Zhou Tingting, 24, recently looked up how to read palms online, and concluded that she "has a complicated love-hate relationship with one particular man between the ages of 21 and 25," which Zhou finds "accurate" since she hasn't recovered from her failed first love yet. But she hopes her life won't be as "toilsome" as her palms say.

Wonder what yours say? Palm reading attempts to tell the major fortunes of one's life, and much of the palm-reading theories come from the Chinese classic, I Ching, or The Book of Changes, said Jiang Nanhei, who has practiced feng shui and chirognomy, or the study of the hands, for 21 years.

"As the Chinese saying goes, people's looks come from their hearts. When your heart swells and fortune changes, your palm will reveal this," Jiang explained. "It mainly depends on the shape of the palm lines, how deep they are and whether there are any smaller lines."

Based on tips from Jiang and the Chinese book Chirognomy: The Simpler, the More Practical It'll Be by Li Qin, Metro Beijing presents a few quick tips and guidelines for palm reading. Maybe you won't become a professional fortune­teller by the end of this story, but at least you'll learn enough of the ancient, mysterious Chinese palmistry to use it as a great conversation starter or excuse to hold hands on a first date.

Get to know your palms

Usually, a man reads his left hand and a woman her right. If you look at your palm now, you'll probably see three main lines.

The heaven line, or heart line, which extends from beneath the pinky finger toward the index finger, tells about your childhood, relationships and love life. If this line is clear and roughly straight, you'll have a happy marriage with the spouse you've always wanted. A vague heart line indicates loneliness and unhappy marriages.

The earth line, or life line, which goes around the thumb to the heel of the palm, determines one's longevity and health. Generally, a long, deep, clear, broad life line, without minor lines scattered around it, represents good health and abundant energy. Otherwise, one will be feeble and sick.

The human line, or head line, which lies between the two, tells one's personality and intelligence. A clear, long head line is a sign of fame and fortune. A short one says a person will live a poor, helpless life at the bottom of society. But it's also bad if the line is too long, saying one is self-centered and arrogant. Having two head lines on one palm indicates double personalities - both calm and bold, strong in mind and successful in work.

Besides the main lines, other minor lines may reveal part of your destiny. For example, the vertical lines that cross the heart line are called children lines. A deep, wide children line indicates you'll have a boy; a slender one suggests a daughter.

If the lines form a shape like a closed circle or a square, it's called an island, and it's bad, representing destructive power. If it's on the life line, one will have serious, maybe even life-threatening diseases. If it's on the heart line, you'll fall in love with a wrong person.

In addition to the palm lines, other features tell about one's fortune too. The root of the thumb is called the Venus. A mellow and full one shows a person is healthy and vigorous, and probably has saved up a fortune.

The fourth finger tells about one's creativity and artistic talents. If it's strong and straight, the person is artistic, romantic and fashionable. One that obviously leans towards the middle finger indicates a wayward gambler.

A quick fortune telling

Am I a good lover?

If your heart line is like a chain, going on and off, and you have a soft pair of hands, you are a very emotional and romantic lover. If the line is short and curvy, you are a hothead who can easily attract the opposite sex and have amazing sex life, but your love won't last for long.

People whose three main lines grow independently without crossing each other should get married at a mature age, because they are usually jealous in relationships.

Who will I marry?

A heart line fairly far from the pinky finger stands for early marriage, so you'll probably marry your childhood sweetheart. If you have a mole in your palm, it says your spouse and you will meet on a blind date. If the mole is on your thumb and neighboring area, you are set up by your parents, and by your siblings if it's on the index finger. A parallel minor line next to the heart line says you'll fall in love with a stranger unexpectedly at first sight.

How will my career go?

 The line rising from one's wrist up to the middle finger is called the career line. If it changes directions, you'll change your jobs, and if there's a big gap between the changes, you'll probably have to move to another city for your new job. If the line completely breaks in the middle, things will be out of your control, and maybe you'll have to quit because of bad health, or be laid off.

What diseases can I expect?

A short heart line can be interpreted as chronic diseases, so if yours is short, take your annual health examination seriously. Thin lines crossing the heart line and a waving life line tell you that it's time to check your liver function. A gap in the heart line says diseases in the eyes or the heart.

Am I doomed since I have a cut-through palm?

If you don't have a heart line and the head line traverses the palm, it's called a cut-through palm, which is usually considered a bad sign. A woman with this kind of palm can hardly have a happy romantic relationship. These people are stubborn, but responsible. They don't like others to mess with their business, and won't listen to any advice. Their success will come late and hard, but it'll come eventually.