Qiguan Yuan woke up at some point and leaned over the tree, looking down.
Her silver hair was loosely draped over her shoulders, her chin rested on her arm, and she stared for a long time.
Xiu Yun Yin finished practicing a set of sword techniques, he sheathed his sword, felt Qiguan Yuan's gaze, and looked up at the tree.
Did I wake you up?
Qiguan Yuan shook his head, his voice still hoarse from just waking up. "No, you can continue."
Xiu Yun Yin nodded and drew his sword again.
Morning light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering golden fragments across the ground. Xiu Yun Yin's iron sword stirred a gentle breeze, causing the Xiaobai on the grass to sway.
Qiguan Yuan was perched on the tree, completely absorbed in watching.
Xiu Yun Yin, wielding a long scythe, was cold, like a frozen lake.
Xiu Yun Yin dances with a sword, is still, like the morning mist in the mountains.
But whether it's Xiu Yun Yin wielding a long scythe or Xiu Yun Yin wielding a sword, it's all very beautiful.
The sword reflected the morning light, flashing and dazzling Qiguan Yuan's eyes.
He squinted, shifted his posture, and continued reading.
Even though he and Xiu Yun Yin were born on the same day, and both were born under the Tree of Fate, the two are very different.
But to be fair, Xiu Yun Yin, being born under the same Tree of Fate as Qi Guanyuan, truly lived up to his reputation; his face perfectly matched Qiguan Yuan's aesthetic standards.
Of all the people Qiguan Yuan had seen, Xiu Yun Yin was still the one who brought him the most joy.
After Xiu Yun Yin finished practicing another set of exercises, Qiguan Yuan originally planned to sleep a little longer, but suddenly remembered something.
Yesterday he arranged a marriage between two mortals, but he didn't look closely when he did it, and only realized something was wrong afterward.
Those two people were destined to clash, and they shouldn't have been together, but the red thread of fate bound them together, and it only grew tighter and tighter.
This is a karmic entanglement; it must be resolved.
Qiguan Yuan jumped down from the tree, took a new red thread from Xiu Yun Yin's desk, and sat cross-legged on the grass to start working.
He was skilled at tying strings; with a flick of his fingers, the red thread obediently wrapped around him.
He has little patience when it comes to resolving karmic ties.
Especially resolving karmic entanglements is extremely troublesome.
He had been extremely annoyed by this ill-fated relationship before, and it was the kind of relationship he hated most.
The red thread had wrapped around his fingertip twice; it should have untied smoothly, but somehow the more he pulled, the more tangled it became.
He frowned and did it again, this time tying the red thread into a knot that wouldn't come undone.
Qiguan Yuan's brows furrowed even more. He pulled hard.
Instead of untying, the red thread wrapped around his fingers again, the thin red thread digging into his knuckles and leaving a faint red mark on his almost transparent white fingers.
"What a piece of junk," Qiguan Yuan muttered, his brows furrowing slightly, clearly displeased.
A white fox tail emerged from behind him, fluffy with a hint of pink at the tip.
Then a second, a third—nine tails all appeared, surging and writhing behind him.
Qiguan Yuan's entire attention was focused on the red thread in his hand, completely unaware that his tail had betrayed his utter frustration.
The red threads became increasingly tangled, and his tails began to fight amongst themselves.
The three on the left were huddled together, pushing and shoving each other; the four on the right were tangled together and couldn't be untangled; and there was one left swinging back and forth, its tail tip constantly slapping the ground with a pattering sound.
His ears also popped out, a pair of white fox ears pressed down by his silver hair, the tips of which were bent backward, clearly indicating that he was in a bad mood.
As his mood became more agitated, the frequency of his ear twitching also increased.
Xiu Yun Yin was preparing to continue practicing his swordsmanship, and he had already raised his sword.
Then he saw Qiguan Yuan's tail.
The iron sword remained suspended in mid-air.
The last time he saw Qiguan Yuan's tail was on the day he had just transformed into human form.
At that time, he had just regained consciousness and his perception of the outside world was still very vague. He only remembered a furry figure in a white light.
At that time, he didn't know who that figure was, nor did he know that that figure would become the only reason for him to stay under the Tree of Fate.
Moreover, he didn't spend much time with Qiguan Yuan that day. Qiguan Yuan gave him a name and left. In the following days, when he saw him, he would just wander around with his ears up.
The tail never appeared.
This time was different. This was the first time Xiu Yun Yin had seen Qiguan Yuan.
So beautiful.
Yuanyuan... so beautiful...
In the morning light, Qiguan Yuan sat cross-legged on the grass, his silver hair disheveled, his fox ears flattened, and nine snow-white tails fighting behind him.
He was still muttering something to himself, his fingers tugging hard at the unruly red thread, completely unaware that his tail had betrayed his frustration.
One tail swung so hard that it got tangled around the tip of another tail next to it. The two tails struggled against each other, and the entanglement grew tighter and tighter.
Qiguan Yuan hissed and glared at his own tail.
The tail ignored him.
Xiu Yun Yin stood there, his heart pounding heavily in his chest.
He remained silent.
He even hoped that Qiguan Yuan wouldn't notice him watching, so he could watch a little longer.
Qiguan Yuan's tail fur was very fluffy, and it shimmered with a soft luster in the morning light, like moonlight falling on the snow.
The tails were still fighting, pushing, tangling, and swaying, each one with its own temperament.
It was clear he was about to explode.
Xiu Yun Yin gripped the sword hilt, his knuckles tightening and then loosening.
He really wanted to reach out and touch it.
Just for a moment.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his thoughts. He put down the sword and walked over.
Although Xiu Yun Yin really wanted to see Qiguan Yuan like this, she couldn't bear to see him in a bad mood.
"Let me do it." Xiu Yun Yin squatted down in Qiguan Yuan and reached out to take the tangled red thread.
Qiguan Yuan tossed the red thread to him with a sigh of relief, then fell backward onto the grass.
The tails, having lost their source of attention, gradually quieted down and lay limply on the grass, like a fluffy blanket.
Xiu Yun Yin lowered her head, her fingers deftly threading through the gaps in the interlaced red threads.
He didn't pull or tug, but patiently straightened them out one by one.
Qiguan Yuan lay on the ground and looked at him for a while, then turned over and lay face down on the grass.
The tail also flipped over, one of which draped over Xiu Yun Yin's knee, soft and slightly warm.
Qiguan Yuan did not retract his tail.
Xiu Yun Yin remained completely still, except for his hands which were untying the red thread.
In reality, all his senses were focused on the leg that Qiguan Yuan's tail was pressing down on.
It's so soft and fluffy; I really want to touch it. I'm sure it would feel amazing.
"You can also resolve karmic entanglements," Qiguan Yuan said.
"I know a little," Xiu Yun Yin said.
Actually, he's very good at it.
He handled all the complicated marriages recorded in the Marriage Register.
Through their time together, he also learned that Qiguan Yuan didn't really like resolving fate, finding it troublesome.
So every time Qiguan Yuan resolved a conflict, he would watch from the sidelines and learn from him.
He believed that it would definitely come in handy someday.
In less than half an incense stick's time, he untied the knotted red thread, and each strand lay smoothly in his palm.
Qiguan Yuan took it, glanced at it, nodded in satisfaction, and then sat up to start reconnecting the threads.
This time it went smoothly; the red thread obediently wrapped itself around the place it was meant to go, and the karmic entanglement was resolved.
"Alright." Qiguan Yuan clapped his hands, wagged his tail contentedly, and his irritation disappeared.
Xiu Yun Yin successfully soothed him.
Xiu Yun Yin watched as the nine tails finally quieted down and silently made a mental note of something.
When Qiguan Yuan is agitated, his ears will flatten and his tail will wag.
He remembered it.
Also, Yuanyuan is really easy to coax.
Just go along with him; sometimes, even a packet of candied fruit is enough to make him happy.
Then one day, Qiguan Yuan went to the mortal world to arrange a marriage, Xiu Yun Yin went with him.
Since the Tree of Fate was moved here, he usually accompanies Qiguan Yuan when he goes out, saying it's to help. Qiguan Yuan has gotten used to it and sometimes even waits for him to walk together.
They stood hidden in an alley in the mortal world, where Qiguan Yuan was acting as a matchmaker for a flower-selling girl and the porcelain craftsman next door.
Xiu Yun Yin's attention was drawn to the sounds coming from the teahouse next door.
A scholar was asking his friend for advice on how to win the heart of the woman he loved.
His friend said a lot, and the scholar carefully wrote it down on a piece of paper, his handwriting messy and his writing very fast.
Xiu Yun Yin stood outside the window and read through the contents of the paper. The first point was. "Let her get used to me being by her side, doing everything for her, so that she can't live without me."
Xiu Yun Yin stared at that message for a long time.
Then, lost in thought, he wondered: If Yuanyuan couldn't live without him, would she then like him?
Qiguan Yuan finished arranging the match, he turned around and saw Xiu Yun Yin standing motionless outside the teahouse window. He walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "What are you looking at?"
"It's nothing." Xiu Yun Yin withdrew his gaze and followed Qiguan Yuan.
From that day on, whenever Xiu Yun Yin went out with Qiguan Yuan, he would pay extra attention to couples who were already in a relationship.
He noticed that the pottery craftsman who sold flowers would help her move flowerpots every morning for three months.
One day, the porcelain maker was sick and didn't come. The flower girl stood at the door for half an hour and then ran back to the porcelain shop to look for him.
He saw an elderly couple in the next town; the husband had combed his wife's hair his whole life, but the wife didn't even know where the comb was.
He observed that all long-term relationships begin with the feeling of "not being able to live without each other."
Xiu Yun Yin began to take more meticulous care of Qiguan Yuan's daily life.
Qiguan Yuan was still asleep when Xiu Yun Yin had already washed the fresh fruit and placed it on the stone table under the tree.
He carefully observes anything Qiguan Yuan likes, the kind that Qiguan Yuan ate a few extra of last time.
Qiguan Yuan had run out of red thread, and before he could even ask for more, Xiu Yun Yin had already prepared a new one and placed it beside him, just enough for his needs today.
Qiguan Yuan's neck was sore from lying in the tree for so long. He had just frowned and was about to rub it when Xiu Yun Yin said from below, "Want to come down and walk around?"
Every time Qiguan Yuan finished arranging a particularly troublesome marriage, before he could even get angry, Xiu Yun Yin would already be handing him a cup of warm tea, the temperature just right, neither too hot nor too cold.
No matter how small the matter.
Xiu Yun Yin tried to slowly infiltrate Qiguan Yuan's circle.
So that he can be there for him at every moment.
Qiguan Yuan remained completely unaware of these things.
He didn't think there was anything wrong with it; Xiu Yun Yin had always been like this—meticulous, thoughtful, and not talkative.
He didn't notice that he was frowning less and less often.
I didn't even notice that my temper seemed to have improved.
He felt comfortable as long as Xiu Yun Yin was there.
Once, Qiguan Yuan couldn't find his hair ribbon and searched the entire Tree of Fate but couldn't find it.
It wasn't in the tree hollow, it wasn't in the wooden house, and it wasn't on the stone table.
He stood barefoot on the grass, his silver hair disheveled, about to lose his temper.
Xiu Yun Yin walked over, holding a new red hair ribbon in her hand. "Use this."
Qiguan Yuan took it, his anger subsided, and he sat down on the stone bench with his back to Xiu Yun Yin.
Xiu Yun Yin stood behind him, her fingers running through his silver hair, her movements very light, combing from root to tip, then wrapping the hairband twice and tying it into a neat knot.
Qiguan Yuan yawned, and a tail popped out and swayed behind him.
One day, Xiu Yun Yin went to the Hall of Fate to handle official business and stayed for two hours longer than usual.
When we returned, it was already dark, and a thin mist rose in the valley, making the branches and leaves of the Tree of Fate appear hazy in the mist.
Qiguan Yuan was sitting in the tree, holding an unpeeled lychee in his hand, doing nothing, just sitting there.
Her silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, and the dark red hem of her dress hung down. In the interplay of mist and twilight, that touch of red appeared exceptionally serene.
Upon seeing Xiu Yun Yin return, he threw the lychees down.
"Why did it take you so long?" Qiguan Yuan said.
Xiu Yun Yin took the lychee, peeled it, and handed it back. "There was a problem with the Marriage Register, so it took a little longer than expected."
Qiguan Yuan took the lychee and popped it into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out, and mumbled, "Come back earlier next time."
Xiu Yun Yin stood under the tree, watching Qiguan Yuan eating the lychees and then lie back down.
Her silver hair was loose, her clothes hung down, and one hand rested on the edge of a branch, her fingers still stained with lychee juice.
Qiguan Yuan probably didn't realize what he had just said.
He said "Come back soon," using the tone one would only use with someone very close to them.
It was taken for granted, without any politeness, like someone who was used to having someone waiting for them.
Xiu Yun Yin lowered his head, put the lychee peel in his hand, and his lips twitched slightly.
One morning, Xiu Yun Yin was practicing his sword under a tree, while Qiguan Yuan watched from above.
As with every day before, Qiguan Yuan lay down, his tail drooping down, the tip of which swaying gently.
Xiu Yun Yin had just finished practicing one set of sword techniques and was about to start the second Qiguan Yuan suddenly spoke up.
" Yun Yin, your swordsmanship is much better than last month."
Xiu Yun Yin his sword and looked up at him. "Were you watching it last month too?"
Qiguan Yuan rolled over, his silver hair obscuring half his face, revealing only one eye and a slightly upturned corner. "Nonsense, you wake me up every morning, might as well take a look."
Xiu Yun Yin gripped the iron sword, his fingers rubbing the hilt.
He did not expose Qiguan Yuan.
With Qiguan Yuan level, the sound of the iron sword cutting through the air couldn't wake him at all.
He wakes up on his own every day, then climbs onto a tree branch to watch Xiu Yun Yin practice his swordsmanship.
Neither of them spoke.
The morning light fell on the grass, on the iron sword, and on the tip of Qiguan Yuan's white tail.
Xiu Yun Yin drew his sword again; he had practiced this move for a month.
The wrist snaps, the shoulder moves, and the sword tip flicks diagonally—all in one fluid motion.
The sword tip pierced the morning mist, emitting a clear, melodious whistle. Qiguan Yuan's tail wagged.
Qiguan Yuan has started to care about himself.
Xiu Yun Yin knew.
However, Yuanyuan doesn't seem to understand what love is, even though he is the Yue Lao in charge of marriage.
It's okay, though.
He and Yuanyuan have a very, very long time ahead of them.
Even if he continues to be oblivious and unaware, he can still silently stay by his side.
Yuanyuan, who has always been by his Yuanyuan.
Qiguan Yuan had no idea that Xiu Yun Yin had already said it countless times in his heart: Qiguan Yuan, I love you.