The Matchmaker Immortal Wants to Return to the Celestial Court - Chapter 23

“I’m going home.” Qian Hongxian’s internal alarm bells rang loudly.

 

She realized Kevin was not as innocent as he appeared.

 

Kevin was much stronger than she had expected. Because of the alcohol, Qian Hongxian struggled for a long time but still couldn’t break free. Kevin pulled her body tightly against his own, a dangerous smile appearing on his face. 

 

“You look so cute when you’re drunk.”

 

“Let go of me!”

 

Just as Qian Hongxian was about to swing her bag at him, a figure intervened at lightning speed. Kevin’s grip suddenly loosened.

 

Qian Hongxian stared at her rescuer, blinking several times to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.

 

Yun Jinyao had Kevin’s arm—the one that had been holding her—lifted high. His face was expressionless as he glared at Kevin.

 

It was a simple action, yet Kevin’s pained expression made it clear just how strong Yun Jinyao’s grip was.

 

“Let go of me!” Now it was Kevin who was wailing. 

 

He had held Qian Hongxian so tightly, yet now he couldn’t break free from Yun Jinyao.

 

“Oh? So, you feel uncomfortable too, huh?” Kevin let out another yelp of pain. Yun Jinyao seemed to tighten his grip even further, as if he intended to break Kevin’s arm. 

“Then tell me. When my girlfriend told you to let go, why didn’t you listen?”

 

Kevin stopped struggling and stared at Yun Jinyao. 

 

“You’re her boyfriend?”

 

Yun Jinyao reached out with his free hand and pinched Kevin’s ear, making him scream again.

 

“You seem to have a hearing problem. No wonder you ignored my girlfriend when she told you to let go. Let me help clear your ears.”

 

“Stop!” Qian Hongxian rushed forward to separate them, worried that other bar patrons might call the police.

 

Kevin gasped for breath, straightened his clothes, and sized up Yun Jinyao for a moment before smirking. 

 

“I’ll remember you.” 

 

Then he turned to Qian Hongxian and smiled. 

 

“See you next time.”

 

With that, Kevin turned and walked away. Qian Hongxian, still shaken, felt her legs give out, and she collapsed onto the ground.

 

Yun Jinyao crouched down, reaching out to help her up, but she swatted his hand away.

 

“Why are you here?”

 

“I just saved you, and you’re interrogating me instead? I haven’t even asked how you ended up getting involved with that piece of trash,” Yun Jinyao sighed and took a small bottle of hangover cure from his bag, handing it to her. 

 

“Drink this. It’ll help.”

 

Qian Hongxian turned her head away, refusing to take it like a stubborn child.

 

“Aren’t you the one who’s been avoiding me? You even stayed away for several days. You must’ve been with Yu Xiuyan, right?”

 

“Are you mad at me?” Yun Jinyao chuckled.

 

“Miss, do you even have the right to be mad at me? You were the one who rejected me first, remember? Also, those days I didn’t go home, I was staying at Chen Shaoxuan’s place. I already made it clear to Yu Xiuyan that I’m not interested.”

 

Qian Hongxian finally looked at him properly. She was a little surprised. Usually, when two people were bound by a red string of fate, no matter how indifferent they were at first, feelings would develop over time. At the very least, they should have good chemistry. Yet, Yun Jinyao seemed completely unmoved.

 

Or… had she misunderstood him?

 

A sliver of hope flickered in her heart. She grabbed Yun Jinyao’s wrist to check the red string. 

 

“Hmph!” 

 

Sure enough, the other end was still tied to Yu Xiuyan.

 

Just as she was about to fling his hand away like trash, Yun Jinyao caught hers instead, refusing to let go.

 

“I’ll take you home.”

 

“No.”

 

“Still sulking?”

 

“No means no.” 

 

Qian Hongxian stuck out her tongue at him, making a face.

 

Yun Jinyao stared at her for a long moment, speechless.

 

“Oh my god… Do you have any idea how badly I want to sleep with you right now?” 

 

He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. 

 

“Qian Hongxian, from now on, if I’m not around, you’re not allowed to drink with other men.”

 

Without another word, Yun Jinyao scooped up the stubborn Qian Hongxian into a bridal carry and walked off.

 

“You pervert! All you ever think about is sleeping with me! Put me down right now! Aren’t you afraid I’ll scream and someone will call the police?” Qian Hongxian struggled in vain.

 

Yun Jinyao let out a cold laugh. 

 

“We look like a couple. Even if the police came, they wouldn’t want to get involved in a lover’s quarrel.”

But Qian Hongxian didn’t have much time to argue. Yun Jinyao’s car was parked right by the bar, and within a minute, she was stuffed into the passenger seat.

 

“Why are you in Taipei?”

 

As he fastened his seatbelt, Yun Jinyao replied, “I came to find you. Jinyi gave me your office address, so I’ve been waiting nearby since this afternoon.”

 

“You waited that long? Why didn’t you just call me?” Qian Hongxian asked in surprise.

 

Yun Jinyao turned to glare at her. 

 

“You blocked me on Line, didn’t you?”

 

Qian Hongxian suddenly remembered that on the first night she returned to Taipei, she had blocked Yun Jinyao out of anger because he hadn’t contacted her. Feeling a bit guilty, she took out her phone and unblocked him.

 

“I saw you enter the bar and waited outside for you. I didn’t expect you to take so long, and I thought you were drinking a lot. I only turned away for a moment to go to the pharmacy to buy some hangover relief, and by the time I got back, you were already being harassed,” Yun Jinyao explained.

 

Qian Hongxian lowered her head. 

 

“Then why didn’t you come in to find me?”

 

“You blocked me. I figured you were still mad at me, so I was hesitating whether I should go in,” Yun Jinyao sighed. “Tell me your home address.”

 

The car ride was silent. Qian Hongxian kept her face turned toward the window, occasionally stealing glances at Yun Jinyao’s reflection in the glass under the passing streetlights.

 

He had removed all obstacles for her, which made her heart soar with joy. She wanted to say yes and be with him. But if he ultimately fell for Yu Xiuyan, she knew she wouldn’t be able to handle the heartbreak.

 

When they arrived at her apartment, Yun Jinyao insisted on seeing her safely inside. He followed her into the elevator without objection. Once they reached her floor, she unlocked the door. The living room lights were still on, and the TV was playing, but Huang Shuzhen wasn’t there.

 

“Thanks for the ride home. Bye-bye,” Qian Hongxian turned and waved at Yun Jinyao.

 

“At least let me say hello to Auntie, right?”

 

Left with no choice, she let him in.

 

“Mom, I’m home.”

 

The apartment was silent. No response. Qian Hongxian walked around the house, checking every room, but Huang Shuzhen was nowhere to be found.

 

“Where is my mom?”

 

“Maybe she went to the convenience store?” Yun Jinyao looked around the living room.

 

“That’s strange. She never goes out this late at night,” Qian Hongxian said as she reached for her phone to call her mother. But her mother’s phone was still on the sofa. She hadn’t taken it with her. A feeling of unease crept over her.

 

“Let’s wait a bit longer. Maybe she just forgot her phone,” Yun Jinyao reassured her.

 

They waited in the living room for thirty minutes. Qian Hongxian anxiously paced back and forth, biting her thumb. She glanced at the clock and made up her mind.

 

“I’m going out to find her.”

 

“I’m coming with you,” Yun Jinyao said, hurrying after her as she rushed out the door in slippers.

 

She ran to the security desk on the first floor, asking the guard if he had seen her mother.

 

“Oh, aren’t you the girl who was drunk? Sobered up already?” The guard looked her up and down.

 

“What? How do you know I was drinking?”

 

“A young man came looking for your mother. He said you were drunk and passed out in his car, but he didn’t know which floor you lived on, so he asked your mom to come down to get you. I helped him contact her through the intercom. She went outside after that, and I didn’t see her again. Did something happen?”

 

A cold chill ran up Qian Hongxian’s spine. She began trembling. Yun Jinyao steadied her by pulling her close, keeping her from collapsing.

 

“As a security guard, how could you let a stranger contact a resident so easily?” Yun Jinyao barked at him in frustration.

 

“Hey, why are you yelling at me? This is an old building. The intercom is outside, and anyone can use it. It’s not like I have the authority to question the guests of the tenants.”

 

Yun Jinyao ignored him. 

 

“Hongxian, I’ll call the police. You check the security footage with the guard and identify the suspect for them.”

 

Hearing Yun Jinyao say her name gave Qian Hongxian strength. She nodded firmly. The guard grudgingly moved his mouse and began reviewing the surveillance footage. By the time Yun Jinyao finished the call, Qian Hongxian had spotted the suspect.

 

“Any results?” Yun Jinyao leaned over the counter, looking at the screen.

 

“It’s Kevin, the guy I was drinking with earlier,” she said, her voice shaking. “He’s wearing a baseball cap, so his face isn’t visible, but I can tell from his build and clothes that it’s him.”

 

An hour later, two police officers arrived, along with Lin Weiting, Yun Jinyi, and Liao Yunqi.

 

After reviewing the footage, the police questioned Qian Hongxian about her mother’s health, mental state, daily routines, social circle, and any connections to Kevin. Though panicked, she answered everything in detail, with Lin Weiting helping out.

 

Based on what the guard and Qian Hongxian described, it seemed Huang Shuzhen had returned home early and was waiting for her daughter in the living room. After Yun Jinyao’s confrontation with Kevin, Kevin must have developed malicious intent and tricked her mother into coming outside before taking her away.

 

But neither Qian Hongxian nor her mother knew Kevin. How did he know where she lived? Who was he?

 

After gathering statements, the police took a copy of the footage and planned to check nearby street cameras for more clues. They told Qian Hongxian and the others to wait at home for updates.

 

The atmosphere was tense as everyone stayed in the living room. Qian Hongxian couldn’t sit still, pacing non-stop. Liao Yunqi stayed close, occasionally hugging her to calm her down.

 

“I’m such a terrible daughter,” Qian Hongxian finally broke down, burying her face in Liao Yunqi’s shoulder. 

 

“I don’t have much time left with her, and yet I wasted it working overtime and drinking. I should have gone straight home and waited for her. Her health isn’t good… What if something happens to her?”

 

“Hongxian, this isn’t your fault. That lunatic is the one to blame. Don’t beat yourself up,” Yun Jinyi said seriously.

 

“Yeah, Auntie will be fine. Don’t let your mind run wild,” Lin Weiting added.

 

“Sit down and rest for a bit,” Liao Yunqi gently guided her to the couch.

 

Yun Jinyao came out of the kitchen with a mug of warm milk. Liao Yunqi took it and handed it to Qian Hongxian, who finally wiped her tears and took a sip. The warmth soothed her shivering body.

 

Then, the phone rang.

 

Everyone looked up in alarm. Yun Jinyao pulled his phone from his pocket, pressed the speaker button, and answered.

 

“Hello, are you Yun Jinyao?”

 

“This is him. Are you the police?”

 

“Oh, so you’ve already called the cops, huh?” Qian Hongxian and Yun Jinyao exchanged glances, immediately recognizing Kevin’s voice. 

 

“Well, since you were so eager to use force on me, I’d better set the rules straight. Qian Hongxian has to come alone. No cops, no backup, or she’ll never see her mother again.”