To Get Married - Chapter 50

Chapter 50

The moment the burp erupted, everyone’s eyes shifted to Gou Hongjie.

“My stomach’s been a bit upset lately,” Gou Hongjie mumbled, rubbing his belly with an awkward smile before lowering his head to continue eating.

Manzhu instinctively lowered her gaze, her heart rate quickening significantly. She didn’t know what was happening. Yudong leaned against her often, and they had shared far more intimate moments, yet that simple act of wiping her lip had left her with a restless, itchy sensation in her soul.

Not wanting to be found out, she forced herself to act indifferent and continued her meal.

Mu Chenshan observed Manzhu out of the corner of his eye. Seeing her slight flush and restless demeanor, he mused—Yudong’s move actually worked.

He turned back to his own bowl, swirled a piece of beef in the pot, blew on it, and was just about to attempt the next step when Yan Zhaomu set down her bowl and walked toward the bar.

Mu Chenshan froze, then awkwardly stuffed the meat into his own mouth. Fortunately, no one was watching him, so he didn’t lose too much face.

He ate for a few more minutes, but the fun was gone. He stood up with a sigh. “I’m full… you guys eat faster, we have work to do.”

“Normally when people leave the table, they tell the others to take their time. You’re the only boss who tells us to hurry up,” Huanxi grumbled softly. “Hotpot is meant to be enjoyed slowly.”

“You can eat as slowly as you like,” Mu Chenshan said with a playful smirk. “Shall I bring out some alcohol so you can drink while you eat?”

Sensing the boss was in a foul mood, Huanxi shook her head frantically.

“Eat up, eat up,” Xiaozhi urged. “Er-Gouzi, throw the spinach and cabbage in!”

Since there were no customers yet, Yan Zhaomu was sitting behind the bar scrolling through her phone. When Mu Chenshan approached, she only glanced up briefly before returning to her screen.

Mu Chenshan leaned against the bar. “You didn’t eat much today.”

“Not hungry.”

“I saw you barely touched your chopsticks. I was going to get you some food and blow it cool for you…”

“Save it,” Zhaomu said flatly. “Saliva. Gross.”

Mu Chenshan choked on his words. Before he could respond, two girls approached—one with long hair and one with glasses. They nudged each other forward until they finally greeted him and Zhaomu.

“We wanted to get some drinks,” Chen Yang said, pointing toward the non-smoking area. “The hotpot is a bit spicy.”

“Yudong’s roommates, right?” Mu Chenshan smiled. “What would you like?”

“Do you have Wang Lo Kat (herbal tea)?” Tang Qian asked.

“Do you have soy milk?” Chen Yang added.

Before Mu Chenshan could react, Yan Zhaomu had already reached down and pulled out a bottle of soy milk and a can of tea.

“Thank you! Two bottles of soy milk and one Coke, please!” Tang Qian said.

Zhaomu pulled out the extra drinks and used a bottle opener to open the soy milk, placing a straw in each.

“Eighteen,” Mu Chenshan said, pointing to the soy milk, then to the tea. “And fifteen for this.”

“Huh?” Tang Qian was stunned. That was nearly four times the price outside!

Chen Yang pulled her sleeve. “Bar prices are high. Even a glass of juice is nearly twenty.”

“I’m just teasing,” Mu Chenshan laughed, his eyes crinkling. “Since you’re Yudong’s friends, these are on the house. This is a bar, not a hotpot shop. It’s a waste to just drink stuff you can buy anywhere. You must try something else later. If you don’t know what to order, just ask me.”

“We’ve actually never drunk alcohol,” Chen Yang whispered.

“If you can’t handle high proof, try fruit wine or low-alcohol cocktails. They’re great for girls; Yudong drinks them often. Right, Zhaomu?”

Yan Zhaomu nodded. The two girls shared a secret smile, thanked them, and hurried back.

“What are those girls laughing at?” Mu Chenshan glanced at Zhaomu. He picked up a lemon and tossed it at her chest. “Don’t tell me they’ve fallen for me? Zhaomu?” He emphasized the last word.

Zhaomu rolled her eyes. “Old man… have some f-face.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m old. I should probably find someone just as old, right…?” Before he could finish, Zhaomu pelted three lemons back at him. “Hey! Stop!”

Since it was business hours, Mu Chenshan didn’t dare use magic. He scrambled to catch and set down the lemons, but as fast as he picked them up, she threw more. It became a never-ending cycle of lemon-tossing.

“Enough! Stop throwing them!”

“My bad! I’m sorry!”

“Stop! You’ll bruise them, we need those for the drinks tonight!”

When Chen Yang and Tang Qian got back to the table, they were wearing full “shipper” smiles.

“Are those really Yudong’s Uncle and Master?” Tang Qian asked. “They look so young and handsome! And so compatible!”

“Your Little Uncle’s hair is so long,” Chen Yang marveled. “I’ve never seen a guy pull that off without looking feminine. He’s so cool. And I called your Master ‘Little Brother,’ I hope that wasn’t rude… calling him ‘Uncle’ felt wrong since he looks our age.”

Tang Qian added, “Yudong, how did your Little Uncle get that scar on his neck? It looks serious.”

Yudong shook her head. “I honestly don’t know.”

Ye Liujing sat there holding her unopened Coke, looking bewildered as she listened to them. “Are they really that handsome?”

“Handsomer than your ‘Little Mystery,’ and their voices are better too,” Chen Yang said.

“Then I have to see for myself,” Liujing said, standing up.

“You already have your drink. What’s your excuse?” Yudong asked.

Liujing grabbed her Coke. “I suddenly don’t want Coke. I’m going to swap it for soy milk!”

She skipped off, only to return a few minutes later looking shell-shocked.

“What happened?” Tang Qian asked. “Don’t tell me you’ve moved on from Little Mystery already.”

Liujing shook her head blankly. “When I went out there, I saw them… throwing lemons at each other.”

“Throwing lemons?” Yudong asked.

“The one inside the bar was pelting the one outside with lemons…”

“The one without the scar?” Chen Yang asked.

“Yeah!” Liujing nodded. “And then they stopped as soon as they saw me.”

Tang Qian’s smile widened. “I get it! They’re playing games. Throwing lemons… as expected of a couple who cuddles but only kisses on the cheek. So ‘shoujo’! I bet the one inside is the ‘shou’ (submissive) one?”

As the two non-Exorcists gossiped, only Yudong knew the real reason for Liujing’s shock.

The two men were powerful demons. They masked their aura so well that Liujing hadn’t noticed them at first, but face-to-face, she could see through it. They were snake demons—at least two thousand years old. She had never seen a Great Demon before, let alone two of them bickering over fruit.

She quickly sent Yudong a private message.

Little Leaf: Lu Yudong! You’re such a good actor!

Little Leaf: You kept this from me for so long! All those times I said I’d take you to see a ‘Great Demon’ to broaden your horizons, you were laughing at me, weren’t you?!

Lu Yudong: [Giggling emoji] How do you like the horizons I brought you to?

Little Leaf: [I’m not listening!]

Lu Yudong: My sister is one, too.

Little Leaf: [Blank stare]

Lu Yudong: Want to meet her? She’s the most powerful demon here.

Little Leaf: You know all three Great Demons of Yuanchuan?

Lu Yudong: Yup!

Little Leaf: Honestly, how did you meet them?!

Lu Yudong: I told you the truth. My sister saved me after the accident.

Little Leaf: And before that?

Lu Yudong: Didn’t know them. I didn’t hide it on purpose. You’re an Exorcist; I had to be sure before bringing you here.

Little Leaf: How does it feel to meet them?

Little Leaf: Emmm. They’re handsome, but totally not what I imagined. I expected them to be… majestic, calm, commanding. Instead… they’re just… this?

One was throwing lemons, and the other was defenseless against them. Where was the “Great Demon” dignity? It was like meeting a legendary saint only to find him eating fried chicken and complaining about constipation.

“Why are you two just playing on your phones?” Tang Qian asked, interrupting the chat.

“We should eat faster,” Yudong said. “The hotpot smell is strong; we should clear it before more customers arrive.”

Ye Liujing sighed, sipped her soy milk, and started eating. Suddenly, she saw Chen Yang and Tang Qian’s expressions go blank. She turned around and saw a woman—no, a female demon.

She wore a black top and a long red skirt, with a white gauze robe draped over her shoulders. Her waist was cinched to show an alluring figure. She was exquisitely beautiful, with a natural, breathtaking charm.

This was a Great Demon. Truly close to a god.

Before Liujing could even process her excitement, the woman walked over and stood next to Yudong.

“How is it?” Manzhu asked.

“Delicious!” Yudong replied.

Manzhu bit her lip slightly, seemingly looking for something to say. “Our pot was a bit salty. I couldn’t eat much. Maybe it cooked too long.”

“Really? Mine isn’t salty…” Yudong turned and fed Manzhu a piece of rice cake. “How is it?”

Manzhu nodded. “Good.”

Yudong smiled, picked up her soy milk, and handed it to Manzhu. “If the food was salty, you’ll be thirsty. Have some of this.”

“Okay,” Manzhu replied, leaning down to take Yudong’s straw into her mouth.

Chen Yang stared in shock. Tang Qian’s eyes sparkled with “shipping” energy. Ye Liujing, however, was completely petrified.

It seemed the “saints” really did drink Coke, eat fried chicken, and share straws with their disciples. In the face of reality, human worship didn’t stand a chance.