So that's what he was upset about!
I laughed out loud: "Jiang Chen, you're too stingy. With your personality, only a shrewish girl can keep you in check."
He handed me the grilled fish, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a wonderful aroma. I happily took it, smiling so broadly I could hardly open my eyes.
I had just taken a small bite when I suddenly heard Jiang Chen ask, "Would you be considered a Yaksha?"
I nearly choked on a fishbone and quickly said, "Of course not, it's someone like the young princess." He was just praising me as a gem, how come he's suddenly trying to categorize me as a demon? It seems his praise is extremely unreliable.
As soon as I finished speaking, a sudden, rather unethical idea popped into my head. The young princess and he seemed quite well-matched. The young princess was fiery and fierce, while he was fearless and unafraid of power or authority. If these two could be together, their lives would be so vibrant and exciting.
A surge of enthusiasm welled up inside me, and I asked excitedly, "Jiang Chen, what do you think of the young princess?"
His face darkened, and he stood up abruptly, chuckling coldly. His eyes, like tiny sacs, darted towards me.
"You really are the most heartless person." He extinguished the firewood with a palm strike and left in a huff.
I stood there, stunned, feeling embarrassed that I had probably come up with another terrible idea. Looking down at the grilled fish in my hand, I suddenly felt really heartless; I really shouldn't have tried to match the princess with him.
I quickly chased after him. He had been driven away by me countless times before, and I had always just watched him leave. This was the first time I had ever chased after him.
"Jiang Chen, I was just talking nonsense."
He didn't stop walking, but he slowed down considerably.
I took a few more steps closer and said, "Jiang Chen, please don't be angry, okay?"
He stopped, put his hands behind his back, looked at the few wispy clouds drifting over the distant mountain peaks, and said leisurely, "I'm going to be driven crazy by you sooner or later."
I tensed up and quickly said, "You mean I should stay away from you from now on?"
He held his forehead, as if his head was splitting with pain, and after a long while he said in a harsh but weak voice, "Xiao Mo, I wish I could eat you up."
I was startled and quickly took a step back. My luck was really bad today; there was a rock right under my heel, and I leaned back and almost fell. I was about to do a somersault to get back on my feet when Jiang Chen reached out and caught me in his arms.
When I looked up, I met his bright eyes, which were gazing at me with deep, tender eyes. The blue clouds, the green springs and the green peaks could not compare to the scenery in his eyes at that moment.
I was stunned for a moment, almost forgetting to break free from his embrace.
He pursed his lips, and I could clearly see his Adam's apple move. Was he swallowing a mouthful of saliva or swallowing a sentence?
He slowly lowered his head, and I suddenly realized I was too close to him, close enough to see myself reflected in his eyes. I quickly stepped back and stammered, "What are you doing?"
He took a deep breath and said, "You have a fishbone stuck in your mouth." His voice was a little hoarse, as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.
I wiped my lips but there was nothing there. Just as I was about to ask him, I saw him leap across the stream and head towards the mountainside villa.
In the afternoon, I went next door again to continue inquiring about Shui Muyun. During our conversation, I learned that Shui Muyun was actually the second young lady of the Jiangnan Water Transport Society. The Jiangnan Water Transport Society was the largest and most powerful organization controlling water transport in Jiangnan, incredibly wealthy. This made her an even more suitable match for Yunzhou. Furthermore, her demeanor and bearing were a hundred times better than that young princess's. I couldn't possibly stand by and watch Yunzhou jump into a fire pit.
I asked her to take a walk with me after dinner, and Shui Muyun readily agreed.
As I left Hehua Academy, I secretly admired myself for being able to act so objectively, fairly, calmly, and detachedly as I connected Yunzhou with the right people.
That evening, after I finished dinner, I went next door, and it was Shui Muyun who opened the door.
Under the lamplight, she wore a pink dress, the thin hem fluttering gently in the evening breeze, like a lotus bud, graceful and charming. I looked at my own loose-fitting robe and sighed softly. Indeed, comparison is necessary. In the Xiaoyao Sect, there were only me and Xiao Hebao. Because there were no beautiful women to compare myself to, I had momentarily lost my senses and wanted to covet Yunzhou. Now, thinking back, I felt truly ashamed.
I asked with a smile, "Sister Muyun, shall we go for a walk in the back garden?"
She smiled sweetly and said, "Okay."
We walked to the Penglai Pavilion in the back garden and sat side by side in the pavilion, chatting happily. Beside me, Shui Muyun, with her radiant smile and graceful figure, carried a faint fragrance. Every gesture she made exuded the elegance of a refined lady, a stark contrast to my own scatterbrained and carefree manner. Only such a gentle and beautiful woman was worthy of Yunzhou. A wild girl like me, of unknown origin, shouldn't even dare to dream of such a thing.
A gentle evening breeze carried the delicate fragrance of flowers. As the moon rose in the east, I felt it was about time, so I led Shui Muyun toward the small stone bridge beside Penglai Pavilion. From afar, I saw a figure standing on the bridge, elegant and graceful under the moonlight, like an immortal.
A pang of sadness struck me; I was incredibly reluctant to let go. If only he loved me, but alas, I wasn't good enough for him. Oh well, I had to let go. Letting him go was letting myself go. I steeled myself and decided to take the plunge.
I whispered to Shui Muyun, "That looks like my senior brother on that little bridge. Let's go over and say hello."
Shui Muyun nodded and followed me onto the small bridge.
I gave Yunzhou a shy smile: "Brother."
He stood there calmly, and my inner strength was too weak to see his gaze clearly. However, given his inner strength, seeing through Qing Shui Mu Yun would be a piece of cake! I was confident in my judgment; the person I chose was exceptionally outstanding. Besides, admiring flowers under the lamplight and beauties under the moon has always been a refined and elegant pursuit. "The moon rises above the willow branches, and lovers meet after dusk"—this was probably the scene before me, and this matchmaker was none other than myself, the unworthy one before me.
I pulled Shui Muyun over and said to Yunzhou, "Brother, this is Miss Shui from the Yuanshan Sect. Her name is Muyun. What a coincidence!"
Shui Muyun asked in a low voice, "Why?"
"Because my senior brother's surname is Yun."
Shui Muyun immediately lowered her head. She was probably blushing with embarrassment. Alas, at this moment I deeply felt the trouble of not having high internal strength. I wanted to see their expressions more clearly, especially Yunzhou's, but unfortunately, the moonlight was too dim for me to see clearly.
Two people stood silently to one side, one with a calm expression, and the other standing silently on the other side with their head down. I stood in the middle, unsure how to start a conversation. This was my first time playing matchmaker, and I had absolutely no experience. Time was short, and my preparation was insufficient. Just as the atmosphere was about to become awkward, I suddenly sneezed.
That sneeze was perfect; it just happened to spark my inspiration. I quickly said, "Miss Water, wait here for me. I'm a little cold; I'll go back and put on an outer garment."
I hurriedly stepped off the small bridge and steeled myself to walk back.
When I reached Penglai Pavilion, I couldn't help but look back. I saw two faint figures standing side by side on the small bridge, their figures hazy and elegant like a painting.
My heart sank suddenly, and a sharp, throbbing pain began to throb within me. Only then did I realize that thinking is one thing, doing is another. To part with something you love—thinking about it and saying it is one thing, but actually cutting it with a knife is a completely different experience. No wonder it's not called "cutting love" or "severing love," but rather "cutting love"—it truly is a slow, agonizing pain, like being cut one slice at a time.
I took a long breath and steeled myself to walk forward. My steps were a little unsteady, and my heart was filled with a vast emptiness, as if a snowfall had just covered the world, obscuring the bustling world and leaving only a clean void.
I wandered aimlessly through the back garden, lost in thought, until I stumbled upon a spot where suddenly the lights in front of me became much brighter.
The little princess's voice came from inside the courtyard: "This godforsaken place. I wouldn't have come here if I hadn't come to see Zizhao. It's no fun at night. It's pitch black everywhere."