To Get Married - Chapter 49

Chapter 49

On Monday afternoon, Lu Yudong accompanied Ye Liujing on three or four separate trips up and down the piano building, all for the sake of milk tea and hand-grabbed pancakes.

Unfortunately, the fate between Ye Liujing and her beloved “little hottie” was clearly lacking. They checked every occupied piano room but failed to find him.

Lu Yudong, holding a fragrant pancake in one hand and warm oat milk tea in the other, hummed a random melody, feeling quite cheerful.

Ye Liujing grumbled that she was heartless for not pitying her unlucky roommate. Yudong just laughed and said, “There’s always next time. I’ll come with you whenever I’m free.”

“I’m not treating you next time!”

“You treated me once, and I’ll remember it. From now on, I’ll ‘reluctantly’ accompany you for free.”

The two girls made a simple pact. From that day on, whenever they had a break, they headed to the piano building. With students constantly coming and going, two girls wandering around didn’t look out of place. Although they were vocal majors, piano was a required course; if they couldn’t find the guy, they’d just pick an empty room and practice.

They searched from Monday all the way through Thursday. During those days, Ye Liujing’s eyes were constantly scanning her surroundings, especially in the cafeteria. Still, she found no one, as if the person didn’t even attend the school.

But it made sense. With so many people moving about, if two strangers weren’t destined to cross paths, they wouldn’t. Because she couldn’t find him, she gave him a nickname: “Little Mystery.”

Ye Liujing tossed and turned on her bed, her voice filled with frustration. “I can’t find him! Why can’t I find him?”

“Is Little Leaf that obsessed?” Tang Qian asked.

“She’ll be over it soon,” Chen Yang said. “She switches idols faster than I do. He’s just a guy whose name she doesn’t even know. The passion won’t last.”

Yudong added, “Hard to say. Little Leaf seems pretty ‘possessed’ this time.”

Ye Liujing flipped over, looking at Yudong—who was meditating with her eyes closed—then at Chen Yang, and finally at Tang Qian’s closed curtains. “Do you guys believe in love at first sight?”

Chen Yang thought for a bit. “Not really.”

The scene of the first time she met Manzhu flashed in Yudong’s mind. The corners of her mouth curled up, but she caught herself immediately. Opening her eyes, she said, “I think… I think it exists. If you have a good feeling at first glance and like them more as you get to know them, that counts as love at first sight, right?”

Tang Qian spoke from behind her curtain: “That’s not love at first sight; that’s being ‘lustful at first sight’ for someone’s looks!”

“You don’t understand,” Ye Liujing said. “Little Mystery feels different. Even though I only saw him through a window, I have this feeling… that he’s the one.”

“What if his personality is terrible?” Tang Qian countered. “Stingy, childish, narcissistic, or a player?”

“Exactly,” Chen Yang agreed. “Handsome guys aren’t ‘safe.’ Think about it—you saw him once and are obsessed. Imagine how many girls are buzzing around him.”

“Can’t you guys wish me some luck?” Liujing moaned.

“We just don’t want you falling into a pit! You know nothing about him.”

Ye Liujing buried her head in her blankets. “Fine. I give up. I’m not looking anymore.”

Despite saying that, after the next day’s nap, she dragged Yudong back to the piano building. Naturally, they didn’t find him.

Returning to the dorm unhappy, Liujing followed Yudong around like a buzzing mosquito, letting out a long, nasal whine.

When Chen Yang and Tang Qian returned, Chen Yang’s first words were: “It’s November, why are there still mosquitoes buzzing?”

Yudong couldn’t help but laugh. “Right? She’s been buzzing behind me for ages. She didn’t even stop while I was boiling water.” She handed a cup of warm water to Liujing.

Liujing downed it like she was drinking away her sorrows.

“Tried to ‘accidentally’ meet Little Mystery again?” Chen Yang asked.

Yudong nodded.

“I thought you gave up?” Tang Qian teased.

“What Little Mystery? I wasn’t looking! I wasn’t!” Liujing insisted stubbornly. “Yudong and I were practicing! We’re just waiting for you two. Isn’t Yudong taking us to the bar tonight?”

Chen Yang laughed. “So tonight, Little Leaf is going to drink her sorrows away?”

“No! What do I have to be sorrowful about?”

As the two teased Liujing, Yudong walked to the window and called Manzhu.

“Sister, I’m bringing my roommates to the bar tonight. Tell Little Uncle to give us a discount, okay?”

On the other end, Manzhu said, “You haven’t eaten, right? Xiaozhi wanted hotpot, so Uncle Gou prepared it. You can join us when you get here.”

“I haven’t had Uncle Gou’s hotpot in ages!”

“Then eat plenty tonight.”

“Okay! We’ll be there before dinner!” Yudong waited for Manzhu to hang up before turning to her roommates. “How about hotpot tonight?”

“I thought we were going to a bar?” Liujing asked. “Do bars serve hotpot?”

“No,” Yudong laughed. “It’s their staff meal. We’re just crashing it for free.”

“Free? That’s awesome!”

“Other things still cost money, though. I just hope Little Uncle gives me some face and offers us a discount.”

Liujing sighed. “Even with a discount, I probably can’t afford many drinks.”

Chen Yang immediately declared that she would treat everyone so Liujing could successfully drown her sorrows. Liujing, “touched,” resumed her mosquito-like buzzing behind Chen Yang.

On the way to the bar, Yudong spoke about her family situation for the first time.

“The summer I finished elementary school, my parents took me on a road trip. On the way back, we had a car accident. When I woke up, they were gone. After that, I lived with my sister. Her job is here—at the bar—so she brought me from Zhongjiang. We aren’t related by blood, but she’s incredible to me. Besides my parents, she’s the person who loves me most, so she’s my favorite person!”

As Yudong spoke, Liujing felt a pang of sympathy. “My Master is like that too. I love my Master the most.”

Yudong smiled. “My sister is very gentle. She can cook, she sings beautifully, and she’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. You’ll see!”

“Yudong rarely praises someone’s looks; I’m curious,” Chen Yang said.

“Really? I don’t?” Yudong thought for a moment. “My Little Uncle and Little Master are very handsome too.” She then teased Liujing, “Little Leaf, don’t go getting ‘lustful at first sight’ for them.”

“Do I look that thirsty?!”

“Yes!” Chen Yang and Tang Qian nodded.

“Hey! I have Little Mystery in my heart!” Liujing protested. “Besides, Yudong’s Uncle and Master must be way older than me. I’m not into ‘uncles.’ And I definitely couldn’t handle a middle-aged gay man with a ‘maiden’s heart’.”

Yudong panicked and nudged Liujing’s arm. “Don’t let them hear that! And keep your eyes normal later—don’t let them sense anything! I promised Little Uncle I wouldn’t tell anyone his secrets…”

Yudong felt guilty. If Mu Chenshan and Yan Zhaomu knew she was making up stories about their “unrequited love” and “sharing a bed,” they would be furious.

“Don’t worry! We get it. We won’t sell you out,” Liujing said.

“We’re just here to observe out of curiosity. We won’t say a word!” Tang Qian added.

“Yudong, you rarely talk about home. Tell us more today?”

Yudong nodded. “I’ll talk, then. Don’t complain that I’m wordy.”

She spent the hour-and-a-half drive sharing stories from her childhood—life at home, school, and the bar. She told them how Mu Chenshan, the owner, had looked after her despite not being related, and how the bartender, her “Little Master,” always bought her milk tea. She spoke of Huanxi and Xiaozhi, and Uncle Gou who was cooking for them. The bar was her second home.

When they arrived at Not An Old Friend at 5:30 PM, the bar was just opening. Everyone was gathered near the kitchen for hotpot.

As soon as Yudong opened the door, the scent of hotpot hit her. “Perfect timing, dinner is ready.”

Chen Yang and Tang Qian were a bit reserved. It was their first time in a bar, and even though they knew it was a “quiet bar,” they were still nervous.

Ye Liujing, however, was completely stunned.

The bar was under a demonic barrier set by Mu Chenshan to hide the minor demons’ incomplete transformations. Ordinary people couldn’t sense it, but Ye Liujing could.

There was demonic energy here—heavy energy. There were at least a dozen demons!

She never imagined Yudong would bring her to a den of demons. No wonder Yudong had reacted so strangely when she first heard Liujing was an Exorcist. Yudong had been raised by demons!

Yudong watched Liujing’s wide-eyed expression and eventually burst out laughing. Realizing she was being teased, Liujing glared at her. Yudong said, “Take off your coats; the AC is on. I’ll put them away for you!”

Huanxi ran out and warmly greeted the girls. Mu Chenshan had already told Uncle Gou to set a separate table in the non-smoking area for Yudong and her friends, knowing they might feel uncomfortable at the main staff table.

Huanxi led them to their table, where plates of sliced meat and vegetables were waiting.

“Where’s Sister? Eating over there?” Yudong asked, pointing to the staff area.

“Yeah,” Huanxi replied.

“I’ll go check on her! You guys start eating, I’ll be right back,” Yudong told her roommates.

Yudong followed Huanxi to the staff table. She gestured for the others to stay quiet and tiptoed behind Manzhu, covering her eyes.

It was a childish move. No one in the bar besides Yudong would dare touch Manzhu like that.

Manzhu smiled. “Why aren’t you with your classmates?”

Yudong let go, resting her chin on Manzhu’s shoulder and looking at the hotpot. “Their food hasn’t started boiling yet. Yours is ready, so I came for a few bites.”

Manzhu laughed and tried to hand Yudong her chopsticks, but Yudong shook her head. “Just kidding. I mostly just missed you.”

“You’re pressing on my shoulder, I can’t eat properly,” Manzhu teased.

Yudong took the chopsticks, moved to Manzhu’s side, swirled a piece of beef in the pot, blew on it, and held it to Manzhu’s lips. Manzhu blinked in surprise, then smiled and ate it.

“Not too hot? Is it good?” Yudong asked earnestly.

“Okay, go back to your friends,” Manzhu said, gently pushing her. “You can’t bring classmates here and then ignore them.”

Yudong nodded, but as she turned to leave, she noticed a bit of oil on Manzhu’s lip. She leaned in closer.

“What is it?” Manzhu asked.

“A little dirty. I must have gotten some on you when I fed you.”

Manzhu reached for a napkin, but before she could, Yudong reached out and gently wiped Manzhu’s lower lip with her finger.

Manzhu froze. By the time she snapped out of it, her ears were slightly burning, and Yudong was already walking away.

Suddenly, Gou Hongjie let out a very loud, intentional burp.