By the middle of the festival night, Tang Hui officially established operational policies.
Not because she wanted to.
Because survival demanded it.
“Senior Sister Tang, can you secretly determine whether my crush likes someone else?”
“No espionage services.”
“Can you help me accidentally encounter someone near the eastern bridge?”
“I am not orchestrating ambushes.”
“What if two people like the same person?”
“Then everyone behaves with dignity and keeps their swords sheathed.”
The exhausted-looking disciples around the consultation tables scribbled these answers down like sacred scripture.
Tang Hui felt increasingly concerned for the future of Qingyun Sect.
The matchmaking pavilion had expanded into complete chaos by now.
Lantern light washed across the crowded plaza in warm gold while disciples packed nearly every surrounding walkway. Conversations overlapped constantly. Some people sought advice sincerely.
Others simply came to watch the consultations unfold publicly.
At one point, Tang Hui noticed a group selling snacks specifically to spectators.
Unbelievable.
She should really start collecting commission fees.
“Senior Sister Tang!”
Tang Hui looked up as another disciple hurried toward her carrying visible panic.
Ah.
Emergency services again.
The young man leaned closer nervously. “I accidentally agreed to attend two separate lantern-viewing walks tonight.”
Tang Hui blinked slowly.
“How does one accidentally do that?”
“I panicked!”
Reasonable answer.
Tang Hui pointed toward an empty chair. “Sit down before you create additional suffering.”
The surrounding disciples immediately leaned closer again.
At this point Tang Hui considered charging audience admission.
Across the plaza, music drifted softly from the performance terraces while floating spirit lanterns illuminated the night sky in shimmering waves of color. Farther along the mountain paths, couples wandered beneath flowering spirit trees while groups of disciples laughed over festival games.
The atmosphere remained lively.
But importantly—
peaceful.
No duels.
No collapsing formations.
No public emotional breakdowns.
Tang Hui considered this her greatest achievement to date.
The nervous disciple wrung his sleeves anxiously while speaking.
“I asked Senior Sister Lan to view the western lantern arrays with me,” he explained miserably. “Then later Senior Sister Mei invited me to the music terrace and I agreed automatically because she smiled first.”
Several nearby disciples looked disgusted.
One girl muttered, “Cowardly behavior.”
Tang Hui nodded solemnly.
“Very cowardly.”
The disciple looked close to tears. “What do I do now?”
Tang Hui leaned back thoughtfully.
Actually, this was not a romance problem.
This was a spine problem.
“Who do you actually want to spend time with?” she asked.
The disciple froze.
“…Senior Sister Lan.”
“There,” Tang Hui said immediately. “Problem solved.”
“But Senior Sister Mei will become upset!”
“Yes.”
The disciple looked horrified by her calmness.
Tang Hui folded her arms.
“Listen carefully. Temporary awkwardness is survivable. Leading people on because you fear disappointing them creates larger problems later.”
Several disciples nearby became suspiciously quiet.
Ah.
Apparently some accidental emotional casualties existed within listening distance.
Good.
Educational environment.
The disciple lowered his head weakly. “So I should apologize honestly?”
“Yes.”
“…Without pretending a sudden cultivation emergency appeared?”
Tang Hui stared at him.
“…Were you planning that?”
The disciple avoided eye contact.
The surrounding crowd burst into laughter.
Tang Hui pointed firmly toward the eastern terraces.
“Go apologize properly before your situation evolves into sect gossip.”
The disciple fled immediately.
Another successful intervention.
Tang Hui accepted her spirit stones with satisfaction before reaching for tea beside her table—
only to discover someone had already refilled the cup.
She blinked once.
Then looked up.
Gu Beichen stood nearby holding the teapot calmly.
Tang Hui nearly developed spiritual confusion.
“…Senior Brother.”
“You appeared occupied.”
Several nearby disciples looked moments away from screaming.
Understandable reaction.
Gu Beichen serving tea voluntarily ranked among the sect’s rarest recorded phenomena.
Tang Hui accepted the cup slowly.
“Thank you.”
He nodded once before glancing toward the packed consultation area.
“You’ve spoken continuously for several hours.”
Tang Hui stared at him suspiciously.
“…Did Lin Qingyue tell you to say that?”
A brief pause.
“…Perhaps.”
The surrounding disciples instantly lost emotional stability.
Tang Hui almost laughed.
Because that tiny hesitation alone would have been unimaginable weeks ago.
Gu Beichen himself seemed faintly aware of this now. Not embarrassed exactly.
Just less rigid.
Less isolated.
Growth.
Terrifying growth.
Lin Qingyue approached moments later carrying several festival sweets wrapped carefully in lotus paper.
“You haven’t eaten dinner yet,” she said gently.
Tang Hui looked genuinely touched for half a second before immediately becoming suspicious again.
“Wait.”
Lin Qingyue blinked. “Hm?”
“Why are people suddenly taking care of me tonight?”
Lin Qingyue smiled softly. “Because you’ve been taking care of everyone else.”
The answer caught Tang Hui off guard.
Not dramatically.
Just enough that warmth settled unexpectedly beneath her ribs.
Before she could respond, loud laughter erupted near the lantern bridge again.
Tang Hui turned automatically toward the noise.
Luo Ming stood surrounded by several disciples while somehow managing to charm entire conversations simultaneously.
Dangerous man.
Beside him, Qin Yue watched the scene with visible disapproval.
Or what passed for visible disapproval in Qin Yue’s case:
slightly narrowed eyes.
Tang Hui noticed something interesting immediately—
No.
Better.
Tang Hui noticed something subtle immediately.
Despite Qin Yue’s severe expression, she had remained near Luo Ming’s side for nearly half the evening already.
And Luo Ming, despite speaking easily with everyone else, kept drifting back toward her unconsciously between conversations.
Ah.
Now that was entertaining.
Tang Hui narrowed her eyes thoughtfully from across the plaza.
Not because she intended interference.
Absolutely not.
But observing people had become instinctive now.
And some patterns revealed themselves naturally.
Especially during festivals.
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