To Get Married - Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Gou Hongjie, suppressed by Mu Chenshan’s demonic power, couldn’t utter a word of human speech. Yet, even as he merely “woofed,” Lu Yudong understood exactly what he was yapping about.

Yudong jumped up from her chair, circled around to Gou Hongjie’s side, and squatted down. Clutching the back of the chair, she asked with a mix of surprise and curiosity, “Uncle Gou, can you bark a few more times for me?”

Gou Hongjie’s dog eyes widened. He stared at Yudong for a moment, then suddenly let out a wronged whimper.

He was a demon—a six-hundred-year-old dog demon. Why was he performing dog barks for an eighteen-year-old human girl? All that talk about “sugar mamas” earlier had been a joke; he didn’t actually want to warm anyone’s bed or bark on command… it was a blow to his self-esteem.

Realizing her request might have been a bit insensitive, Yudong quickly explained, “No, Uncle Gou, it’s because I think I can actually understand your barking! I want to see if it’s true!”

At that moment, the room fell silent. The minor demons all stared blankly at the girl and the dog by the table.

“Woof woof woof!”

“You’re calling my name!”

“Woof woof woof!”

“You’re shouting ‘Sister Manzhu’!”

“Woof woof woof woof woof!”

“You said, ‘I don’t want to bark anymore’…”

Gou Hongjie’s gaze went vacant, his tongue lolling out motionless as if he had turned into a statue.

Having understood three sentences in a row, Yudong stood up in delight. “I really can understand!”

The minor demons exchanged looks of pure shock. Mu Chenshan and Manzhu, however, remained calm. They shared a knowing glance, their suspicions confirmed.

Noticing the odd atmosphere, Yudong slowly stood up, looking lost as if she’d done something wrong. “What… what’s wrong with everyone?”

Xiaozhi took a deep breath. “You can hear what Er-Gouzi is saying?”

“Yes… yeah…” Yudong’s eyes scanned the room. “Can’t all of you?”

The demons chorused: “No!”

“Normally we could, but, but, but…” Xiaozhi stammered. It seemed the stuttering of the bar’s regular bartender was contagious. She glanced timidly at Mu Chenshan, and seeing his expression hadn’t changed, she found the courage to continue. “But Er-Gouzi’s spiritual power is currently sealed by the Boss’s demonic aura. Our cultivation is low; of course we can’t perceive anything…”

Yudong blinked, confused. “What does that mean?”

Xiaozhi explained, “It means, Little Yudong, that your cultivation is already high enough to see right through the seal the Boss just placed on Er-Gouzi…”

Yudong was struck with a mix of shock and joy. “Then… then… what level does that make me?”

Manzhu smiled. “It means you’re getting more powerful by the day.”

Yan Zhaomu added, “Pro-progressing… very fast.”

Manzhu continued, “In a few years, maybe your Little Uncle won’t be a match for you.”

Yudong rushed to Manzhu’s side, shaking her head and waving her hands. “Sister, don’t tease me. Little Uncle is so strong…”

Yan Zhaomu remarked, “Mu Chenshan… a flow-flower vase. Weak.”

This tone, this phrasing—she had clearly heard Mu Chenshan’s earlier comment about “sacrificing his charms” and was now expressing her utter disdain for him.

“Nonsense!” Mu Chenshan couldn’t stand being called a decorative flower vase. He rolled his eyes and funneled another surge of spiritual power into Gou Hongjie. “I only used ten percent of my power just now. Er-Gouzi, bark again. Bark a few more times and let’s see if Yudong still understands!”

Gou Hongjie barked several times with a look of utter resignation. This time, Yudong truly heard nothing. She shook her head blankly and asked curiously, “Little Uncle, how much power was that?”

“Only twenty percent,” Mu Chenshan said.

“At least thir-thirty,” Yan Zhaomu glared at him.

Ignoring the fact that his bluff had been called, Mu Chenshan cleared his throat and said earnestly, “Cultivation is hard; you still need to work at it… I’m going to grab something to eat.” He stood up, walked past Yudong, and patted her shoulder. “Seriously though, feel free to bring your classmates here to spend some money. This place is perfect for young artistic types.”

“But one of my roommates is an Exorcist,” Yudong mentioned. She watched their reactions, only to find that no one showed any hostility toward the word “Exorcist.”

Mu Chenshan didn’t even turn around; he just waved a hand dismissively as he walked toward the kitchen. It seemed Ye Liujing was right: these days, Exorcists and demons didn’t just fight on sight. Exorcists only moved against those who caused trouble.

For a while, everyone chatted excitedly, expressing their warm welcome for Yudong’s new friends. Amidst the laughter, a mournful awooo drifted from the side. Gou Hongjie was whining so pitifully he looked ready to cry. With his front paws on the table, he looked tearfully at Yudong, then Manzhu, and finally cast a pleading gaze toward Yan Zhaomu. His tail drooped dejectedly.

“Poor Er-Gouzi,” Xiaozhi said, reaching out to pet him. He looked completely broken.

“Lucky Huanxi ran away fast,” the rabbit spirit noted. The other demons nodded in agreement.

Yan Zhaomu, who had also just woken up, unsealed Gou Hongjie’s power and followed Mu Chenshan into the kitchen. Gou Hongjie, harboring his silent suffering, sat to the side and started playing with his phone in “emo mode.”

Once she was sure the coast was clear, Huanxi came thumping back down from the second floor to join the chat. This time, the conversation drifted away from “rich women” to random topics until the bar opened for business at 5:00 PM.

Not An Old Friend was divided into many small sections by screens. Those who liked peace sat further away, while those who enjoyed the buzz sat near the stage. The screens were usually folded back. The people sitting in the central area were naturally regulars. They recognized everyone on staff—and of course, they all knew Yudong, the sister of the bar’s number one beauty.

They had watched her grow from a scrawny little thing into a graceful, radiant young woman. Consequently, the regulars paid her quite a bit of attention.

Around 9:00 PM, the bar began to fill up. Manzhu would take breaks between sets. During one such break, a regular near the stage suddenly spoke up: “Isn’t Little Yudong a student at Yuanchuan Conservatory? She must be a great singer. Why not perform a few songs?”

Others immediately chimed in. “When Manzhu was away, didn’t those other freshmen and sophomores sing? Let Yudong sing; I bet she’s better than them.”

“She’s Manzhu’s sister, after all. With a sister this beautiful and talented, the younger one definitely won’t disappoint.”

Yudong had been listening to the ambient music and chatting with her roommates on Q.Q. When the topic suddenly shifted to her, the surrounding guests turned their gazes toward her, their interest piqued.

Manzhu returned from the kitchen with a fruit salad for Yudong. Seeing Yudong’s embarrassed expression amidst the crowd’s cheering, she quickly stepped in. “I’ve only been resting for a few minutes, and you’re already trying to get someone to steal my job?”

“Look at you! Isn’t she your sister? If she sings a few songs, you get to save your voice.”

“She’s a music student now; give her a stage. Yudong is grown up; she needs to show off her talent.”

“Exactly! Yudong is so pretty, maybe she’ll be a star one day. Once she’s famous and touring the country, she’ll need the confidence and stage presence she builds here!”

Manzhu sat down next to Yudong and smiled. “My Yudong isn’t going to be a star or go on some national tour. She’s going to stay by my side and keep me company forever.”

Someone laughed loudly. “You’re just the sister; your word doesn’t count! Let’s hear what Yudong thinks.”

Yudong looked at Manzhu, her eyes crinkling. “After I graduate, I just want to be a teacher. I’ll teach during the day and be with Sister at night.”

“Then you really should come up and perform! If you’re good, we’ll send our sons and daughters to you for lessons!”

“Right! Our kids can all call her ‘Teacher Lu’.”

Yudong perked up at that. “Really?”

“Of course!”

“Don’t believe them,” Manzhu interjected, pointing at a few guests. “They spend every day drinking and watching you grow up, but they don’t even have partners themselves, let alone kids. You guys are in your thirties, aren’t you?”

She shifted her gaze. “And you lot—you’ve been coming since college; you’re pushing thirty now, right?” Manzhu chuckled and looked at another group. “And that one—don’t look away, you ‘Sea King’ (player). How many girls have you flirted with in our bar? All talk and no commitment, throwing them away when you’re bored. You think I don’t know you’re all smooth talk?”

“Sister Manzhu, stop! Don’t roast us anymore, we’re already stupid!”

Manzhu’s voice was naturally low and soul-stirringly charming. When she bantered with the guests, even her “stinging” words didn’t offend; they sounded more like playful teasing, instantly livening up the atmosphere.

“I’ve always wanted to learn to sing,” one guest said. “How about this: if Little Yudong opens a class, I’ll be the first to sign up. Teacher Lu, is it too late for someone my age to learn?”

“My sister is a teacher at the No. 4 High School—she’s even a head teacher. If any of her students want to learn music, I’ll definitely recommend Teacher Lu!”

Yudong was genuinely happy. When she first started school, she had discussed her dreams with her roommates. Chen Yang and Ye Liujing wanted to be famous singers. Tang Qian wanted to be a famous novelist. Yudong had simply said, “I just want to be a teacher.”

“I heard music teachers are overworked and underpaid unless it’s a top-tier school,” Ye Liujing had said then. “Promotions are harder than other subjects, and you have to handle every art festival and choir competition. Unless you do private tutoring—that’s where the money is, but you need students first.”

“Students…”

“Yeah! Otherwise, who’s going to find you? There are so many teachers; students need a recommendation to pick one.”

Yudong had a headache thinking about it back then; it wasn’t as simple as Zhang Ziyun had once made it sound. Now, with the regulars at the bar—joking or not—saying they’d support her, she was thrilled. She stood up, her eyes filled with eagerness to try.

Manzhu pulled her back. “My sister isn’t a resident singer here. If you want to hear her, it counts as a song request. And the request money goes directly to her.”

“Understood! Direct transfer, none of it goes into Boss Mu’s pockets!”