Chapter 24

The afternoon sun was even more intense, making the entire sports field feel like it was scorching hot, turning autumn into the height of summer.

Wu Qi was dragged away by his homeroom teacher after finishing the 3,000-meter race, who refused to let him participate again. It wasn't that he was too strong, or that he was too hated by students from other classes.

After a whole afternoon, the second-place finisher in the 3000-meter race from Class 2 was still gritting his teeth, glaring fiercely at them.

Before I could return the number to him, I was called away to participate in the final women's 4x1 relay.

We lined up at our respective baton-giving points, and as we parted, we patted each other on the shoulder and gave each other a pep talk. The 4x1 relay is ultimately different from individual events; if one person doesn't do well, it can drag the whole class down. Even I felt a bit of pressure.

While waiting for the local event, I saw the little girl doing the long jump again.

Just as I was hesitating whether to say hello, she waved at me and said, "What a coincidence!"

I said something pointless: "You're the second runner too?"

"Uh-huh!"

Her gaze shifted downwards, noticing the dirty spots on my school uniform pants, and she asked with concern, "I heard you got sand on your head... uh, I heard you fell, are you alright?"

"..."

They gave me face, but not much.

"No." I turned a blind eye, pretending not to hear, and asked again, "Did you go and hug the person you like?"

She grinned at me and said, "Hehe, I didn't dare."

I asked, "Why?"

"I thought about it, what if he doesn't like me? Then I thought about it again, what if he doesn't like me? If I hug him like this, people will misunderstand, and it won't be good for either of us..."

I paused for a moment.

What nonsense!

How could any boy not like this kind of girl? She has such a sweet and cute smile, and she's optimistic and cheerful. Honestly, if I were a boy, I would fall for her too.

I gathered my thoughts and was just about to encourage her to be more confident when the referee pulled us onto the track.

We were a few meters apart, but I didn't have a chance to talk to her again. Everyone was tense and focused, standing with their legs apart, one in front of the other.

A gunshot rang out, and I suddenly lost focus.

In fact, feeling inferior is normal, and I think I'm no exception. Over the years, there are quite a few people who like Wu Qi. He is outspoken and never hides his talent; the line of people who admire him could stretch all the way to France.

Oh right, and the Fairy Peach Sisters too.

And what about me?

I seem to be the least noticeable one.

He has a bad personality; he's introverted and has a bad temper.

The baton was handed to me; my head couldn't keep up with my body, but my legs had already taken a step forward, and I had already overtaken two people on the bend.

I wish chasing Wu Qiye was this easy, I thought.

But then I thought to myself, "I'm not even pursuing him yet, am I? I haven't even started pursuing him. What if, by accident, our friendship... evolves into something more?"

The baton was quickly passed out again. I braced myself against my knees to catch my breath, and then followed the other runners across the track towards the finish line, shouting encouragement.

"come on--!"

Anything is possible until the baton is passed to a fourth person.

Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore.

Keep going, and best of luck to us.

Wish me luck too.

-

As school was about to end, all activities concluded.

Sports meets always end in a mess. The more fun you have during the day, the more you want to curse when you have to clean up.

I saw someone throw away their number plate, but I didn't throw it away. Not only did I not throw it away, I secretly kept it and didn't tell anyone.

Ideally, I should put it in my composition book so that it falls out when I open it. Then, I'll pretend it was an accident, stand on the podium, and say to the whole class, "Oh dear, these are my and Wu Qi's 0520 and 0521."

The sun had set, and the sunlight on the playground seemed to have been cut out.

As I picked up the trash, each time I looked up, there were fewer people; the stools had all been moved away, like a banquet coming to an end.

It seemed like it had just begun, but it ended abruptly.

Suddenly, Wu Qi hooked the red rope around my neck and pulled me aside.

"What are you daydreaming about? You're blocking people's way."

A classmate behind me came over carrying a large garbage bag, sweating profusely, and quickly said thank you.

Wu Qi took the trash bag from my hand. "Bald Qiang said we have to go to the podium for a group photo."

I looked up: "Shall we go?"

He asked me in return, "Aren't you going?"

“You two should go,” Xu Feng said, coming over from the side and holding up the class sign. “At this sports meet, one of you is burying your head in the sandpit while the other is high-fiving the second-place finisher. That would be so entertaining.”

I:"……"

Wu Qi: "..."

The meeting was over, and when it was brought up again, everyone burst into laughter, unable to straighten up. Someone said that Wu Qi was too famous, and the head of the teaching department asked him to speak on the radio on Monday.

Xu Feng's expression tightened: "No way, I'm really afraid that my brother Qi will usurp the position and force the principal to retire."

I don't know who started it, but in the end we almost laughed ourselves to death and had to support each other.

I couldn't help but laugh silently for a long time.

"Are you still laughing, Sister Yue?" Xu Feng said again. "Do you know what everyone calls you now?"

I:"?"

"Human bulldozer".

"..."

Do you think you're funny?

Thankfully, our homeroom teacher arrived in time, otherwise I would have burst out laughing. He herded us into a group like sheep.

Class Five has always been unruly, with no distinction between tall and short people; everyone stood together in a rather uneven fashion. Wu Qi and I consciously stood on the side.

After setting up the camera, Wu Qi patted the back of my head and whispered, "A-Yue, give me a peace sign."

I laughed and scolded him, "More than your mother."

The cameraman yelled "Cheese!" but it wasn't really necessary; the laughter was practically bursting out of the lens.

After I finished scolding Wu Qi, he didn't say anything more. I was wondering why he was being so obedient this time when I heard him complain in the chaos, "No way, I'll do it for you."

Then she put her hands in front of me and made a Sailor Moon gesture for me.

...

OK.

I'll give him face.

After the event ended, the trash had to be taken to the back of the stadium. Groups of people dragged black trash bags in that direction. Wu Qi and I joked and fought, and we were the last ones to leave.

When I threw the trash bag out, the momentum was so great that it almost threw me out too. Wu Qi quickly pulled me back, laughing as he pinched the back of my neck.

That's outrageous.

But considering he's someone I like, I reluctantly spared his life.

As I walked from the back of the gymnasium toward my classroom, I said goodbye to the people around me. Just as I was alone, I suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind me, and someone caught up with me.

The man grabbed Wu Qi by the neck from behind and pressed him down hard. We both thought it was some idiot from Class 5, but when we turned around, we found it was the same guy who had given me the errand that day.

His face wasn't hard to recognize, but now he looked extremely haggard, with bloodshot eyes and deep dark circles under his eyes.

Things changed so suddenly that before I could react, Wu Qi was knocked to the ground.

The man shouted hysterically, "Aren't you very rich? Give me some! Give me more!"

I could clearly see that Wu Qimeng was stunned.

yes.

Who wouldn't be confused? Last time, he sent them a bouquet of roses, beautiful white roses, to help them reconcile. How come he's coming back to bite the hand that feeds him?

Where did things go wrong?

Wu Qi seemed to have thought of it too, his eyes darkening: "Greed."

The man's eyes reddened even more: "You won't give it to me? Why! Why!"

The next moment, I saw the man release one hand, which hung limply at his side, and then suddenly leap high into the air, slamming heavily into Wu Qi's face.

"You really went all the way to help them!!!"

Wu Qi had nowhere to hide and was completely unprepared.

He shrugged his head to the side.

His hair lay scattered on the ground, motionless, neither struggling nor resisting. After a long while, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb and smiled helplessly.

In a sorry state.

I've seen Wu Qi in every form, but I've never seen him in such a disheveled state. I don't want to be angry. I have a clear understanding of myself; I'm the matchmaker, and I don't get involved in fighting and killing.

But I, fucking, can't control myself.

I've fought with Wu Qi so many times, but not once, not once have I been hit in the face.

Why ask why? What gives you the right?

Damn, I think I'm getting altitude sickness.

The scene was incredibly chaotic. By the time I came to my senses, I was already on top of the man, throwing five or six punches. His face was bloody, and just as I was about to declare myself the victor, I heard Wu Qi call my name.

"Sang Yue!!!"

I paused for a moment, then turned around blankly.

hiss--

It hurts a little.

It turned out to be the blood on my hand.

I ignored Wu Qi, grabbed the man by the collar, and forced him to look up at me.

What is this all about?

Suddenly I understood.

His relationship with that girl was doomed from the start, and he should have ended it completely back then. But Wu Qi suddenly appeared with flowers in his hands, giving this damned romance a second chance.

A relationship that shouldn't continue will always hurt someone.

He discovered that giving gifts could win a girl's heart, and thought he had mastered the formula for dating. The first time he gave flowers, the second time he gave something slightly more expensive, then jewelry, and the third time lipstick...

It's like a bottomless pit.

But he was just a high school student. He went hungry for three days and gave all his last bit of pocket money to the girl. Once you've tasted the best, you won't be tempted by the smallest things.

He thought that the more money he had, the less likely she would leave him.

They were also driven to desperation, and finally, they were forced to take their own lives on Wu Qi.

However, Wu Qi also had his beliefs. Greedy people were the kind of people the God of Wealth hated most, and he would never help them again.

"Enough!" Wu Qi pulled me up and stood behind me. "Don't overstep the bounds. Cut off his red threads and put an end to it."

Then, he took my hand with obvious discomfort and asked softly, "Does it hurt?"

I stared intently at his cracked lip and asked, "Does it hurt?"

Wu Qi didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "It hurts, it really hurts so much, but my heart hurts even more now. Ah Yue, I'm almost gone from this world."

"..."

Is this how you act cute?

Even pleading didn't work—okay, I did find it effective.

I looked a little sullen, swallowed, and felt a surge of anger plunge into the ice water.

A few seconds later, I closed my eyes, forcing myself not to look at the wound on Wu Qi's face. I calmed myself down, stretched out my right hand, and summoned a mirror.

Gods have special abilities when they are on earth.

My special skills are, firstly, drawing a red thread, and secondly, cutting a red thread. The former only requires drawing a red thread, while the latter requires an object as a guide, which can be said to be the heirloom of the Old Man of the Moon.

By examining a family heirloom, one can discern the age of an ordinary person, as indicated by the red thread.

If the number on this red line is red, it signifies a predestined marriage. This kind of marriage does not require mutual affection; it is a match made in heaven. If one party develops worldly desires, the number that appears on the line will be red, indicating auspiciousness.

However, if the number above this red line is black or negative, then it is a karmic entanglement and should be severed.

I looked at the man through the mirror. A wisp of black smoke rose from his forehead, with the words -13 written on it, in days.

The negative 13 days meant that this ill-fated relationship lasted for 13 days, and the trigger was just a bouquet of white roses.

What's that old saying again?

Good intentions are misunderstood.

I recited a mantra, straightened my two fingers, and through the mirror, I flicked out that wisp of black smoke, drawing it away from its root like a suction force.

The number "13" rapidly decreased, eventually shrinking to "0". The man's forehead regained its smoothness, but at the same time, it seemed as if a wisp of his life force had been drained from him, causing him to instantly go limp and collapse to the ground, his eyes losing their luster.

Severing all ties of affection means there will be no more grudges.

No one can look back; the past is gone with the wind, all just a pipe dream.

"Alright, all done," I breathed a sigh of relief. "Does this fall under the category of overtime? Will the Emperor give me a raise?"

Wu Qi spoke up to remind me: "...You were almost beaten to death by mortals."

I pretended to be clueless: "Really?"

Wu Qi immediately changed his attitude: "Didn't see him? My eyesight has deteriorated lately. Where would I see a mortal?"

Then I watched him step over the man.

"..."

I followed him, glanced back at the person, still indignant, and complained, "It's all your fault for that bouquet of white roses."

Without that white rose, I might have realized it was a doomed relationship and ended it on the spot. Why did I have to summon the divine weapon and fight, almost losing both my wife and my army?

Don't misunderstand, the lady is Wu Qi.

Wu Qi replied, "That bouquet of white roses was originally for you."

"..." I was stunned.

Suddenly unsure whether to laugh or cry, she turned around and said, "Then I'll go back and punch him a couple more times?"

Wu Qi quickly pulled me back and laughed, "No, I'll send it another time, a red one."

The atmosphere eased considerably, and Wu Qi said a lot of sarcastic things. I knew he was trying to comfort me, but I could still detect a hint of disappointment in his voice. He had only wanted to help, but it ended up being a lose-lose situation.

Wu Qi has a strong sense of self-respect, and I know he must be feeling bad, but I won't say anything. I hope that one day I can keep his self-respect to myself.

I didn't argue back, and actually I secretly tried to appease him.

I only remembered I hadn't put the mirror away when I was halfway there.

Waving a mirror around like that is too weird, especially after just coming out of a garbage dump. I stopped and controlled the artifact to return to its original position. Just then, Wu Qi's face flashed in the mirror, and a bewitching red light instantly rose on his forehead—

Wu Qi turned around and called to me, "Hurry up."

I stood there dumbfounded for a long time, as if half a century had passed. I felt a little dazed, with the illusion that it was suddenly bright daylight.

Like waking from a beautiful dream, yet utterly absurd.

I forgot...

While divine artifacts are ineffective against deities, they have no limitations on mortals. And Wu Qi and I are currently both mortals.

Then I saw a strange number rise up on his mortal body, between his forehead. It was one I had never seen in the celestial realm, nor had I ever seen it in all the time I had known Wu Qi.

107, unit: year.

He loved someone for 107 years.