In that small, gloomy rented room, filled with the smell of mildew and cheap instant noodles, Chu Tianyi had barely slept all night.
Outside the window, the never-extinguishing neon lights of Star City, like ghostly apparitions, pierced through the thin curtains—whose original color was long faded—casting mottled, shifting shadows on his face, which was somewhat contorted from extreme fatigue, mental agitation, and a hangover-like headache.
"Mind reading…" Or, as he preferred to call it, the "Heart-Hunting Manual."
This thought, like a wildfire ignited in the depths of his soul, burned madly, bringing indescribable shock, fear, and also a sliver of hope… beautiful and dangerous as a poppy, quietly sprouting from the ruins of despair.
He knew that his life might indeed be completely changed by this sudden "gift" or "curse."
However, before he could indulge in visions of an unknown future full of infinite possibilities, a more realistic and crueler problem, like a basin of ice water dumped over his head, yanked him servicio_from his brief fantasy—
He was fired. He was penniless. He didn't even have next month's rent secured.
"Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!"
A rapid and violent knocking, almost threatening to smash through the thin wooden door, like the Grim Reaper's urgent drumbeat, interrupted Chu Tianyi's chaotic thoughts.
His heart tightened abruptly. Who could it be at this hour? Other than that woman, he couldn't think of a second possibility.
"Chu Tianyi! Chu Tianyi! I know you're in there! Open the door for me right now! If you dare play games with me again today, see if I don't throw all your junk out the window!" A sharp, shrewish female voice, filled with impatience and a confrontational tone, came from outside the door.
It was the landlady, Liu Guifang. A woman around fifty, her figure somewhat bloated from years of hard work and lack of maintenance, her hair casually tied back with a rubber band, a few strands of graying, unruly hair scattered across her forehead. Her face always wore a harsh expression, as if "the whole world owed her millions." She lived downstairs from Chu Tianyi and remembered the rent due dates of every tenant in this "handshake building" more clearly than her own birthday. Not a day late was tolerated. She was a notorious "tigress" in this urban village.
Chu Tianyi's scalp tingled, and his temples began to throb faintly again from this sudden shock. It was true what they say: speak of the devil. This "tigress's" nose was sharper than a police dog's!
He took a deep breath, trying to make his voice, weak from lack of sleep, sound as calm as possible, tinged with a deliberate humility and ingratiation: "Liu… Sister Liu, please wait a moment, I'll be right there, right there!"
He scrambled off the rock-hard single bed, haphazardly threw on a wrinkled old T-shirt, and didn't even have time to put on his shoes before rushing barefoot to open the flimsy wooden door that looked like it could fall apart at any moment.
As expected, landlady Liu Guifang stood at the doorway with her hands on her hips, like a wrathful deity. Her small, somewhat murky eyes, from long nights and scheming, scanned Chu Tianyi meticulously from head to toe, like two sharp X-ray machines, as if trying to strip him of every last bit of exploitable value. Behind her stood two burly young men with broad shoulders and thick waists, clearly not to be trifled with, glaring at Chu Tianyi, ready to rush in and throw him out, lock, stock, and barrel, at Liu Guifang's command.
"Well, well, Mr. Handsome Chu, finally decided to show your face?" A blatant sneer curled Liu Guifang's lips, her upturned eyes glinting, her voice so shrill it could pierce eardrums. "It's the ninth today. Last month's rent, seven hundred yuan, shouldn't you give me an explanation? Don't give me that crap about your company not paying your salary yet, my ears are about to grow calluses from hearing it! If you can't pay the rent today, hmph, hmph, I'll have people clear out your place and change the locks this afternoon! Don't come crying to me then, saying I didn't warn you!"
Her voice was sharp and piercing, like a loudspeaker, instantly causing tenants from several neighboring rooms to quietly poke their heads out, ready to watch a free show.
Chu Tianyi's cheeks flushed crimson instantly. Embarrassment, shame, a desire to disappear into the ground—he wished he could find a hole to crawl into. He knew Liu Guifang was genuinely furious this time; it wasn't the usual empty threats where her bark was worse than her bite. If he really couldn't pay the rent today, he would probably end up homeless, becoming one of the countless wandering souls in Star City.
At this moment of extreme embarrassment and desperation, that wild and bold thought in his mind uncontrollably resurfaced like a lifeline—use that mysterious "Heart-Hunting Manual"! Use that forbidden power to see into people's hearts!
Although he knew that every use of that ability would bring him unbearable headaches and immense mental exhaustion, he had no way out now, no other choice! This was his only chance!
Chu Tianyi forced himself to calm down from the shame and despair that almost drowned him. He took a deep breath, then, carefully, extended his weak yet exceptionally focused mental energy, like the finest, most sensitive tendril, slowly and tentatively towards the landlady, Liu Guifang, who was glaring at him, spittle flying.
"Buzz…"
The familiar dizziness, like a surging tide, and the intense headache, like countless steel needles pricking him simultaneously, arrived as expected! But compared to the chaotic and out-of-control sensation in the office yesterday that had nearly overwhelmed his entire consciousness, this time, perhaps because he was somewhat mentally prepared, or perhaps because his mental energy was more concentrated and focused, he felt his control over this "perception" seemed to have improved a tiny bit.
He tried hard to ignore the chaotic, noisy "inner voices" from the other surrounding tenants, filled with schadenfreude or apathy, which were like background noise, and focused all his "perception" on Liu Guifang alone.
Immediately after, an exceptionally clear, exceptionally strong thought, filled with anxiety, worry, helplessness, and a trace of… deeply hidden fatigue and distress, surged into his mind like an unstoppable flood from a broken dam:
"[This damn Little Chu, he doesn't look like he's deliberately trying to avoid paying… But, Little Bao's accursed Math Olympiad tuition fee from last month, one thousand two hundred yuan, if I don't pay it today, the teacher will kick him out of the advanced class! I scraped together everything I had to enroll him in that! And my old man, the hospital bill for his stay last month came again, over three thousand yuan, where am I supposed to get that much money! It's worrying this old woman to death! No, no matter what, I have to get this kid to cough up the rent today, even if… even if he can only give one or two hundred first, at least I can cover Little Bao's tuition fee, otherwise that child will be ridiculed to death at school! If this kid really can't produce a single cent today, then I can only kick him out first and quickly rent this damn place to the next unlucky fool. I can't let this place stay empty and lose money… Sigh, what sins did I, Liu Guifang, commit in my past life to end up with such a troublesome family…]"
These thoughts, like the sharpest willow-leaf daggers, instantly stripped away Liu Guifang's fierce, shrewish, and unsympathetic "tigress" exterior, revealing the truest soul of an ordinary middle-aged woman deep within her heart, equally overwhelmed by life, filled with anxiety, distress, and deep concern for her family!
So that was it! She wasn't just purely mean and greedy; she had her own urgent needs. Her life pressures were even greater than his, a young man on the verge of unemployment! Her seemingly merciless and aggressive demands for rent hid her earnest hopes for her son's academic future and deep worry for her husband's health!
This unexpected discovery shocked Chu Tianyi to the core! He had previously only seen the landlady's daunting, harsh face, but had never imagined that beneath her seemingly tough exterior, she was also bearing such immense life pressure and unspoken hardships!
If he could accurately target this strongest anxiety and most urgent need in her heart, and say something that could truly move her, convince her, then, could he perhaps win a sliver of a chance for survival in this desperate situation?
Chu Tianyi's mind raced like lightning. He only had the forty-odd yuan he had "tricked" back from Liu Guifang yesterday, not even enough for a fraction of the rent. But if he could make her believe him, even if it was only a temporary, false belief, it would be enough to buy him that incredibly precious time to catch his breath and turn things around!
He looked up, meeting Liu Guifang's eyes, which were somewhat reddened from anger and anxiety. The expression on his face instantly became incredibly sincere, incredibly genuine, even carrying a perfectly measured sympathy and understanding stemming from empathy. His tone also became exceptionally earnest as he said, "Sister Liu, I know you must be very tight on money right now, and you're definitely催 (pushing for) the rent because you have some urgent family need, waiting for this money to solve an emergency, right? Especially… especially a child's schooling, that's something that absolutely cannot be delayed!"
Liu Guifang was about to open her mouth to continue berating Chu Tianyi with even harsher words when she was suddenly struck愣 (dumbfounded) by his words, frozen on the spot as if by a spell!
Her small eyes, originally wide with anger, for the first time flashed with incredible shock and… a trace of panic that even she herself could barely detect!
How… how did this kid know? How did he know she was worrying about Little Bao's tuition fee? Could it be… could he tell fortunes?
Chu Tianyi didn't give her much time to think or react. He continued to strike while the iron was hot, his tone filled with understanding and apology, "Sister Liu, how about this? There really was a small problem at my company, and this month's salary might indeed be delayed for a few days. But here… I have a little money here that I just borrowed from a friend for an emergency. I was originally planning to send it back to my aging father in my hometown for his medicine. If you don't mind, please take it first to cover the child's tuition fee, to ease your urgent need. Please don't let this small amount of money delay the child's future!"
Saying this, Chu Tianyi took out the only, wrinkled forty-odd yuan from his pocket, along with a few coins, held them with both hands, and respectfully presented them to Liu Guifang. His face showed a perfectly measured anxiety and guilt for delaying his father's medicine money, as well as a sincerity that conveyed, "Although I am in difficulty, I understand your difficulties even more." "I know, Sister Liu, this amount isn't even a fraction of the rent, but this is all I can scrape together right now. Please rest assured, three days at most, no, I promise, the day after tomorrow! Before five in the afternoon the day after tomorrow, I will definitely pay you the remaining rent, not a cent less! If I still can't pay it by then, you won't even have to ask me to leave; I'll pack my things and get out myself! I, Chu Tianyi, may be poor, but I absolutely keep my word. I can guarantee it with my integrity!"
Liu Guifang was completely stunned by Chu Tianyi's words!
She had prepared a whole basket of even nastier, harsher profanities, ready to curse this unproductive "deadbeat" Chu Tianyi until he was black and blue. She had even made the worst-case plan to have those two burly men rush in that afternoon and throw all of Chu Tianyi's belongings from the seventh floor directly onto the street.
But Chu Tianyi's words were like a magical key, accurately and unerringly fitting into the softest, most vulnerable, and also most anxious lock in her heart!
Especially the phrase "Please don't let this small amount of money delay the child's future," it was like a heavy hammer slamming fiercely on her heart! It reminded her of her precious son, Little Bao, who had excellent grades but might miss the chance to enter a key middle school because he couldn't afford the expensive tuition fees! That was the greatest pride and only hope of her, Liu Guifang, in this life!
She looked at the young man before her—seemingly down-and-out, yet with clear and determined eyes—with suspicion, even a trace of inexplicable awe, scrutinizing him carefully again. Could this kid really see through what others were thinking? Otherwise, how could he speak of her deepest, most urgent anxieties so… accurately, so… empathetically?
But Chu Tianyi's expression at this moment was so sincere, so genuine; his eyes were so clear, so frank, even carrying a deep guilt and self-blame for his inability to completely solve her difficulties.
Aided by Chu Tianyi's mysterious "Heart-Hunting Manual" ability, every micro-expression, every flicker of his eyes, even the tone and speed of his speech at this moment, perfectly conveyed the emotions he wanted to express, the emotions that could move people the most. Liu Guifang's heart, long hardened like granite from years of dealing with all sorts of difficult tenants, involuntarily, miraculously softened a little.
She hesitated for a long time, finally reaching out somewhat unnaturally and taking the few dozen wrinkled bills and cold coins from Chu Tianyi's hand. Her originally ferocious expression, like ice and snow melted by a spring breeze, gradually softened considerably, and her tone, for the first time, carried a trace of imperceptible complexity and… warmth:
"Sigh, Little Chu, it's not that I, Sister Liu, am cruel and ruthless, deliberately pushing you so hard. It's just… it's just that I have my difficulties too. Since you've said all this, I, Sister Liu… I'll trust you this one last time! The day after tomorrow, before five in the afternoon, you must pay me the rest of the rent, okay! Otherwise… hmph, hmph, you know the consequences!"
"Rest assured, Sister Liu! Before five in the afternoon the day after tomorrow, I will definitely deliver the rent to you on time! If I still can't pay it by then, you won't have to say another word; I'll pack my things and get out myself, and I won't cause you any trouble at all!" Chu Tianyi immediately straightened his back and vowed again with determination, while secretly letting out a long, long sigh of relief in his heart.
"Alright then, you… you should also take care of yourself, don't push yourself too hard. Young people have a long road ahead," Liu Guifang said. She seemed to feel that her attitude earlier had been a bit too harsh and unsympathetic. Before leaving, she surprisingly left a sentence tinged with slight concern and encouragement, then turned and went downstairs with those two burly men who hadn't had a chance to "perform," looking somewhat unsatisfied.
Watching landlady Liu Guifang's slightly stooped figure disappear around the bend in the stairs, Chu Tianyi let out a long, long breath of a_n_x_i_o_u_s_ a_i_r that had been pent up in his chest for a long time. His entire body felt as if it had collapsed. No longer able to support himself, his legs gave way, and he leaned directly against the cold doorframe, his back instantly drenched in cold sweat.
He did it!
He had actually… actually resolved this immense crisis that could have left him homeless, in such an unbelievable, almost miraculous way!
But immediately after, that familiar, intense pain—caused by the rapid and severe overdraft of his mental energy in a short period—and that bone-deep exhaustion, which felt like it was tearing his entire soul apart, once again swept over his entire body like the fiercest tide! His face instantly became even paler than before, as if he had just been pulled out of water, and layer after layer of fine cold sweat uncontrollably beaded on his forehead.
He staggered back to the cold single bed and lay down heavily, feeling as if he had just run a life-or-death marathon, without even the strength to lift a finger.
"It seems… this 'Heart-Hunting Manual'… really… really can't be used lightly… Every time… every time is… is risking my life…" Chu Tianyi gasped for breath, muttering hoarsely to himself, his heart filled with the lingering fear of having survived a disaster and a deep awe for this mysterious ability.
However, this small, albeit perilous, success, like a spark buried deep under frozen earth that had accumulated the strength of an entire winter, quietly ignited an extremely faint, yet fiercely tenacious light, like a wildfire ready to spread, in his heart, which had long grown cold, numb, and even somewhat desperate from countless merciless blows from reality!
He had successfully perceived landlady Liu Guifang's truest anxieties and most urgent needs deep within her heart, and had precisely utilized this, at the "cost" of a mere few dozen yuan, to buy himself that incredibly precious two-day buffer, enough for him to make a comeback from a desperate situation!
This irrefutably proved that this mysterious "Heart-Hunting Manual" ability he possessed was truly useful! It could truly help him see through people's hearts, resolve crises, and even… change his destiny!
Although the cost was enormous, although the road ahead was still misty and rugged, at least, from this moment on, he, Chu Tianyi, would no longer be that pitiful wretch and humble ant, helpless and at the mercy of fate!
Two days… He had to find a way to get enough money within these short two days to completely solve the rent problem, to solve the most pressing problem of survival at hand!
The shadow of being ruthlessly fired by Feichi Group, Wang Hai's despicable, nauseating face, and Lin Qiqi's beautiful eyes filled with worry and a trace of… an indescribable sentiment, once again uncontrollably surfaced before his eyes like movie scenes.
Perhaps… this "Heart-Hunting Manual," which had just given him his first taste of success, could not only be used to deal with common city folk like landlady Liu Guifang…
An even bolder, even crazier thought, tinged with infinite longing for the future and a desire for gleeful revenge against those who had once bullied him, began to sprout silently, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, in his brain, which was somewhat fatigued from excessive mental exertion yet unusually excited from his initial success…
The corners of his mouth curled uncontrollably into a faint, yet somewhat sinister and confident smile.
Star City… Feichi Group… Wang Hai… Li Manting… And, Lin Qiqi…
My, Chu Tianyi's… real game, is only just beginning now!