The Matchmaker Immortal Wants to Return to the Celestial Court - Chapter 9

Qian Hongxian was determined to become good friends with Yun Jinyao and decided to move to Guanxi Town for a while.

She brought her leave application to the general manager’s office. The general manager signed it readily, joking that as long as it wasn’t a resignation letter, it was fine. Moreover, Qian Hongxian promised that even during her leave, her performance wouldn’t decline.

Lisa once again drove north to pick up Qian Hongxian and take her back to Guanxi. This time, she borrowed a car from Yun Jinyao’s cousin, Chen Shaoxuan, who also managed Mountain Stream and Green Field.

At the entrance of her apartment building, Qian Hongxian hugged her mother.

“Make sure to take your medicine on time. I’ve set reminders on your phone,” she murmured into her mother’s shoulder.

“I will, Mom will remember.” Huang Shuzhen gently stroked her daughter’s long hair.

“I know you hate the heat, but you still need to cover yourself with a blanket at night. And don’t skip meals just because you’re home alone—”

“Alright, Hongxian, don’t be so dramatic. I’ve already arranged with Weiting to bring the kids over every evening for dinner. Just go and enjoy your time away,” said Lan Xiangrong, who had come along to help with the luggage and see her off.

“Exactly, Sister Hongxian. You’re only planning to stay for a month. The way you’re acting, it’s like you’re moving overseas for good.” Lisa chimed in, leaning against the car door and scrolling through her phone.

When Qian Hongxian finally pulled away, her face was a mess of tears and snot, leaving a wet patch on Huang Shuzhen’s shoulder. In the end, it was Huang Shuzhen who couldn’t take it anymore and asked Lan Xiangrong and Lisa to practically drag her into the car.

As Lisa drove, the two chatted and laughed, covering everything from music, food, and variety shows to games. Qian Hongxian hadn’t expected that, despite their ten-year age gap, they would get along so well. She was pleasantly surprised. Since their first exchange of Line IDs, they’d been chatting every day.

The car descended off the highway and headed straight into the city. About five minutes later, Lisa turned into a narrow alley, with newly built townhouses lining both sides.

“Both rows of houses belong to our Yun family,” Lisa said, pointing to the buildings through the windshield. “Some are for family, some are rented out. Like Yao-ge’s parents—they’re abroad for business; Yi-ge moved to Taipei, so their house is also up for rent.”

“Wait, but Yun Jinyao is still here, right?” Qian Hongxian asked, curious.

Lisa nodded. “His parents—my uncle and aunt—wanted to rent out their house, so they told Yao-ge to stay with us. He didn’t want to at first, but when my uncle offered to give him two-thirds of the rent, he finally agreed. My parents live on the first floor, I share the second floor with Yao-ge, and the third floor is all yours!”

Lisa parked the white Volvo SUV in the garage. The two carried the luggage inside together.

Qian Hongxian already knew the address. She and Lin Weiting had looked up the street view on Google Maps several times. Now, she was finally stepping into this house.

The interior was as new as the exterior, with even a faint smell of fresh furniture. The space was large, the living room fully equipped with a sofa and TV. The floor was laid with marble tiles, a shoe cabinet sat by the entrance—shoes on the left, indoor slippers on the right.

Lisa handed her a pair of slippers, and once she changed, Lisa eagerly began showing her around the first floor.

“The first floor is a communal area, and you can use anything here freely, including the kitchen at the back. We rarely use the kitchen because Yao-ge and I usually eat at the restaurant, and my parents usually come home late and rarely cook.”

Curious, Qian Hongxian opened the fridge. There were only some vegetables inside, nothing else.

They then worked together to carry the luggage to the third floor. The third floor had a shared space and two rooms. The shared space was unfurnished. Lisa led her into one of the rooms. The room was bright, clean, and all the furniture was brand new, never used before.

Qian Hongxian looked around, very satisfied, and her mind was already buzzing with ideas on how to decorate.

“Come see my room!” Lisa grinned widely.

Following her down to the second floor, Qian Hongxian noticed that the layout was the same as the third floor—a shared area and two rooms.

She immediately recognized which room was Lisa’s. The door was adorned with cute decorations, while Yun Jinyao’s door was plain and clean.

Lisa’s room was a bit messy. She had a lot of stuff, mostly albums and singer merchandise. The walls were nearly covered in posters, leaving hardly any blank space. The bed held a small mountain of clothes, and the quilt was crumpled, lying askew. Qian Hongxian almost couldn’t resist going over to tidy up.

From the doorway, she glanced over at Yun Jinyao’s closed door, lost in thought.

“Yao-ge didn’t come home last night.” Lisa casually slung an arm over Qian Hongxian’s shoulder. “I noticed he left with a bigger bag than usual.”

“Did he go out for work?” Qian Hongxian asked curiously.

Lisa shook her head. “Yao-ge rarely tells us where he’s going. Sometimes he spends the night out with his archery coach or biker friends, but…” She leaned in close to whisper in Qian Hongxian’s ear, “Yesterday morning, I smelled perfume on him—one hundred percent, he was going to spend the night with a woman.”

Qian Hongxian, who had zero dating experience, turned bright red just hearing the word “hook up.”

“Maybe he has a girlfriend and hasn’t told you guys?” If so, that would be perfect—she could complete her mission early.

Lisa shook her head again, this time with a playful rhythm, even raising a finger to match the beat.

“He’s just like you—no dating experience whatsoever. He probably just needed a little… relief, so he went out to find someone for a quick fix.”

“…Young lady, watch your language…” Qian Hongxian pinched Lisa’s cheek.

“So, Hongxian-jie,” Lisa pushed away Qian Hongxian’s hand, both palms now firmly on her shoulders, “getting Yao-ge to fall for you is going to be super, super easy. I can tell you’re exactly his type. Don’t worry, I’ll help you!”

“You’ve got it all wrong! I really am here to ask him to participate in a matchmaking event. Besides, I already like someone else.”

Qian Hongxian was both amused and exasperated.

Lisa’s expression shifted from excitement to disgust.

“Then you’d better forget about that person. My Yao-ge is way more handsome, and his skills are probably great too. You can tell by how often his friends-with-benefits keep asking him out.”

Qian Hongxian had the urge to tape Lisa’s mouth shut.

After a while, Lisa checked her phone and announced that it was time to prepare for the restaurant’s opening. She suggested taking Qian Hongxian straight to her internship. The two girls hopped back into the white Volvo SUV and headed to Mountain Stream and Green Fields.

Excluding Qian Hongxian, the restaurant had only three staff members—Yun Jinyao, Lisa, and Yun Jinyao’s cousin from his mother’s side, Chen Shaoxuan.

Chen Shaoxuan was about the same age as his cousin, Yun Jinyao. Both stood over 180 cm tall, making Qian Hongxian feel a bit of pressure at the back of her neck. However, unlike his cousin’s reserved demeanor, Chen Shaoxuan was a cheerful, straightforward guy. Within an hour of her arrival, he was chopping vegetables while enthusiastically sharing his hiking adventures with her.

“That time, Yi-ge and I joined a group tour to hike the Swiss Alps. Yi-ge kept stopping to take photos, and we ended up straying from the group. We got lost and couldn’t find our way down the mountain. I thought, ‘We’re doomed! We might have to spend the night in the mountains.’ It was even snowing—freezing cold! Luckily, a local hiker showed up, led us to safety, and even took us for some Zürcher Geschnetzeltes! Oh, if I had more time, I’d have stayed to learn their local recipes. Not only was the beef amazing, but their potato rösti was incredible too—I still wonder how they cook it so perfectly.”

Despite his animated storytelling, Chen Shaoxuan’s knife never slowed down, earning Qian Hongxian’s deep admiration.

While Qian Hongxian was outside wiping down tables, Yun Jinyao arrived at the restaurant. She watched as he pulled Lisa upstairs for a private conversation, leaving her feeling a bit uneasy. When Lisa came back down alone, Qian Hongxian quickly followed to find Yun Jinyao.

She put on a cheerful demeanor, hoping he wouldn’t send her away.

“Mr. Yun, please look forward to it—I’ll definitely help you find the perfect match.”

Yun Jinyao remained silent for a while, as if pondering her words, then let out a soft sigh.

“The restaurant work is tough—not as comfortable as sitting in an office. If you don’t understand something, make sure to ask me or Liqing. Don’t hold back if anything’s wrong.”

Great! At least he was willing to let her stay. She hadn’t expected that beneath his cold exterior was a gentle and considerate man who worried about her handling the work. Somehow, this reminded her of Siming.

“Thank you.” Qian Hongxian offered him a genuine smile.

The two of them went downstairs, and Qian Hongxian returned to her station.

For someone like Qian Hongxian, who disliked exercise, restaurant work was truly a test of endurance. Yun Jinyao’s warning was no exaggeration—by the end of the first day, she was nearly out of breath.

Though Guanxi Town didn’t seem heavily populated, as soon as dinner time hit, a surprising crowd appeared, filling the restaurant. Qian Hongxian was drenched in sweat, alternating between clearing tables, serving dishes, and rushing to help at the counter.

While she was on her way to the register to help a customer pay, another table’s guests grabbed her apron and shouted angrily about their delayed order. Thankfully, Lisa arrived just in time to help her out.

But for the sake of her mission—for Siming—she endured it!

Yun Jinyao and Chen Shaoxuan managed all the kitchen work. During a brief moment of rest, Qian Hongxian stole a glance at them through the kitchen window. Both wore headscarves, their movements swift and perfectly coordinated.

After the final cleanup and closing, Qian Hongxian felt as if her limbs were about to fall apart. Chen Shaoxuan hurriedly brought her a glass of water and, out of nowhere, grabbed a promotional flyer to fan her.

“Look at you, you’re so exhausted you can barely keep your eyes open. Go freshen up, and I’ll take you home to rest,” he said, still fanning her.

Yun Jinyao, sitting at another table with Lisa, spoke up:

“You need to finish balancing the accounts before you leave, Chen Shaoxuan. Liqing, you take Miss Qian home.”

“No can do. My scooter’s been parked outside the restaurant for days. I need to ride it back home today,” Lisa replied, sipping a bottle of green tea from the fridge.

“Come on, Yao-ge, you usually let me turn in the accounts the next day. Why so strict today?” Chen Shaoxuan protested, mimicking Lisa’s tone.

Qian Hongxian, almost nodding off while drinking water, was about to say she could wait until everyone finished up. But Lisa interrupted,

“How about this—I’ll stay and help Shaoxuan with the accounts. Yao-ge, you take Hongxian-jie home. Deal?”

“It’s fine, I can wait until you—”

“Deal. Come on, Shaoxuan, I’ve got a show to catch up on. I’ll handle the register, you get the computer ready.” Lisa sprang up, cutting off Qian Hongxian’s weak attempt to refuse.

Chen Shaoxuan shrugged, stood up, and followed Lisa, leaving only Qian Hongxian and Yun Jinyao at the table.

Yun Jinyao stood, walked over, and said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you home.” He turned to Lisa at the register, “Don’t forget to turn off the bathroom lights when you leave.”

“Got it! Hurry up and take Hongxian-jie home—she’s about to pass out!” Lisa replied, one hand flying over the register keys, the other waving them away.

Qian Hongxian saw through Lisa’s intentions but was too tired to protest. Otherwise, she might have stayed to leave with Lisa.

She took off her apron, grabbed her backpack, and followed Yun Jinyao out, climbing into his car.

This was her second time in this car. Unlike before, not only was the driver now the car’s owner, but the interior was also filled with a pleasant, faint scent of perfume. She recalled Lisa’s earlier words, including the suggestive “His skills are probably great,” and couldn’t help but blush. Thankfully, the dim evening light concealed her expression.

The drive down the mountain was quiet. The car’s comfortable air conditioning and soft seats made Qian Hongxian nod off several times. Knowing this was a rare chance to talk to Yun Jinyao, she forced herself to stay awake and started a conversation.

“Mr. Yun, did you always want to open a restaurant?”

“Not really. The restaurant was something my parents started a long time ago. I didn’t know what else to do for work, so I took over.”

“It suits you well! Shaoxuan let me taste your stir-fried intestines with ginger—it was amazing! No wonder Mountain Stream and Green Field is so popular. Was the café on the second floor also opened by your parents?”

“Get some rest. I’ll wake you when we arrive. Don’t push yourself to chat,” Yun Jinyao glanced at her, “We’ll have plenty of time to talk in the future.”

His words warmed her heart. She closed her eyes.

“Thank you. You’re so kind,” she murmured before drifting into a deep sleep.

Yun Jinyao’s lips curled into a gentle smile.