Tang Hui knew disaster was approaching when she spotted Su Yan smiling before breakfast.
Not a normal smile.
Not even a mischievous smile.
This was the smile of a man who had identified a weakness in reality and intended to poke it repeatedly for entertainment.
Unfortunately, the weakness appeared to be Gu Beichen.
And by extension—
Tang Hui.
The second day of the inter-sect gathering had transformed Qingyun Sect into controlled chaos. Delegations from multiple sects attended lectures, cultivation exchanges, and social events throughout the mountain peaks.
The Matchmaking Pavilion, naturally, had become involved somehow.
Tang Hui still didn’t understand how.
Yesterday she handled relationship consultations.
Today she was coordinating social harmony between three sects.
Life moved quickly.
The pavilion courtyard overflowed with visitors by midmorning.
Northern Sword Sect disciples occupied one side.
Qingyun Sect disciples occupied the other.
Several smaller sects drifted between them nervously.
Tang Hui sat behind her consultation desk feeling increasingly concerned.
“This was supposed to be a matchmaking pavilion.”
One visiting disciple looked confused.
“It still is.”
“There are sect representatives outside.”
“Successful businesses expand.”
Tang Hui pointed at him.
“I dislike how reasonable that sounds.”
Nearby, Lin Qingyue quietly laughed.
Traitor.
The morning consultations proceeded surprisingly smoothly.
Too smoothly.
Which meant fate was preparing something.
Tang Hui had survived long enough to recognize warning signs.
Then the warning sign arrived.
Su Yan walked into the pavilion.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Not because he released pressure.
Because everyone expected trouble.
Including Tang Hui.
Especially Tang Hui.
The man looked entirely too relaxed for someone causing emotional damage recreationally.
“Good morning,” he greeted pleasantly.
Tang Hui narrowed her eyes.
“What do you want?”
“A consultation.”
The pavilion froze.
Tang Hui blinked.
“…A consultation?”
“Yes.”
The surrounding disciples immediately looked fascinated.
Apparently nobody expected this either.
Tang Hui folded her arms.
“What kind of consultation?”
Su Yan sat down across from her without invitation.
A terrible beginning already.
Then he smiled.
“Romantic advice.”
Dead silence.
Absolute devastating silence.
Tang Hui stared at him.
The disciples stared at him.
Even Luo Ming, who had entered moments earlier, looked interested.
Because everyone understood one important fact:
Su Yan absolutely did not need romantic advice.
The man enjoyed social manipulation as a hobby.
Tang Hui leaned back slowly.
“No.”
Su Yan looked mildly surprised.
“No?”
“I refuse.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re lying.”
Several disciples immediately nodded.
Correct assessment.
Su Yan laughed softly.
“Fair.”
At least he admitted it.
Tang Hui pointed toward the exit.
“Leave.”
“Harsh.”
“Leave.”
Unfortunately, instead of leaving, Su Yan rested his chin on one hand and looked around the pavilion thoughtfully.
Then his gaze landed on Gu Beichen.
Ah.
There it was.
The actual target.
Gu Beichen currently stood near the records shelves helping organize consultation slips. The fact that an inner sect sword genius voluntarily sorted paperwork no longer surprised anyone.
Which remained deeply concerning.
Su Yan watched him for several seconds.
Then smiled.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
“You know,” he said casually, “Northern Sword Sect disciples have been discussing something interesting.”
Tang Hui immediately distrusted the sentence.
“What?”
“They’ve been taking bets.”
No.
Absolutely not.
Tang Hui physically sat up straighter.
“Bets on what?”
Su Yan’s smile widened.
“How long it takes before Qingyun Sect’s famous Matchmaker Pavilion owner and Qingyun Sect’s famous sword genius stop pretending.”
The pavilion exploded.
Lin Qingyue nearly dropped an entire stack of records.
Several disciples choked.
Old Chen, listening from outside, started laughing so hard he had to sit down.
Tang Hui felt her soul attempting to leave her body peacefully.
Meanwhile—
Gu Beichen had gone completely still.
The dangerous kind of still.
Not angry.
Focused.
Tang Hui pointed at Su Yan.
“You.”
“Me?”
“You are banned from consultations.”
“I wasn’t consulting.”
“Exactly.”
Several disciples dissolved into laughter.
Su Yan looked entirely unrepentant.
Naturally.
Tang Hui rubbed her forehead briefly before catching herself.
No.
Adapt.
She straightened again.
“Who approved these bets?”
“Most of Northern Sword Sect.”
“No.”
“And a surprising number of Qingyun Sect disciples.”
Tang Hui slowly turned toward the pavilion.
The guilty expressions answered everything.
Traitors.
Every single one.
Luo Ming chose that exact moment to become helpful.
Which meant he became dangerous.
“To be fair,” he said thoughtfully, “the odds have shifted significantly recently.”
Tang Hui wanted to throw him off a mountain.
Qin Yue entered behind him and immediately understood the situation.
Her expression suggested she regretted returning.
Wise.
Very wise.
Unfortunately, escape was no longer possible.
The pavilion had fully committed to public humiliation.
Tang Hui stood up abruptly.
“Everyone stop discussing my personal life.”
Nobody stopped.
A younger disciple raised a hand cautiously.
“Senior Sister Tang?”
“No.”
“I haven’t asked the question yet.”
“No.”
The disciple looked disappointed.
Reasonable.
Across the room, Gu Beichen finally moved again.
He placed the consultation records down carefully.
Then walked toward the front of the pavilion.
The laughter gradually faded.
Not because he intimidated people.
Because everyone sensed something shifting.
Even Su Yan stopped smiling quite as much.
Interesting.
No.
Serious.
That was the word.
Gu Beichen stopped beside Tang Hui’s desk.
The pavilion became silent.
Completely silent.
Tang Hui looked up at him.
Then immediately became nervous.
A terrible sign.
Because Gu Beichen only looked this determined before:
* sword challenges,
* major cultivation breakthroughs,
* and apparently now…
this.
Su Yan watched with visible interest.
The menace.
Absolute menace.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Gu Beichen looked directly at Su Yan.
“You’re causing problems again.”
Su Yan smiled.
“True.”
“I’ll remember that.”
The smile deepened.
“Also true.”
Tang Hui had absolutely no idea what that meant.
But somehow it sounded threatening.
Before the situation could escalate into emotionally charged sword violence, an elder’s voice suddenly echoed across the pavilion courtyard.
“Excellent.”
Everyone turned.
Elder Shen stood near the entrance.
And he looked pleased.
Which was somehow more terrifying than anger.
The elder surveyed the crowded pavilion slowly.
Disciples from multiple sects.
People laughing.
Talking.
Relaxing together naturally.
The atmosphere felt alive.
Warm.
Connected.
Then Elder Shen looked toward Tang Hui.
“The inter-sect social report arrived this morning.”
Tang Hui immediately became suspicious.
“…And?”
“The visiting elders unanimously praised the pavilion.”
Silence.
The elder continued calmly.
“They believe it should become a permanent feature of future gatherings.”
The pavilion erupted into cheers.
Tang Hui froze.
Because suddenly—
this wasn’t about the pavilion surviving anymore.
It wasn’t temporary.
It wasn’t fragile.
It wasn’t something she’d lose when the next season changed.
The Matchmaking Pavilion had become real.
Permanent.
Part of Qingyun Sect itself.
The realization struck harder than expected.
And standing beside her, close enough that she could feel his presence without looking—
Gu Beichen smiled.
Just slightly.
As though he’d known this outcome all along.
Discussion
Comments
0 comments so far.
Sign in to join the conversation and keep your activity tied to this account.
No comments yet. Start the conversation.