Chapter 406: Men Will Only Affect Your Sword-Drawing Speed

Chapter 406: Chapter 406: Men Will Only Affect Your Sword-Drawing Speed

"I’m just telling you what I know."

Arabella Donovan didn’t answer directly, but she believed the two of them already had a good idea of what was going on.

Sure enough, after hearing her words, Third Miss and her husband didn’t press for more details, even though they were deeply shaken.

Whether they would try to investigate the child’s drowning incident from all those years ago after they went back, and whether they would take action to get justice for their child after finding out the results, was a story for another time.

For now, the couple was still reeling from the truth of what had happened back then, and the atmosphere grew a little heavy.

Arabella Donovan coughed twice to break the silence and took the initiative to ask, "Is there anything else you’d like to ask? If not... well, things further in the future are difficult to talk about and have too many variables. How about I read this young lady’s fortune for the coming year?"

"Yes, yes, please do. Just her fortune for this year." Third Miss snapped out of her daze, pulling her daughter’s hand and managing a smile. "Go on, please. We’re listening."

"Judging from your daughter’s birth chart, the Zi Wei star falls in her Career Palace this year. This means she’ll make great strides in both her studies and career, achieving significant progress. However, the Lian Zhen star is afflicted. Her ruling star is in a fallen position, burdened by malefic influences and in opposition to other inauspicious stars. Both Lian Zhen and Tan Lang are considered ’peach blossom stars,’ governing romance. The affliction and opposition are highly unfavorable. To be safe, it would be best for the young lady to worry less about marriage this year."

Arabella Donovan was putting it mildly. The translation was basically: ’Focus on your career and forget about dating for now. Men will only slow the speed at which you draw your sword!’

Hearing this, the hearts of Third Miss and her husband skipped a beat. They exchanged a look, then asked tentatively, "What would happen if she did start dating?"

"Based on her romantic forecast for the year, any potential romance would be a disastrous one. If she insists on dating, best-case scenario, she gets swindled and hurt. Worst-case... her life could be in danger."

The whole family was shocked. "It’s that serious?"

"Furthermore, Lian Zhen should be the ruling star of her Career Palace, but it’s been forced into a secondary position governing romance. This indicates that any relationship she gets into this year will cloud her judgment and hinder her professional advancement, thereby derailing her career. To put it simply, falling in love will cause her emotions to override her reason. Love will ruin her prospects. For someone whose career is about to take off, this would be a fatal blow."

Upon hearing this, the expression on Caspian Rhodes’s younger cousin’s face changed completely. ’What kind of disastrous romance would also affect my career? Forget it, I’m not dating!’

Third Miss and her husband thought the same, though they were less concerned about their daughter’s career and more worried about her life.

Mrs. Rhodes and the others had been listening from the side, and they keenly sensed that something was off about the couple’s reaction.

"Why the long faces? Don’t tell me Josephine already has a boyfriend?"

"No, no, Auntie, you’re overthinking things. I’m still single."

"Then you have someone you’re interested in?"

"Nope!"

The younger cousin’s denial was firm, but the expressions on her parents’ faces were rather telling.

Mrs. Rhodes and the others saw this and immediately understood. The young woman probably didn’t have anyone in mind, but her parents likely had other plans.

And that was indeed the case. Third Miss’s husband was a university professor who supervised several graduate students, one of whom—a second-year student—he held in very high regard.

Their daughter was about to graduate from college this year without ever having had a boyfriend, a fact that made her parents both anxious and worried.

Third Miss, in particular, was constantly worried that as her daughter got older, she wouldn’t meet anyone suitable. She was even more terrified that some scoundrel would trick her daughter behind their backs, so she pestered her husband daily to introduce their daughter to a potential boyfriend.

After being nagged by his wife so much, the professor started to think about it. The student had been under his supervision for a long time; he was diligent, eager to learn, and motivated. He was a promising young man, and the professor knew his background well. If he and his daughter hit it off, wouldn’t that be a good thing?

The couple had already agreed. They were just waiting until after the ancestral veneration ceremony to go home, sound out their daughter’s feelings on the matter, and then arrange a meeting between the two.

Well, now they didn’t have to worry about it. It was a no-go.

The professor, however, felt a sudden jolt of alarm. ’According to what Arabella Donovan just said, the student I was planning to introduce to my daughter is a bonafide dangerous criminal who might not only swindle her out of her money and affections but could even kill her!’

’That’s the complete opposite of the young man I know. Did I completely misjudge him, or...?’

In any case, the professor was now beginning to have serious doubts about the student’s character and personality. While he wouldn’t condemn the young man outright, a seed of suspicion and caution had been planted in his mind.

By then, Third Miss had recovered from her initial shock. She quickly composed herself, took Arabella Donovan’s hand, and said gratefully, "Thank you for telling my husband and me all this. We only came out for the ancestral veneration today, so we didn’t bring anything valuable with us."

As she spoke, Third Miss slid a jadeite bracelet from her own wrist and onto Arabella Donovan’s. "I just bought this a few days ago and have only worn it once or twice. The quality of the jade isn’t top-tier, but it has excellent translucency. If you don’t mind, please accept it as a little gift from me."

Arabella Donovan froze, turning to Hector Donovan and the others with a pleading look. But before they could say anything, Mrs. Rhodes stepped forward and took Arabella’s other hand.

"Since your Miss Rhodes has her heart set on giving it to you, you should accept it. Otherwise, they won’t be able to sleep tonight."

After what happened with First Uncle’s family, Mrs. Rhodes had complete faith in Arabella Donovan’s words. Her family was close with Third Miss’s family, and she had watched their daughter grow up.

For the warning Arabella Donovan had just given them alone, Mrs. Rhodes felt that this bracelet was more than worth it.

Since Mrs. Rhodes had said so, Arabella Donovan accepted the bracelet from Third Miss.

With Third Miss’s family breaking the ice, those with guilty consciences hid even farther away. However, some relatives who were on good terms with Caspian Rhodes’s family couldn’t contain their curiosity and began to approach Arabella Donovan one after another.

After doing a few readings, Arabella Donovan was starting to feel like running away. Caspian Rhodes stepped in at the right moment, blocking the relatives who were still trying to crowd around her and giving her a chance to rest.

Time spent slacking off always flies by. In the blink of an eye, it was past eight o’clock, with only about ten minutes left until the agreed-upon time of nine.

The relatives who had arrived stopped their chitchat and began to move about, double-checking the items needed for the upcoming ceremony.

As guests, Arabella Donovan and her party didn’t need to prepare anything, making them some of the few idle people in the crowd.

Caspian Rhodes, worried Arabella Donovan might get bored while waiting, was about to go over and explain the procedure for the ceremony, as well as tell her who to follow so she wouldn’t get left behind.

Before he could reach her, he saw that iconic cowlick of hers suddenly stick straight up, and her thoughts came through loud and clear.

’Yoo-hoo. That handsome guy over there? Looks like he’s facing some jail time!’