A Match Made in Heaven Chapter 9

佳偶天成 (A Match Made in Heaven) by 十四郎

Chapter 9
What They Saw in the Bonded-Soul Looking Gla.s.s

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Image: Tanghulu

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That day, Xin Mei did not end up taking her bath. Lu Qian Qiao locked her inside Gui Hua Pavilion, and the two glared at each other for the rest of the afternoon.

"What do you want?" Xin Mei held up her chin, somewhat listlessly. "Are you going to tie me to yourself until you die?"

Lu Qian Qiao gently smoothed his fingers over a piece of jade that looked to be of very inferior quality. He was silent for a long time when suddenly he said, "Three months left. In these three months, I must ensure the the safety of Huang Ling. When that time comes and if… I am still here, then I will naturally let you go."

Xin Mei was alarmed, "But what if you're not here anymore?"

Was she just going to be tied to the Huang Ling and starved to death?

Lu Qian Qiao did not respond as he continued to stare at the inferior piece of jade in his palm with heavy thoughts on his mind. The light in his eyes dimmed.

Xin Mei suddenly thought back to that day in the restaurant. Fu Jiu Yun had said something or other about how most members of the berserker clan died during a crisis at age 25. She didn't fully understand. Lord Mei Shan called Lu Qian Qiao a berserker, so… did that mean that in three months, he was going to turn 25 and die?

Xin Mei grabbed at her head, racking her brains. "That… that… there is always a way out! Don't worry, you know, every death is different. Some people die really lightly, and some people die really … heavily. Really magnificently. You just need to work hard to become a little heavier…"

Lu Qian Qiao's fingers froze as he lifted his head to look at her. He asked, "…Are you comforting me right now?"

"Yeah!" Wow, he saw through her kind intentions, not bad. "Who knows, maybe on the day of your twenty-fifth birthday, it'll just be like sleeping and nothing more! Don't worry about it!"

What a thing to say.

Lu Qian Qiao stood up to walk over to the window and pushed it open. From the outside, bustling sounds of percussion instruments wafted into the room. A stage was set up on top of the waters of the pond. It looked as if Lord Zhao was premiering his new play this evening. An audience of demons sat in a crowd at the edge of the pond chirping and chattering. Some were cracking melon seeds and some were pointing at the stage. Everyone seemed happy, unaware, and enjoying themselves.

"A puppet show?" Xin Mei hopped over, her eyes glittering in excitement. "I've never seen a puppet show before!"

Lord Zhao's plays are usually very emotional. Even before the performance was halfway through, the audience was already totally in tears.

Tao Guo Guo hid beneath the window of Gui Hua Pavilion, making bets with Si Lan. "Melodramatic Zhao used the same hackneyed plot points this time. The main character died, the parents died, the friends died. I win. So, Si Lan Da Ge (brother)! Pay up!"

With a dark face, Si Lan handed over a string of coins. Lord Zhao had previously patted his chest and swore that this time, the play would be unlike any other that he'd written in the past. Who knew that in the end, he just wrote basically the same thing again. Si Lan was not going to believe in his words next time.

Oh, that's right, this time the puppets in Lord Zhao's play were the twelve puppets that the General made in his spare time. Did the General fly into a rage after watching that terrible play…?

Si Lan stealthily turned his body only to find the General standing at the window, his usually calm frame somewhat paralyzed. Within that paralysis was a hint of vulnerability as he looked down at the bitterly weeping Xin Mei standing beside him.

"Wuuhhuhuuu… that was so sad… and so good…"

Xin Mei pressed a handkerchief into her face. The handkerchief was already soaked through to the point of dripping. Lu Qian Qiao looked around him and hesitated for a while before he handed her his own handkerchief.

"…Was it really that good?" He asked, unconvinced.

She took the handkerchief and blew her nose. "It was just amazing! I've never seen such a moving, beautiful piece! And the puppets! They were so wonderful, they looked alive."

The General was the one who made the twelve puppets, you know… you have pretty good taste.

"Is that right," Lu Qian Qiao's expression seemed to soften as he said, "There's another puppet show tomorrow evening. And there will be the same puppets."

Si Lan woodenly shrank back. He slapped himself in the face with all his might. He was hallucinating just now, right? Yeah, for sure, that was a hallucination, a hallucination…

After crying, Xin Mei's eyes were red as a rabbit's. She eagerly looked at Lu Qian Qiao. "Could I ask Lord Zhao for an autograph? And also the person who made the puppets!"

Lu Qian Qiao thought that her rabbit eyes had never looked so adorable and dear as they did at that moment. He quietly coughed, unable to help from lengthening the leash on the Demon Binding Rope by several feet. He led her outside to look for Lord Zhao to ask for his autograph.

Beneath the window, Tao Guo Guo flew into a rage, "This evil woman! She was trying to seduce Qian Qiao Da Ge! Si Lan Da Ge, why don't you kick her out of here?"

Si Lan could only stay silent. He was still speechless from his confusion.

Lord Zhao was giving instructions to the little demons with regards to the straightening up of the stage and cleaning up of the props. He was completely sweaty, and a rat's tail poked out from beneath his robes to ventilate. The Huang Ling was filled with countless treasures, and the stage props that Lord Zhao used in his plays were all actual and authentic items. If anyone carelessly broke anything, the General would probably pull out his tail to stuff up his nose.

"Be careful! That Bonded-Soul Looking Gla.s.s is very fragile!"

Because he saw the little demon who was carrying the gla.s.s stumble from its weight, Lord Zhao couldn't help but desperately cry out. Startled by the loud command, the little demon jumped, and the Bonded-Soul Looking Gla.s.s fell to the ground and rolled and rolled until it hit Xin Mei's feet. The mirror's impact on her foot was immense, and it hurt like no other.

"…Looking Gla.s.s?"

Xin Mei bent over to pick up the mirror that had the circ.u.mference of about a foot. For a mirror, its surface was really coa.r.s.e and dark. When you looked into it, you couldn't even make out your own silhouette.

"Did it break from the fall?" She turned it over to hand to Lu Qian Qiao.

Before he could receive it, a white light abruptly flashed from within the faint darkness of the mirror, suddenly turning into little dots of lights like fireflies that shot out of the mirror and dispersed in all directions. At this moment, the coa.r.s.e and dark mirror surface suddenly became as dark as midnight as it reflected a pair of lovers looking each other with deep emotion.

The little fairy lights glistened above the heads of the two people, lighting them up as brilliantly as a reflection in a pool of water… the scene was deeply moving.

Except… except, the two lovers looked like her and Lu Qian Qiao!

Xin Mei stared blankly.

Lord Zhao roared, "The Bonded-Soul Looking Gla.s.s! The Bonded-Soul Looking Gla.s.s! After all these years, it finally shows a sign! Our heavens! The General's soul mate is this young lady in front of us!"

The crowd of demons broke into a buzz of noise, and unable to take it anymore, Si Lan fainted from the shock.

The two embracing figures in the mirror faded away quickly after that, and still holding onto the mirror, Xin Mei wondered if she should look into it again. Lord Zhao had long taken ahold of her sleeve with tear-filled eyes, incessantly shaking her, "Young miss, you have to take good care of our General…"

Dropping the Bonded-Soul Looking Gla.s.s onto Lord Zhao's face, Lu Qian Qiao hauled a baffled Xin Mei as he turned around and left.

"What happened?" She asked very carefully.

Expressionless, he said, "It's time for bed."

It appeared that he was in a c.r.a.ppy mood again… Xin Mei clamped her mouth shut and very tactfully did not speak again.

Lu Qian Qiao's mood did not seem to improve since that evening. In the past, at least he would still say some things to her. Now, he treated her basically like air. He always had people visit him Gui Hua Pavilion, and they were always talking about something secretive. He left her tied to the tree outside during these times.

The sun was really good today, and Xin Mei sunbathed in the courtyard. Bored, she picked up some pebbles and threw it at the closed windows of the Gui Hua Pavilion to amuse herself.

Suddenly, someone opened the window. From afar and from a greater height, Lu Qian Qiao silently endured as he… looked in her direction.

Xin Mei waved at him energetically. "Are you guys done talking?"

She wanted to eat something and drink something and go to the bathroom and take a bath…

"…Be quiet." He closed the window.

Xin Mei threw another rock, and it hit the window with a "dat!" No sound came from within.

"Hoho, is Lu Da Ge angry at Miss Xin Mei at the moment?"

A light laugh came from behind Xin Mei. She turned around to see a beautiful young woman dressed in a pink gown, m.u.f.fling the laughter at her lips as she looked at her.

"Fastened to a tree like that… just like a dog."

She smiled so prettily.

Xin Mei racked her brains for quite a while and then finally remembered the young lady's name. "Hong Lian Jie Jie (sister), when you stand beneath the tree dressed like that you look so much like my sister-in-law. You feel like family…"

"It's Ying Lian!"

Ying Lian breathed deeply, gnas.h.i.+ng her teeth as she tried to maintain her smile. She touched her face. She… was still young, right? How could she look like a sister-in-law?

It could also be that the little girl in front of her was just too fresh and tender. With her snowy and soft cheeks and her pure and pretty appearance, Xin Mei carried the innocent loveliness of an ordinary young girl. No matter what, female demons would never be able to look that virtuous. Ying Lian couldn't help but feel dejected.

Besides, even the Bonded-Soul Looking Gla.s.s showed the image of her with Lu Qian Qiao…

Ying Lian sighed, feeling envy, anger, and a bit of pity.

"I feel sorry to see you tied up like that. Do you want to leave?" she asked while smiling.

Yes! Xin Mei nodded enthusiastically.

"Then, Jie Jie (sister) will secretly let you go… how do you think about that?"

Great! Xin Mei was moved to the point of tears.

Ying Lian lowered her sleeves to the tree trunk, raising her eyes to smile at Xin Mei. In her smile, she looked pleased with herself, and there was even a hint of joy at the idea of someone else's misfortune…

"I'm going to transfigure some holographic red lotuses for you. Just keep following the path they make. A friend of mine, the bear demon, lives in the west of Huang Ling. You'll stay with him for the time being. After everything has blown over, Jie Jie will secretly send you out."

Xin Mei hold onto a lotus petal in her hand. After walking for a long distance, she looked behind her. The kind-hearted Ying Lian Jie Jie was still standing in the same spot, seeing her off. She waved at her in goodbye.

The truth was, in the west of Huang ling, there lived an infamous bear demon. All female demons, between the ages of one to one hundred, only needed to hear his name before they turned pale with fright.

…Of course, Xin Mei knew nothing of this. She was currently squatted to the side of the road, plucking the petals off of a wildflower…

"Go back… don't go back… go back… don't go back…"

After the last petal, the answer that the heavens gave her was: Don't go back.

Xin Mei rubbed her eyes, got up, and continued walking.

Qiu Yue, I'm sorry, I am a really bad owner… you have to hang in there. Before I rescue you, please don't become smoked pelican jerky!

Xin Mei was very depressed at the moment, and she wiped away tears as she walked along the path indicated by the holographic red lotus flowers.

In front of her suddenly appeared a tall, fat man dressed in black. Riding on a mount of mist, he flew above her, brus.h.i.+ng by. When he lowered his head, he caught sight of her, and he suddenly stopped.

"Young miss, are you lost?" asked the tall and fat uncle. The strange uncle smiled kindly.

Xin Mei didn't even raise her head, "Get the h.e.l.l out of my way! I'm in a c.r.a.ppy mood!"

"How scary!" The strange uncle was taken aback, but then he continued to smile benevolently, "Shu Shu (Uncle) likes bold and daring young ladies. Do you want to go to Shu Shu's house to play? I'll treat you to tanghulu (candied fruits)."

Xin Mei lifted her head with teary eyes. "Really?"

The strange uncle nodded vigorously, "Really, really."

"… I want to eat barbecue. And rice noodles."

"I have all of those things!" Filled with joy, the strange uncle led the young lady towards his house by her arm…

…It's said that the bear demon liked pretty women the most, and he often used the low-handed technique of luring innocent young girls with delicacies such as tanghulu.

By now, that girl has probably been abducted, huh.

In one fell swoop, Ying Lian took care of both her love rival and a loathsome suitor. She felt lightened all over, and she hummed a little tune, preparing herself for a nap by the pond. Without warning, Tang Guo Guo suddenly jumped down in front of her from the branches of the tree, frowning at her.

"Ying Lian Jie, how could you just let that human go to the bear demon? She's going to lose her life."

He had eavesdropped for a long time, and he extremely disapproved of Ying Lian's actions. That bear demon was perverted and boorish, with strength big enough to frighten one to death. He insisted on dressing up as if he was elegant and literary, but all the female demons near Huang Ling would flee from the sight of him. Ying Lian went as far as to actually lead Xin Mei directly to him.

Ying Lian was not alarmed, and she only smiled, "Have you forgotten that she knocked you out?"

Tang Guo Guo blushed, "That's a separate issue. When she hit me, I … I was also in the wrong. I wanted to steal her soul to increase my powers. However, sending her over to the bear demon is not right. That's setting her up!"

Ying Lian smiled as if she didn't mind, "If she is tricked, then it can only be said that she was tricked because she was way too stupid. She actually made the Bonded-Soul Looking Gla.s.s… what a joke. As if I plan to lose to her…"

"Ying Lian Jie!" Tang Guo Guo was anxious.

Ying Lian patted his still-childish cheeks, and then she jumped into the pond, turning into a blooming red lotus flower.

"Guo Guo is still a young child. When a woman meets a love rival, all malicious tricks are fair game. When you grow up, you should stay away from women… just live the rest of your life in peace with your little brother."

Aiya, it's time to sleep, sleep, sleep… the feeling of a huge weight lifting from one's heart is amazing.

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