The Matchmaker Immortal Wants to Return to the Celestial Court - Chapter 21

“It’s nothing, just an analogy,” Yu Xiuyan brushed it off, then leaned in and whispered, “Jie, can you help me get together with Jinyao? If you make it happen, just name your price. Don’t hold back.”

Qian Hongxian let out a short laugh.

If she agreed, she could complete her mission before her destined end, earn a large sum of money, donate half to charity, and use the other half to enjoy life, or simply relax until she returned to the Celestial Court. How many people in the world could have such an easy life?

But deep down, a voice told her: This is wrong.

“You just need to spend time with Jinyao. You’ll end up together naturally, you don’t need me to do anything,” she said.

Yu Xiuyan beamed.

“Really?”

Just then, Yun Jinyao walked over. Yu Xiuyan immediately ran up to him, asking him to explain the movements again. Yun Jinyao patiently stood beside her and went over everything once more.

Qian Hongxian took a deep breath to steady herself, then raised her bow and started practicing on her own. Archery seemed simple, but it was much harder in practice. Her wrist was already so sore that it began to tremble, yet she still couldn’t release an arrow properly. At this rate, her hands would give out before she even mastered concentration.

Under Yun Jinyao’s guidance, Yu Xiuyan finally managed to shoot her first arrow. Though it missed the target, she was still thrilled.

“Wow! I did it! Jinyao, you’re such a great teacher!” Yu Xiuyan exclaimed excitedly. She then hooked her arms around his, deliberately pressing herself against him.

Qian Hongxian was relieved that she hadn’t learned how to shoot yet. Otherwise, she might have shot Yu Xiuyan straight in the head.

“Miss Yu…” Yun Jinyao gently pulled his arm free.

“Call me Xiuyan,” she insisted.

Yun Jinyao ignored her request.

“You did well today, but you still need more physical training. For the next half hour, please join the female instructor outside to practice the basic movements, okay?”

“Can’t you teach me instead?” Yu Xiuyan pleaded.

“I’m not good at teaching physical training. That instructor is certified and highly skilled. She’s the best person to guide you.”

“Then… jie, will you come with me?”

Yu Xiuyan’s expression made it obvious. She didn’t want to leave Qian Hongxian alone with Yun Jinyao.

“Hongxian can’t go yet,” Yun Jinyao said firmly, emphasizing her name

“I haven’t finished instructing her.”

Yu Xiuyan narrowed her eyes, first glancing at Qian Hongxian with a blank expression, then suddenly flashing a bright smile.

“I understand. Jie, do your best! Once you’re done, come out and join me.”

At last, they were alone. Qian Hongxian suddenly felt nervous and pretended to focus on her practice, avoiding Yun Jinyao.

“Relax your wrist,” Yun Jinyao murmured, pressing his body lightly against her back as he gently touched her shoulder. A warm, secure sensation spread through her, making her unconsciously loosen up.

“Use your back muscles to draw the bow,” he continued, guiding her left hand to hold the bow properly while adjusting her right-hand position.

Whoosh!

With Yun Jinyao’s guidance, Qian Hongxian’s arrow hit the bullseye.

“Oh!” She covered her mouth in shock.

“I hit it! I really hit it! That was my shot, right?”

She turned around, eyes sparkling with excitement, only to meet Yun Jinyao’s soft, gentle gaze. Her face immediately flushed.

She quickly hid her smile and shifted her eyes back to the target.Don’t forget about the red thread between him and Yu Xiuyan! Qian Hongxian quickly reminded herself.

“Thank you, but I can practice on my own. You should go check on Xiuyan and see how she’s doing,” she said while stepping forward, putting some distance between herself and Yun Jinyao.

Yun Jinyao stepped forward as well, not letting her escape. 

“You look cute when you’re jealous, but can you tell me why you care so much about her? I refuse to accept the idea that she’s my ‘destined other half.’ You should know how I feel about you by now.”

“Who’s jealous?!” Qian Hongxian felt her ears heating up. So much that Yun Jinyao could probably feel it too. 

“You and Xiuyan seem to be getting along just fine. You even gave her your Line contact! I’ve been here for so long, and I only got your Line because Liqing told you to add me when we were helping Yunqi with her wedding photos.”

Yun Jinyao sighed.

“That’s because I’m interested in perfumery and wanted to ask her about related courses. Guanxi Town needs new things to bring it to life.”

Qian Hongxian fell silent, staring at the target. So he exchanged contacts just because he was interested in perfumery? Then why, despite constantly saying he liked her, had he never made a move to add her first?

“If you don’t like it, I’ll block her right now,” Yun Jinyao said, immediately pulling out his phone. Qian Hongxian quickly reached out to cover his screen, trying to stop him.

“Don’t do that!”

“Then, are you at ease now?” Yun Jinyao took her hand and pressed it against his chest.

He wasn’t holding her tightly, but it still took a lot of effort for Qian Hongxian to pull her hand away.

“There’s nothing to feel at ease about. There’s nothing between us,” she muttered, avoiding his gaze.

Suddenly, Yun Jinyao pulled her close and cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. She was startled. The anger in his eyes was mixed with deep hurt.

“Qian Hongxian, when are you going to be honest with yourself? You clearly like me too, so why do you keep pushing me away?”

Qian Hongxian bit her lip.

“Calm down. Someone’s coming in,” she whispered, gently breaking free while glancing toward the entrance.

“You and I are impossible. Stop wasting your energy on me. Xiuyan is the right person for you. She’s young, capable, and if you two get married, she’ll be a great support to you, just like Jinyi is to Yunqi.”

Without giving Yun Jinyao a chance to argue, she quickly made an excuse about going to the bathroom and turned to leave.

Once inside, she locked the door, sat on the toilet lid, and buried her face in her hands, unable to hold back her quiet sobs.

She liked Yun Jinyao.

Really, she liked him so much.

After crying for a while, she grabbed a few tissues to clean her face, then pulled out her phone and made a call.

“Mom, I want to come back.”

The Yun household had never felt this gloomy before.

Ever since Qian Hongxian announced she was returning to Taipei, Yun Jinyao hadn’t come home for days, not even to the restaurant. She assumed he was avoiding her.

She had been the one to reject him and make him angry, yet she couldn’t help but wonder if he had gone to Yu Xiuyan’s place. She subtly asked Lisa about it, but Lisa coldly brushed her off and told her to go talk to Chen Shaoxuan instead.

Though she knew she had brought this upon herself and wasn’t surprised by Lisa’s reaction, she still felt down for quite a while.

In the last two days before leaving for Taipei, she stopped going to Mountain River and Green Fields. Yun Jinyao still didn’t come back. She buried herself in packing. 

After nearly a month in Guanxi Town, she had accumulated more things than she realized, making the task more exhausting than expected.

Once she finished packing, she went to have one last bowl of Ang Gu Mian by herself. The night before leaving, Lisa’s parents stayed home and cooked a big meal for her, chatting with her throughout dinner.

Qian Hongxian took the bus back alone. As the bus pulled away from the station, she glanced melancholically at the abandoned grocery store outside the window.

She had expected to feel excited about completing her mission and returning to Taipei. Lisa and Chen Shaoxuan would see her off, and once back in Taipei, she would stay with Huang Shuzhen until the day of her destined departure arrived.

But Yun Jinyao’s appearance had thrown all her plans into chaos.

Leaving early to return to the Celestial Court no longer meant anything because Yun Jinyao wasn’t there. But staying in the mortal world wouldn’t bring her any closer to him either; it would only make her heartbreak worse.

The air, the streets, the crowds of Taipei all felt so unfamiliar. Yun Jinyao’s Line chat remained silent, with no new messages. Dragging her luggage, she numbly made her way back to her apartment. Before stepping inside, she took a deep breath, forced a smile, and only then did she open the door.

But the moment she saw her mother’s familiar figure, her vision blurred with tears, and she threw herself into her mother’s arms.

“Again? You’re a grown woman, crying like a child. If someone saw this, they’d laugh their heads off,” Huang Shuzhen teased, rubbing her daughter’s cheeks.

“Mom,” Qian Hongxian mumbled through her scrunched-up lips, her words slightly slurred from being pinched.

“Are you okay? You look so pale.” She anxiously took her mother’s hands.

“It’s nothing, just trouble sleeping lately.” Huang Shuzhen hugged her again, patting her back gently. 

“Go wash your face. I’ll make you something delicious.”

“I’ll help you,” Qian Hongxian said with a smile.

When Lin Weiting found out Qian Hongxian had returned to Taipei, he was completely shocked. He yelled at her over the phone for not letting him drive down to pick her up, then quickly said he would bring his whole family over for dinner that night.

Dinner was a grand feast. Lin Weiting’s two kids ran off to play video games in the living room while the four adults ate at the table. Qian Hongxian, as if she hadn’t eaten in days, devoured her food at an alarming pace, leaving everyone speechless.

Lin Weiting’s wife, Lan Xiangrong, worried she might choke and hurriedly poured her a glass of water. Meanwhile, Lin Weiting shook his head and clicked his tongue.

“Did Yun Jinyao dump you? Is that why you’re stress-eating?”

The three women at the table immediately turned to glare at him.

“If you don’t know how to talk, then just don’t. Don’t be a bad influence on Enshuo and Zirui,” Lan Xiangrong scolded, rolling her eyes.

“Lin Weiting, I hope you can never find a parking spot again and always have to park illegally and get fined,” Qian Hongxian shot back, stealing the braised chicken leg from his bowl before he could eat it.