The photographer held the tilted lens, his fingers frozen on the camera body, his knuckles white.
The tree wrapped in red thread in the viewfinder was still emitting a faint red glow. He didn't dare turn the lens back or put the camera down, so he held it at an angle for a long time until his arm started to ache.
Qiguan Yuan withdrew his finger from the lens and glanced at him.
The photographer's expression was as if he had been struck by a pressure point; his mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were fixed on the direction where Lu Zhao had just been standing, completely petrified.
Qiguan Yuan chuckled softly, said nothing, and picked up his teacup again to take a sip.
The photographer's shoulders twitched when he heard the laughter. His gaze darted back and forth between Qiguan Yuan and Lu Zhao several times, his mind churning like a pot of porridge.
He had seen those claims online.
As Qiguan Yuan's photographer, and since Pei Yubai's photographer was annoyed that Pei Yubai was always sticking to Qiguan Yuan, he naturally went on strike and started filming the two of them when Pei Yubai's photographer wasn't around.
I do pay attention to Qiguan Yuan and Pei Yubai's online activities.
There is much speculation online about Qiguan Yuan's identity.
Some say Qiguan Yuan is a deity, some say he is a reclusive master, and some have even created tens of thousands of comments in the super topic to analyze Qiguan Yuan's "unscientific" moments.
He used to think it was all just fan bias, because Qiguan Yuan was pretty normal most of the time, except for the occasional time. He thought those people on the internet were just bored.
He doesn't think that way anymore.
The red threads poured out from Lu Zhao's sleeves and wrapped around the entire tree, which he witnessed firsthand.
His gaze involuntarily drifted back to Qiguan Yuan.
Qiguan Yuan was holding a teacup, slowly sipping the tea that Pei Yubai had brewed for him.
The red string on her wrist gleamed faintly in the setting sun.
Qiguan Yuan noticed his gaze, put down his teacup, and looked up at him.
The photographer's heart started racing.
Qiguan Yuan's gaze was calm, no different from when he looked at him in front of the camera, but now he felt that there was something hidden under that gaze, something that could kill him.
He quickly looked away, staring at the tips of his shoes; the sweat on his palms had soaked the camera handle.
Then he did something he never expected.
He moved half a step closer to Pei Yubai.
They moved another half step.
Finally, he simply stood to the side and slightly behind Pei Yubai Pei Yubai, with only a fist's distance between their shoulders.
Pei Yubai was looking at his Yuanyuan.
He was admiring it when he felt someone touch his arm.
In a flash, very quickly.
I touched it again.
Pei Yubai withdrew his gaze and turned his head to look.
The photographer had somehow gotten close to him, his shoulder almost touching his arm.
He hunched his shoulders, clutching the camera to his chest like a shield, his eyes darting furtively towards Lu Zhao before quickly looking away, then glancing again before looking away once more, like a frightened rabbit.
Pei Yubai looked at him with a puzzled expression.
The photographer noticed Pei Yubai's gaze and moved closer to him, this time his shoulder was really pressed against his.
His expression clearly said, " Teacher Pei, you're a normal person, and your boyfriend is a normal person too. You'll definitely protect ordinary people, right?"
Qiguan Yuan noticed the commotion as Pei Yubai's gaze shifted over.
He watched as the photographer huddled next to Pei Yubai, his shoulder pressed against Pei Yubai's arm, as if he wanted nothing more than to hide behind Pei Yubai.
Lu Zhao was still adjusting the red thread on her cuffs under the tree, standing not far from the photographer. Every time she moved her sleeve, the photographer would move an inch closer to Pei Yubai.
Qiguan Yuan couldn't hold back any longer.
He laughed out loud, his shoulders trembling slightly, and the teacup in his hand almost spilled tea. His clear laughter was truly captivating.
Lu Zhao was tucking the last strand of red thread into his sleeve when he heard laughter and looked up.
He saw Qiguan Yuan leaning against the stone table with a smile, and following Qiguan Yuan's gaze, he saw a man holding a black machine desperately trying to hide behind Pei Yubai.
Lu Zhao walked curiously to the photographer's side, tilting his head to examine the thing in his arms. The photographer froze.
"What is this?" Lu Zhao reached out to touch the camera lens.
The photographer quickly turned off the camera. The switch clicked, and the indicator light went out.
He said in a stiff voice, "It's a camera."
Lu Zhao nodded and withdrew his hand.
The photographer had just breathed a sigh of relief when Lu Zhao asked again, "What's this for?"
The photographer's lips trembled slightly.
He cautiously replied, "It's a video recording."
Lu Zhao said "Oh," and was about to ask what a video recording was.
Seeing that Lu Zhao's mouth was already open, the photographer looked like he was about to cry, his fingers gripping the camera casing so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
" Lu Zhao." Qiguan Yuan's voice interrupted unhurriedly.
Lu Zhao turned his head. "Senior."
"Any discoveries?"
Lu Zhao's attention was successfully diverted.
He walked to the stone table, sat down opposite Qiguan Yuan, and his expression became serious.
"People on this side probably don't believe in gods much, and they believe in Buddha more. So there's very little Power of Marriage in this area."
"I explored the underground veins of vows; three hundred miles to the west and five hundred miles to the north, almost all of it flows to Buddhist temples; not a single strand goes to the Yue Lao."
"The Tree of Fate that was activated today is far from enough."
Qiguan Yuan put down his teacup. "Can you tell what's affecting the marriage prospects here?"
Lu Zhao nodded. "Most broken relationships are likely due to factors beyond the control of the red thread."
"I checked the Marriage Register, and in the Northwest region, the number of people who voluntarily entered their names into the Marriage Register over the past hundred years is pitifully small."
"Without someone taking the initiative to matchmake, the red thread can't be tied. Their names aren't in the Marriage Register, so it's difficult for me to intervene." He looked at Qiguan Yuan, his eyes filled with genuine pleading, "Senior, do you have any suggestions?"
"Let's test whether the people here are willing to entrust their marriages to you first." Qiguan Yuan slowly circled his finger on the rim of his cup, his voice unhurried. "We'll make our move tonight."
Lu Zhao nodded.
The photographer stood behind Pei Yubai and heard every word of their conversation.
He couldn't understand what was being said, and silently despaired, wondering why he had to hear things he shouldn't have.
Having determined what to do tonight, Lu Zhao didn't need to return to the Heavenly Realm immediately.
He relaxed, and only then did he have time to take in his surroundings.
Their gazes fell on Pei Yubai.
As the current Yue Lao, he also possesses the most basic abilities of Yue Lao.
You can see the red line between people.
He knew that the Dust-Settling Red Cord on Qiguan Yuan's wrist was Senior Qiguan magic weapon.
But Pei Yubai also had a red thread on his wrist.
The red thread extended from Pei Yubai's wrist, with the other end tied to Qiguan Yuan's finger, the two red threads intertwined in Qiguan Yuan's hand.
Lu Zhao blinked, then looked at himself again uncertainly.
He stared at the knot for several seconds. "Senior..." Lu Zhao turned to look at Qiguan Yuan, his voice tinged with uncertainty and confusion, "This is..."
Qiguan Yuan rested his chin on his hand, leaning against the stone table. "It's obvious, it's my partner."
Lu Zhao fell silent.
He sat on the stone bench, his hands on his knees, his back ramrod straight, his eyes vacant, as if he were processing a large amount of information.
After a while, he reached into his sleeve and rummaged around.
His sleeve was full of things; he rummaged through it for a while before finally pulling out two books.
The book was covered with blue cloth, and the corners were worn and frayed.
Lu Zhao placed the two books on the stone table and pushed them toward Qiguan Yuan.
"These are some picture books that the young boy next to me found. Hmm... they should be useful to you, seniors. Consider it a gift from me."
Qiguan Yuan took the two books and flipped through them casually.
He flipped through a few pages, raised his eyebrows slightly, and then flipped through a few more pages.
It's an erotic painting.
There's no rush to see it; it's most suitable for Pei Yubai to see.
He looked up at Lu Zhao: "You little brat who turned someone's destined relationship into a tragic one in an incomprehensible way?"
Lu Zhao nodded, his expression a mix of helplessness and embarrassment. "It was him. His intentions were good, but he just couldn't see things clearly. Every time he tried to set someone up, it led to some unexpected turn of events."
"These books were collected from the mortal realm. He said the things in these picture books are very helpful in improving the relationship between partners. I don't need them, but you, senior, should."
"He can certainly be considered exceptionally gifted." Qiguan Yuan put the book away.