Chapter 53 Tang Hui Becomes the Victim of Her Own Profession

Tang Hui spent exactly three seconds considering the proposed matchmaking demonstration before reaching a conclusion.

“No.”

Luo Ming looked unsurprised.

Su Yan looked delighted.

Qin Yue looked resigned.

Clearly everyone expected this answer already.

The rear courtyard remained quiet beneath the flowering spirit trees, but Tang Hui could practically feel impending disaster approaching from every direction.

“A public demonstration,” she repeated slowly. “In front of visiting sects.”

“Correct,” Luo Ming said.

“Using real people.”

“Probably.”

Tang Hui pointed dramatically toward the sky.

“This is how sect incidents begin.”

Unfortunately, nobody seemed convinced.

Su Yan leaned casually against the courtyard wall while watching her with entirely too much amusement.

“The elders think it would showcase the pavilion’s value.”

“The elders are wrong.”

“They rarely enjoy hearing that.”

Tang Hui clicked her tongue.

A tragic reality.

Qin Yue finally spoke.

“The request came from multiple sects.”

Tang Hui froze.

“…Multiple?”

“Several visiting elders observed the pavilion during the gathering.”

Ah.

That explained everything.

The pavilion had spent two days solving disputes, smoothing interactions, and preventing emotionally unstable cultivators from embarrassing themselves internationally.

Naturally the elders now wanted proof.

Cultivators loved proof.

Tang Hui hated proof.

Especially public proof.

She folded her arms stubbornly.

“No.”

Luo Ming looked thoughtful.

“What if refusal isn’t an option?”

Tang Hui immediately distrusted the question.

“Explain.”

“The elders haven’t approved it yet.”

A pause.

Then:

“They’re discussing it tonight.”

Ah.

So disaster remained preventable.

Potentially.

Maybe.

Tang Hui looked toward Gu Beichen hopefully.

Finally.

A sensible person.

“Tell them this is ridiculous.”

Gu Beichen considered briefly.

Then said:

“It sounds difficult.”

Tang Hui stared.

“…You’re not helping.”

“It does sound difficult.”

“That’s not the point.”

Unfortunately, the corner of his mouth moved slightly.

Not quite a smile.

Close enough.

Betrayal.

Absolute betrayal.

The discussion continued for another fifteen minutes before everyone finally dispersed.

Or rather—

everyone except Su Yan.

Naturally.

The moment Luo Ming and Qin Yue disappeared back toward the pavilion, the Northern Sword Sect menace remained exactly where he was.

Tang Hui immediately narrowed her eyes.

“What do you want?”

Su Yan smiled.

“A conversation.”

“No.”

“Harsh.”

“Consistent.”

The man laughed softly.

Gu Beichen, who had been preparing to leave as well, looked visibly unconvinced.

Tang Hui noticed immediately.

Interesting—

No.

Wrong word.

Protective.

Ah.

Dangerous realization.

Su Yan noticed too.

Of course he noticed.

The man could probably smell emotional tension from three mountains away.

Unfortunately, instead of provoking Gu Beichen immediately, he turned toward Tang Hui.

A worse decision.

“You know,” he said thoughtfully, “you’re surprisingly different from the rumors.”

Tang Hui sighed.

“Which rumors?”

“The terrifying fate manipulator.”

“No.”

“The relationship genius.”

“…Maybe slightly.”

“The mysterious romantic strategist.”

Tang Hui physically pointed toward herself.

“I opened a stall because cultivation wasn’t paying well.”

Su Yan laughed again.

The annoying thing was that he laughed genuinely.

Not mockingly.

Which made him harder to dislike than he deserved.

For several moments, the conversation settled into something unexpectedly normal.

Dangerous development.

Then Su Yan glanced between Tang Hui and Gu Beichen.

And ruined everything.

“So when exactly are you two planning to stop suffering?”

Dead silence.

Tang Hui closed her eyes.

There it was.

The real reason he stayed.

Of course.

Why discuss weather when emotional destruction remained available?

Beside her, Gu Beichen’s expression flattened instantly.

Su Yan looked delighted.

Tang Hui considered murder briefly.

Just briefly.

“I admire your confidence,” she said calmly.

“In?”

“Saying things that should get you thrown off mountains.”

The man looked completely unrepentant.

“Be honest.”

“No.”

“You counsel everyone else.”

“No.”

“You solve romantic misunderstandings daily.”

“No.”

“You’ve literally built a career around emotional honesty.”

“No.”

Su Yan folded his arms.

Then smiled.

“The matchmaker hates being matched.”

Dead silence.

Absolutely devastating silence.

Because unfortunately—

that statement landed much harder than Tang Hui wanted.

She hated that.

A lot.

Before she could formulate a proper response, Gu Beichen spoke.

“Enough.”

Simple word.

Calm tone.

But final.

Su Yan looked toward him.

Then unexpectedly sighed.

“Fine.”

Tang Hui blinked.

That worked?

Just like that?

Apparently even emotional menaces possessed survival instincts.

Interesting.

No.

Unexpected.

Better word.

The conversation finally ended shortly afterward.

Su Yan left first, still looking entirely too pleased with himself.

The menace.

Once he disappeared through the courtyard gate, silence settled again beneath the flowering trees.

Tang Hui exhaled slowly.

Then immediately regretted it.

Because now she remained alone with Gu Beichen.

And unfortunately—

Su Yan’s words still lingered.

The matchmaker hates being matched.

Terrible sentence.

Very terrible sentence.

For a few moments neither spoke.

The breeze stirred gently through the courtyard branches overhead.

Petals drifted lazily across the stone paths.

Dangerously romantic atmosphere.

Tang Hui blamed the sect landscaping department.

Then Gu Beichen spoke.

“He’s wrong.”

Tang Hui blinked.

“…About what?”

The answer came immediately.

“You don’t hate it.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Tang Hui looked up.

And immediately wished she hadn’t.

Because Gu Beichen wasn’t looking away.

Wasn’t hiding.

Wasn’t retreating behind caution anymore.

Ah.

This felt different.

The realization settled quietly between them.

Months ago, Gu Beichen would’ve avoided conversations like this entirely.

Now?

Now he remained.

Steady.

Certain.

The same man who once struggled to apologize properly now stood beneath flowering trees looking directly at her.

Growth.

Terrifying growth.

Tang Hui suddenly understood something important.

Arc after arc.

Chapter after chapter.

Gu Beichen hadn’t simply fallen in love.

He’d changed.

Learned.

Opened up.

Because of her.

And somewhere along the way—

she changed too.

The failed outer disciple who expected to leave Qingyun Sect quietly no longer existed.

The realization hit harder than expected.

Then Gu Beichen took one step closer.

Not enough to invade her space.

Just enough that avoiding the conversation became impossible.

Dangerous man.

Very dangerous man.

“Tang Hui.”

The way he said her name should honestly be regulated.

She hated that.

“…Yes?”

A pause.

Brief.

Steady.

Then:

“When the gathering ends…”

Tang Hui’s heartbeat immediately became suspicious.

“…What?”

For the first time in a very long while—

Gu Beichen actually looked nervous.

Tiny.

Subtle.

But there.

And somehow that affected her more than all his confidence ever could.

“When the gathering ends,” he repeated quietly, “I’d like to talk to you properly.”

Ah.

There it was.

Not a confession.

Not yet.

But close enough that Tang Hui suddenly understood exactly where this arc was heading.

And for the first time—

she didn’t want to run away from it.