Three days after becoming Pavilion Master, Tang Hui learned something important.
Titles were scams.
Complete scams.
The position sounded impressive.
Respected.
Important.
Official.
In reality?
It meant paperwork.
An unreasonable amount of paperwork.
Tang Hui sat behind the consultation desk staring at a mountain of scrolls.
A literal mountain.
Not metaphorical.
Someone had actually stacked them into a small hill.
“This is punishment.”
Lin Qingyue looked up from the records shelf.
“For what?”
“I don’t know yet.”
The medicine hall disciple laughed softly.
Traitor.
Tang Hui poked one of the scrolls suspiciously.
“What even is this?”
Lin Qingyue glanced over.
“Quarterly pavilion budget projections.”
Tang Hui immediately regretted literacy.
The Matchmaking Pavilion had changed significantly over the past few weeks.
Official recognition brought resources.
Resources brought renovations.
Renovations brought more visitors.
Now the pavilion possessed:
* consultation rooms,
* proper meeting spaces,
* private gardens,
* expanded records storage,
* and entirely too many administrative documents.
Success remained exhausting.
Outside the windows, afternoon sunlight spilled across the courtyard where disciples moved between consultations and tea tables.
The pavilion felt alive.
Busier than ever.
Yet somehow calmer too.
The constant uncertainty that once surrounded it had disappeared.
Everyone knew the pavilion would remain.
Including Tang Hui.
That realization still felt strange sometimes.
The courtyard doors opened suddenly.
A familiar voice called out.
“Pavilion Master Tang!”
Tang Hui immediately narrowed her eyes.
Only one person enjoyed using the title that much.
Luo Ming.
Naturally.
The man entered carrying tea while Qin Yue followed several steps behind.
Also naturally.
At this point Tang Hui simply accepted reality.
Some couples became inseparable eventually.
The thought made her smile before she could stop herself.
Luo Ming noticed immediately.
Dangerous.
“You seem happy.”
“I was until you arrived.”
“Rude.”
“Accurate.”
Qin Yue accepted tea from him automatically.
Neither appeared to notice.
Tang Hui stared.
Then looked away.
Some battles were unwinnable.
The afternoon passed comfortably after that.
Disciples came and went.
Consultations continued.
Life moved forward.
Normal.
Ordinary.
Wonderful.
Around sunset, however, an unexpected visitor appeared.
Wu Liang.
Tang Hui brightened immediately.
One of her earliest clients.
One of her first successes.
The young disciple looked nervous.
Which confused her.
Because he usually only looked like that before confessions.
“Tang Hui—”
He stopped.
Then corrected himself quickly.
“Pavilion Master Tang.”
Tang Hui waved dismissively.
“Don’t.”
Wu Liang visibly relaxed.
Good.
The world contained enough formal titles already.
The disciple sat down.
Then produced an invitation.
Ah.
Interesting.
No.
Wrong word.
Familiar.
Tang Hui accepted the invitation slowly.
Then blinked.
A wedding invitation.
She looked up.
Wu Liang’s face had turned bright red.
His fiancee stood near the doorway smiling shyly.
The same sword hall disciple.
The same woman he’d once admired from a distance.
The same relationship that began with a consultation inside this very pavilion.
For a moment, Tang Hui simply stared.
Then laughed.
Warmly.
Genuinely.
Because somehow—
seeing it written down made everything feel real.
A wedding.
One of her first clients.
Moving into the next stage of life.
The realization filled her chest with quiet happiness.
She accepted the invitation carefully.
“I’ll be there.”
Wu Liang looked relieved.
His fiancee smiled.
And for a moment, Tang Hui felt something she rarely experienced.
Pride.
Not in herself exactly.
In them.
The courage they found.
The future they built.
The life they chose.
After the couple left, Tang Hui remained sitting quietly.
The invitation rested on the table before her.
The pavilion felt unusually peaceful.
Then another hand entered her field of vision.
Gu Beichen placed a fresh cup of tea beside her.
Naturally.
Tang Hui smiled automatically.
Dangerous habit.
Wonderful habit.
The man sat across from her.
His expression softened slightly when he noticed the invitation.
“Wu Liang?”
“Mm.”
A pause.
Then:
“The first consultation.”
Tang Hui laughed.
“The first successful one.”
They sat together comfortably for a while.
Watching the sunset.
Listening to the sounds of the pavilion.
The place that changed both their lives.
Eventually Tang Hui glanced around the room.
The lanterns.
The records.
The tables.
The memories.
Funny.
Years ago she’d believed cultivation determined a person’s value.
Strength.
Talent.
Potential.
Now?
She wasn’t so sure.
Because none of those things built this place.
People did.
Relationships did.
Kindness did.
Courage did.
The realization settled quietly in her heart.
Then Gu Beichen spoke.
“What are you thinking about?”
Tang Hui smiled.
“The future.”
The answer surprised neither of them.
Because for once—
the future no longer felt uncertain.
It felt open.
Like a road stretching beyond the horizon.
Waiting.
And that was enough.
For now.
Very soon, the Matchmaking Pavilion would continue helping people.
More disciples would fall in love.
More misunderstandings would be solved.
More stories would begin.
And Tang Hui would be there.
Exactly where she belonged.
Because some stories ended.
But the best ones?
The best ones simply became part of everyday life.
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