The flagstone road through Fated Marriage Village wound this way and that, with old houses standing quietly on either side.
Sunlight spilled through gaps between the eaves, drawing long, slender streaks of light on the ground.
Meng Xu stopped beneath the old locust tree at the village entrance and clapped his hands to gather everyone around.
"Here's today's task."
He pointed at the village behind him. "Ten marriage fortune sticks are hidden around Fated Marriage Village. They're the bamboo kind, with fortunes written on them. You need to find them in the village. The number you find converts directly into points."
Shen Yuzhou asked, "Where are they hidden? Are they easy to find?"
Meng Xu smiled. "Some are, some aren't. Some are in shops, some are in people's hands, and some might be right by the roadside. Figure it out yourselves. Gather back here before dark."
Cheng Yanqiu frowned. "Before dark? It's only morning."
"The village isn't big, but it isn't small either, and they're cleverly hidden. Don't underestimate this task."
Meng Xu opened his folder and glanced at it. "One more thing: starting tonight, we'll be staying at the Temple of the Old Man Under the Moon for two days."
"The conditions up on the mountain aren't as good as at the guesthouse. You can exchange points for better accommodations and better vegetarian meals. Those with fewer points might have to sleep on the floor and eat plain rice porridge."
Shen Yuzhou's face fell again. "Sleep on the floor?"
Meng Xu ignored him and closed the folder. "Get started."
The group scattered.
Shen Yuzhou pulled Cheng Yanqiu toward the alley on the left, saying as he ran, "Sis Cheng, let's search together and split whatever we find fifty-fifty!"
Dragged along by him, Cheng Yanqiu complained but kept moving. "Slow down. Don't fall."
Ji Shiyu and Lin Yanru headed right. Jiang Wantang walked forward alone along the flagstone road at an unhurried pace, as though out for a stroll.
Pei Yubai remained where he was.
He surveyed the surrounding shops and stalls, then chose a direction and ambled over.
The bullet comments were also discussing the task with great interest.
[Hunting for marriage fortune sticks sounds so fun]
[Shen Yuzhou and Cheng Yanqiu teamed up]
[Why is Pei Yubai alone? Isn't he teaming up with the other guests?]
[He's never liked doing things with other people. He usually shuts himself away filming. Where would he find time to maintain social connections?]
Pei Yubai walked slowly.
Dressed in that frost-white long robe, he walked along the bluestone road like someone who had stepped out of an ancient painting.
As roadside vendors and villagers came and went, they couldn't help stealing a few extra looks at him, but he paid them no mind.
After walking for about ten minutes, he passed a small shop selling handmade accessories.
A string of bamboo wind chimes hung outside the shop, clinking in the breeze. He glanced at them. They weren't marriage fortune sticks, so he kept walking.
He turned into a narrow alley. At its end was a small square with several stalls selling all sorts of things.
At the very edge was a stall selling handwoven goods. Its middle-aged male owner was looking down, braiding a cord.
Pei Yubai's gaze landed on a bamboo stick hanging at the edge of the stall.
The stick was small, a little longer than a finger, with a red cord tied to it. Its dark yellow surface was engraved with two characters that he couldn't quite make out.
It was a marriage fortune stick.
He walked over and had just reached out.
Another hand beat him to it and took the stick.
That hand was very pale. Not an ordinary paleness, but a cool white, with pronounced knuckles, long fingers, and neatly trimmed nails. A red thread was wound loosely around the wrist.
Pei Yubai looked up.
Qiguan Yuan stood before him.
Today, he wore a dark red long robe, a shade deeper than yesterday's cinnabar red, like congealed blood.
Rather than wearing his silver hair loose, he had twisted it into a bun at the back of his head with a black wooden hairpin, leaving a few wisps hanging beside his ears.
Standing in the sunlight, his skin was so pale it was almost translucent. Against his dark red clothes, he looked like a cluster of red plum blossoms wrapped in ice and snow.
He held the marriage fortune stick, looking down at it.
The bullet comments instantly began flying past.
[??? What's he doing here]
[Qiguan Yuan!!! What a beauty!!!]
[He changed his hairstyle today. He looks even better]
[Red robes and silver hair, oh my god, this is exactly this girl's kink]
The stall owner's eyes lit up at the sight of Qiguan Yuan, and he greeted him with a smile. "Mr. Qiguan, what brings you down the mountain today?"
Qiguan Yuan raised his eyes and glanced at the stall owner, the corners of his lips curving slightly. It was only a small curve, but it seemed to light up his entire face.
"Just out for a walk."
That glance left the stall owner a little dazed. It took him quite a while to recover before he glanced at the stick in Qiguan Yuan's hand and asked, "Are you interested in that?"
Qiguan Yuan turned the stick over to examine it. The side bearing the fortune faced him, leaving its words out of view.
He studied it for a while, his tone carrying a touch of casual gentleness. "It looks pretty."
The stall owner immediately smiled and waved his hands. "If you think it's pretty, take it! It's yours! It's not worth much."
Qiguan Yuan looked at him, his eyes curving slightly. "How could I accept that?"
The stall owner blushed under his gaze. "Don't be so polite! You've helped us villagers so much. What's one stick? Take it, take it!"
Qiguan Yuan lowered his head and looped the fortune stick's red cord around his finger, then raised his eyes and gave the stall owner a slight nod.
"Thank you, then."
His voice was quiet and light, rising slightly at the end.
That word of thanks left the stall owner flustered. He kept saying, "You're welcome, you're welcome," forgetting to continue his work.
Holding the stick, Qiguan Yuan turned around.
His gaze swept across Pei Yubai's face.
Just once. As though it were unintentional, as though he hadn't recognized him, or as though he had but didn't care.
Then he walked away.
His dark red robe shone softly in the sunlight, his silver hair hanging down his back and swaying gently with his steps. He wasn't walking fast, but the alley was narrow, and within a few steps he was already far away.
The bullet comments were still scrolling wildly, more than enough to show the viewers' excitement.
[He smiled just now!!! He smiled!!!]
[That stall owner actually blushed]
[Who wouldn't blush? He's gorgeous! Even I'm blushing through the screen.]
[What about Pei Yubai? Why isn't Pei Yubai reacting?]
Pei Yubai stood there, watching Qiguan Yuan's back disappear around the corner of the alley.
He stood for two seconds, then lowered his head to look at the stall.
Were there any other marriage fortune sticks on the stall? He scanned it. No. That had been the only one.
He asked the stall owner, "Do you have any other sticks?"
The stall owner was still looking in the direction Qiguan Yuan had gone. Only the question brought him back to his senses. "Huh? Oh, the stick. There was just the one. A customer left it here a few days ago, so I hung it up. Mr. Qiguan just took it."
Pei Yubai said nothing and turned to leave.
Pei Yubai continued down the alley. He walked slowly, but his strides were long. After two turns, he reached a fork and stopped to look.
To the left was an uphill road leading to the mountain behind the village. To the right was the road back to the village center.
He chose the left.
After only a few steps, he spotted an old man selling handmade bamboo goods. Various bamboo baskets, hampers, and tubes were arranged on his stall, with two bamboo sticks tucked into a corner.
Marriage fortune sticks.
Pei Yubai walked over, picked one up, and examined it. Its fortune read, "Flowers have their season to bloom; the moon has its time to grow full." Without looking any longer, he tucked the stick into his sleeve.
The old man glanced at him and said with a chuckle, "Young man, seeking a marriage match?"
Pei Yubai didn't answer and picked up the second stick. Its fortune read, "Hearts in harmony understand with a single spark."
Pei Yubai shook his head. "I'm not seeking a marriage match."
The old man smiled. "True enough. No need to seek it. Your destined match will come to you."