As the year drew to a close, the first snow fell upon the Imperial Mausoleum, and Zhao Guanren had completed half of his new play. Rumor had it that this new story was modeled after the romantic journey of the General and Miss Xin, infused with Zhao's signature blend of sentimentality and emotion, hailed as his most triumphant masterpiece in recent years.
The General even personally crafted two brand-new puppets, named Qiao and Mei, specifically to serve as the male and female leads for this operatic script. After reading the script, Miss Xin cried for a full day and night, christening it A Match Made in Resentment and leaving behind a precious critique: "Utter nonsense."
That day was December 13th, amidst heavy snowfall.
Under Zhao Guanren's direction, the stage had been set up early, and a crowd of little Demons had already secured their spots, eagerly anticipating the year's final grand performance.
Xin Mei, leveraging her privileged status, chose the best seat—front and center.
Before the play began, she methodically pulled items from her Cosmos Sack in preparation: a thick stack of handkerchiefs for wiping tears; another thick stack for collecting Zhao Guanren's autographs; a hand warmer for comfort; melon seeds for snacking...
In the blink of an eye, Lu Qianqiao's hands were already overflowing with her belongings. Xin Mei sighed wistfully, rearranging the pile in his arms before nestling her head comfortably under his arm. Perfect, just like that.
By now, Lu Qianqiao had grown accustomed to her relentless invasions of his personal space. He calmly placed the pile of miscellaneous items on a nearby chair, wrapped his cloak around her, and pulled her close.
"Are you cold?"
He glanced down at her thin jacket, its collar adorned with two small white pom-poms that, paired with the fluffy hairpin in her hair, made her look even more like a little white rabbit.
"Shh, don't talk—it's starting!" Xin Mei covered his mouth.
A row of lanterns on the stage silently lit up, casting the snow-covered ground in a warm, orange glow. The first to appear was the exquisitely beautiful and graceful puppet of Xiao Mei.
The little Demons in the audience buzzed with excitement, all turning to look at Xin Mei. Clearly, the puppet was far more stunning than the real person—proof that love blinds even the sharpest eyes. In the General's eyes, Miss Xin was nothing short of a celestial maiden.
Xiao Mei, nearly sixteen, was a spirited and carefree girl, unmatched in beauty yet still without suitors—rumored to possess a fearsome curse that doomed any man who married her. Her family fretted endlessly over her marital prospects, and in desperation, Xiao Mei resolved to venture out and buy herself a husband, thus embarking on the most extraordinary and convoluted journey of her life.
Along the way, she encountered many: a bewitching fox immortal, a timid and inept celestial being, and finally, the bane of her existence—General of Agile Cavalry, Qian Qiao. Their first glance sparked like lightning meeting fire; their first day together ignited an unstoppable passion, and by the second day, they were inseparable, hopelessly entangled. (Xin Mei's commentary: This is what happens when lust turns into love. )Though deeply in love, the general faced the Transformation Tribulation and might soon depart this world. After repeated intimate encounters, he suddenly realized this couldn’t go on. Not wanting to ruin Xin Mei’s life, he indulged one last time before silently leaving his beloved. The wind howled, the river ran cold—the general departed, never to return. (Lu Qianqiao’s inner thoughts: Who is this scumbag? I’ll have Si Lan burn this operatic script later.)
After the general left, Xin Mei wept day and night, heartbroken. Fox immortals and cowardly immortals came to console her, leading to multiple complex, cruel, and forceful romantic entanglements. Though subjected to their advances, her heart remained with the general. After ambiguous wet encounters with the fox immortal and an attempted forced possession by the cowardly immortal, Xin Mei resolutely left. (Xin Mei: They’re even older than my great-grandfather!)
Just when all seemed lost, the general, under the vast blue skies, found himself unable to forget Xin Mei’s goodness. Learning of her entanglements with the two immortals, he flew into a rage, indulged once more, and in the throes of passion, their love reignited, inseparable once again. (Lu Qianqiao: Why am I always indulging…)
The sweetness didn’t last long. The general’s Transformation Tribulation arrived, robbing him of his senses and leaving him a living corpse. His mother, for the family’s honor, sent him to the battlefield, hoping he’d earn a glorious name in death. Amid the perilous battlefield, the general suddenly awakened, brandishing his blade in a killing frenzy—
Zhao Guanren shouted backstage, “Quick! Where’s the chicken blood? Splash it now! For effect! Effect!”
With a splash, as the general swung his gleaming blade onstage, crimson chicken blood drenched the platform, its metallic stench overwhelming. The scent-sensitive Demons frowned, covering their noses.
Xin Mei took out a plum-scented incense cake from her sleeve, placed it in a hand warmer, and held it to her nose. Suddenly, she felt Lu Qianqiao’s arm around her shoulders tighten. Puzzled, she looked up to see him expressionless, staring fixedly at the blood-soaked stage.
She raised the hand warmer to his nose. He shuddered, looking down at her in surprise.
“Now you won’t smell it,” she said with a grin, pressing her warm palm to his cold cheek.
He clasped her hand, pulling his cloak tighter. Watching the melodramatic play, he mused, “Was it… like that that day?”
He knew he’d killed many at Jiaping Pass—but only later. During his awakening, he’d been completely unconscious, without memory.
“Much worse than this,” Xin Mei spat out melon seed shells. “There were severed limbs, guts, and all…”
“Xin Mei…” he sighed helplessly. “Be quiet.”
Onstage, the general raged, the War Ghost’s power erupting as he let out a beastly roar of ecstasy. He killed his loyal subordinate Alan (another bucket of chicken blood) and prepared to slaughter other innocents. At the critical moment, Xin Mei appeared.
She rushed forward, embracing the general tightly, calling his name with deep, hoarse emotion. His violent movements gradually stilled, and he regained his senses. Before the crowd, they embraced and kissed, recounting their love.
“Lu Qianqiao, if I’d hugged you like that back then, would you have woken up?”Though it was clichéd and melodramatic, Xin Mei was moved to tears, completely immersed in the play as if it were someone else's story.
"You'd better not even think about doing something so foolish," Lu Qianqiao frowned.
She sniffled, then grinned smugly. "So... in times like these, throwing rocks is definitely the most effective solution."
...No wonder the back of his head had hurt so much when he woke up that day. He had assumed it was from being knocked out by Li Min or someone else. Turns out, she had hit him with a rock.
The truth was out.
He pinched her cheek.
The general, having successfully overcome the Transformation Tribulation, now possessed the full power of a War Ghost and the noblest, purest bloodline. His mother demanded he preserve this purity by marrying a noblewoman from the War Ghost clan. Little Mei had expected him to refuse outright, but to her surprise, he agreed without hesitation.
[Why? Didn’t you promise to marry me and love me until the end of time?] Little Mei wept silently.
[I don’t remember much from the past. If I had truly loved you madly, I wouldn’t have forgotten. My feelings for you back then must not have been that deep.] The general remained unfazed.
[You... you heartless monster!]
[I’m sorry for wasting your time for so long.]
[You’ll regret this! I’ll make sure you live in regret for the rest of your life, never able to redeem yourself!]
Little Mei ran off in tears. The lanterns on stage dimmed one by one as Zhao Guanren cleared his throat and announced in his gentlest voice, "Why did the general’s temperament change overnight? Where will Little Mei go after leaving? How will their love story conclude? Stay tuned for the second part of A Match Made in Resentment —the best is yet to come!"
The audience sobbed uncontrollably. Xin Mei wiped her nose and tugged at Lu Qianqiao’s sleeve. "Lu Qianqiao, you wouldn’t marry some noble War Ghost and abandon me, would you?"
...His head was pounding. Maybe he should ask Si Lan to roast some rat meat for dinner tonight.
As the play ended, the Demons of the Imperial Mausoleum dispersed, sighing and wiping their tears. Xin Mei packed everything back into the Cosmos Sack and was about to leave when two lanterns on stage flickered back to life. Little Mei and Qianqiao remained on stage—one sitting, one lying down—their robes fluttering in the snow.
[Qianqiao, you always make me wait. This time, I can’t wait for you anymore.]
Shadows emerged behind them, the cold glint of blades piercing the heart.
[This time, you wait for me—on the road to the underworld, by the Bridge of Helplessness.]
The blades descended, blood splattering onto the ground near the feet of the two below. The lanterns blinked out again, plunging the stage into darkness.
Zhao Guanren peeked out from backstage, his beard twitching smugly. "General, young lady, what do you think? A special finale just for you two! Love beyond death! Touching, isn’t it?"
Xin Mei hurled a massive snowball, hitting him square on the nose. "So touching!"
Zhao Guanren clutched his nose and rolled on the ground in pain. Xin Mei scrambled to find medicine to apologize, while Lu Qianqiao... rubbed the bloodstains off his boots in the snow and walked away.
The stench of blood was too strong—he needed to wash it off immediately...
After tending to Zhao Guanren’s poor nose, Xin Mei turned around to find Lu Qianqiao gone. She hurried back, only to see his cloak discarded on the ground just inside the courtyard.
A few steps further, his outer robe lay abandoned. Near the door, his shoes were tossed aside.Xin Mei pushed open the door in confusion and turned into the bedroom—no one was there. Heading toward the adjacent bathing pool, she saw clothes scattered all over the floor, while Lu Qianqiao was submerged in the steaming water, motionless.
The air was thick with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus, the scented oil she usually used for bathing. He must have poured an excessive amount into the water—the scent was so strong it nearly choked her.
"Lu Qianqiao, what's wrong with you?" She leaned over the edge of the pool and asked cautiously.
Slowly, he emerged from the water, droplets rolling down his striking features. Turning toward her, he suddenly grabbed her wrist and yanked. Xin Mei let out a shriek as she tumbled into the pool, scrambling up like a drenched cat in panic—only to be pulled into a tight embrace the next moment.
"You—"
Her words were cut off by his scorching lips.
A fierce kiss.
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