The Matchmaker Immortal Wants to Return to the Celestial Court - Chapter 26

Because of the evidence proving their manipulation, Yu Xiuyan and Kevin were both imprisoned. While Qian Hongxian was giving her statement, the squad leader took the opportunity to update her and Yun Jinyao on the situation.

“The man confessed that they used to be a couple. Two years ago, when they had just started dating, the woman asked him to secretly investigate Miss Qian’s background. As for the reason, the man didn’t know. He was infatuated with her at the time, so he did whatever she asked without question.”

Qian Hongxian and Yun Jinyao exchanged confused glances.

“Yu Xiuyan knew both me and Jinyao before?”

The squad leader shrugged. 

“The woman herself claims she’s known you two for a long time. When the prosecutors pressed her further, she said she retained memories from her past life. She knew you both even before she was born.”

Qian Hongxian was so startled that she shot up from her seat and grasped the squad leader’s hand.

“Can I meet Yu Xiuyan?”

The squad leader quickly withdrew his hand after glancing at Yun Jinyao’s expression.

“That would be difficult. You’re not her immediate family.”

Qian Hongxian let out a disappointed sigh. The only way to solve this mystery was to find a way back to the Celestial Court.

“Jinyao, do you remember the first time you took me to see the night view? You told me to try drawing power from the full moon on the fifteenth, it might allow me to return to the Celestial Court. Do you remember?” As they walked toward the car after leaving the police station, Qian Hongxian turned to ask Yun Jinyao.

But Yun Jinyao remained silent, simply holding her hand and walking forward.

“Jinyao?” Qian Hongxian called again.

“Why did you touch another man’s hand just now?”

“Huh?” She was caught off guard, momentarily unable to process his words. Seeing that Yun Jinyao wasn’t going to explain, she thought hard for a moment before realizing what he meant. 

“Wait… You’re mad because I touched the squad leader’s hand?”

“I’m your boyfriend now, right?” Yun Jinyao shot her a sharp look.

“I’m sorry… I was just too caught up in my thoughts.” Qian Hongxian lowered her head in apology.

Yun Jinyao stopped walking and turned to face her.

“I made it very clear that I like you, but I’ve never heard you say it back.”

Qian Hongxian froze. She hadn’t said it out loud, but she had kissed him first, hadn’t she?

Seeing the sincerity in Yun Jinyao’s expression, Qian Hongxian’s gaze softened. 

She reached out and gently cupped his cheek.

“I love you, Jinyao,” she said, her voice carrying absolute sincerity.

Yun Jinyao smiled brightly and leaned down to kiss her. Qian Hongxian closed her eyes, stood on tiptoe, and returned his kiss tenderly. When they finally pulled away, Yun Jinyao held her hand tightly and continued walking forward.

“By the way, why do you have Yu Xiuyan’s perfume in your bag?” she asked with a playful smile.

“That’s just one of Yu Xiuyan’s products, not her personal belongings. Besides, it’s men’s perfume.” Yun Jinyao saw right through her thoughts. 

“The only reason I exchanged contact information with her in the first place was to learn more about perfume-making. I came to Taipei not just to see you but also to visit her studio. Guanxi Town is famous for its mesona and tung flowers, so I wanted to see if I could develop a local signature fragrance.”

“Mesona? I’ve never heard of a mesona perfume before. But now that Yu Xiuyan is in prison, I guess you’ll have to give up on that idea.”

“Not necessarily. Jinyi knows other perfumers too.”

Huang Shuzhen had always been lucky, and after a week in the hospital, her health improved enough for her to be discharged and continue recovering at home. On the day she was released, Yun Jinyi and Liao Yunqi decorated Qian Hongxian’s living room to make it feel warm and festive, while Lin Weiting and Yun Jinyao went out to order a lavish dinner to celebrate.

“I am never ordering food with Yun Jinyao again. Never!” Lin Weiting looked completely defeated, emphasizing his words. 

“He’s way too picky. He insisted on inspecting every ingredient, but which normal restaurant would allow that? And if they refused, he just wouldn’t order from them. Then, after finally finding a place that let us check the ingredients, he rejected it over the tiniest flaws. We practically searched the entire city, paid several cancellation fees, and only then managed to get tonight’s dinner.”

“Auntie’s health isn’t great. She can’t eat food that’s too oily or not fresh,” Yun Jinyao said calmly as he set the dishes on the table, completely unfazed by Lin Weiting’s complaints.

Yun Jinyi turned to his girlfriend with a smirk. 

“Yunqi, you always say I’m picky. Now do you see someone worse than me?”

Liao Yunqi nodded exaggeratedly, stroking Yun Jinyi’s cheek as she said sweetly, “Of course, you’re the best.” Then, while Yun Jinyi wasn’t looking, she shot Qian Hongxian a helpless shrug.

Lan Xiangrong arrived with her two sons, bringing a large bouquet of flowers for Huang Shuzhen, making her laugh heartily. Qian Hongxian and Yun Jinyao worked together to finish setting up the dinner table, after which Yun Jinyao carefully helped Huang Shuzhen to her seat at the head of the table.

Ever since that fateful kiss in the elevator, Yun Jinyao had taken the initiative to move into Qian Hongxian’s home, using the excuse of helping take care of Huang Shuzhen. Although they hadn’t officially announced their relationship, everyone seemed to have noticed the shift in their dynamic that day. Before dinner started, Lin Weiting quietly advised Qian Hongxian to find a different boyfriend, while Liao Yunqi slipped into Qian Hongxian’s room and handed her a box of condoms.

“Take them! You’ll need them!”

Qian Hongxian’s face turned bright red as she shoved Liao Yunqi’s hand away. “I don’t need them!”

“Safe sex is important,” Liao Yunqi forcefully shoved the condom into Qian Hongxian’s hand. “Unless you two have an agreement, an unplanned child could bring an early end to your love. I heard from Jinyi that although Yun Jinyao has settled down after meeting you, his past as a flirt is still a fact. Using protection ensures safety, it also prevents you from catching STD.”

“I would never sleep with him!” Qian Hongxian protested, but the memory of that night when they almost did made her feel like a complete hypocrite. Her words lacked conviction.

“Don’t ever say that in front of others,” Liao Yunqi patted her on the shoulder. “Or else, you’ll be considered an endangered species. Yun Jinyao has such a strong sex drive, and now that he’s living at your place, I bet you two will do it within three days. So keep those condoms safe. You might as well slip a few into his wallet, they say it attracts wealth.”

During dinner, everyone chatted happily. After the meal, they enjoyed a homemade cake baked by Lan Xiangrong. Lin Weiting and Yun Jinyi teamed up to play Mario Kart against Lin Enshuo and Lin Zirui, teasing the kids so much that they cried out in frustration. Lan Xiangrong and Liao Yunqi couldn’t stand watching any longer and warned their partners not to go too far.

Meanwhile, Yun Jinyao sat with Huang Shuzhen, chatting with her and sharing health tips. The more she talked with him, the more she treated him like her own son, reminding her daughter not to neglect their guest while he was staying over.

“Mom,” Qian Hongxian seized the opportunity to speak, “once you feel better, I’d like to go back to Guanxi for a while.”

“Why do you still want to go back there?” Liao Yunqi whispered. “You originally went to Guanxi to help Yun Jinyao find a marriage partner, but now you’re dating him, aren’t you?”

Lin Weiting, still holding his Switch controller, turned around and said, “Are you pregnant and planning to move there to get married?”

Lan Xiangrong rolled her eyes and smacked her husband on the head.

“I just have some things to take care of,” Qian Hongxian said apologetically to her mother. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“It won’t take long,” Yun Jinyao added. “A week at most.”

“It’s fine if you go together,” Huang Shuzhen sighed, looking at her daughter and then at Yun Jinyao. 

“Hongxian is already in her thirties. Seeing her find such an excellent partner makes me happy. But if she gets married and moves to Guanxi, I’ll feel lonely.”

Qian Hongxian blushed and lowered her head. 

“Mom, it’s too early to talk about that!”

“Auntie, don’t worry. I plan to move to Taipei in the future to be closer to you all,” Yun Jinyao said.

Hearing this, Yun Jinyi paused his game and turned to his brother in surprise. “I tried convincing you to move to Taipei before, and you refused.”

“But… if you move, what about Shaoxuan and Lisa?” Qian Hongxian asked, concerned.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Chen Shaoxuan is more than capable now. He and Yun Liqing will take good care of the restaurant,” Yun Jinyao reassured her, gently stroking her head.

Qian Hongxian still found it odd, but she didn’t press further.

After everyone left, she went to Yun Jinyao’s guest room. He was sitting on the bed, playing a mobile game. She climbed into bed, slipped under the blanket, and sat beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Jinyao, do you really want to move to Taipei?”

“Why do you ask?” He kept tapping the attack button on his phone.

“You love your hometown. You always think about how to promote its local features, and you take special care of the elderly there. How could you bear to leave?”

Yun Jinyao put down his game and pulled Qian Hongxian into his arms.

“If I had to choose between the two, I’d choose you.”

“But I still feel like—mmph!”

Before she could finish, Yun Jinyao sealed her lips with his, giving her no chance to argue. He gently pushed her down onto the bed, covering her body with his own, but this time, he was even more tender than that night.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Qian Hongxian blushed as she tried to push him away.

Yun Jinyao chuckled. 

“You should’ve thought about that before climbing into my bed.” He leaned in for another kiss.

Qian Hongxian hesitated at first, but under his affectionate advances, she gradually melted. Their kisses deepened, and soon, they were undressing each other.

His lips trailed from her ear down to her neck, shoulders, collarbone, and finally her chest, teasing her with his tongue. Qian Hongxian arched her body, struggling to hold back a sound.

Just when she thought things would go further, Yun Jinyao suddenly stopped. He kissed her forehead and gently stroked her hair. But then she noticed a disappointed look on his face as he turned onto his side and lay next to her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked hesitantly. Did she not do well?

“I just remembered… you once told me that if you slept with a man in the human world, you wouldn’t be able to return to the Celestial Court.” Yun Jinyao turned his back to her. “I’d rather wait until you come back from the Celestial Court. Now, get dressed and go back to your room—I have very little self-control right now.”

Qian Hongxian stared at his back for a while before she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Jinyao, why do you believe me when I talk about the Celestial Court? I’ve told so many people, but no one ever believes me.”

“I don’t know… I just feel deep down that everything you say is true.”

Qian Hongxian smiled warmly. Ignoring his warning, she pressed her bare upper body against his toned back, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face in the nape of his neck. Yun Jinyao froze, completely unable to move.