would they be?

“For the last chance, let it be for my destiny.” Before An Jinrou could ask, Xia Ruoming said to her.

Hearing these words, An Jinrou gave a light laugh, just nodded, and began shuffling again.

“Come then, this is the last time.” She pushed the tarot cards forward and started dealing again.

The top left card was turned over, revealing the face of the zero card.

“【The Fool】The Fool, a jester with the chance to start anew and feel youthful vigor again. Perhaps you can face the future optimistically, just as shown on the card, many people hold their own maps, they may have just gone in the wrong direction, but you’re different. You have no map at all, don’t understand where to begin. But because of this, you’re clean as blank paper, free to write your own life story. Please remember, though the path ahead is clear, once you make a decision, never look back. Just like the Fool in this picture, if you really look back and realize you’re standing on a cliff’s edge at that moment, those priceless things might be gained only to be lost again.”

“The upright Fool represents that you have unlimited possibilities. Perhaps even wrong decisions will bring good endings, but once you make a decision, never regret it, and never hesitate.”

“Whew…” Xia Ruoming let out a long breath, as if after deciding to leave Xu Fengwu, the future had truly changed.

She still remembered the readings from her previous life.

【Headed in the wrong direction, manipulated and misled by someone charismatic. Can see but cannot obtain. Everything is a performance, not reality.】

【Giving up halfway, having beginnings but no endings. On life’s path, there are demons in the heart that cannot be forgotten.】

“Well then, goodbye. May we meet again, may the black star rise as usual.” An Jinrou’s words seemed to carry magic, and before Xia Ruoming could ask more questions, she found herself stepping out of her magic shop as if controlled by those words.

……

In the room, An Jinrou looked at the tarot cards before her with confusion while muttering to herself.

“How strange, this person’s reading results are completely different from their fate pattern… has my ability deteriorated…?”