Uncle Bear's home was on a distant mountaintop, covered in blooming flowers, resplendent and magnificent like a celestial palace. There were crystal-clear ponds, red-headed carps as large as ten feet, beautiful women, and... candied hawthorns.
But there was no roasted meat or rice noodles.
Xin Mei bit into a hawthorn berry, puckering her face at the sourness.
Uncle Bear sat across from her, fanning himself with an air of refinement, occasionally gazing at her with deep affection, murmuring softly, "Little Mei, your eyes shine as brightly as the stars in the sky."
She swallowed the hawthorn and looked at his face. Since he had praised her so nicely, she ought to return the favor with a few kind words.
"You... uh, you're quite handsome too—just a bit plump, but very warm and friendly. Seeing you reminds me of Big Flower in my backyard."
She was feeling a little homesick.
Uncle Bear was taken aback. "Who's Big Flower?"
"A dashing, elegant, and peerlessly handsome pig."
Thud. His fan fell to the ground. Uncle Bear clutched his head in agony and leapt up.
He hated being called fat!
Glancing down at his bear claws, he considered leaving a few scratches on that delicate, flower-like face. But... but she was looking at him so innocently—her snow-white cheeks, those big, dark eyes... Being soft-hearted toward beauty was truly a sin!
"Uncle Bear, the candied hawthorns are delicious. But I prefer roasted meat and rice noodles."
After finishing two sticks of candied hawthorns, Xin Mei felt even hungrier.
Uncle Bear pondered for a moment, then suddenly flashed a wicked, seductive smile, gracefully closing his fan. "Little Mei, would you care to share a cup of fine wine with me?"
Wine? Xin Mei rarely hesitated, but she nodded in the end.
Uncle Bear's heart swelled with delight. As the saying went, wine was the matchmaker of lust. A drunken woman would be at his mercy, lost in a daze.
He turned and ordered the demonesses, "Prepare roasted meat and rice noodles, and bring a jar of ten-year-aged fine wine."
Lu Qianqiao leapt into the air, soaring like a great bird over the endless sea of trees.
That afternoon, Tao Guoguo had come to the Returning Flower Hall looking for him, her face full of hesitation. In the end, she simply pointed to the courtyard—Xin Mei, who should have been tied to the tree, was gone.
"Who did this?" he asked.
Tao Guoguo refused to say, only replying, "Brother Qianqiao, that girl was taken by the bear demon to the northwest. You should hurry and save her."
The bear demon from the northwest was already infamous. Female demons captured by him might barely survive, but a mortal... would likely not live.
Lu Qianqiao's brows furrowed.
He felt an uncharacteristic restlessness, something he couldn't suppress.
With another leap, he landed before the bear demon's estate.
A resplendent palace—the creature certainly knew how to indulge himself. Kicking down two palace gates in one strike, dust billowed up instantly. Inside, silence fell for a brief moment. As the dust settled, Lu Qianqiao drew his newly crafted wooden sword, ready to unleash carnage—only to find the palace's beautiful demonesses, all kidnapped to serve as maids, bruised and battered, their eyes brimming with tears.
The moment they saw Lu Qianqiao, they clung to his legs as if he were their savior, wailing loudly, "It's the general from the Imperial Mausoleum! We're saved at last! Please... please drive that scourge away!"
Lu Qianqiao had no choice but to take a step back. "Where is the bear demon?"
The demonesses cried even harder. "The great king is in the back hall! General, if you don't hurry and save him, that scourge is going to beat him to death!"He was utterly baffled. Clutching his wooden sword, he barged into the back hall, only to find complete chaos—vases shattered into pieces, the Red-headed carp in the pond floating belly-up, curtains torn to shreds, and several Demonesses wailing with bloodied faces.
Pausing at the back hall’s entrance, he hesitated, unsure what monstrosity might lurk behind the door.
Pushing the heavy palace door open with a creak, light flooded the dim interior. His eyes immediately landed on Xin Mei, sitting primly on a chair, head bowed, clutching a large bronze wine goblet in her hand.
The legendary flower-thieving Bear demon lay at her feet like a lifeless lump, one paw draped over the table, already foaming at the mouth and unconscious.
Xin Mei had one foot planted on his soft belly and suddenly poured herself a full goblet of wine, smiling sweetly as she chirped, “Uncle Bear, let’s play finger-guessing again!”
She grabbed his paw and shook it vigorously, bursting into laughter. “You threw five again! I win!”
With that, she slapped his face, sending his bulky body flying sideways, crashing into a row of tables and chairs before landing right at Lu Qianqiao’s feet.
He fell silent.
Xin Mei swayed gracefully toward him, wine goblet in hand. Strangely, drunkenness made her seem more ladylike than usual—her snow-white cheeks flushed pink, her eyes bright yet dazed, her lips curled in the perfect demure smile.
Spotting Lu Qianqiao, she froze for a long moment before suddenly tossing the goblet aside and curtsying respectfully, her voice sugary sweet. “Young master, facial paralysis is an illness—you should get it treated early. I know an excellent acupuncturist in Greenwater Town. Shall I introduce you? No need to thank me too much.”
Lu Qianqiao was so exasperated he nearly laughed. Stepping forward, he tried to grab her wrists and drag her away. But drunk, her strength was astonishing—she snatched up a bronze candlestick taller than a person and hurled it at him, even kindly warning, “Careful, I’m throwing it now.”
He had no choice but to retreat.
Several battered Demonesses tugged at his sleeves, weeping. “She was fine when she arrived! Then the king ordered us to prepare fine wine, saying a little drink would set the mood. Who knew… who knew she’d go mad after getting drunk? She dragged the king into drinking games, and with one slap, all his teeth flew out… Poor king! Will he die?”
Surveying the wreckage in the back hall, Lu Qianqiao sighed and rapped his knuckles against the doorframe. “If you want grilled meat and rice noodles, come to me.”
Xin Mei peeked out from under a table like a wary wild rabbit, gauging the sincerity of his offer.
He feigned leaving. “If you don’t want any, I’m going.”
The girl immediately sprang from the shadows. Lu Qianqiao seized her wrists and delivered a light chop to her neck. She went limp, collapsing into his arms.
The Demonesses rushed into the back hall, wailing as they lifted the Bear demon, calling his name desperately. But he showed no response.
What a tragic scene…
Lu Qianqiao carried Xin Mei away silently, leaving the Bear demon’s estate behind.
Outside, the mountain wind carried the stench of alcohol. Frowning in disgust, he held her at arm’s length with one hand, scanning for water to dunk her in and sober her up.She was like a little rabbit reeking of alcohol, slipping into his embrace in a flash, wrapping her arms around his neck and refusing to let go. Every now and then, she would murmur in her sleep: "Dad... husband... I bought..."
He couldn't help but lower his head to look at her face—flushed cheeks, a sweet smile at the corners of her lips—what a carefree young girl.
There was a clear spring just ahead where he could toss her in to wash off the alcohol and sober her up. Yet for some reason, he didn't quite want to. Her arms were softly looped around his neck, her five fingers as tender as clouds, her feverish cheek pressed against his skin, her warm breath tickling his neck.
He couldn't bear to wake her when she was sleeping so soundly.
In the end, he adjusted her head slightly and carried her carefully back to the Imperial Mausoleum with both hands.
"Do you know what you did wrong?"
Si Lan sat on a chair, his face as cold as ice, his tone frigid, interrogating Xin Mei, who was half-lying on the bed.
She had burrowed entirely under the blankets, only her head peeking out, her complexion slightly greenish and still sneezing incessantly—this always happened after she drank.
Rubbing her aching, throbbing head, she mumbled, "Wrong about what?"
Si Lan nearly flipped the bed over in anger. "You crippled the Bear Demon! They're demanding compensation for medical expenses! And that's not all—you actually had the nerve to make the General carry you all the way back! You've got some nerve!"
Xin Mei had no memory of any of it and just stared at him blankly.
"Speak! Who let you go?"
Uh, well... She thought for a moment. "I won't say."
Sister Ying Lian had secretly helped her escape—she would never betray her! That was what loyalty meant!
Si Lan was so furious he saw stars.
The door suddenly opened, and Lu Qianqiao walked in, motioning to him. "Si Lan, leave."
Si Lan left in a huff, resentful. How could the heavens be so blind? To think this girl and the General were fated by the Mirror of United Hearts!
Lu Qianqiao walked to the bedside and reached out. Xin Mei instinctively flinched, but the next moment, his warm palm gently touched her forehead, lingering for a moment before slowly withdrawing.
"Your constitution isn't suited for alcohol—you always get a fever after drinking." He pulled a chair over and sat by the bed. "Remember to take medicine later to bring the fever down."
Xin Mei stared at him in surprise for a while before suddenly recalling what Si Lan had said—that she had gotten drunk and he had carried her back. Softly, she said, "Um... th-thank you."
He didn't respond. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "As for who let you go..."
Before he could finish, she immediately cut in. "I won't say."
He paused. "Fine, don't say. But no next time. Once you're better, you're leaving the Imperial Mausoleum with me."
It was still imprisonment—what difference did it make where they went? Xin Mei pouted and stayed silent.
Lu Qianqiao slowly pulled out the talisman paper where Qiu Yue resided from his sleeve and shook it lightly. Her heart trembled along with it.
"I won't use the Demon Binding Rope on you again," he said expressionlessly. "Your Spirit Beast stays with me for now. If you escape once, I'll roast one of its legs. Escape four times, and it'll lose both its wings and legs. Think carefully."
Too... too cruel! Xin Mei was stunned. Why had she thanked this heartless man earlier?!
He seemed to smile faintly before walking out and gently closing the door behind him.
They say feverish people should get more sunlight. The next day, her low fever hadn't subsided yet, so Xin Mei wrapped herself in a quilt and basked in the sun in the courtyard.Lu Qianqiao was still in the Returning Flower Hall. This time, he hadn’t closed the windows. He was bent over, writing something, speaking as he wrote, while the people around him nodded repeatedly with serious expressions.
He really did seem to have the bearing of a general.
She rubbed her burning, aching eyes, intending to take a short nap, when she suddenly noticed a figure lurking behind a tree, looking rather sneaky. Curious, she craned her neck and saw Ying Lian crouched behind the tree, her eyes shining as she gazed into the Returning Flower Hall—one moment shedding tears at the flowers, the next sighing into the wind.
“Sister Ying Lian…” What was she doing?
Ying Lian jumped in surprise. When she turned and saw it was Xin Mei, her face darkened instantly, and she turned to leave.
Xin Mei gave her a little wave. “Don’t worry, I’d never rat you out.”
Her words were spoken with righteous heroism.
Ying Lian stumbled and fell.
Xin Mei scooted over and followed Ying Lian’s line of sight, realizing this was actually a great vantage point—just enough to see clearly into the Returning Flower Hall without being noticed. Glancing at the window, she saw Si Lan standing there now.
She gasped in realization. “You have a crush on Si Lan?”
Ying Lian’s face cycled between red and green. Afraid Xin Mei might shout it out and embarrass her, she had no choice but to cover her ears in frustration.
Xin Mei nodded understandingly. “I get it, I get it. The plays say secret love is the most beautiful. Hiding behind a tree every day to watch him is also a form of love.”
That’s called being a stalker… Ying Lian thought tearfully. In truth, she had been secretly in love with Lu Qianqiao all these years, never letting him catch even a hint, stealing glances from the shadows whenever she could—it really wasn’t much different from being a stalker.
“These things still need someone to play matchmaker.” Xin Mei took her hand, utterly sincere. “Let me help you? You kindly let me escape in secret—I should repay you.”
Ying Lian was dazzled by the blinding aura of heroism and saintly radiance shining from Xin Mei’s face.
There was nothing in the world more nauseating than scheming against a love rival, only for that rival to thank you and then turn around to play matchmaker for you and someone else. Ying Lian was so disgusted she burst into tears.
“Sister Ying Lian?” Xin Mei was puzzled.
Ying Lian turned back, as if wanting to say something, but what came out was a loud “Wah!” of crying. She stomped her foot hard and ran off.
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