They Are Archenemies, But They Have A Child - Chapter 72

Chapter 72: The Qǐqiǎo Festival

Yang Yuanli watched the backs of the two for a long time before finally choosing to head towards the carriage. After two days of observation, he was certain that there was something fishy going on, and it was inseparable from the Scarlet Flame Divine Sovereign. What exactly was going on with Liu Yu and Cui You? He needed to investigate further.

Inside the carriage, Cui You leaned against the window, looking somewhat listless. The fan he almost never parted with was set aside. Liu Yu observed this face, identical to his own. He had never seen himself look so dejected. Indeed, matters of love were like floods and wild beasts; it was best not to get involved. He picked up his fan and tapped Cui You. “Brother Cui, I have something I’d like you to help me with.” He briefly outlined his plan.

Cui You straightened his body. “You want me to help arrange blind dates for Brother Yun and Brother Leng?” Liu Yu nodded, feigning a troubled sigh. “To be honest, these two brothers of mine lack nothing, but their emotional life is barren. Since your Qǐqiǎo Festival is approaching, I want to give them some hope for pursuing lifelong happiness.”

“If that’s the case, why hide it from them?” Cui You was confused. Liu Yu took a bite of a pastry, swallowed it, and said, “They’re shy and concerned about appearances. If they knew we arranged blind dates for them, they definitely wouldn’t go. Moreover, you absolutely must do this with me, or you will definitely regret it later.”

Cui You perked up a little, picked up the fan from the side, and snapped it open. “In that case, leave it to me, your brother! I guarantee Brother Yun and Brother Leng will be satisfied!” After he finished speaking, he was still somewhat confused. “But why will I regret it later?” Liu Yu adjusted himself into a comfortable position, closed his eyes, and said, “It’s a secret.”

The night of the Qǐqiǎo Festival.

Yun Qingwu listened to Cui You, his eyes brightening slightly. “You’ve found your wife’s whereabouts?” Cui You nodded. “I met her maid, Xiao Cui, in the market today. Xiao Cui said Yuè’er would go boating on Jade Lake tonight for the Qǐqiǎo Festival. But I’m a bit worried that if I show up rashly, she won’t meet me and might leave again. So…”

Yun Qingwu nodded. “I see. Then A-Cí and I will go—” “Brother Yun, could you go alone this time? Brother Leng’s temper… is a bit unstable.” Cui You looked somewhat troubled. Yun Qingwu paused, then explained, “A-Cí means no harm.” “I know, but this might be my only chance…” Cui You sighed, turning his body to look at the moon in the sky.

Seeing this, Yun Qingwu stepped forward and patted Cui You’s shoulder. “I understand. I’ll help you.” Cui You turned and patted him back heavily. “Thank you, Brother Yun. I’ll take good care of Little Dāo for you. Go without worry.” Yun Qingwu felt that the words were a bit strange, but couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was odd about them at the moment, so he said nothing more.

On the other side, Liu Yu pulled Leng Licí into a corner and said mysteriously, “Today is the Qǐqiǎo Festival.” Leng Licí frowned and shook off Liu Yu’s hand. “So?” “Tsk, the Qǐqiǎo Festival is the day the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet once a year. In the mortal world, it’s also an important day for lovers.” “What exactly do you want to say?” Leng Licí looked impatient and turned to leave, but Liu Yu grabbed him again. “Why are you so unromantic? I heard that Qingwu is preparing a gift for you. What about you? Aren’t you going to prepare something?”

Leng Licí paused, turning to stare at Liu Yu. “A gift?” Liu Yu nodded without changing his expression. “Mhm, a gift.” Leng Licí knitted his brows, lost in thought. Seeing that this had worked, Liu Yu continued, “I’ve arranged a craftswoman for you. For the Qǐqiǎo Festival, lovers exchange heart-knot tokens woven from five-colored silk threads as gifts. She’s waiting for you on a boat on South Lake.”

Leng Licí’s face darkened, and he took a step closer to Liu Yu, scoffing, “Do the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl need mortals to worry about them? You certainly meddle in a lot of affairs.” With that, he turned and left, leaving Liu Yu pondering, “Did it work or not?”

Before Yun Qingwu left, he had been worried that Leng Licí would question him, but he didn’t even see a shadow of him. “Oh, Xiao Cí took Little Dāo to the market,” Liu Yu said without batting an eyelid. Yun Qingwu felt a little strange. Why would A-Cí go to the market without calling him? Never mind, I should hurry and come back quickly. Thinking this, Yun Qingwu immediately headed towards Jade Lake.

The night of the Qǐqiǎo Festival, though not as grand as the Lantern Festival, was much livelier than usual. Various pleasure boats floated on Jade Lake, adorned with flower lanterns of different shapes, all brightly lit. The young men and women by the lake, who understood each other’s feelings and were testing the waters with their words, were a beautiful sight in the night. Yun Qingwu walked along the lake, his outstanding appearance attracting many shy, sidelong glances from women, but his mind and heart were focused only on finding Liú Qīngyuè as quickly as possible. He was completely oblivious to these gazes.

Before long, he found the pleasure boat that Cui You had described, which was decorated with Chinese roses. He leaped lightly, landing gently on the bow deck. There was no one guarding the deck. The dim yellow light shone through the window paper onto the deck planks. Combined with the clusters of roses on the boat, it inexplicably added a touch of amorousness. Yun Qingwu’s heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition immediately arose. “Since Young Master Yun has arrived, why not come in for a talk?” A gentle, beautiful woman’s voice came from inside the cabin.

By now, there was no longer any doubt—this was a trap. He was momentarily speechless. This was most likely Liu Yu’s bad idea. Ever since they were separated into different rooms, he had deliberately tried to keep him and A-Cí apart, and he still hadn’t given up. The words Liu Yu spoke just before he left flashed through his mind. Yun Qingwu’s heart tightened. Was the situation with A-Cí the same? Darn it, he immediately jumped off the boat and rushed back.

The woman’s voice came out again from inside: “Young Master Yun?” “My apologies, I am a duànxiù (homosexual man), so I won’t waste the young lady’s time.” Throwing down this sentence, Yun Qingwu got ashore without looking back. Everything on the boat fell silent. The originally dignified and gentle woman’s voice suddenly changed its tone, saying teasingly, “What a coincidence.”

Yun Qingwu returned to the Cui residence and immediately saw Liu Yu and Cui You teasing Little Dāo. “Where is A-Cí?!” he demanded sharply. “How are you back so quickly?” Liu Yu looked surprised and teased, “That young lady is the apple of her family’s eye, and Brother Cui put a lot of effort into inviting her. You should have—”

Anxious, Yun Qingwu interrupted with a serious tone, “Where is A-Cí? Did you arrange a blind date for him too?” Liu Yu nodded. “I’m doing this for your own good. Your relationship is ultimately not the proper path.” “If you don’t want an irreparable mess to happen, tell me the location immediately!” Yun Qingwu didn’t have time to debate with Liu Yu about what the proper path was. Liu Yu, however, was unconcerned. “How could that be? Although Xiao Cí has a temper, since he is—of the same blood as me, he should have a sense of propriety.”

Yun Qingwu looked silently at Liu Yu. Logically, he knew that Liu Yu’s actions and words were due to incomplete memory and lack of knowledge about the full history. But hearing them still left a bad taste in his mouth. His tone grew colder. “What do you know? When have you ever truly understood A-Cí?” Little Dāo seemed to sense Yun Qingwu’s emotions, reaching up to hold Yun Qingwu’s hand. “Dadd.”

Seeing that Yun Qingwu was genuinely anxious, Cui You quickly said, “Brother Leng is on a painted pleasure boat with colored balls hanging on it, on South Lake.” Yun Qingwu quietly picked up Little Dāo and headed towards South Lake.