The Matchmaker Immortal Wants to Return to the Celestial Court - Chapter 17

Liao Yunqi glared at Qian Hongxian, who was crouching beside the flowerbed.

Yun Jinyao had gone to a nearby pharmacy, and Yun Jinyi had gone to buy hot drinks. Lisa had accompanied the female makeup artist back to the parking lot to fetch sanitary pads from the car, leaving only Liao Yunqi and Qian Hongxian at the scene.

Liao Yunqi narrowed her eyes, crossed her arms, and spoke in an unkind tone.

“I’m going to the restroom with you later. I need to see for myself if your period has really come.”

Qian Hongxian, who had been hunched over holding her stomach, instantly straightened up.

“Hey! Are you that much of a pervert? You don’t believe me?”

“How long have I known you? You’ve never been this uncomfortable because of your period. The only time you actually looked pale, you still insisted on meeting a client. Convincing you to take a leave was like asking for your life. And now you’re telling me your cramps are so bad you can’t do the wedding shoot, and I have to step in?”

Qian Hongxian shrank back under the scolding, turning her face away, not daring to meet Liao Yunqi’s gaze.

“You’re not me, how would you know how much my stomach hurts? Yunqi, you’re so heartless… Oh, it hurts so much…” She clutched her stomach dramatically.

At that moment, the Yun brothers, Lisa, and the makeup artist all coincidentally returned, rescuing the situation from further awkwardness. Liao Yunqi turned away and walked to the riverside, letting the breeze cool her down, unwilling to look at them.

“I think this is the best solution,” Yun Jinyi suggested. “Yunqi took special leave to come to Hsinchu and can’t stay too long, so we can’t delay the shoot. Why not go with Hongxian’s idea and let Yunqi take her place?”

Liao Yunqi spun around in disbelief, glaring at Yun Jinyi. Could he not tell that Qian Hongxian was faking it?

Yun Jinyao, upon hearing this, began removing his suit jacket.

“Then, you’ll play the groom,” he said, handing the jacket to Yun Jinyi. “I will only shoot with Hongxian.”

Liao Yunqi shot a furious look at Qian Hongxian’s smug, victorious smile.

“Yun Jinyao, if you’re letting Jinyi be the groom, then who’s going to take the photos?” she asked, keeping her tone polite.

“I will.”

“You know photography?” Liao Yunqi glared at him.

“Jinyi once let me take on a project for him,” Yun Jinyao said with a smile.

It was obvious that he and Qian Hongxian had planned this in advance!

On the way back, Liao Yunqi deliberately switched cars with the makeup artist to avoid seeing Qian Hongxian’s infuriatingly smug face.

Not long after Yun Jinyao drove onto the road, Liao Yunqi said, “I’m not in a rush to finish the shoot. I can even wait until after Hongxian returns to Taipei. There’s no need to trouble Jinyi.”

Sitting in the passenger seat, Yun Jinyi turned to her and spoke gently.

“I know what you’re thinking. Don’t worry, I really don’t mind.”

Liao Yunqi raised an eyebrow. Does he really know? Right now, we’re the ones being forced into this situation.

She noticed Yun Jinyao watching her through the rearview mirror.

“Miss Liao has a better figure than Hongxian. You’ll look even better in the photos.”

“Thanks for the compliment,” Liao Yunqi responded coldly.

Yun Jinyi turned back again.

“Jinyao means it sincerely. If he wasn’t into Hongxian now, I’d have to protect you from becoming his next target. No woman has ever escaped his grasp, anyone he sets his sights on eventually ends up in his bed.”

“Yun Jinyi, do you remember that you can’t beat me in a fight?”

When they arrived at the Yun family residence, Liao Yunqi and Yun Jinyi changed outfits. The multiple sets of wedding dresses they had meticulously prepared for Yun Jinyao and Qian Hongxian were now useless. Qian Hongxian was clearly going to fake her illness until the end, forcing Liao Yunqi to complete the outdoor shoot alone.

Liao Yunqi changed into a smooth, deep-red strapless wedding dress of her own design. Afterward, the makeup artist entered her room to do her hair and makeup, and Lisa followed to join in the excitement. Only Qian Hongxian stayed hidden in her own room, still pretending to be sick.

The makeup artist styled her hair into an elegant low bun, while Lisa helped her put on a pair of long earrings designed like tung blossoms. When everything was finished, Liao Yunqi marveled at her own reflection in the mirror.

“I originally planned to leave your hair down like Hongxian’s since you both have such beautiful hair,” the makeup artist explained with a smile behind her. “But Jinyi suggested an updo instead. He said your fair skin and elegant neckline would stand out more this way. Looking at you now, he’s indeed right.”

As the makeup artist turned to pack up her tools, Lisa leaned close to Liao Yunqi and gently touched her earrings.

“I designed these earrings. What do you think? Not bad, right? They match your dress perfectly.”

“You designed them?” Liao Yunqi was slightly surprised. She hadn’t expected someone as carefree as Lisa to have this skill.

Lisa nodded.

“Last year, during the Hakka Tung Blossom Festival, I designed a few jewelry pieces to sell at a stall for some extra cash. Jinyi saw them on Line and really liked them, so he sent me money to buy a pair. But since he was overseas the whole time and couldn’t come pick them up, they’ve been with me until now. He just remembered and asked me to give them to you.”

Liao Yunqi hesitated for a few seconds before finally asking,

“Did he buy them as a gift to his junior?”

Lisa was stunned for a second, then waved her hand and laughed.

“Of course not. I just said, I made these earrings last year, and by then, his junior had already gotten married. Brother Yi likes collecting jewelry—both men’s and women’s—mainly to provide accessories for models during photoshoots.”

Their next stop was the Ma Wu Du Exploration Forest for the photoshoot. Naturally, Qian Hongxian stayed at home under Lisa’s care. As a result, Yun Jinyao called upon Chen Shaoxuan to temporarily act as the photography assistant. Chen Shaoxuan was responsible for driving Liao Yunqi and the female makeup artist, while Yun Jinyao and his team handled the transportation of the equipment.

The Yun brothers arrived at the parking lot ahead of them. When they got out of the car and met up, Liao Yunqi finally saw Yun Jinyi after he had gotten groomed. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his long hair was curled and tied up, making him look more energetic. However, he wasn’t wearing Yun Jinyao’s original suit but another gray one.

Liao Yunqi caught the moment Yun Jinyi was momentarily dazed when he first saw her dressed up, but he quickly recovered and approached her with a smile, removing his jacket and draping it over her shoulders to cover her bare skin.

As they walked along the forest trail to the shoot location, Yun Jinyi considerately held Liao Yunqi’s hand to keep her from tripping over her gown. They eventually stopped at a dense area of trees, where they began setting up the equipment.

Yun Jinyao first took some solo shots of Liao Yunqi before calling Yun Jinyi in.

Following his younger brother’s instructions, Yun Jinyi stepped onto the staircase along the trail. Reluctantly, Liao Yunqi also made her way onto the steps, standing in front of Yun Jinyi, clearly displeased.

“Come on, smile. Don’t be mad. You barely smiled during your solo shots,” Yun Jinyi gently coaxed.

“I can’t smile,” Liao Yunqi bluntly replied.

“The bride and groom, please hold hands,” Yun Jinyao instructed from the side.

Yun Jinyi sighed, then looked at her seriously.

“It’s really a shame if you don’t smile, you’re so beautiful.”

With that, he reached out, took her hands, and suddenly pulled her close.

Caught off balance, Liao Yunqi fell straight into Yun Jinyi’s arms.

“Oh—! Yi-ge sure has a lot of experience!” she heard Chen Shaoxuan tease, while the sound of Yun Jinyao’s camera shutter clicked continuously in rapid succession.

As Yun Jinyi steadied her, he gently cupped her face to position her for the camera, the tung blossom earrings brushing against his fingers.

“Jinyao, make sure to focus properly,” Yun Jinyi murmured, gazing at Liao Yunqi with deep affection while still giving photography instructions.

After that, Yun Jinyao stopped directing them entirely, allowing Yun Jinyi to take full control. Unlike the sweet and warm style of Yun Jinyao and Qian Hongxian, the shots between Yun Jinyi and Liao Yunqi were much more intimate—his gentle kisses on the back of her neck and shoulders, combined with the deep red gown, made Liao Yunqi vividly imagine how wild and passionate their photos would turn out.

She had never expected the usually refined and gentle Yun Jinyi to have such a dominant side.

And yet, she didn’t dislike it. In fact, she found herself completely immersed in it.

After the forest trail, they moved to the “Green Light Elementary School” area for another shoot. Here, Yun Jinyi behaved more conventionally, posing in the usual soft and sweet couple shots. When they finished, the makeup artist suggested wrapping up the shoot at Rainbow Bridge Waterfall.

“Judging by your earlier performance, I don’t think you’ll just be doing some cliché hand-holding shots here, right?” Yun Jinyao remarked while adjusting his camera settings.

Seeing Yun Jinyi’s thoughtful expression, Liao Yunqi couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation.

Once he made up his mind, Yun Jinyi took Liao Yunqi’s hand and led her to the red railing, lifting her off the ground. Since he had already done this earlier, Liao Yunqi wasn’t too surprised and simply wrapped her arms around his neck. He set her on the railing and lifted the hem of her gown slightly, revealing one long, fair leg.

“Jinyao, go down below and shoot from below upward, capturing the waterfall, the bridge, and us in one frame,” Yun Jinyi instructed while keeping his gaze fixed on Liao Yunqi.

Yun Jinyao led Chen Shaoxuan and the makeup artist down the bridge, leaving only the two of them above.

“Hold on tight,” Yun Jinyi whispered, his face inching closer until the tips of their noses touched.

Liao Yunqi didn’t overthink it. She instinctively wrapped one arm around his neck while the other cupped his face, mirroring how he had held her earlier in the shoot.

“Yunqi, be with me,” Yun Jinyi murmured, his voice slightly husky, his eyes filled with emotion. “I don’t want to miss my chance with you.”

After taking so many pictures, Liao Yunqi finally smiled.

Qian Hongxian truly was an excellent matchmaker—practically the reincarnation of the god of love.

She tightened her embrace around Yun Jinyi, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips to his.