The Donovans had many children, but Mr. and Mrs. Donovan had always treated them all equally, rarely showing favoritism toward any one of them. That was why Hector Donovan was so shocked after hearing about Ken Young's wife and brother-in-law, and he looked at his old friend with newfound sympathy.
Once she understood the full picture, Arabella Donovan grew troubled again.
'A moment ago, I was thinking he had such sharp judgment, seeing right through that top celebrity's true colors. How can he be so blind when it comes to his own wife and brother-in-law? He's Hector's friend, and he's even looked after him before. Shouldn't I give him a heads-up?'
'But how should I warn him? Do I have to do it like I did with Melanie Yates and fall back on my old trade?'
Hector Donovan's eyes lit up when he heard that. Mrs. Donovan had told them about what happened at the restaurant, so he naturally knew what Arabella Donovan meant by her "old trade."
His gaze swept over Ken Young before finally settling on the enamel mug in his hand. An idea struck him.
"Young, this mug doesn't seem to be the one you usually use."
Ken Young stroked the mug, a look of regret and nostalgia on his face. "I accidentally knocked the old one over a couple of days ago."
People who knew Ken Young knew he was a man of old-fashioned habits. He didn't smoke or drink, and in his decades of acting, he loved to wander around the set with his enamel mug whenever he had downtime.
That previous mug had been with him for a decade or so. You get attached to old things after using them for a long time. Even though he'd bought a similar replacement, he still wasn't quite used to it.
"I don't know if I'm having a run of bad luck lately, but I keep losing things."
The words were spoken casually, but they were heard with intent.
Hector Donovan's eyes glinted as he seamlessly continued the conversation. "I've always heard that when things are out of the ordinary, there's usually something afoot. Losing one or two items is fine, but if you're losing a lot, you should be more careful."
Hiding behind Hector Donovan and wondering how to bring it up, Arabella Donovan nodded in deep agreement.
'Isn't that the truth? Nine times out of ten, all those things you've been losing were taken by your wife and sold off to plug the financial hole her brother keeps digging. Once she's emptied the house and there's nothing left to sell, she'll come after *you*!'
"As it happens, my sister grew up in a Sacred Temple and has studied these matters extensively. How about you let her do a reading for you?"
The moment he said that, many people nearby stopped what they were doing and looked over.
Arabella Donovan was startled as well, not understanding how the topic had suddenly shifted to her.
Ken Young was stunned for a moment, then he laughed again. "Your sister has this kind of skill? In that case, I have to show my support."
It was obvious he didn't believe in the so-called art of divination, or perhaps he simply didn't believe a girl that young could possess such skills.
His compliance was merely a favor to Hector Donovan, helping him humor the kid.
Arabella Donovan feigned composure and nodded. Though her mind was full of questions, she had to admit her brother's stroke of genius had saved her a lot of trouble.
"In that case, could I trouble you to write a character for me, Young?"
"Write a character..." Fortunately, these veteran actors had a habit of carrying a pen and paper to mark up their scripts whenever needed.
Ken Young quickly wrote down the character he wanted analyzed in his notebook: the "sword" character from his name.
Arabella Donovan stared at the character for a good while, her expression growing increasingly serious.
Even though Ken Young didn't believe in this sort of thing, he couldn't help but feel nervous seeing her expression.
"Serena, have you figured something out?"
Arabella Donovan sighed gravely and frowned. "This is a character of harm and ruin."
"A character of harm and ruin? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Simply put, it's a character that suggests one might suffer physical harm and financial loss."
"This..." Ken Young's face fell. No matter how good-tempered a person is, they're not going to be happy hearing they might suffer harm and financial loss—especially when the ominous character is part of their own name.
Arabella Donovan knew her words were hard to hear, but good advice is often bitter. To keep the man before her from meeting the same fate as in the original plot, she gritted her teeth and continued.
"The character for 'sword' is composed of two parts: 'metal' on the left and 'blade' on the right. 'Metal,' of course, represents wealth—gold, silver, your financial fortune. The 'blade' is a sharp weapon. Its hook curves left, toward the 'metal,' symbolizing financial loss."
"Just financial loss?" Hector Donovan frowned. That didn't seem to fully align with what Arabella had said earlier.
"Of course, it's not just about financial loss." Arabella Donovan took the pen from Ken Young's hand and wrote another character in the notebook.
"This is..."
"This character is also 'sword.' It's the same word you wrote, Young, just the traditional version instead of the simplified one. Now, looking at this form, can you see what's different?"
Ken Young carefully compared the two versions of the character, his expression sinking. "The 'metal' on the left... the lower part has become a 'mouth' and a 'person'."
"Exactly. The component that was 'metal' is now revealed to be two 'mouths' and two 'people.' These mouths and people predict that you, Young, are likely to have a verbal conflict with someone over money."
At these words, Ken Young's eyes flew open. He had, in fact, been arguing constantly with his wife about money lately.
It all started when his wife's younger brother got a girlfriend. After dating for just two months, they were already talking about marriage. The total cost would be substantial, and his wife wanted him to use most of his savings to help her brother pay for the wedding.
But Ken Young's daughter was about to start college. She was an excellent student with a passion for fashion design, and Ken Young was planning to send her abroad to study after her college entrance exams.
Over this, the couple had been arguing nonstop.
His wife argued that a girl would get married eventually no matter what, so what was the point of so much schooling? Studying abroad was a pure waste of money. It would be far better to use that money to help her brother get a wife.
Ken Young, however, believed that since this was his only daughter, whom he had doted on and raised like a precious pearl, no expense was too great for her. He wouldn't tolerate anyone else trying to dictate her future or criticize his parenting.
Since it was a private family matter, Ken Young hadn't mentioned it to anyone, not even Hector Donovan.
Now that Arabella Donovan had mentioned it, Ken Young's heart skipped a beat. He tried to reassure himself it was just a coincidence, but he found himself unconsciously stroking the mug in his hand.
Hector Donovan took in Ken Young's reaction and was left in awe of his little sister's talent for cold reading.
If he hadn't been privy to her thoughts, he probably would've been taken in by her act, too.
All joking aside, with a gift like that, it'd be a shame for her not to become a professional fortune-teller.
"And there's more. Since the 'metal' on the left has become a 'person,' the 'blade' on the right is now aimed at that person." Arabella Donovan pointed at the character Ken Young had written. "In the character you wrote, Young, the tail of the 'blade' is long and curves upward. If you look at my version of the character, that 'blade' is now pointing directly at the 'person' on the other side."
"We just established that the 'blade' is a sharp weapon. With its hook pointed toward the 'metal,' it signifies financial loss. Now that the blade is aimed at a 'person'..."
"...what will happen?"
Arabella Donovan's eyes grew cold, her expression so serious that it made one instinctively overlook her youthful features and feel a sense of awe.
"What starts as a monetary dispute can escalate when a sharp weapon enters the argument, leading to drawn blades. This is what's hidden beneath the financial ruin... a deadly threat."
The onlooking crowd: !