Chapter 59 The Pavilion Discovers Everything Immediately

Tang Hui enjoyed exactly seventeen minutes of peace.

Seventeen.

A personal record.

Unfortunately, Qingyun Sect contained people.

And people were terrible at respecting privacy.

Especially when romance was involved.

Particularly when that romance involved the founder of the Matchmaking Pavilion.

Tang Hui should have anticipated this.

Yet somehow she didn’t.

Perhaps because she spent the previous seventeen minutes sitting with Gu Beichen beneath the pavilion lanterns, talking about absolutely nothing important and somehow enjoying it more than any conversation she’d had in months.

The confession itself felt strangely simple in retrospect.

No heavenly tribulations.

No dramatic misunderstandings.

No life-or-death battles.

Just honesty.

Who would have thought?

Apparently Tang Hui had spent fifty-eight chapters helping everyone else discover the same lesson.

The irony remained painful.

The evening had grown darker outside the pavilion windows. Lantern light painted warm gold across the wooden floors while distant sect bells echoed softly through the mountain valleys.

For the first time in a very long while, Tang Hui felt completely at peace.

Then the pavilion door exploded open.

Peace ended immediately.

Luo Ming walked in.

Stopped.

Looked at them.

And smiled.

The most dangerous smile Tang Hui had ever seen.

“…No.”

Luo Ming looked delighted.

“Oh.”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Stop saying ‘oh.'”

Unfortunately, Luo Ming ignored her.

The man glanced between Tang Hui and Gu Beichen.

Then nodded slowly.

“Finally.”

Tang Hui closed her eyes.

Of course.

Of course it would be Luo Ming.

The universe hated her.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

“I came to deliver documents.”

He held up several scrolls.

Then paused.

“…I forgot about the documents.”

Traitor.

Absolute traitor.

Before Tang Hui could recover, another voice appeared from the doorway.

“Did something happen?”

Qin Yue entered.

Ah.

Wonderful.

The second witness.

Qin Yue stopped.

Looked at Tang Hui.

Looked at Gu Beichen.

Then immediately understood.

The terrifying woman understood everything in approximately three seconds.

Tang Hui wanted to leave the continent.

Qin Yue’s expression softened slightly.

Very slightly.

Which somehow felt worse.

“Congratulations,” she said simply.

Tang Hui pointed at her.

“You too?”

“Yes.”

Betrayal everywhere.

Within moments, Lin Qingyue appeared.

Because apparently fate had assembled a viewing audience.

The medicine hall disciple entered carrying consultation records.

Stopped.

Looked around.

Then immediately covered her face.

“No way.”

Tang Hui groaned.

“No way.”

Lin Qingyue laughed.

Actually laughed.

The woman who normally remained gentle and composed suddenly looked happier than anyone present.

Which honestly felt unfair.

For several minutes, the pavilion descended into complete chaos.

Luo Ming offered commentary.

Qin Yue attempted moderation.

Lin Qingyue failed entirely at remaining neutral.

Meanwhile Tang Hui seriously considered jumping through a window.

Only Gu Beichen appeared calm.

Naturally.

The man could face demonic beasts and emotional disasters with equal composure.

Unfair.

Eventually, after extracting enough information to sustain future teasing for several years, the trio finally left.

Mostly.

Luo Ming stopped at the doorway.

Then looked back.

“By the way.”

Tang Hui immediately distrusted that phrase.

“What?”

“The entire sect is going to know by tomorrow.”

Dead silence.

Tang Hui stared.

“…Tomorrow?”

“Possibly tonight.”

The man left.

Coward.

Absolute coward.

The moment the door closed, Tang Hui looked toward Gu Beichen.

“This is your fault.”

He blinked.

“How?”

“You’re involved.”

“…Fair.”

The immediate agreement ruined her argument.

Several minutes later, they finally left the pavilion together.

Outside, Qingyun Sect rested beneath a sea of lantern light and drifting mountain mist.

The pathways remained quiet at this hour.

Most disciples had already returned to their residences.

Peaceful.

At least temporarily.

Tang Hui walked beside Gu Beichen along the familiar stone paths.

The same paths she’d walked countless times before.

Yet somehow everything felt different now.

Not because the sect changed.

Because she had.

The realization appeared unexpectedly.

Months ago, Tang Hui viewed Qingyun Sect as somewhere she happened to live.

Now?

Now it felt like home.

The pavilion.
Her friends.
The people she helped.

And walking beside her—

Gu Beichen.

The future no longer looked uncertain.

Just unwritten.

The thought settled warmly inside her chest.

As they reached the small bridge overlooking the lower market district, Tang Hui stopped briefly.

Below them, lanterns glowed across the outer sect.

The Matchmaking Pavilion stood visible in the distance.

Warm light still shining through its windows.

Beautiful.

The sight made her smile.

Gu Beichen followed her gaze.

“The pavilion changed many lives.”

Tang Hui nodded.

“It did.”

Then after a brief pause, she added:

“Including mine.”

The mountain wind moved gently through the night.

For a while neither spoke.

The silence felt comfortable.

Easy.

Then Tang Hui suddenly laughed.

“What?”

She shook her head.

“I just realized something.”

“What?”

Tang Hui looked toward him.

Warm lantern light reflected softly in her eyes.

“For someone who came to the pavilion asking for romantic advice…”

She smiled.

“…you turned out to be the most expensive consultation I’ve ever accepted.”

For the first time that evening—

Gu Beichen looked genuinely speechless.

And Tang Hui decided she liked that almost as much as his smile.