I looked at the glass of water, and for some reason, my eyes welled up with tears. Oh well, I should be content. Although I'm a wild girl, of unknown origin, with no parents, I have a master who loves me and so many senior brothers who care for me. Why should I think so much? Compared to the little maidservants around the young princess, I should be chanting Amitabha Buddha all day long. Thinking this, my mood improved.
"Xiao Mo, Yu Yao is a bit willful, don't be angry."
"Who is Yuyao? The young princess?"
He nodded, and my heart ached again. They even called each other by such affectionate names; they must have been childhood sweethearts, inseparable since they were little.
Yunzhou said in a low voice, "She has known me since we were little."
Sure enough! I buried my head in a bite of steamed bun and said, "Brother, I think she might like you."
Yunzhou's face flushed red. It seemed I had hit the nail on the head.
He pretended to pour tea, turning his face away. I think this was the first time I'd ever seen him blush, and a strange feeling stirred within me.
I hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Brother, I think she's not really suitable for you." When I said this, I lacked confidence, as if I had ulterior motives. In truth, putting aside my romantic notions of Yunzhou, this was genuinely my opinion. I felt that while the young princess was beautiful and noble, she was somewhat vulgar and had a bad temper; she was really not a good match for Yunzhou.
Yunzhou looked at me silently and slowly said, "Is that so?"
Standing firmly on a very objective and impartial standpoint, I nodded solemnly, took another big bite of my steamed bun, and said, "Brother, if you marry her, you will definitely be bullied in the future."
He lowered his head, pursed his lips, and said, "Then who do you think is suitable?" He then raised his eyes and looked at me very seriously, his gaze flashing like a shooting star streaking across the sky, dazzlingly bright. I was stunned; perhaps I was just starving and seeing stars.
I struggled to pull myself out of his gaze, barely managing to suppress my selfish thoughts, and said very seriously, "I'll tell you tonight. Tonight, wait for me on the small bridge next to Penglai Pavilion."
He stared at me blankly, neither saying he would come nor not. His clear eyes were like still water, deep and serene, and in that instant, my heart began to churn, caught in a battle between my own conscience and my inner turmoil.
To give up or not to give up?
I stared at him blankly, unable to pick it up or put it down.
For a moment, it seemed as if time stood still at the instant our eyes met. Alas, a moment is not forever. After that moment, will we turn to dust or become a couple? I knew clearly that it would be the former.
I took a deep breath and hardened my heart: "Are you busy tonight? Are you coming or not?"
His eyes flickered, he muttered a soft "okay," hurriedly stood up, and walked out.
I watched his retreating figure, my mouth feeling dry. I took a bite of a steamed bun and held it in my mouth, but couldn't swallow it for a long time.
Tonight, I will finally fulfill my wish and personally act as his matchmaker.
I chewed on a piece of steamed bun for a long time, but I couldn't even taste it anymore.
Suddenly, there was a soft sound at the door. I thought it was Yunzhou returning. I turned around and saw that the steamed bun had fallen into my throat.
Jiang Chen strolled into the house with his hands behind his back. Seeing the food box on my table, he frowned slightly and said, "You've already eaten?"
I took a sip of water, rinsed the steamed bun down my throat, and nodded, saying, "Yes. Senior Brother Yun brought me food."
He said "Oh," took out a small oilcloth bag from behind his back, and then pulled a fish out of the oil paper. He shook the fish and sighed, "Looks like this fish can be fed to the cat."
Looking at the fish, I stammered shyly, "How about you feed me?"
He looked at me, pursed his lips, and I knew that was his usual expression when he was trying to hold back a laugh, so I was relieved. It seemed that I could have grilled fish today. Just thinking about it made my mouth water and my appetite whetted.
He wrapped the fish in oil paper and said, "Let's go to the back mountain. Don't let anyone see us, or it would be disrespectful to Master Yuanzhao."
"Uh-huh."
I happily followed behind him. When we arrived at a stream in the back of the mountain, he cleaned the fish, then set up firewood and started a fire. He quickly started grilling the fish, showing off his skills.
I stared longingly at the fish and said with a grin, "Didn't you refuse to grill fish for me just now? Why are you willing now?"
He snorted, "I was angry just now, but I'm not angry anymore."
I nodded: "The young princess does have a bad temper, but you are a man, so you should give in to her a little."
He glanced at me, raised an eyebrow, and said, "I'm not angry at her."
"Then who are you angry at?"
"you!"
"Me? Why?"
He hesitated, squinting at me like a hungry cat eyeing a fish. I felt a chill run down my spine; I couldn't understand why he was angry with me.
He smiled and narrowed his eyes: "You seemed rather unhappy when you saw the young princess talking to Yunzhou."
I was startled. Was it really that obvious? I said awkwardly, "I don't think it's appropriate for the young princess to like Senior Brother Yun."
He smiled again: "So who do you think is suitable? You?"
Why do I feel like his smile is a little sinister? Especially the word "you"—it's uttered slowly and deliberately, like a chilling wind emanating from between his teeth.
I cleared my throat and quickly said, "Of course I'm not good enough for him. I think Shui Muyun is very suitable; she's like a fairy."
He gave an "oh," and his smile, as gentle as a spring breeze, softened and deepened: "Actually, Xiao Mo, you are better than anyone else. When I said that a beautiful flower is stuck in cow dung, I didn't mean that Yunzhou was bad. If he is a piece of fine jade, he is a piece of fine jade that has been carved and polished. You are a piece of unpolished jade. His wealthy and powerful family is full of intrigue and backstabbing. If you go there, you will only live an uncomfortable life."
I was immediately moved by his words. I never thought that I was a rough gem in his eyes!
"Jiang Chen, thank you for saying that. You're such a kind person."
He looked at me tenderly, sighed, and said, "Xiao Mo, you are truly the most heartless person."
How am I heartless?
He said, both amused and exasperated, "Why should I be paired with a demon when you introduce fairy-like girls to Yunzhou?"