Ge Nianlan was in a good mood today. Not only had things worked in his favor yesterday, with Zheng Yuying and Luo Qianwu, but he was also given a stick of tanghulu when he was playing with Luo Qianwu at the training grounds earlier. When asked why he deserved this treat, the big brother shixiong just smiled, ruffled Ge Nianlan’s head and said “because he was adorable”. With things working out in his favor and his ego stroked, Ge Nianlan felt like nothing would bring his mood down today.
He hummed to himself as he chewed on the large candied fruit. He had already eaten two pieces, but he was waiting until his class with Zhao Cuihong to show off, then eat the remainder.
When he was in front of the doors to the library, Ge Nianlan knocked twice with his free hand and pushed the doors open.
“Zhao-jiejie, I’m he—”
“Young Lord!”
The loud shout startled Ge Nianlan. Before he could react, a large cloak fell over his head. He stood in confusion as he listened to the shuffling of cloth against the other. He reached up to take the cloak off his head, but light already seeped in as Jia Chiying tugged the cloak off and slipped it back on over his shoulders.
His older cousin smiled as he crouched down. “What’s that in your hand, Nianlan?”
“Candy. A big brother shixiong gave it to me because he said I’m cute,” Ge Nianlan said, still too confused to process what could have happened.
“Wow! It looks delicious,” Jia Chiying said. “Can I have a bite?”
Ge Nianlan was about to hand it over when he stilled and looked at Jia Chiying skeptically. “Biaoge, don’t you always go into the city? This is my first time having this. Do I have to share it?”
“Is that so?” Jia Chiying mumbled. He grinned. “Then, if you give me one bite, I’ll buy you three sticks!”
Ge Nianlan’s eyes lit up. “Deal!”
“Stop.”
A hand clamped over Jia Chiying’s mouth and a beautiful woman tugged him back. After a split second, Ge Nianlan grinned again. He hopped over to the woman’s side.
“Zhao-jiejie, you look very pretty today!”
Zhao Cuihong smiled. “Thank you, Young Lord.”
She turned to Jia Chiying with a frown. “The Young Lord shouldn’t have too many sweets. He’s too young and he hasn’t even cultivated yet, so his body is that of a mortal. Do you want him to get cavities?”
“Of course not,” Jia Chiying said as he took Zhao Cuihong’s hand and gave her palm a small kiss. “But you heard him! This is his first time having candy like this. Isn’t it normal to want to give him more?”
Zhao Cuihong wanted to scold Jia Chiying, but when she met Ge Nianlan’s innocent gaze, she guiltily cleared her throat.
“Giving one piece should only exchange another stick. Not three more,” Zhao Cuihong decided.
“Then, do you want three pieces?” Ge Nianlan offered.
Jia Chiying hid his smile by ducking his head. Zhao Cuihong glanced at the candied fruit, held close to her lips, before she sighed, gave in, and took a bite. Ge Nianlan grinned and turned to Jia Chiying, who also took one piece.
“Um, do you two want to share the last piece?” Ge Nianlan asked hesitantly.
“You can have it, Young Lord,” Jia Chiying said as he gently rubbed Ge Nianlan’s head. “I’ll still buy you three sticks.”
Ge Nianlan breathed a soft sigh of relief. He hopped over to the desk and sat down. His legs swung slightly as he ate the last piece of candy. Once he finished chewing, he finally remembered the strange scene he saw earlier.
“Biaoge, Zhao-jiejie, why’d you throw a cloak over my head?” Ge Nianlan pouted.
Zhao Cuihong looked startled, as if she didn’t expect that question. “What?”
“Earlier. I came in and you threw a cloak at me,” Ge Nianlan said. He tapped the stick against the table as he looked between the two adults. “Were you two hiding something from me?”
“We were still preparing for your lesson, so we didn’t want you to see it in advance,” Jia Chiying said with a small sigh. He leaned against the table. “If it weren’t for your penchant of jumping ahead, we wouldn’t have to do this.”
Ge Nianlan rested his cheek against his hand and looked at them skeptically. “Is that really why?”
“Why would we lie to you?” Jia Chiying asked.
Ge Nianlan thought about it and hummed. That was true. They had no reason to lie. It wasn’t like he would give away sect secrets, so they couldn’t have hidden that. And he did have a penchant for asking ahead on material he peeked at, only to get the answer if he had just listened to the beginning of the lesson. It had only been a few weeks, but his tutors had already gotten tired of this habit of his.
Ge Nianlan reluctantly accepted it. “Fine. Then, is the lesson ready?”
“Of course! Just in time,” Zhao Cuihong said with a light laugh. She glanced at Jia Chiying.
Behind Ge Nianlan, Jia Chiying grinned and gave her a sly wink. He placed his hands on his little cousin’s shoulders. “Then, I’m going to take my leave now, Young Lord.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“P tjnf rjlcais vealfr ab ajxf mjgf bo,” Alj Jtlslcu rjlv. Lf qjaafv Xf Rljcijc’r tfjv. “Dea P’ii rff sbe obg beg cfza ifrrbc, bxjs?”
Xf Rljcijc qbeafv jcv cbvvfv. Lf kjamtfv Alj Jtlslcu ifjnf, atfc aegcfv ab Itjb Jeltbcu, ktb kjr ufcais gfjvperalcu atf tjlgqlcr lc tfg tjlg jr rtf rteooifv atgbeut atf ybbxr lc ogbca bo tfg.
Ge Nianlan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he sank onto his hands. “Zhao-jiejie.”
“Hm?”
“What do you think of Biaoge?”
Zhao Cuihong stiffened. She glanced at Ge Nianlan. “What do you mean?”
“He looks at you like Luo-gege looks at Zheng-jiejie,” Ge Nianlan said.
Zhao Cuihong blinked at him blankly. “And what’s that like?”
Ge Nianlan shrugged. “I dunno. But Luo-gege likes Zheng-jiejie, so maybe it’s like that.”
Zhao Cuihong loudly cleared her throat. “Young Lord, why are you suddenly asking about this?”
“You two are always spending time together,” Ge Nianlan said. “So, I was wondering what your relationship was.”
“We’re good brothers,” Zhao Cuihong said.
“Good brothers?” Ge Nianlan echoed.
“That’s right. We’ve been through a lot together and we’ve known each other since we were younger. In our old age, it’s natural to treasure this kind of comradery,” Zhao Cuihong said. She awkwardly coughed. “And when I’m’ in need he…just helps a little. That’s all.”
“Just like that?” Ge Nianlan asked.
Zhao Cuihong nodded. “Of course.”
Ge Nianlan hummed softly.
Zhao Cuihong quickly drew Ge Nianlan’s attention back to the lesson material in her hands. Ge Nianlan straightened and his eyes focused with rapt attention as Zhao Cuihong started her lesson.
However, as soon as the lesson ended, Ge Nianlan sincerely thanked Zhao Cuihong, and hopped off again.
His brows furrowed tightly as he made his way to his room.
Before Huai Zhen came, Ge Nianlan had three goals: one, make sure he (specifically him) gets Zheng Yuying and Luo Qianwu together; two, make sure that the remaining Saints don’t think that he’s absolutely useless; and three, make sure there is no way Zhao Cuihong and Huai Zhen will get involved.
Granted, Zhao Cuihong did not have a twisted character and would never go for a child. But the nagging anxiety at the back of Ge Nianlan’s mind just would not leave him.
What if, this time around, Huai Zhen fell for Zhao Cuihong instead?!
Then, that would be bad. Perhaps Zhao Cuihong wouldn’t die, but in the event that something like that happens, Zhao Cuihong would get stuck with the little lunatic! It would be just like that story Fu Qing read to him a while back—“A Dominant Devil Cultivator Fell For Me”.
In that story, there were all sorts of horrible events that took place. Every time the “dominant devil cultivator” did something untoward, Fu Qing would shake her head and tell Ge Nianlan to not do something this heinous to his partner. And he was sure that the Supreme Devil God would do such things to his partner.
But why was Ge Nianlan so sure that Huai Zhen would fall for Zhao Cuihong?
The answer was simple—because Zhao Cuihong is very nice!
If Ye Mingxi is right that Huai Zhen was missing kindness in his life, then wouldn’t Zhao Cuihong be the perfect candidate?
Therefore, Ge Nianlan couldn’t just let things be. First, he had to block off all chances of Zhao Cuihong falling for the older Huai Zhen. Then, he would have to figure out a way to keep Zhao Cuihong busy while Huai Zhen was at Black Mane Palace to study.
Ge Nianlan stepped into his room and sat down at the tea table.
According to Fu Qing, the reason Zhang Yao was so busy all the time was because of her husband and daughter. It was the kind of busy where even her free time was spent with them. So, in theory, if Zhao Cuihong found a partner, not only would she never fall for Huai Zhen, she would also be so busy that she won’t be able to be kind to Huai Zhen.
And this plan, Ge Nianlan told himself, was two birds with one stone.
Not only will it keep Zhao Cuihong busy and then unable to fall in love with Huai Zhen later, but it also gave Ge Nianlan a chance to help Jia Chiying find a happier ending!
Ge Nianlan had been ruminating over this issue for the past few weeks. He had figured out ways to help each person he burdened, except for Jia Chiying. The only good idea he had was to keep himself safe, so that Jia Chiying wouldn’t have to help him run away later. But now? Now, Ge Nianlan could help Jia Chiying win the heart of his beloved! Wasn’t this “two birds with one stone”?
“Young Lord, what are you smiling about? You look so happy.”
Ge Nianlan looked up at Fu Qing, who had come to deliver his afternoon snacks. He smiled and stood. “Fu Qing-jiejie, can you read more of those romance novels to me? I need ideas!”
“Ideas?” Fu Qing’s eyes widened. “Is there someone you fancy?”
Ge Nianlan shook his head. “I want to help someone get with the person they fancy.”
“Oh my goodness,” Fu Qing gasped. She grinned. “Aren’t you just the kindest?”
Ge Nianlan smiled shyly. “I’m just repaying them for helping me.”
“Hm, in that case, I don’t think romance novels will help you, Young Lord.”
“Why not?”
“They often inflate reality! In real life, people won’t like such cheesy gestures if they aren’t done properly,” Fu Qing said.
Ge Nianlan tugged on Fu Qing’s hand after she finished setting the table and made her sit down. “Then, can you tell me how to win a person’s heart?”
Fu Qing giggled at Ge Nianlan’s verbiage. “In real life, people naturally become closer if they spend a lot of time together.”
Ge Nianlan knew this. He had already learned this technique from Fu Qing, which was why he decided to create more opportunities to get Luo Qianwu and Zheng Yuying to spend time together.
He pouted as he fell back onto his chair. “But these people already spend a lot of time together.”
“And they’re still not together?” Fu Qing asked.
Ge Nianlan nodded.
Fu Qing had a serious look on her face. “That’s bad news then.”
Ge Nianlan’s eyes widened. “Bad news? Why?”
“If they are close, yet there haven’t been any developments, it means that the person being pursued is in a comfortable place with the person who is in love with them,” Fu Qing explained. She hummed and hawed for a moment. “For example, they might think of the other person as a close friend.”
A good brother!—Ge Nianlan realized, in horror.
“In cases like these, it becomes a little tricky. It either means that the person being pursued will never develop feelings for the person who is in love, or it means that the person being pursued just never thought it was a feasible idea,” Fu Qing said.
“How do I know which one it is?” Ge Nianlan asked urgently.
“It’s difficult to tell. Most people don’t know until they confess,” Fu Qing said with a sigh.
Ge Nianlan fell silent. Fu Qing smiled slightly as she observed Ge Nianlan’s pensive expression.
“Well, I’m actually not too experienced in the romance department! Would it be okay if Wen-jie and Zhang-jie also helped?” Fu Qing asked.
Ge Nianlan immediately nodded. “Call them over.”
At this time of day, the two maids would normally be resting. When they were called, they rushed over in surprise. They expected an emergency, but when they saw Ge Nianlan, obediently munching on cakes and pastries, they breathed a sigh of relief and greeted him as usual.
“Sit down,” Ge Nianlan said. “I have a serious question to ask the both of you.”
Zhang Yao and Wen Liu took a seat after a moment of hesitation.
“What is it, Young Lord?” Zhang Yao asked.
“I have this friend who is in love with a long-time friend of theirs,” Ge Nianlan explained. “He’s helped me out a lot, so I want to help him get with his friend. But Fu Qing-jiejie said that it might be impossible! What should I do?”
“A friend…who is in love with a friend…?” Wen Liu echoed.
Ge Nianlan nodded seriously.
The two older maids wondered which of the few friends the Young Lord had could fit into this slot. Was it Young Master Luo? Or was it Young Miss Zheng?
“Um…well, that does sound like a dilemma,” Zhang Yao finally said with a light cough.
The two maids glanced at Fu Qing.
“I have little romantic experience, so I thought about asking you two,” Fu Qing said.
“I see,” Zhang Yao murmured.
“Zhang-jie, you’re already married. Maybe telling your love story will help,” Wen Liu said.
Zhang Yao blushed slightly. “My story wasn’t very complicated. My husband was someone I had admired for a long time. He barely noticed me at first, but I started to deliver meals to his job and I confessed my feelings.”
“And he accepted?” Ge Nianlan asked.
“No, not right away,” Zhang Yao said as she cupped her warming cheek. “He said I was too young for him, so I tried harder. I helped him in various ways and, eventually, he was touched by my persistence, so he finally accepted.”
“Too young?” Fu Qing whispered. “Zhang-jie, I didn’t realize you were with an older man!”
“He isn’t that much older. He’s only three years older,” Zhang Yao said dismissively. “He was just using it as an excuse to not see me.”
Ge Nianlan rested his chin against his hands. “So, you got him through persistence.”
“Exactly,” Zhang Yao said.
“Wen-jie, didn’t you have a significant other for a period of time,” Fu Qing nudged.
Wen Liu sighed. “She left me for a mercenary. I don’t really want to talk about our relationship. But…hm…if your friend is in that situation, I think he has to confess first.”
“Confess first?” Ge Nianlan asked, his eyes widening. He thought about the books Fu Qing read to him recently. “But wouldn’t that scare the person off? They’d start avoiding him, right?”
“It might be better if they avoid him!” Fu Qing said.
“Better?” Ge Nianlan asked confusedly.
“Mn! That means you’ve thrown their heart into turmoil. Then, start treating them extra kindly and pay extra attention to them! That way, the person being pursued will slowly realize ‘Oh, I am special! He treats me differently from how he treats others’!” Fu Qing said.
“That could work,” Wen Liu nodded in agreement. “I was also thinking that if your friend already treats the person he likes well, then the target of their affections will slowly realize that is the reason why he’s doing so.”
“Hold on, but it might backfire,” Zhang Yao said.
“How?” Ge Nianlan asked, even more confused than before.
“What if they think that the only reason your friend is being kind is because they had that ulterior motive? Some people prefer it if others are just naturally kind,” Zhang Yao said.
“That’s true,” Wen Liu and Fu Qing chorused.
Ge Nianlan pouted. “Then, what should I do?”
“Convince your friend to confess,” Zhang Yao said.
Ge Nianlan’s eyes widened. “But you just said…”
“What he does next is most important,” Zhang Yao said. “He has to show his sincerity.”
“Sincerity…?” Ge Nianlan asked.
Zhang Yao nodded. “Show that he loves this person so much that he can no longer hold back. And that’s why he’s suddenly confessing after so long! He needs persistence.”
“Persistence,” Ge Nianlan echoed.
“He also needs to show that this person is special to them,” Wen Liu added.
“Special…”
“But make sure he isn’t overly cheesy!” Fu Qing added.
“…Not…overly cheesy,” Ge Nianlan murmured.
This romance thing was far more complicated than Ge Nianlan thought. But he must do it! And he must do it well!
He absolutely cannot let Huai Zhen win!
Welcome back ^^
Ge Nianlan is too cute about playing matchmaker to avoid bad fates. It’s a wonder that not everyone is showering him in sweets and gifts all the time
Him and his badly planned out schemes shouldn’t be rewarded LMAO 😭 (but he is cute–) Thanks for reading!!
hang in there Ge Nianlan, romance sounds difficult akxhskdjs but also who wouldnt love Zhao Cuihong!?!? he has some very valid concerns akxhsmc
something must be wrong with a person who doesn’t love zch : ( thanks for reading!
I love how this story is going ❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰
thanks for reading!
Hi, thanks very much for the chapter this story is interesting
aaaa thanks for reading!
Hi! I really like your novel, ever since I started reading it my mind keeps going back to wondering how it will continue. ^^
waaaaaaaaaaaaaah thank you!!!