In the next few days, the Xing couple visited more famous restaurants and shopped a lot of unique items. From ancient teas and wares to weapons like katanas and weird-looking art pieces.

As usual, the impulsive buyer Hongqi spent a lot of money on unnecessary stuff. The worried wife can only look at him in disappointment. She asks herself, "Where the h.e.l.l will he put all of those items?"

Their suite back in S city might be big but they bought a lot of stuff and she's not sure where to even display some of them. 

They also bought a lot and lots of clothes. Heck, she might need another walk-in closet for all of the clothes she shopped here in j.a.pan.

She crookedly looks at the small paper bag she's currently holding. The amorous husband got this for her, a very expensive and ancient hair clip in the last shop they went to before heading to their next destination, which is a 200 years old monastery.

Actually, the merchant was not selling this, but out of Hongqi's goodwill, he gave the merchant ten million yuan just for this accessory. 

The hair clip is very pretty and fragile. Though, the aura from the hair clip made her shudder and gave off a mysterious feeling. The old merchant who gave the hair clip said that this accessory came from his old auntie who works in the imperial palace a hundred years ago. 

"I never surrendered this accessory to the government since it holds a special place in my heart. These riches I have right now will not come with me in the afterlife, that's why I hope this favorite accessory of mine can be safe in a new home and help her new wearer," she remembers how that merchant told his interesting story.

Actually, she thought that he's just scamming them to buy that expensive-a.s.s hair clip but he's actually giving it for free. 

"The wearer of this beautiful hair clip is my great grand auntie." the old merchant held onto a family alb.u.m and a separate ancient painting of a woman.

"This was my great-grandaunt and these women are the powerful females of the family. They all look alike and pretty, right?" the merchant happily told his story. 

The couple only nodded to his inquiry. "You see, in our family, women tend to live a short life. My mom died at the age of 92 years old while the other women in the family line die at 40 or 50 years old. Very young and saddening. My mom has this hair clip, and she pa.s.sed it to my daughter. My daughter had her legs amputated at the age of 22 years old due to bone cancer.  Before my mother died, she gave this clip to my daughter. We all thought she's going to die before the age of thirty. Unexpectedly, her health might be deteriorating but her life lasted for another ten years. She eventually died two years ago at the age of 45." The old merchant told and he suddenly stares at Xiulan.

"Young woman, you have unbelievable good energy within you and seems to be the perfect wife. Your husband is very lucky. I rarely meet women like you in my shop, that's why I want to give this hair clip to you. I want you to live longer." the old merchant said.

Xiulan at first didn't want to receive it but since the old merchant insisted, she agreed and Hongqi gave charity money to him. The merchant didn't want to receive the ten million yuan charity but Hongqi threatened him.

In the end, everyone's happy with the result.

Back to the current situation, they are now at the parking lot of the monastery.

Xiulan's energy became somber ever since that night Hongqi mentioned his dear ex-girlfriend while he slept. She can still happily and genuinely smile at him after that but her heart became very distant. 

But seeing him so serious a while ago just for this hair clip made her heart flutter a little. She knows he's trying his best and seems to be very genuine. It's really obvious that the husband has some cliche feelings for her but still, she doesn't want to face it. She's scared.

His sweet nothings and tender actions were like sweet poison for her. She wanted to evade it but she doesn't know how to avoid them without him noticing that she's being distant to him.

"Are you alright?" Hongqi went close to her and worriedly asked. He noticed these past few days that his pretty wife is somewhat aloof and timid. She still jokes around him but her smile is very different.

Xiulan's reverie stop and she charmingly smiled at him to hide her anxiety. "Yes, of course. I'm just thinking about this hair clip."

Hongqi briefly looks at the paper bag and gestured to Xiulan, "It's not bad to believe in such items, right? I want you to live longer so we can have more time to be together. "

Oh, her dear heart. She's utterly confused. This man sure knows how to flirt. 

"Aren't you sweet? Are you telling the truth?" Xiulan dared. Inside her heart, she actually wants to confront him about that woman. She doesn't want to be a nosy wife but she must do something before she gets crazy.

"Why would I lie?" Hongqi frowned at her. 

Xiulan made a sarcastic pout. "Alright. If that's the case, make sure that you are true to your words or else this hair clip's ghost will curse you." she joked and laughed heartily beside him.

She can't do it. She might confront him later after they meet the shaman.

Hongqi snorted at her wicked remarks. 

It's a sunny afternoon and the cloudless sky made everything brighter inside the monastery. 

They visited a lot of temples in Kyoto but they never had a fortune-telling session due to her excitement of venturing all of them. This time, she wanted to do one before they leave the country.

The walls inside the waiting room are colored in deep red with different talismans,  religious scriptures, and a huge divine statue at the very back of the table.

"Who told you about this monastery?" Xiulan whispers next to Hongqi.

Hongqi looks at his wife, "A good business partner of mine told me about this. They said that the high-monk here can predict accurately."

"I didn't know you believe in stuff like this." 

"Not really. Since we are here, why not we try it?" he smiled at her and held her hand tightly. Hongqi is not the type to believe in superst.i.tious stuff but it's not bad to get their fortune-telling either.

The high-monk finally arrived and his benevolent aura made the whole room to have good energy.

"A good friend of mine said that an important figure will come here to visit me today. Nice to meet the Xing couple." the high-monk greeted the couple and made his way to his huge cus.h.i.+on pillow with detailed embroidery on designed on it.

"I am sure that you are not here for wealth-related fortune-telling, no?" the high-monk inquired while he lights a thick red candle.

"Well..." Xiulan is not sure how to answer that since she's don't know either what to ask the monk.

"Yes. We got married a year ago and our traditional wedding happened months ago. I would like to know more about our marriage." Hongqi inquired and he's determined to know more. If they are not compatible, then he will do his best to make them compatible and make this marriage work.

"I see. You seem to be an enthusiastic husband." the high-monk smiled and took a piece of paper. He quickly wrote something on the paper with a brush. "When are your birthdays? Please write them on this paper."

The couple took the paper and brush. They wrote their birth date on it and gave it back to the monk. 

The high-monk read what they wrote and he can't help but mutter a disapproving remark. "Oh! Your zodiac signs are not compatible."

The Xing couple flinched at the same time from the high monk's remarks. 

"Oh boy… here it goes." Xiulan subconsciously thought. She already expects that she's going to hear very saddening stuff from today's agenda.

Hongqi didn't say anything but his adam's apple moved and he looks like he wants to scold the old monk.

"Though your zodiac signs are not compatible, we can do something about that. But first let me burn this." The monk folded the piece of paper and burnt the four sides of the folded paper.

He murmurs inaudibly while he held the paper. Eventually, he blows hard on the paper and all the burnt dust scattered over the table. He opens the paper again and he made another not so good remarks. 

"Ah… This is not good. It seems that you will have a b.u.mpy marriage life. The two of you have incompatible traits and overall personality. But the two of you are soulmates. Even though everything is incompatible, there is something that will bind the two of you together. Whatever happens, problems will be solved as long as the two of you work together on it. The only problem is when one falls out of love, it'll be the end of it."

The monk gave a meaningful look at Hongqi. "Young man, do you love your wife?"

Hongqi, who hasn't even confessed yet, was suddenly asked by this kind of question. 

"This d.a.m.n monk, let me confess first before you ask that." he sweated and he's not sure if he should answer that. What is his wife thinks that he's lying because he never said it to her before!