The Little Painter's Heartfelt Gift: The Ultimate Art of Presenting Borrowed Flowers to the Buddha

Lin Yu opened the gift box.

Inside was a transparent plastic case.

Within it lay a set of card-sized tarot cards.

He lifted the lid, took out the cards, and stared at them one by one in astonishment.

The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor…

The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, Justice…

These were tarot cards!

If they had just been an ordinary deck,

they wouldn’t have shocked Lin Yu to this extent.

The key was—

every single illustration on the cards was hand-drawn and custom-made.

Creating an entire deck like this must have taken an unimaginable amount of time and effort.

A single mistake in coloring could ruin a card, forcing the artist to start over.

The labels confirmed they were indeed tarot cards,

but the designs were entirely Ye Mengfu’s creative reinterpretations—

rabbits, tigers, puppies, calico cats, polar bears…

Nothing like the rigid, traditional imagery of standard tarot decks.

Even a stone-hearted person would feel their concrete pulse quicken upon receiving such a unique gift.

Recalling the daily task related to Chi Qingchi—

[Spiritual Artifact: A matching tarot deck from Room 202.]

—this must be the very deck now in Lin Yu’s hands.

This wasn’t something money could buy.

It was one-of-a-kind in the entire world!

“You… you drew all of these yourself?” Lin Yu asked, disbelief coloring his voice.

Ye Mengfu gave a slight nod, though her heart still fluttered nervously.

From Lin Yu’s expression alone, she couldn’t tell—

did he like it, or not?

She had no experience giving gifts to boys.

After searching online for “Top 10 Best Gifts for Guys,”

she’d settled on the fourth recommendation: a heartfelt, handcrafted present.

When it came to DIY projects,

Ye Mengfu was practically a professional.

And among all her creations, this tarot deck was her proudest—and most time-consuming—work.

Lin Yu took a long moment to process it all before stepping closer to Ye Mengfu. With sincerity, he said:

“Thank you, Xiao Fu.”

“I’ll treasure this gift.”

“To me, it’s truly ‘priceless’—in a way that has nothing to do with money.”

Ye Mengfu pressed her lips together, holding back a little smile of triumph, and nodded again softly.

Success!

Lin Yu genuinely liked her gift.

With this,

perhaps the debt of the “Bunny” sticker had been repaid?

Lin Yu leaned in and asked, “Do you know much about tarot divination?”

Ye Mengfu shook her head. “N-not really…”

Lin Yu: “You just enjoy drawing, right?”

Ye Mengfu nodded. “Mhm, that’s it…”

Lin Yu: “Then this’ll be easy.”

Ye Mengfu: “Huh?”

Lin Yu flipped through the deck and pulled out a single card:

“A tarot deck has 78 cards, divided into the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana.”

“Do you know which one stands out as the most special among them all?”

Ye Mengfu blinked in surprise.

She hadn’t expected Lin Yu to actually know about tarot.

So…

had she accidentally stumbled upon the perfect gift for him?

The thought made her giddy.

Though she didn’t know the answer, she happily shook her head.

Of course she wouldn’t know.

In his past life, Lin Yu could not only discuss tarot—

but also zodiac signs, MBTI, the Five Elements, even shamanic spirits…

He could effortlessly spin convincing nonsense about any of them.

Did he truly understand?

Not really.

But was he clueless?

Enough to dazzle any naive listener.

What people called “high emotional intelligence” or a “charming soul”

often just meant someone’s breadth of knowledge far exceeded theirs—

and that they were willing to spend time listening to trivial chatter,

then casually offer perspectives the other had never considered,

effortlessly shattering their limited imagination.

In this regard,

Lin Yu was a true master.

He turned the selected card toward Ye Mengfu.

Even if she didn’t understand tarot’s meanings or methods,

this deck was her labor of love.

Without reading the label, she recognized the illustration instantly:

“The… Wheel of Fortune?”

Lin Yu closed the distance between them and explained:

“Exactly. The most unique card in the deck—and my personal favorite.”

“The Wheel of Fortune!”

“At its center is a circular wheel. Traditionally, the four corners feature a jackal, sword, lion, and serpent, symbolizing different elements.”

“Your chibi-style versions are adorable too.”

“Did you know? Tarot cards can be interpreted upright or reversed.”

“It represents whether the wheel’s turn brings fortune or misfortune—both are unknown.”

“Just like how people meet—it could be destiny’s sweet… connection, or an inescapable trial.”

“Now, listen carefully…”

“I’ll cherish the rest of the deck, but this one card—I want to give it to you!”

The moment Ye Mengfu heard Lin Yu was giving her something,

her focus sharpened instantly.

She didn’t even pause to consider

that this “gift” was just a small part of what she’d originally given him.

She was too captivated by Lin Yu’s smooth-talking charm,

eager to understand why he’d singled out the Wheel of Fortune for her.

Then—

Lin Yu erased the last trace of space between them.

He stepped right up to her,

pulled open the kangaroo pouch on her sweatshirt,

and gently placed the card inside.

Afterward,

he even gave the pouch two light pats to ensure the card wouldn’t fall out.

Ye Mengfu blushed faintly at the belly pats but didn’t resist.

Because this was…

him giving her a gift!

Lin Yu had already toned down his usual flirtatious self for Ye Mengfu’s innocent sake.

Otherwise,

they’d already be at the “romance? heaven’s will is supreme!” stage.

For now, though,

he kept things earnest and proper,

maintaining his upright college-boy image.

Once the Wheel of Fortune was safely tucked away, Lin Yu tapped the spot where the card lay through the fabric.

His gaze was earnest as he said:

“There. Perfect.”

“From now on, the direction of fate’s gears is yours to decide.”

“Xiao Fu, I hope your future isn’t bound by rules.”

“May you wield those four elements freely—”

“Freedom, romance, serenity, and peace.”