The Matchmaker Immortal Wants to Return to the Celestial Court - Chapter 20

Yu Xiuyan planned to stay in Guanxi Town for a few days, and Chen Shaoxuan offered to take her out for a stroll. She happily accepted at first but ultimately found ways to avoid it. Instead, she came up with various excuses to get closer to Yun Jinyao, insisting that he take her around. As a result, the day after the banquet celebrating Renrui’s birthday, both Yun Jinyao and Yu Xiuyan disappeared together, leaving Chen Shaoxuan feeling quite displeased.

“Yao-ge already has Hongxian-jie. Why is he still stealing my girl?”

In the restaurant’s kitchen, Yun Liqing, Qian Hongxian, and Chen Shaoxuan were busy working. Taking advantage of Yun Jinyao’s absence, Chen Shaoxuan grumbled about him in secret.

“Even a blind person can see that that woman likes Yao-ge,” Yun Liqing said, waving a shrimp in front of Chen Shaoxuan’s nose. “Give it up. It’s not like you really like her. You’re just dazzled by her… assets.”

Chen Shaoxuan frowned, snatching the shrimp and rinsing it under the tap. 

“Who said that? I really do like her! Ah, you just don’t understand because you’ve never been in love!”

Yun Liqing shook her head and let out a heavy sigh. “No, it’s you who doesn’t understand. As the saying goes, ‘bystanders see more clearly.’ Hongxian-jie, you’d better keep an eye on Yao-ge. He may like you a lot, but he’s just as weak as Chen Shaoxuan when faced with, well… a certain kind of temptation.”

“Liqing, stop saying nonsense,” Qian Hongxian said flatly while chopping garlic.

“When you get a boyfriend, I’m going to tell him all about your misdeeds,” Chen Shaoxuan huffed. Yun Liqing simply stuck her tongue out at him and continued peeling sweet potato leaves.

That night, Yun Jinyao didn’t come to the restaurant. Qian Hongxian told herself this was a good thing. It meant the two of them were making progress.

After closing up, she quickly tidied up and rushed home on her scooter. Once back at her place, she immediately ran upstairs to check, only to find that Yun Jinyao still hadn’t returned.

After taking a shower, she felt restless at home, so she went out for a walk. She sat on a bench beside the slide in a small nearby park, gazing up at the waning crescent moon.

That man changes his mind so fast. He just said he liked me, and now he’s out on a date with another woman.

The summer nights in Guanxi Town were pleasantly cool. She enjoyed the gentle breeze and continued watching the moon for a while before closing her eyes.

After about ten minutes, just as her mind had finally settled, Yu Xiuyan’s face suddenly appeared in her thoughts, refusing to be dispelled no matter how hard she tried.

She could only blame herself for not having cultivated enough in her past life. Now that she was reincarnated, she was bound by mortal limitations. She was unable to break free from these obstacles, unable to move freely between the celestial realm and earth.

Just as Qian Hongxian was about to give up on meditating and open her eyes, someone suddenly hugged her from behind.

She was startled and thought it was Yun Liqing playing a prank. But when she looked down at the arms wrapped around her, her face flushed.

She started struggling, patting at them as she shouted, “Yun Jinyao, what are you doing? Let go of me!”

“No,” Yun Jinyao murmured, burying his nose against her neck and tightening his embrace.

Qian Hongxian struggled for a while, but it was useless, so she gave up.

Yun Jinyao let out a triumphant chuckle.

“Weren’t you on a date with Yu Xiuyan today? Why are you back?” Qian Hongxian changed the subject.

Hearing this, Yun Jinyao actually let go of her. He stepped over the bench and sat down beside her.

“You’re upset that I went out with another woman?”

She turned away, half avoiding his deep, intense gaze and half pouting in annoyance.

“I just took her around the city and then sent her back to her guesthouse. She planned the whole itinerary herself; I was just a driver and a companion.” Yun Jinyao’s voice was gentle.

“Why didn’t you stay with her then? Liqing says you like girls with… larger chests,” Qian Hongxian shot him a sideways glance.

Yun Jinyao’s lips curled into a smirk.

“I prefer yours. Just the right size.”

Qian Hongxian blushed and jumped to her feet, suddenly recalling that passionate night.

“You pervert! Stay away from me!”

Yun Jinyao laughed happily and quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her back down to sit beside him.

“You might not believe me, but for some reason, whenever Miss Yu asks me to do something, I find it hard to refuse. It’s like I’m under some kind of spell.” Yun Jinyao frowned, troubled.

Qian Hongxian absentmindedly played with her fingers.

“That’s because she’s your destined other half, your true soulmate.”

Yun Jinyao let out a cold laugh.

“Oh? Then why don’t I feel anything for her?”

“You don’t now, but you will eventually. Lin Weiting and his wife started out the same way.”

Yun Jinyao ignored her ‘destined lovers’ theory and instead lifted a plastic bag beside him, offering it to her.

“Want some? I bought ice cream for you.”

Qian Hongxian looked up, her eyes lighting up. She took the strawberry Häagen-Dazs and happily dug in, all her earlier frustration instantly vanishing.

“By the way, how did you know I was here?” she asked curiously, sucking on the wooden spoon.

“I just got back and was planning to buy you something to eat. Then I saw you sitting here alone,” Yun Jinyao replied, his voice filled with concern. “Is something on your mind?”

As if it’s not your fault, Qian Hongxian muttered inwardly.

“No, nothing. I was just practicing meditation.”

“Oh.”

Qian Hongxian turned to see Yun Jinyao silently eating his ice cream, his expression thoughtful.

Suddenly, he spoke. 

“Didn’t you say you wanted to learn archery? You’ve been talking about it for ages, but I haven’t seen you come even once.”

She blinked, momentarily caught off guard. 

“Oh, right! I totally forgot about that!”

There’s no longer a need to learn archery since the original reason for suggesting it was to get closer to Yun Jinyao. Now, not only have they become overly familiar, but his destined partner has also appeared.

“Archery can help improve concentration, which might benefit your meditation practice. Actually, I was secretly observing you just now. Even though you were meditating, your mind seemed heavy with worries, and you looked a bit distracted,” Yun Jinyao said, looking at her.

For some reason, Qian Hongxian found his words reliable. Maybe he really did have a way to help her return to the heavens.

“Alright, I’ll learn archery with you and see if I can overcome this obstacle.”

Yun Jinyao nodded in agreement.

A slight excitement stirred within Qian Hongxian, reminiscent of the days in the heavenly realm when she trained diligently to overcome difficulties. She unconsciously smiled and happily continued eating her ice cream.

“Is the strawberry flavor good?” Yun Jinyao asked with a smile.

“It’s delicious! You should try it too.” She enthusiastically offered him the small cup of ice cream in her hand.

Yun Jinyao’s smile faded, and his expression turned serious. He reached out, wiping a bit of ice cream from the corner of her mouth with his thumb, murmuring, “I’d rather taste it from your lips.”

Qian Hongxian gazed at him, entranced by his deep eyes. Yun Jinyao leaned in closer, about to kiss her.

She closed her eyes, unwilling to avoid him this time.

But just then, the vibration of Yun Jinyao’s phone snapped them back to reality, and they quickly pulled apart. Flustered, Qian Hongxian hurriedly resumed eating her ice cream.

Yun Jinyao sighed, pulled his phone out of his pocket, and glanced at the caller ID but didn’t answer. Curious, Qian Hongxian peeked at his screen, and her mood immediately plummeted.

Yun Jinyao, who rarely gave out his contact information, had exchanged Line details with Yu Xiuyan shortly after meeting her. As someone who understood the workings of fate, Qian Hongxian knew she shouldn’t hold onto unrealistic hopes. Even if Yun Jinyao liked her now, he was ultimately destined to be with Yu Xiuyan. That was the fate tied to the red string.

Qian Hongxian stood up, turning her back to him and pretending to be cheerful. 

“I won’t disturb your call. I’m heading back.”

“Wait!” Yun Jinyao also stood up and grabbed her hand.

His phone stopped vibrating, but after three seconds, it started ringing again—Yu Xiuyan was clearly determined to keep calling until he answered.

“You go to the archery range on Wednesday mornings, right? I’ll come with you this Wednesday. Anyway, thanks for the ice cream. Bye!”

—-

Yun Jinyao worked as an archery instructor at a range in Longtan, Taoyuan. On Wednesday morning, Qian Hongxian kept her promise and got into his car. She acted normal and interacted with him as usual until the car stopped in front of Yu Xiuyan’s guesthouse.

Dressed in sportswear that accentuated her curves, Yu Xiuyan had also doused herself in perfume, filling the car with her scent.

“Jie, I’m so happy to see you!” Yu Xiuyan leaned toward Yun Jinyao in the driver’s seat before cheerfully addressing Qian Hongxian, who sat in the passenger seat. 

“Jinyao told me he’s taking you to the archery range today. That sounds so fun! I’ve always wanted to try archery. You don’t mind if I join, right?”

Qian Hongxian had had enough. She turned to tell Yu Xiuyan that she absolutely minded. She was the one who had made plans with Yun Jinyao first. But the glowing red thread of fate between Yu Xiuyan and Yun Jinyao was so dazzling that she swallowed her words.

Originally, Qian Hongxian thought they would be going to a sports facility to learn archery, but the destination turned out to be a tin-roofed building, surprisingly well-decorated. Behind it lay a vast grassy field, which served as the practice range.

Two students were already training under another instructor when they arrived. Yun Jinyao greeted the staff and then led the two women inside to the practice area, positioning them in front of separate targets. He explained the stance and key techniques before handing each of them a bow, a set of arrows, and protective gear.

“This bow looks different from what I expected, kind of like the ones used in Japanese kyudo,” Yu Xiuyan remarked as she curiously played with the bowstring.

“We use traditional bows here, different from what you’d find at other sports facilities. Modern bows come with a lot of stabilizers and aids to improve accuracy, but traditional bows rely entirely on the archer’s instincts. What you’re holding isn’t a Japanese bow. It’s a Han-style bow, great for beginners,” Yun Jinyao explained. He adjusted his thumb ring, picked up his own bow, drew the string, and took aim at the target.

His eyes sharpened, focused and unwavering, like a hawk locking onto its prey. The arrow shot out with precision, striking dead center.

Qian Hongxian was mesmerized. It was the first time she had seen such a powerful and steady man, something she had never sensed from Siming.

“With Yun Jinyao looking like this, even a celestial goddess would go crazy for him, right? Wouldn’t you agree, jie?”

Qian Hongxian’s heart pounded as she snapped her head toward Yu Xiuyan, who was smiling at her.

“What do you mean by that?” Qian Hongxian asked, her pulse racing.