Matchmaker

They rested for a while and ate something, then began searching for Zhao Sanqi and his two companions. Having promised to save them, Dongfang Wanyu would do everything she could.

Dongfang Minghui carried her bundle and followed silently behind.

Although Zhao Sanqi and his companions were only a small mercenary team, hardly anyone important in the Mercenary Guild, he would later become a ruthless man who served The Female Lead. Perhaps it had something to do with this ordeal. He must have suffered quite a shock.

They had merely accepted a more difficult mission. Six had come, but only one would return.

Probably only he himself could truly understand the pain of that.

"They should have gone this way." Dongfang Wanyu paused to examine a tree trunk before reaching that conclusion. Dongfang Minghui had no objections and followed close on The Female Lead's heels.

Her chances of surviving this training expedition in the Purple Demon Mountains were slim. With The Female Lead around, perhaps she could keep her life. Judging by what had happened earlier, The Female Lead probably would not leave her to die. Still, she could not rule out the possibility of The Female Lead turning cold and merciless. She had better behave herself—better than ever.

They walked a long way, evading magical beasts tracking them several times. Following the marks, they finally arrived outside a very small Cave.

"Zhao Sanqi."

Dongfang Wanyu tossed a pebble straight into the Cave with perfect accuracy. They could even hear it tumbling inside.

Dongfang Minghui ducked her head. She was afraid a high-level magical beast might suddenly spring out and swallow them whole.

Before long, Zhao Sanqi emerged. He was covered in blood and swayed on his feet. His dispirited, conflicted gaze instantly brightened when he saw Dongfang Wanyu. "Y-you're all right! Please, hurry and save my fifth brother. He's dying!"

He was like a man who had already given up all hope, only to suddenly seize one last piece of driftwood.

In that instant, Dongfang Minghui seemed to understand why someone could change so drastically. First came unbearable pain, then utter despair, then hope born out of that despair, over and over again, as though heaven were playing a joke on him. Without these experiences, Zhao Sanqi would never have developed the ruthless, coldhearted nature he possessed later.

Knowing his fate, Dongfang Minghui found it even harder to watch The Female Lead treat his fifth brother, or to look at Mu Qing waiting beside them with hope all over her face. They had just endured a parting of life and death, and the unconscious fifth brother seemed to have become their only remaining lifeline.

"If you knew everyone's fate, but could only watch as they kept heading toward their tragic endings, what would you do?" Dongfang Minghui sighed to a thick patch of grass.

Ever since discovering her gift, she had been making full use of it. Whenever no one else was around, she always felt she ought to say something.

As the saying went, talking things out helped release the gloom in one's heart. Then one would not sink into misery or burn with worry, and could live a much longer life.

From the moment they first introduced themselves, she had been reluctant to talk to them, because she knew they would all die before long.

Like a spectator, an outsider, she had watched them talk, watched them sacrifice four people to save one, watched... simply watched them arrive at this point, step by step.

Thinking about them suddenly reminded Dongfang Minghui of her own situation.

"But that's not entirely true. Aren't I changing my own fate right now?" Dongfang Minghui quickly perked up. Perhaps if she meddled a little more in the future, things would not necessarily end the way they did in the book.

"What are you muttering to yourself about?" Dongfang Wanyu had washed her hands and come out of the Cave, only to see Dongfang Minghui crouching alone in a corner, mumbling something to herself.

She had noticed that Dongfang Minghui seemed particularly fond of crouching in corners.

Startled by The Female Lead's sudden appearance, Dongfang Minghui hurriedly stood and shook her head. "Nothing, Seventh Sister."

"Once he wakes up, we'll set off." After telling her that, Dongfang Wanyu returned to the Cave.

We?

Dongfang Minghui's eyes widened. The pleasant surprise came so suddenly that she could not react. Did that mean The Female Lead had included her in her short-term plans? All at once, Dongfang Minghui felt that her earlier efforts had not been wasted. Though The Female Lead spoke sternly to her, she would still save her when danger struck.

"Keep up the good work."

To reward The Female Lead, Dongfang Minghui decided to hunt a tasty rabbit.

She was just about to get up and look for somewhere to catch one when she saw a small, furry head poking through the grass. It stretched forward, and out it came.

Dongfang Minghui's face immediately fell, and her shoulders slumped.

"Heavens, how do you manage to find me wherever I go?"

The Lightning Mouse held its tail high and waved its forepaws, first trying to charm her with its cuteness. Then it burrowed into the bushes, curled its tail around a small animal, and tossed it in front of Dongfang Minghui.

The Lightning Mouse patted its belly with its forepaws. Its meaning was obvious.

The animal on the ground looked plump and meaty, and somewhat resembled a pig, though it was much smaller. A miniature pig, perhaps? That was how Dongfang Minghui classified it.

The miniature pig did not react at all when it hit the ground. Presumably, it had been killed by the poison on the Lightning Mouse's claws again.

"You nearly got me killed last time. How do you still have the nerve to come asking for food?" Dongfang Minghui poked the soft fur on the Lightning Mouse's chest with a twig.

Thinking she was playing with it, the Lightning Mouse reached for the twig with its forepaws. Whenever it moved its paws, Dongfang Minghui pulled her hand back. The girl and her pet were having a wonderful time.

Crack!

Dongfang Wanyu lashed out with her whip, gouging a pit in the ground. That alone showed how much force she had used.

All the Lightning Mouse's fur bristled. Its formerly round, innocent eyes turned vicious as it bared its teeth and squeaked at Dongfang Wanyu, its tail standing straight up.

"Give me an explanation."

Seeing The Female Lead like this, Dongfang Minghui felt every hair on her body about to stand on end. She immediately stepped in front of the Lightning Mouse. "Seventh Sister, it really won't hurt anyone. Don't do this."

"It won't hurt anyone? And how do you know that?" Dongfang Wanyu gripped her whip, her tone aggressive.

If it wanted to hurt people, Dongfang Minghui would have died hundreds of times already. Besides, she had just visited its den and cooked a grand feast of meat for all its descendants.

Although the payment it had given her had nearly cost her life, it had still been quite honorable in principle.

She absolutely would not mention that ridiculous mishap.

Dongfang Minghui stiffened her neck and stubbornly insisted, "If I say it won't hurt anyone, then it won't."

Dongfang Wanyu almost laughed in anger at her attitude. Sure enough, the Ninth Young Miss was still the Ninth Young Miss. She had never changed.

To Dongfang Minghui's surprise, The Female Lead merely gave a disdainful snort, put away her whip, and turned back into the Cave.

Anyone with eyes could have seen that she was angry, let alone someone as attentive to expressions as Dongfang Minghui.

"Ah, I'm doomed." The Female Lead had only just begun to think a little better of her, and now this one act of defiance had sent her favorability score plummeting back into the negatives.

Dongfang Minghui crouched on the ground, so dejected she could almost cry. Did anyone think she had it easy? She had worked herself to the bone for that tiny bit of goodwill, only to lose it just like that.

The Lightning Mouse flicked its tail, wrapped it around her wrist, and pulled her to her feet.

Then it patted its little belly with its forepaws...

Dongfang Minghui was nearly beside herself with anger. As far as the Lightning Mouse was concerned, no matter how upset she was, she still had to feed it first.

"Glutton."

Without complaint, she threaded the meat onto skewers piece by piece and roasted it over the fire. The Lightning Mouse sat beside her, its eyes fixed intently on the slices of meat.

The delicious aroma must have drawn the two people out of the cave. The moment they saw the Lightning Mouse, they drew their weapons, reacting just as strongly as Dongfang Wanyu had.

The Lightning Mouse gave them an equally fierce glare, but since it was eating meat, it dispensed with any further action.

Dongfang Minghui could not help laughing. "It brought this meat. You'd better find something else to eat."

She would gladly have shared with everyone, but the Lightning Mouse's poison was too potent. She really did not dare risk it.

Zhao Sanqi touched the wound on his chest and smiled. With his fifth brother awake, his mood had improved considerably, and he made a rare joke. "Young sir, you're remarkably brave. I've never seen anyone treat a Lightning Mouse like this."

Perhaps he simply found it amusing because he had never seen a human and a magical beast get along peacefully.

Dongfang Minghui played along. "It probably just loves food. It saw me roasting meat and came over to join in, then got hooked after one taste."

Mu Qing took one look before returning to the cave, still worried about her fifth brother, who had only just come back from the brink of death.

"Miss Mu Qing seems very concerned about her fifth brother. Are they a couple?" Dongfang Minghui began prying. If they were going to die anyway, she might as well do something meaningful before they did.

Zhao Sanqi clearly had not expected her to turn the conversation to those two so abruptly. He glanced at the Cave and smiled helplessly. "As their eldest brother, I've really been careless. I'm not even as perceptive as you, young sir. If Wang Fei hadn't been injured this time, I probably wouldn't have noticed Sixth Sister's feelings for him."

"And how does Wang Fei feel about Miss Mu Qing? Does he feel the same way?"

Her question stirred memories buried in Zhao Sanqi's past. He fell silent for a moment, then smiled. "Fifth Brother has always taken extra care of Sixth Sister. I thought it was simply affection between siblings."

Dongfang Minghui kept working, roasting the meat as she suggested, "Since you know they have feelings for each other, why not help them fulfill that wish as their eldest brother? Life is unpredictable. No one knows what will happen in the next moment, so why not seize happiness while they can?"

Zhao Sanqi pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Life is unpredictable, and we should seize happiness while we can. Well said! Thank you for opening my eyes, young sir." After thanking her, he walked straight into the Cave.

Then Dongfang Wanyu came out.

"What harebrained idea did you give him this time?"

Seeing that the anger had vanished from her face, Dongfang Minghui relaxed. "I didn't give him any harebrained ideas. I just wanted to play matchmaker for once."

He loved her, and she loved him.

Rather than let them struggle to find each other even in the underworld, she might as well help fulfill their dying wish now.