Chapter 18
The monthly exam lasted for two days, and a heavy rainstorm hit on the first day.
One autumn rain brings one chill.
I looked up suddenly in the exam room and realized that the students of Nancheng No.1 Middle School had already put on their autumn school uniforms.
Heavy rain always brings good news, such as a pink sunset and an endless expanse of damp fallen leaves.
Autumn has finally arrived.
The monthly exam wasn't too difficult, but it was slightly harder than the usual quizzes, with more question types I hadn't seen before.
I heard from the teacher that the exams before the college entrance examination are all about identifying and filling in the gaps in knowledge, and that it's good for these high school students to find out as many problems as possible.
They weren't very friendly to me.
Is English listening comprehension some kind of alien language? I thought about it for a while before realizing that our English teacher's pronunciation might have a bit of a Northeastern accent.
After the exam, someone in the exam room asked me to check the answers to the physics problems, but I refused.
"I'm in a rush today."
I grabbed my schoolbag and ran to the lakeside to quickly finish my errand.
A few days ago, a boy suddenly came to the Temple of the Matchmaker, saying that he couldn't coax his girlfriend and the two had been in a cold war for many days. He had no other choice but to seek help from the Temple of the Matchmaker.
I admit I was tempted when I saw the money, but then I saw that they were from our school... so why not help them?
When they found them, the two were chatting away, and the atmosphere was a bit off. The woman kept shaking her hair and stomping her feet, while the man was at a loss, his hands outstretched like a crab, as if touching her would make her scream.
I actually found it somewhat comical.
Without further ado, before this girl belts out a dolphin-like high note!
I need to first establish a connection and determine if there's any chance between these two. If there's no chance, what's the point of all this fuss? There are countless beautiful women in the world; if one doesn't work out, we can always find someone else.
I sat in the grass and began my ritual. The five red ropes on my body shone brightly, emitting a dazzling color. A very fine red thread took shape in my fingertip, winding around me as if it had been given life.
The moment the red string left my hand, I hadn't even had time to realize the relationship between them.
Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard: "Is it really necessary to do something that could be solved with a bouquet of flowers?"
I was suddenly stunned.
Because I realized that those words weren't meant for me.
Wu Qi arrived early, made a hand gesture that only the boy and I could hear, and then handed over a bouquet of white roses from behind.
I turned around in surprise and found that Wu Qi had already given the white rose to the boy.
It was delicate and luscious, and pure white.
I watched as the boy obediently handed the flowers to her. The girl opposite him looked surprised and delighted, covered her mouth, and hugged him tightly.
I silently put the red thread away.
I was being too rigid.
After days of cold war, it turns out romance can solve all problems.
Next up was the traditional kissing session. Uh, it's not very polite for Wu Qi and me to be here.
He pulled me up: "Let's go?"
The school playground was bustling with activity like never before. On the basketball court, a group of liberated teenagers ran around like wild horses, carefree, as if rehearsing for the end of the college entrance examination.
I bought two cups of watermelon juice at the school supermarket and handed one to Wu Qi when I came out.
The incident was still fresh in my mind. I inserted the straw and awkwardly said, "Thank you for helping me finish my task."
Wu Qi said, "Your Highness the Old Man of the Moon is extremely busy, I am merely sharing his burdens."
I'm too busy with official duties. When will I be able to hand it over to Wu Qizai? Maybe then I'll have one less problem.
We walked towards the school gate, greedily savoring the last vestiges of summer in the watermelon juice.
I asked, "Didn't you say you were going to take me out?"
Wu Qi hummed in agreement and corrected him, "Please."
Me: "What are you asking me to do?"
As soon as I got out of the house and walked to the bus stop, before I could even see the stop clearly, Wu Qi pushed me onto the bus and threw two yuan into the coin box.
I barely managed to steady myself when I heard Wu Qi say in a nonchalant tone behind my ear, "Please take the bus."
"..."
What's so great about hiring a bus driver?
The driver yelled to move to the back, and I was shoved a couple of steps. The seats next to me were full, and when I looked at the two-seater seats in the back, they weren't all empty.
There was an empty seat available, and since I'm prone to social anxiety, I asked Wu Qi, "Would you like to sit down?"
He glanced at me: "Am I that lazy?"
I said seriously, "Yes, there is."
Wu Qi: "..."
I stood in a corner, and Wu Qi stood next to me as if to prove something to me.
With one hand in his pocket, he said to me, "You know what? Even lazy people aren't as handsome as me."
"Why?"
Wu Qi smiled, then took his hand out of his pocket and grabbed the handle above. "Because they're not as tall as me."
"..."
Are you envious?
"..."
Are you sick?
Whom do you look down on?
Not to be outdone, I raised my head and tried to touch the handrail that seemed to reach the sky. Although I didn't want to be "swinging" on the bus, I still wanted to prove myself.
Just then, the bus arrived at the stop.
The entire car lurched forward due to inertia—including me.
I lost my balance and lurched forward, almost flying off the windshield. Suddenly, a hand grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me back, firmly anchoring me in place.
My legs were still wobbling.
Wu Qi: "A-Yue, you can get off through the back door if you want."
I had a headache and blushed. "...I just wanted to challenge my limits."
Wu Qi looked at me with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"For example, testing the fastest speed at which a human body can be launched?"
"..."
I was speechless, and whispered, "Okay, shut up."
Wu Qi turned his gaze back to the window.
I stopped pushing my limits and obediently grabbed the seat in front of me. Now that I was standing, I didn't need Wu Qi's help anymore, so I called out to him, "Wu Qi."
Wu Qi was standing very tall, so he had to lower his head to speak to me. "Hmm?"
I gestured with my chin to his hand resting on my shoulder, "I can stand up now."
No need... I'll keep supporting you.
His hand was only lightly placed on the side of my neck, his cool fingertips gently resting on my school uniform. It didn't seem like he was using much force, but as soon as the bus stopped, I could feel a force fighting against inertia, forcing me to maintain my balance.
Wu Qi looked at me amusedly: "What are you thinking about?"
"?"
"Your height is just right so I can lend you a hand."
"..."
This is never going to end!
However, bringing it up again would be humiliating, so I kept quiet and didn't dwell on it anymore.
The bus ride took a long time, and we finally arrived at the terminal station at the foot of the mountain.
I haven't spent much time in the human world.
Back when I was in school, my master once took me on a trip to the mortal world, where we briefly visited a few famous mountains and scenic spots. But it's been so long, and the world has changed beyond recognition.
There are many places I've never even heard of. For example, here, the bus stop sign says three words: Zhongningshan.
What fun things can you do on a mountain?
I didn't ask.
I guess Wu Qi has never disappointed me. Whether it's the sunset or the scenery, anything associated with him has pretty good taste.
We walked up the muddy path. Wu Qi rolled up his sleeves high, and you could see the veins bulging when he held onto the wooden handle.
After walking for a while, when I turned around, I could see tiny stone statues at the foot of the mountain, their shadows mottled and blurred in the twilight.
I still asked, "Are we almost there?"
Wu Yong wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. "Tired?"
"without."
As if to prove something, I climbed two more steps, then suddenly realized something was wrong. "You didn't... bring me up this mountain, did you?"
Wu Qi remained silent, seemingly acquiescing.
Holy crap.
When we get there, I'm going to really yell at him. Let me rest for a bit.
What strange disease did Yu Yuan infect this guy with? Next time, don't call them "brother," call them "PE teacher" instead.
Running 800 meters and then climbing a mountain, right?
I cursed Wu Qi in my mind for writing a 200-word essay, but he still walked ahead of me very naturally, as if he didn't want to take any responsibility. I expanded my essay to 2000 words.
He also took the opportunity to curse Wu Qiba's ancestors and insulted the God of Wealth and his ancestors.
I was cursing in a daze, and when I got to the third generation, I suddenly bumped into Wu Qi's back.
He said, "We've arrived."
"To your mother—"
This time, I was dumbfounded.
Wu Qi stepped aside slightly, and I could see the whole scene before me.
It is a temple.
besides.
The ground is covered with red maple leaves.
A transparent moon hung in the sky, the horizon was deep red, with two white streaks left by airplanes. The temple and the sky were one color, and the red maple leaves were covered with dew, reflecting the light faintly.
I don't want to appear too excited, or it will make me seem ignorant.
But by the time I realized what I was doing, it was too late—I had already blankly held up a handful of red maple leaves, watching them slip through my fingers until only one leaf remained.
It lay peacefully in my palm.
Behind the temple lies a vast garden, with pavilions, streams, waterside terraces, jade corridors, and pebble rockeries—it's so beautiful it seems otherworldly…
It's just like my Matchmaker Temple.
Wu Qi caught up with me at some point and stood behind me, casually reciting a leaf stalk.
"What about my mom?"
"..."
I abruptly stopped myself from saying it and changed my words to, "Give my regards to your mother...how is she doing?"
Wu Qi was too lazy to argue with me. Feeling bored, he casually leaned against a tree and closed his eyes to rest.
I'm quite surprised. If I hadn't come here today, I wouldn't have known I was so homesick.
A poem says, "Green cups and red sleeves celebrate the Double Ninth Festival, the warmth of human connection feels like that of one's hometown."
No matter how much this place resembles the Temple of the Matchmaker, it is ultimately not it. What I care about is how Wu Qi managed to discover this place in just a few months in the mortal realm.
But I really am.
I love it here.
I even want to go back to simplicity and roll around in the mud.
When I'm happy, I'm easily carried away and prone to turning joy into sorrow. Before I knew it, I had both.
Wu Qi opened his eyes at some point and said lazily, "A-Yue."
"ah?"
"The tail is showing."
I was startled and quickly reached my hands behind my back, only to find a white, fluffy ball of fur sticking out.
I quickly stuffed it into my school uniform pants.
Wu Qi's gaze seemed fixed on me. He lowered his head and chuckled again.
"And ears."
There was a puddle on the paving stones. To my horror, I saw a person in the puddle with two white rabbit ears suddenly standing up on top of their head.
...
ah.
I almost forgot.
My true form is a white rabbit at the feet of Chang'e.
There was also an extra red collar.
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