The Matchmaker Immortal Wants to Return to the Celestial Court - Chapter 15

When Yun Liqing saw new guests arriving, she was more excited than usual. She had been like this when Qian Hongxian first came, but today, she seemed even more exhilarated.

Not long after Yun Jinyi and Liao Yunqi left the shop, Yun Liqing leaned over the counter excitedly and said, “Yao-ge, let’s take the day off today! Business hasn’t been great these past few days, and we don’t have any reservations.”

“That’s right, Yao-ge. It’s rare for Yi-ge to be back, and we have so many guests here. How about we have a barbecue tonight?” Chen Shaoxuan suddenly appeared from somewhere, chiming in.

Yun Jinyao was sitting behind the counter, reviewing reports on his laptop. Hearing these two pestering him, he looked up and narrowed his eyes.

“You two think money is too easy to make, huh?”

“No, but we’ve been working so hard. Can’t we take a break once in a while?” Yun Liqing pleaded.

Without looking at her, Yun Jinyao shifted his gaze back to the screen and continued scrolling through the reports. “How many days off have you already taken this month? Why don’t you check the schedule yourself?”

“Yao-ge, Liqing has a point. Even though we’ve had more breaks this month, before Hongxian came, you often didn’t come to the restaurant for days at a time. We never complained and worked hard to keep things running.”

Yun Jinyao’s patience was reaching its limit.

“Chen Shaoxuan, have you forgotten that this restaurant will be fully handed over to you next year?” He shot him a sharp glare, making Chen Shaoxuan stand at attention. 

“You’re feeling resentful because I haven’t been coming in? Look at your first-quarter report—it’s completely useless. You didn’t put in any effort. Didn’t you say you wanted to run a restaurant? What now? Are you backing out? Or do you think you’re already so skilled that you don’t need my guidance anymore?”

Chen Shaoxuan hung his head low, barely daring to breathe. “I… I still want to learn from you, Yao-ge…”

“In that case, how could your cost calculations be so ridiculously wrong? Have you even double-checked all the receipts?”

Suddenly, Yun Liqing left the counter and returned with Qian Hongxian by her side. Speaking in a voice that Yun Jinyao could also hear, she urged Qian Hongxian to convince him.

Yun Jinyao raised an eyebrow at Qian Hongxian, who looked a little flustered.

“Shaoxuan has been working really hard. He’s really putting effort into figuring out how to run the restaurant. It’s not a bad thing to relax once in a while. Besides… I’ve never had a barbecue with you before,” she said coyly. “Jinyao.”

He felt like she had him wrapped around her finger, but at the same time, all his anger dissipated. He stopped scolding Chen Shaoxuan and returned to his reports. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yun Liqing giving Qian Hongxian a thumbs-up.

Meanwhile, Chen Shaoxuan took the opportunity to say, “I’ll go prepare the barbecue ingredients!” before escaping.

That night, the Yun family’s backyard was lively. Yun Liqing’s parents, who were also Yun Jinyao and Yun Jinyi’s uncle and aunt, took a rare break from work to join in. They set up a barbecue grill, tables, and even hung string lights to create a festive atmosphere, making the backyard look like an upscale outdoor banquet.

As usual, Yun Jinyao distanced himself from the crowd, staying in a corner to grill the food. The sizzling meat on the grill filled the air with an irresistible aroma, even drawing in some neighbors who stopped by for a chat, and a few pieces of meat.

Not far away, Liao Yunqi was having a polite conversation with Yun Liqing’s family. Chen Shaoxuan, that shameless guy, kept coming back for more slices of juicy wagyu beef. Yun Jinyi, holding a wine glass, stood by the table chatting and laughing with Qian Hongxian.

Yun Jinyao flipped the meat one by one. As the meat cooked, his irritation grew.

He plated some grilled meat, then walked over to Yun Jinyi and Qian Hongxian without a word. He placed all the meat onto Qian Hongxian’s plate.

“That’s too much!” Qian Hongxian protested.

“Then give me some,” Yun Jinyi said, reaching for his own plate to take some of her extra meat. But Yun Jinyao was faster. He clamped down on Yun Jinyi’s plate with the tongs, stopping him from getting any closer to Qian Hongxian.

“Get your own from the grill,” Yun Jinyao said coldly.

As if helping him out, Qian Hongxian quickly said, “Yeah, yeah! Jinyi, why don’t you grab some for Yunqi? She barely ate anything.”

Yun Jinyi glanced at Qian Hongxian, then at Yun Jinyao, and suddenly burst into laughter.

“Alright, I’ll get my own,” he said, setting down his wine glass. Before leaving, he patted Yun Jinyao’s shoulder.

Yun Jinyao looked down at Qian Hongxian and saw her carefully cutting the meat into smaller pieces with her chopsticks. Then, she picked up a piece and held it up to his mouth.

He raised an eyebrow. “You eat it.”

She always claimed she had someone she liked, so why was she so unguarded around him?

“Don’t be shy. You’ve been busy all day and grilling for everyone. I haven’t even seen you eat properly,” she said gently.

Yun Jinyao gazed at Qian Hongxian’s smile, his eyes softening.

“You’re too short. I can’t reach.”

Qian Hongxian rolled her eyes. “Just bend down, then! Or go get your plate, and I’ll serve you.”

He leaned down. However, instead of eating the meat, he kissed her forehead.

The dim lighting didn’t hide the way Qian Hongxian’s face instantly turned bright red.

“Hey! You again…? Are you a pervert?” Qian Hongxian tried hard to restrain herself from cursing and nervously glanced around. She was lucky. At that moment, Yun Jinyi had joined Liao Yunqi’s group for a chat, and Chen Shaoxuan had already left the backyard, probably sharing meat with the neighbors. No one seemed to be paying attention to the two of them. At least, she hoped so.

“I’m going to be your groom soon. What’s wrong with a groom kissing his bride?” Yun Jinyao said with a faint smile.

“That was just for the photoshoot, helping Yunqi with her wedding pictures! It’s not real!” 

She looked like she wanted to strangle Yun Jinyao. 

“If you keep this up, I’m going back to Taipei and never speaking to you again.”

“But weren’t you the one helping me find a marriage partner? If I don’t get married, you can’t return to the Celestial Court, right?”

Qian Hongxian turned her face away, looking indifferent.

“At this point, I don’t even have the face to see Siming anymore.”

Strangely, when she mentioned this “Siming,” Yun Jinyao didn’t feel any negative emotions. Instead, he found it amusing, even delightful. But whenever Yun Jinyi got too close to her, his internal warning radar inexplicably went off.

“Alright, I won’t do it next time.”

Qian Hongxian immediately turned back to him.

“There’s going to be a next time?!”

Yun Jinyao gazed into her eyes, a joyful smile spreading across his face. He keenly noticed the way her cheeks flushed again because of his smile, which filled his heart with excitement.

He knew he was hopelessly in love with her.

“But why did you agree to Yunqi’s request? I thought you didn’t like being in front of the camera.”

“I don’t, but if it’s with you, then I don’t mind.” He answered without hesitation, then took a moment to enjoy her flustered reaction before changing the subject. “Are you trying to set up Jinyi with your coworker?”

Qian Hongxian’s eyes lit up as she looked at him excitedly. “Yes! How did you know? Can you help me?”

Yun Jinyao glanced thoughtfully at Yun Jinyi’s figure in the distance.

If he successfully paired Yun Jinyi with Liao Yunqi, then he would have to accept Qian Hongxian’s arrangement and go on blind dates. But if he allowed Yun Jinyi to continue spending time with Qian Hongxian, he could become an obstacle between them, a potential threat to his own relationship with her. Weighing the pros and cons, the choice was obvious.

“I’ll do my best.”

Qian Hongxian grinned and held out her palm. Amused, Yun Jinyao set down his tongs and high-fived her, as if sealing some sort of pact.

“Why didn’t your mom come for the barbecue today?” Yun Jinyao suddenly asked.

“She was out shopping all day and said she was tired. Plus, she’s heading back to Taipei tomorrow morning and needs to pack, so I’ll be going over later to help her.”

“I’ll give you a ride,” he offered after a brief hesitation. “Also… you should pay more attention to her health.”

Qian Hongxian nodded. “I know, but thanks for reminding me.”

Still uneasy, Yun Jinyao frowned. “When she returns to Taipei, will anyone be taking care of her?”

“Weiting and Xiangrong will check on her regularly. And even though her health isn’t great, she’s still capable of taking care of herself. Don’t worry.” Qian Hongxian looked at him curiously. “You seem to care a lot about the elderly.”

Yun Jinyao finally set down the barbecue plate and poured two cups of soda. “Our town is full of elderly folks, many of them centenarians. ‘Longevity Village’ isn’t just a nickname, it’s the truth. A lot of these elders have been around since I was a kid, watching me grow up. If I didn’t care about them, that would be wrong.” After handing her a cup, his expression turned serious. “You really need to pay attention. Some elders like to act tough in front of younger people, but they’re actually suffering in silence.”

“I will,” Qian Hongxian responded earnestly.

The day after Liao Yunqi finalized the photoshoot arrangement with Yun Jinyao at the restaurant, Yun Jinyi took her to Hsinchu City to visit a bridal shop owned by an acquaintance. There, they borrowed a few suits in Yun Jinyao’s size. The middle-aged woman who owned the shop was good friends with Yun Jinyi and even recommended a trusted makeup artist to help them.

“But I don’t have extra money to pay a makeup artist,” Liao Yunqi whispered to Yun Jinyi when the shop owner wasn’t paying attention.

“Don’t worry about it. I know the makeup artist well. When Hongxian told me you’d be coming alone, I decided to get some extra help. You just focus on making sure Hongxian looks good in the wedding dress. Leave everything else to us,” Yun Jinyi reassured her in a low voice.

The shop owner, being warm and talkative, was excited to meet another industry professional and eagerly chatted with Liao Yunqi, even giving her a tour of the store. Liao Yunqi happily accepted the opportunity.

“By the way, Jinyi, what about Muyun? Did you two get married yet? It’s been two or three years since you last brought her here!” the shop owner suddenly asked.

Liao Yunqi noticed Yun Jinyi’s expression darken.

“She married someone else and moved abroad,” Yun Jinyi said with a forced smile.

The shop owner was visibly shocked. “What? Wasn’t she your girlfriend? I thought you two were together!”

The shop owner went on and on about how perfect Yun Jinyi and this “Muyun” were for each other, talking about their shared profession as photographers and how well they worked together. Seeing Yun Jinyi’s discomfort, Liao Yunqi quickly used hunger as an excuse to pull him away from the conversation.

“Thanks,” Yun Jinyi sighed in relief as they got into the car.

“For what? I really am hungry. So, what’s good to eat in Hsinchu?”

“Come on, I’ll take you to a place only locals know about. High quality, great value Hsinchu cuisine!” Yun Jinyi beamed as he started the car.