Chapter 546 - 546: 546
The man gave a faint smile without commenting on Zhou Bolong's words.
However, Ye Qing felt a stir in her heart and, looking at the man, said, "Uncle Liu, at your age, you should have grandchildren to hold, shouldn't you? Why aren't you at home watching your own grandson?"
Upon hearing this, both Zhou Bolong and the man's expressions changed at the same time. Especially the man, who looked at Ye Qing and even showed some hostility in his eyes.
"Young man, don't talk nonsense!" Zhou Bolong waved his hand at Ye Qing and said, "Your Uncle Liu doesn't even have children, where would he get a grandson from? Ah, Old Liu, I've said, don't feel bad in your heart."
"It's fine!" The man waved his hand, looking noticeably downcast.
Yet, Ye Qing's heart skipped a beat, as all of this was within Old Wang Ba's prediction. She seized the opportunity, stared at the man for a few moments, and said, "Really? When I look at Uncle Liu's face, it seems he should have a daughter."
Zhou Bolong and the man looked at Ye Qing at the same time, with Zhou Bolong widening his eyes and saying, "You can read faces too?"
"I know a little," said Ye Qing. "There's not much I know about other things. But I can still make out some minor details!"
"I don't think your reading is accurate!" said Zhou Bolong. "Your Uncle Liu has been married for over twenty years now, and to this day he has neither son nor daughter, which I am very sure of."
"Really?" Ye Qing frowned and stared at the man for a while, then said, "Impossible! Impossible! According to Uncle Liu's face, he absolutely has a daughter. Moreover, he now even has a granddaughter!"
"You're just talking nonsense!" Zhou Bolong glanced at Ye Qing and became slightly displeased with her, convinced she was bragging.
The man with the Liu surname also frowned slightly, waved his hand, and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Old Zhou, since my grandson won't be back in a while, I'll take my leave now!"
It was evident that he was in a bad mood and thus, wanted to leave early.
Seeing the man about to leave, Ye Qing hurriedly said, "Uncle Liu, looking at your face, your daughter is not with you right now. And she is not far from you!"
The man with the Liu surname suddenly turned and stared sharply at Ye Qing, speaking sternly, "Young man, practicing feudal superstition and using fortune-telling and face-reading to deceive people is illegal. Why do you choose such a crooked path instead of doing something decent?"
Zhou Bolong was also very dissatisfied with Ye Qing and spoke sternly, "Stop talking!"
"Uncle Zhou, sorry, I have to say one more thing!" Ye Qing didn't wait for Zhou Bolong's approval and said to the man with the Liu surname, "Uncle Liu, your daughter's hometown is in Xishan City. Maybe even you don't know it, but you truly have such a daughter!"
"Still talking!" Zhou Bolong shouted angrily. "I treat you decently because I see you as a promising kid. Don't think that I really won't kick you out!"
"Sorry, Uncle Zhou, I'm just telling the truth!" Ye Qing looked at the man with the Liu surname, clearly seeing a flash of surprise in his eyes.
Ye Qing continued, "Uncle Liu, have you ever encountered someone or something in Xishan City? Although you say that I'm practicing feudal superstition, sometimes it's better to believe that something exists rather than not. If you really have such a daughter, missing out on this could be a lifelong regret!"
After a long silence, the man with the Liu surname turned his head to look at Ye Qing and, after gazing at her for quite some time, said to Zhou Bolong, "Old Zhou, could you find a room so I can have a few words alone with him?"
"Huh?" Zhou Bolong was stunned, as this sudden change was entirely unexpected.
Zhou Bolong had Peng Changyuan arrange a separate room for the two of them. Sitting across from Ye Qing, the man with the Liu surname was still silent. Ye Qing didn't speak either, just watching him, feeling somewhat uneasy. All this was what Old Wang Ba had told him to say, and now that it had come to this point, he was in too deep to back out. He could see that both the man with the Liu surname and Zhou Bolong were not simple characters. If Old Wang Ba had set him up this time, he would likely have no place to stay in the entire Eastern Province!
After two full minutes of silence, the man with the Liu surname looked up at Ye Qing and asked, "How do you know about the matters in Xishan City?"
"From reading your face..." Ye Qing had begun, but the man with the Liu surname interrupted him and said, "Tell the truth, I don't want to hear this nonsense!"
"That is the truth!" Ye Qing replied succinctly.
The man with the Liu surname watched Ye Qing, looking into her eyes for a long while, as if trying to determine the truthfulness of her words.
Before coming here, Old Wang Ba had repeatedly reminded Ye Qing that she must hold steady during this time of eye contact. It seemed that Old Wang Ba knew this man with the Liu surname very well.
Ye Qing was mentally prepared, so when he looked the man in the eye, there was no hesitation or uncertainty in his gaze.
They locked eyes for a full thirty seconds before the man surnamed Liu finally withdrew his gaze and said, "I've seen many scam artists like you in Jianghu, and deceiving people will get you punished by the law. You're Fifth Brother's comrade-in-arms, why don't you do something good instead of engaging in these deceptive livelihoods?"
"I am Fifth Brother's comrade-in-arms, and that's exactly why I would never deceive you!" Ye Qing said. "Uncle Liu, let's not talk about anything else for now, just tell me honestly, has something happened in Xishan City?"
The man surnamed Liu furrowed his brow slightly and fell silent. Seeing his indecision, Ye Qing said, "Uncle Liu, I know that you've longed for a child over the years and really want to have one. Have you ever thought, if you truly had a child whom you have never seen for all these years, wouldn't you want to meet her?"
Ye Qing's words had an impact on him. The man surnamed Liu bit his teeth and asked, "How can you be so sure?"
"With today's technology, after we find the person, we can identify them through medical means," Ye Qing said. "Uncle Liu, you don't trust me, but do you also not trust science?"
The man surnamed Liu nodded slowly, stared at Ye Qing for a while as if he had made a great decision, and said, "Alright, I'll trust you this time. Yes, I had a first love in Xishan City. I met a girl there when I was sent down to the countryside. Later, when I was reassigned back to my original position and stabilized my life in the city after three years, I planned to go back for her, only to find that the entire village had been swept away in a sudden flood."
Speaking of this, the man surnamed Liu's eyes visibly reddened. The memories of so many years had yet to fade, showing just how deep that past romance had cut into his heart.
Ye Qing hadn't expected him to have such a past. No wonder his expression had changed when Xishan City was mentioned. It seemed that Old Wang Ba's words weren't without basis. Could it be that this man truly had a daughter?
Looking at the man surnamed Liu, who was over fifty years old and childless to this day, it was no wonder he often visited Zhou Bolong to see his grandson. Such an old man, with no children of his own, could not fill the emptiness in his heart regardless of his status and abilities. At such a time, being told he might have a child would stir anyone's heart and create waves of emotion, real or not.
The man surnamed Liu felt the same; his heart was already tumultuous with waves. Something indeed had happened in Xishan City. Regardless of whether a child was there or not, even if he could just find his first love and see her one more time, it would fulfill a wish he had held for many years. That was why he had called Ye Qing in. Since Ye Qing spoke so confidently, it moved him. If there really was such a child, it would be the greatest gift from heaven!
"That's right!" Ye Qing said. "Uncle Liu, according to your physiognomy, you were meant to have a daughter. Moreover, you should also have a little granddaughter by now; there's no mistake about it."
"Then... then where are they now...?" the man surnamed Liu's voice trembled, genuinely excited.
"I don't know that!" Ye Qing replied with a shrug.
"Ah?" The man surnamed Liu was taken aback and frowned at Ye Qing. After Ye Qing had given him so much hope, he suddenly told him this, which made him wonder if Ye Qing was just playing with his feelings.
"However, Uncle Liu, I have a friend who is more knowledgeable than I am. Give us some time, and we might be able to help you find them!" Ye Qing said.
"Really?" The man surnamed Liu looked at Ye Qing skeptically. Many fortune-tellers deceived people like this. They talked a lot, raising hopes, and then began to charge. Was Ye Qing about to make some demands?
"Yes, in at most one week, we should have news," Ye Qing said. "Once we bring the person back, Uncle Liu, you can have a paternity test done. It's better to be certain about these things!"
"Is that so?" The man surnamed Liu looked at Ye Qing and asked, "Do you have any demands?"
"Demands? What demands?" Ye Qing looked back at the man surnamed Liu in surprise.
The man surnamed Liu asked, "Don't you need some funds for activities or something? Doesn't finding a person cost money?"
"What money would it take? We don't need to advertise on TV. It's just driving over there; the cost for food, accommodation, and gas isn't that much," Ye Qing replied.
The man surnamed Liu looked at Ye Qing in astonishment. He had thought Ye Qing would ask him for a substantial amount of money. Yet, Ye Qing made no such indication. Could it be that he had misjudged Ye Qing and that actually Ye Qing possessed real skills?
"Uncle Liu, don't worry. Once we find the person, we will contact you immediately!" Ye Qing said. "By the way, I don't have your phone number yet. Should I contact you first after finding the person, or what?"
The man surnamed Liu pulled out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Ye Qing, saying, "This is my card. When you find the person, call me at this number."
The business card was very ordinary, with just a name and a string of phone numbers.
Liu Changping, that was the man's name. Ye Qing felt it sounded familiar but could not recall where he had heard it.
Ye Qing put the card into his pocket and smiled at Liu Changping, "Uncle Liu, wait for my news then. In at most one week, I'll definitely have an update for you!"