Chapter 37
After that day, we both stopped contacting each other without prior arrangement.
Although Wu Qi may seem carefree and irresponsible, he is genuinely serious and reliable when it comes to his work, never neglecting his duties. There's a reason why the God of Wealth's reputation has endured for so long.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to take on this task at such a young age without being tainted by money.
Unlike me, who only gets covered in incense ash.
These days I've practically lived at the Temple of the Matchmaker. Not almost, sometimes when I'm too busy, I actually sleep on the prayer mat.
A thin blanket made of red thread can help you get through the cold winter.
I originally thought that Wu Qi's idea of going skiing was just a passing fancy, until a few days after the New Year, he came to see me with train tickets and helped me resolve a trivial matter.
It wasn't a difficult or complicated illness to begin with, but the person praying for blessings was so sincere that they prayed for half a month straight, refusing to take a single day off even on New Year's Eve.
I looked at that faint red line and realized there was no need to reinforce it; the best solution was to give up.
I had thought I could stall her and time would teach her to give up, but after seeing her for half a month straight, anyone would feel bad.
That day, I went to listen to her plea.
“My name is Luo Ting. My husband and I met when we were 18 and have been together for over 20 years. I've been with him from having nothing to his company going public, and now he has branches all over the country. I thought we were both devoted to each other and would never leave each other, but in October he brought home another pregnant woman…”
I closed my eyes.
There's no need to listen any further after hearing this.
There are too many stories like this, and they all end in one of two ways: either you turn a blind eye and ignore it, or you get a peaceful divorce and go your separate ways.
Luo Ting couldn't accept this reality. After more than 20 years together, their love had long since transformed into familial affection, with dependence outweighing any romantic feelings. Her current situation felt like being trapped in a quagmire, leaving her only with helplessness and confusion.
"I can't even imagine what I would do without him. I'm penniless and have no skills..."
As she said this, she covered her face, her body trembling uncontrollably.
For the past two weeks, she has been wearing different clothes every day, and even the bracelets and jewelry on her wrists have never been the same.
It's clear they've been living a life of luxury.
Giving up is not so easy.
She gave up more than just a man; she gave up her carefree past life.
I couldn't think of a good solution until one night, I sat on the altar at the Temple of the Matchmaker and sorted out the relationships between the characters.
If this drags on, who will ultimately benefit: Luo Ting, her husband, or the other woman?
There's one more person...
I jumped off the table and strode out, only to be suddenly confronted by a wall of people.
"……Excuse me."
I took a few steps back, about to go around them, when the "human wall" reached out and grabbed me.
Where are you going?
I looked up and saw Wu Qi coming over, enveloped in wind and snow, frowning as he asked me.
Thinking it wouldn't hurt to tell him, I briefly explained Luo Ting's story to Wu Qi.
I continued my analysis: "I'm now looking for a breakthrough to solve the problem. If none of the three of them are easy to approach—"
"So you want to go and see how the baby in her belly is doing?" Wu Qi interrupted me.
"right."
Wu Qi sighed, then pulled me back into the temple, brushed the cold wind off me, and said, "You're overcomplicating things."
"What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled.
Perhaps I was so busy and confused that I didn't notice a strand of my hair sticking up. Wu Qi flicked my not-so-bright head and said, "You're so clumsy, I could have solved it for you in just a couple of sentences."
I:"……"
You're awesome!
I went with him.
I thought that with his loud and boisterous personality, he might cause some trouble. But in fact, he simply shed his conspicuous pride and acted as a believer who came to pray for blessings, stepping into the Temple of the Matchmaker with Luo Ting at the appointed time.
He prayed for as long as Luo Ting prayed.
People came and went around me, changing several times.
On the first day, Luo Ting thought it was just a poor boy coming to complain, but she didn't expect that the two would meet again at the same time on the second day and kneel down for a long time in the same way.
Finally, it caught Luo Ting's attention.
After kowtowing, Luo Ting spoke up, "Young man, why would someone as handsome as you come to the Temple of the Matchmaker?"
Wu Qi nodded and greeted her, saying, "I've spent half my life liking someone."
"Who isn't?"
Luo Ting's legs were a little numb from kneeling, so Wu Qi helped her out.
The snow in front of the door had been cleared, revealing a quiet path.
Wu Qi, with his hands in his pockets, quietly accompanied Luo Ting for a while. As they approached the temple entrance, Luo Ting exhaled into her palms and rubbed her frostbitten, red hands.
She suddenly asked, "What if she wants to leave you one day?"
Wu Qi replied, "Then she must have her reasons."
"Her reason is that she's giving up on you, that she's found someone else, and that she's starting a new life." Luo Ting said, her voice quickening with emotion. "What are you going to do?"
Wu Qi seemed to think for a while before finally speaking slowly, "She is half of my life."
For a moment, Luo Ting had the illusion that the person in front of her wasn't as young as he looked. He seemed to have experienced a lot, yet the emotions he spoke of were as pure as a blank sheet of paper.
"As long as she's doing well without me, that's all that matters," Wu Qi said.
Luo Ting paused for a moment, then laughed self-deprecatingly, as if she had heard a ridiculous answer.
There was no point in continuing the conversation, and she was just about to say goodbye.
“It’s okay if things don’t go well,” Wu Qi added.
Luo Ting suddenly looked up at him.
"She may be reluctant to spend money on others, have no one to take care of her when she is sick, or be deceived or bullied, but none of that has anything to do with me. It is her own choice, and I love her and I love every decision she makes."
Near the Temple of the Matchmaker, there is a hot spring with flowers and groves, where butterflies are kept year-round. Occasionally, a fearless butterfly flies by, fluttering its blue wings in front of them.
Luo Ting instinctively reached out to touch it.
The blue butterfly, as if startled, flew up to a higher place, circled the wall, and then disappeared without a trace.
Wu Qi lowered his head and smiled faintly.
His eyelashes drooped, obscuring his frostbitten eyes, and the wind blew the hair across his forehead, making his features appear even more defined.
"Why catch a butterfly if you like it?" Wu Qi said softly. "Wouldn't it be better to build it a garden?"
Luo Ting was stunned for a long time before she came to her senses and her eyes were filled with tears.
She thanked Wu Qi and stepped over the threshold of the Temple of the Matchmaker. I watched from a distance, and her steps were noticeably lighter than usual.
I don't know which of Wu Qi's words triggered her, or perhaps it didn't even need to be said; it was time for her to come to her senses.
In short, she never appeared again.
The red thread that bound her together gradually faded.
Wu Qi came over to me, eager to take credit, "How are you going to thank me?"
Of course I wouldn't treat him unfairly. I took out two pieces of paper from the backpack I was carrying: "Are these enough for a train ticket to the Northeast?"
“You should have bought it half a month ago. You’ve delayed for so long, and you’re only able to pay back the principal.” Wu Qi was being unreasonable. “You haven’t even paid back the interest yet.”
After working hard for many days, I stretched my sore shoulders. "How do you plan to repay me?"
"I haven't decided yet," Wu Qi grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door. "Let's just owe it for now."
I couldn't help but find it funny.
He came to the human world and did all sorts of absurd things, but in the end, he still owed the God of Wealth a huge debt.
It's a debt of love, I suppose.
I enjoyed it immensely.
-
After packing our luggage, we boarded the high-speed train bound for Northeast China two days later at noon.
Wu Qi had already purchased the ski equipment. Luckily, he understands my laziness; if I had been thinking about buying it, it might have been spring by then.
I stood by the window, and couldn't help but marvel at how ahead of his time Wu Qi was in some aspects of his thinking.
With the mountains and rivers safe and sound, and peace reigning in the world, how could I bear not to travel and enjoy the scenery? I found the scenery incredibly refreshing, and the facilities on the high-speed train were also top-notch. Apart from the noisy children, everything else was wonderful.
Wu Qi slept soundly the whole time, twirling a copper coin between his fingers.
I took it to look at him while he was asleep.
Tsk.
They've all been polished to a shine.
I suddenly remembered that day when he showed me the red string, intending to drag me before the Heavenly Emperor and accuse me of abusing my power.
That doesn't seem fair.
So I took a red string, tied it to the copper coin, and connected it to the marriage rope on Wu Qi's wrist. This way, we could share the sin of "adultery" equally. If we were to report it to the Heavenly Emperor, we would both be guilty.
I had just finished setting it up, and before I could even properly admire it, a cold voice came from above: "So tacky."
I:"……"
I grabbed his wrist and looked him over from all angles, then stared at him wide-eyed and asked, "Is there?"
“Yes,” Wu Qi said.
I felt embarrassed and said, "Then I'll take it off for him."
"Never mind." Wu Qi withdrew his hand. "Don't disturb my sleep."
"Ah...oh."
I tried not to react, pretending nothing was wrong, and turned to look at the glass window.
The glass window reflected Wu Qi's image; although his eyes were closed, the corners of his mouth were clearly smiling.
I knew it!
Some people may appear reserved on the surface, but they're probably secretly overjoyed.
The journey took a total of 5 hours, and we arrived that evening.
We booked two rooms near the ski resort and decided to go skiing the next day after we woke up.
Don't ask me why I didn't book a room.
We're not that close.
Okay, actually the hotel owner was watching us because we were minors and making sure we weren't sharing a room.
Therefore, one of us lived on the 3rd floor, and the other lived on the 30th floor.
The owner also assured us that we didn't need to worry about each other's safety, as the hotel is now fully intelligent, with 24-hour surveillance cameras in the corridors. If any problems arise, the relevant floor manager will come to check the situation within two minutes.
I'm forcing a smile.
That's a bit too meticulous.
Anyone who didn't know better would think he was an undercover agent sent down from heaven.
The hotel room wasn't very decorated; there was a bed next to a TV, and a few landscape photos hanging on the wall. There were two layers of curtains: one for blackout and a sheer curtain to block the glaring sunlight during the day.
Exhausted from the long journey, and having been so busy these past few days, I was so tired after washing up that my eyelids were drooping and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the bed.
I slept soundly through the night, but was woken up by a phone call the next day.
A gust of wind could be heard on the other end of the phone, as if it were outside. Wu Qi's voice seemed to drift from afar, clear and crisp.
"Are you awake?" he asked.
"Just woke up."
I'm used to sleeping on my stomach, so when I try to get up, I have to prop myself up on my elbows, wipe the hair stuck to my face, and barely manage to keep my head, which feels like a lead ball, suspended in the air to clear my head.
The result was less than three seconds.
They failed again.
"I take back what I just said." My face was buried in the pillow, and my voice was muffled. "I failed to get up..."
A few laughs came from the other end of the phone, followed by a long silence.
The silence came suddenly, which was not typical of this person.
It doesn't mean I'm going to hang it up.
I keep track of every second of the call duration on my phone.
I finally couldn't hold back and asked him, "Why are you calling? Are you listening to my breathing?"
“Ah Yue”.
Wu Qi ignored my question, his thoughts seemingly taken over by something else. "Take a look out the window."
Outside the window?
What's outside the window?
I got up and drew back the curtains.
In an instant.
A world covered in silver.
The wind rustles the bamboo outside the window; opening the door, the mountain is covered in snow.
Everywhere you look, everything is covered with a thick layer of white snow, like someone has spilled a white foam.
Wu Qi seemed quite pleased with my surprise.
"Ah Yue, I'll give you a chance to compose a poem."
That's right.
At this moment, it is indeed necessary to compose a couple of lines of poetry, which must surpass the great literary masters and be remembered for eternity.
I took a deep breath.
Begin composing—
Wow.
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