Fate Chooses You

The greatest distance in this world is not between life and death, but when I stand right beside you, yet you don't know I love you—

Meishan Jun couldn't remember which book he had read this remarkably poignant line from, but at the time, it struck him straight to the heart, bringing tears that soaked his robes in an instant.

Driven by a rare surge of passion, he had once rushed to the Imperial Mausoleum, hoping to elope with the girl he loved. Yet through a twist of fate, he missed his chance once more. Completely losing his courage, he no longer cared even for the freshest gossip, spending his days holed up in Meishan Residence drowning in tears and wine, living in a drunken stupor.

Coincidentally, Fu Jiuyun and Zhen Hongsheng came to visit him that day. The Spirit Guard at the gate led them to the lotus pond, pointing disdainfully at a disheveled man frozen in the thin ice. "He's been shrinking himself in the pond for four or five days. You may take a look."

Zhen Hongsheng covered his mouth in amusement, while Fu Jiuyun broke off a twig, crouched by the pond, and lightly poked the man's nostrils. "Seems stiff as a corpse," he remarked in surprise.

Crack. The thin ice split as the disheveled Meishan Jun grabbed the twig weakly. "Leave me be... I want Xiao Mei... Xiao Mei..."

"Xiao Mei?" Fu Jiuyun vaguely felt he had heard the name somewhere but couldn't recall it at the moment.

"That girl from the Sinister Clan," Zhen Hongsheng kindly explained.

"Ah, that little beauty." Fu Jiuyun suddenly understood, giving Meishan Jun a thumbs-up. "You've got good taste—she's truly lovely. If you like her, why not pursue her?"

The question struck Meishan Jun's hidden pain once more. With a pained sob, he submerged himself into the pond, bubbles rising to the surface.

Zhen Hongsheng continued helpfully, "She's already married—to a War Ghost."

Fu Jiuyun smiled knowingly, reaching into his sleeve as he addressed the despondent figure in the pond. "Meishan, come out. I've got something good for you."

Meishan Jun peeked out, his lifeless eyes like those of a dead fish, staring fixedly at him.

A soft sheet of paper was retrieved, unfolded, and presented before him—

Instantly, those dead-fish eyes radiated astonishing brilliance!

"Xiao Mei!"

He lunged forward, only to slip on the pond's muddy bottom and fall flat on his face.

The paper unmistakably depicted a breathtaking beauty—her smile sweet and innocent, her eyes bright and brimming with confidence, her figure slender, her grace dignified. It was unmistakably an 18- or 19-year-old version of Xin Mei!

Fu Jiuyun gazed at him with pity, his voice unusually gentle. "Meishan, as your friend, I can help you—help you remember her through this keepsake . This portrait is yours."

Meishan Jun leaped out of the lotus pond. With a flick of his sleeve, Zhen Hongsheng instantly dried him of all water and ice. Clambering over, he snatched the portrait, wishing he could tear open his chest and tuck it next to his heart.

"Let him reminisce with that keepsake. Fox, let's drink. This time, I brought a cartload of fine wine called 'Drunken Stupor.'"

Fu Jiuyun, robes fluttering gracefully, led Zhen Hongsheng inside with a smile to drink. Meishan Jun shouted in panic, "Wait! Me too! Fu Jiuyun! Damn fox! Don't hog it all!"

Zhen Hongsheng merely chuckled. "No longer pining for Xiao Mei?"

Meishan Jun carefully folded Xin Mei's portrait and tucked it close to his heart. "This is some comfort, at least."

Better than staring blankly at nothing all day.The three of them rarely had the chance to gather for drinks, and the cart full of "Drunken Dreams" that Fu Jiuyun had brought was nearly emptied by mid-morning, leaving only a few jars remaining.

As they were chatting, a Spirit Guard suddenly rushed in through the door in a panic, shouting, "Master! That War Fiend General is—"

Meishan Jun let out a yelp, dropped his wine cup, and dove under the table, refusing to come out no matter what.

The Spirit Guard reached them and looked at him disdainfully. "...That War Fiend General sent a letter."

Meishan Jun emerged from under the table, impeccably dressed, and smiled primly. "I was just picking up my cup."

The Spirit Guard tossed the letter down, scoffed, and ran off while picking his nose.

Blushing furiously, Meishan Jun opened the letter. This time, Lu Qianqiao wasn’t inquiring about a person but rather several extremely rare medicinal herbs. Coincidentally, Meishan Jun knew exactly where they grew and immediately penned a reply, instructing the Spirit Guard to deliver it.

Zhen Hongsheng seemed to recall something and chuckled. "Speaking of that War Fiend General, I saw him a couple of months ago—he looked absolutely ferocious. I thought it was a bad sign. As for that girl from the Sinister Clan, I once read her palm. Their fate was only supposed to last until his transformation. Back then, I thought the general would kill her after transforming, but who would’ve thought... Well, Yuqing Xianren truly has a sharp eye. That girl’s 'husband-destroying' fate ended up suppressing the War Fiend General’s own fate. Now he’s got one red eye and one black, like some mixed-breed cat."

Meishan Jun only caught the part about their fate ending at the transformation and couldn’t contain his excitement. He grabbed Zhen Hongsheng’s collar tightly. "Are you serious?! They have no future together?"

Zhen Hongsheng rolled his eyes. "Well, it’s not that simple... Fate isn’t always reliable—"

"Just tell me if it’s true they have no future!" Meishan Jun roared.

Zhen Hongsheng smiled faintly. "Yes, that’s what the palm reading showed at the time... Meishan, I don’t think that girl necessarily dislikes you. If you keep hiding everything and crying alone, what’s the point?"

"Good brother!" Meishan Jun was moved to tears and vigorously patted his shoulder. "Thank you for the encouragement! I’m going right now!"

Fu Jiuyun glanced up, watching as Meishan Jun dashed to the door, mounted a small crane, and flew off with a radiant expression. He turned back to Zhen Hongsheng and blinked.

Zhen Hongsheng cheerfully picked up the last two jars of wine, handing one to Fu Jiuyun. "With one less person, we have just enough to share."

Fu Jiuyun nodded, smiling amiably. "You sly fox—you’re no good."

Early that morning, Lu Qianqiao had someone leave a letter outside the cloud mist array, stating that he would return on the second day of the second month and stay for two days before leaving again. Counting the days, the second of February was tomorrow. Xin Mei hastily scribbled a long shopping list on two sheets of paper and handed it to Si Lan, instructing him to go out and purchase everything.

When Xin Xiong woke up from his nap, he saw his daughter carrying a bucket of water, a rag, and a large broom, scrubbing and dusting everywhere with a spring in her step, even humming a cheerful tune.

His eyes lit up instantly. "Sweetheart, is our son-in-law coming home?"

He had been staying at the Imperial Mausoleum for a full month now. The scenery was beautiful, the days were leisurely, and he got to enjoy his daughter’s delicious home-cooked meals every day—far more enjoyable than life at the Sinister Clan. He was almost reluctant to leave. The only regret was that his son-in-law wasn’t home. But then again, as a general, he must have many battles to fight. A man’s ambitions lie far and wide; staying cooped up at home was for old men. Now that he was finally returning, the father-in-law was quite pleased."Dad, go find somewhere to play. I’ll clean up the house."

Xin Mei pushed her father out the door, splashed a bucket of water on the floor, and began scrubbing vigorously with a large broom.

Xin Xiong stroked his beard as he stepped outside. Within a few steps, he saw Tao Guoguo and his younger brother running over, laughing and roughhousing. The younger brother had a pair of golden chicken wings on his back, which he immediately retracted upon seeing Xin Xiong.

Passing by the lotus pond, Ying Lian had half her body transformed into a lotus flower, stretching lazily in the water. As soon as he approached, she casually leaned against the edge of the pond, sitting with one leg crossed over the other, as if the half-lotus transformation had been an illusion.

Continuing on, he passed by Zhao Guanren’s small cave. The man stood blankly at the entrance, staring up at the sky—apparently waiting for divine inspiration to strike. A thin rat’s tail peeked out from his clothes, propped on the ground like a cane, occasionally scratching his head or picking his nose.

The moment Xin Xiong approached, the rat tail vanished instantly. Zhao Guanren patted his clothes and bowed. "Master Xin, good morning."

Xin Xiong returned the greeting with a smile and strolled leisurely up to the high platform, where he lit a pipe and took a puff, feeling as blissful as an immortal.

For the sake of their son-in-law, these demons were putting in quite the effort to act human. He couldn’t bring himself to expose them. Demons showing more heart than humans—in this day and age, that was truly rare.

When Si Lan returned, he didn’t just bring back bundles of goods—he also dragged someone along. An immortal.

Hearing the commotion, Xin Mei peeked out from the kitchen and saw Meishan Jun, who for once wasn’t weeping or wailing. Instead, he stood composed, even exuding a hint of the solitary pride of an old plum tree, his expression brimming with smug confidence.

"Lord Meishan, here to visit?" she greeted kindly.

His face lit up, and he hurried over, opening his mouth to speak—only to suddenly glance back. A group of little demons eavesdropping with stretched ears immediately scattered like startled birds.

"Xiao Mei, come here. I have something to tell you."

For the first time, Meishan Jun boldly took her soft little hand and, as if floating on clouds, pulled her toward the beautiful sacred path nearby.

The cherry blossoms along the path were already showing hints of pale pink. In a little while, they would bloom—warm spring was coming.

Gazing at Xin Mei’s fair, lovely face, Meishan Jun stammered, "X-Xiao Mei, I-I-I’m an immortal. I can live a very, very long time… S-so, I don’t care about mortal things like marriage… E-even if you marry someone, I-I-I won’t mind…"

Xin Mei stared at him blankly. "Lord Meishan…"

His voice was so quiet, and his stuttering made his words nearly incomprehensible.

"You and the War Fiend General… there’s no fate between you anymore… s-so…"

"What fate?"

No more hesitation or cowardice, Meishan! Speak your heart openly—all of it! Yes, there’s no shame in loving her! The real shame is clinging to her day after day without confessing!

Say it! Say it!

His heart surging, Meishan Jun gazed at her and declared loudly, "Xiao Mei! I-I-I love you!"

…Why wasn’t she reacting?

He struggled to focus his vision, blurred from overwhelming emotion, only to realize she was staring wide-eyed at something behind him. Turning instinctively, he met a pair of expressionless eyes—one black, one red.

Thud, crack —that was probably the sound of his heart plummeting from the heavens.Xin Mei suddenly leaped up and swiftly threw herself into the person's arms, burying her head against his chest as she exclaimed excitedly, "Why are you back today? Didn't you say tomorrow? I haven't finished cooking yet! I—"

Lu Qianqiao lifted her up, gently patting her back as he cast a cool glance at Meishan Jun, whose face had turned ashen. "...It seems I returned at just the right time."

That glance—that glance... There was no way he could misinterpret it this time! The general was definitely treating him as a love rival! Absolutely no mistake about it!

Xin Mei hugged Lu Qianqiao's head and planted several enthusiastic kisses before remembering the gossipy immortal standing nearby. She casually waved a hand. "Lord Meishan, why don't you stay for dinner today?"

Lu Qianqiao looked down at him and said, "...Don't stand on ceremony."

...He didn't want to eat. Never again... He just wanted to turn into ashes and scatter into this wretched world...

—The greatest distance in the world isn't that I'm by your side while you don't know I love you. Rather... it's that I mustered the courage to say "I love you," only for you and your love rival to treat me like air!