翻云覆雨 turn clouds upside down
Explanation
形容反复无常，玩弄权术，或事情变化迅速。
To describe someone as fickle, manipulative, or a situation with rapid changes.
Origin Story
唐朝诗人李白，一生豪放不羁，他的诗歌充满了浪漫主义色彩。然而，他的仕途却并不顺利，屡遭贬谪。他就像那翻云覆雨的天气，一会儿兴高采烈，一会儿郁郁寡欢。一次，他被贬官至夜郎，途中经过友人家做客。友人见他心情低落，便劝慰他。李白感叹道："人生如戏，世事如棋。我的一生，就像这翻云覆雨的天气，变幻莫测，令人捉摸不透。"
Li Bai, a Tang dynasty poet, lived a flamboyant and unrestrained life, and his poems were full of romanticism. However, his official career was not smooth, and he was often demoted. He was like the unpredictable weather, sometimes elated, sometimes depressed. Once, he was demoted to Yelang, and on the way, he visited a friend's house. Seeing his low spirits, his friend tried to comfort him. Li Bai sighed: "Life is like a play, the world like a chess game. My life is like the unpredictable weather, changing and hard to understand."
Usage
常用来形容人反复无常，或事情变化迅速。
Often used to describe someone as fickle, or a situation with rapid changes.
Examples
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他翻云覆雨，难以捉摸。
tā fān yún fù yǔ, nán yǐ zhuō mō
He is capricious and unpredictable.
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商场竞争激烈，翻云覆雨的变化司空见惯。
shāng chǎng jìng zhēng jī liè, fān yún fù yǔ de biàn huà sī kōng jiàn guàn
In the fierce competition of the business world, constant change and upheaval are commonplace.