“Elder, why are you so worked up?”
“I… I… It’s hot. I have a tendency to get excited. I’ll stand up and do a few stretches.”
Unable to fathom what I meant by “hot” in the middle of winter, Yu Feiyuan tried to feel the temperature with her sixth sense or something then remarked, “I did not know this is considered hot.”
My hand holding a plate of tofu pudding trembled.
Lass Yu has been searching for me for the last few days, and she got engaged yesterday? I don’t see a connection. Either way, that’s just impulsive! Could he be some young hero Matriarch Zi chose? Nah, that’s ridiculous. If not even I knew who’d come to Huzhou, there’s no way she would. Besides, knowing how much she cares about Lass Yu, there’s no way she’d impulsively throw her precious disciple into the arms of someone she’s never bet. Maybe Huofeng hooked them up? If Matriarch Zi isn’t around, Huofeng is pretty much her replacement.
Wait, why am I fretting when I should be congratulating her? I’ve held her up for fourteen years, and she’s finally found her light. Then again, I’m her ex- fiancé, ex-husband, so shouldn’t I look out for her?
“Um, Miss, m-may I meet him?”
Yu Feiyuan had a small serve of tofu pudding and approved with her head gesture: “I have not seen him yet, though. They told me has left. You may have to wait for a while, Elder.”
Who the heck is this guy? He sounds like a big deal. Wait… Was Huofeng all smiles because she made an appointment?
Hence, I suggested inviting Huofeng to join us, much to Yu Feiyuan’s joy. Huofeng beamed even around a stranger, though she felt awkward when Lass Yu passed Huofeng a bowl with a straight face and fed her.
We chatted for a while about random things until I couldn’t resist testing the waters, complimenting, “Abbess, your senior is really kind. She escorted us home from the mountains and even to treat us to tofu pudding.”
“You are right when you say she is kind, Elder,” Huofeng affirmed.
“I heard she is engaged.”
“Yes, she got engaged yesterday. I personally saw to it.”
I knew it was you! What is a nun working as a matchmaker for instead of reciting scriptures?! Why would you introduce some twat to your senior sister when you know she’s honest to a fault!
“What happens if he’s a depraved man?!” I blurted.
“He is not a depraved man. He might not be handsome, but he is strong and acceptable in the literacy department. His personality is perfect. The two of them can be considered childhood friends who don’t hide any secrets from each other. He also treats me… really nice. They have merely been separated for years and only met up again, which is why they got engaged. Am I correct, First Sister?”
“Yes, but I haven’t been able to speak to him.”
This sounds fishy. Lass Yu just mentioned searching for me to have a word with me. Is the groom… me? And, besides the part about not being handsome, I tick all the other boxes, especially the part about being separated for years and only having reunited. I can’t think of anyone else who ticks the last box. Crud, what do I do if it is me, marry Lass Yu for real?
I found Lass Yu concentrating hard to be cute, heart racing… I thought of how she came running for me from afar, how earnest she was in training, how she followed beside me hand in hand when she was younger…
I never married her because I wasn’t ready to accept someone new. I left her six years ago as I couldn’t even look after myself. I decided to pull off a big stunt with Ximen, but I was afraid I’d implicate her. I’m a different man now, though. Why can’t I see her if she doesn’t mind me giving up on an ambitious life and opting to retire from the pugilistic world? I may have made a promise to Young Shiyi, but is that a reason to let Lass Yu down? If I’m honest with myself, I can’t deny I do like her.
When I thought about how gentle Lass Yu sounded when she said she wanted to speak to me, I had an urge to remove my mask and face her, only for Huofeng to cut me off with, “First Sister, what are you worried about? They told us he’s just out on a job at the moment. You will have the opportunity to see him. You don’t need to worry when he personally proposed.”
Welp, that isn’t me, then.
There went any motivation to remove my mask. I couldn’t have proposed when I was with Boss yesterday.
Who’s the bugger who took advantage of my absence to propose? Wait a second. Given how long I’ve been allies with Wutong Jin Yuxuan… I mean, we might’ve had a lot of disputes about numerous matters, and I might’ve been pushing the engagement back time after time; however, they wouldn’t just throw me off so casually.
“H-he proposed yesterday?” I stuttered.
“Yes,” Huofeng jovially answered. “We have not had any news on him for years, but he suddenly had someone send us a proposal letter yesterday. I have had someone rush a letter to a tailor in Hangzhou to get to work on a wedding gown.”
“Overnight? That urgent?”
“We have all been eager for this day for years. If we did not need the best materials and tailor, it would take, at least, a year to finish her wedding gown. We insist on proceeding with their wedding immediately.”
Come on, woman! You should be able to tell there’s a conspiracy here! Why the hell are you blushing and acting like a girl in love? Wait a minute. Those crystal eyes that tell me you’re smiling inside… Don’t tell me you have a crush on him.
“Hahaha, since you are still young and he is so exemplary, how about marrying him, as well? You could take care of your sister.”
“Old pervert,” Huofeng cursed under her breath.
I can tell you didn’t even mean that when two roses have bloomed on the sides of your head! You resemble a shy girl right now instead of a fiery nun. I bet you’d marry him in a heartbeat if he proposed! Just who the devil is his dangerous man?!
This punk schemed to get close to Lass Yu and Huofeng while dodging me. This rascal trying to take over Wutong Jin Yuxuan? Matriarch Zi would bury his head in the ground if she found out this spit-out dog bone is scheming to take over her sect. My shifu also objects! Even if Matriarch Zi and my shifu accept, I object!
I picked up a bowl of tofu pudding and slogged it back in one go, startling Huofeng, who urged, “Elder, it is tofu pudding, not water. Be careful not to choke.”
I slammed my bowl down and wiped my mouth: “Abbess, is the groom coming today? This old one has come across plenty of people in his lifetime. I want to see if he is worthy of Miss Yu or not.”
I’m going to mess you up, cornhole. You woke the tiger.
“Perhaps. I saw him just before but left before I knew it. I thought he would have run into First Sister. He seemed to have an emergency to attend to, having said that.”
The corners of Yu Feiyuan’s lips gradually perked up: “He’s always been lively. There’s never a dull moment around him.”
I feel nauseous watching you two smile as you talk about him! Why do you keep gloating around me?! You two martial arts maniacs usually train and train and then train more. I’ve never seen you two care about somebody and know him so well!
“There’s never a dull moment around him? In other words, he’s a trouble maker,” I asserted.
“That is incorrect, Elder,” stated Yu Feiyuan. “No matter where he goes, people pick fights with him even if he does not mean to.”
Doesn’t that make him a plague?! Why would you marry a magnet for trouble?! If Huofeng met him just a while ago, he should still be close by. Incredible fighter? Name one jerk besides this one who is an incredible fighter? There isn’t one!
Inflamed for some reason beyond me, I expanded my hearing radius to look for someone oh-so mighty and, as I thought, there was n-, wait. There was one on the third floor.
“Please excuse me. I had too much to eat and need to use the bathroom.”
Neither Huofeng nor Yu Feiyuan found it odd since I already had twenty bowls of tofu pudding… I sneaked downstairs to the room where the adept was. I took two deep breaths to prepare for a civilised conversation.
Relax. No stress. No pressure. I’m just here to make sure Lass Yu isn’t duped. This is just a friendly conversation between her ex-husband and fiancé. We’re just being friendly.
I bounced a leg off the ground, ramming the door off its hinges: “Get your lying behind out here right now, you faggot!”
Bodhi’s mouth hung open as his hand riveted by his mouth…