Gu An looked at Shen Xian's cold expression and thought about what she had said. She asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Shen Xian said, "You're helping me just to earn that so-called money."
"..." Gu An pursed her lips. She suddenly remembered that Xiang Nang had once told her that mortals most detested talking about money. Seeing Shen Xian's expression now, she understood the reasoning behind it.
"Why aren't you talking?"
"It's not that I'm doing it for money. I just… feel that this matter…" Gu An gave a dry laugh. "It needs a sense of ceremony, and that sense of ceremony is… earned with silver. If you…"
"Since it's for money, you can leave," Shen Xian interrupted.
"..."
From the moment she entered the mortal world, Gu An had made it her business to learn about matchmakers. Every time those matchmakers agreed to help, the people would give them silver.
Afterward, the matchmaker would say that they would do their utmost to help someone find a good spouse or a good partner.
Thinking of those scenes and seeing Shen Xian's angry expression, she said, "I don't want the money anymore."
"Leave!"
"Shen Xian, you asked me to help you find a partner, and now you're telling me to leave. If I leave, you'll have to find one yourself. Think about it carefully."
"I have no money to give you, and even if I did, I wouldn't give it to a woman like you, who is blinded by profit."
"..."
Blinded by profit?
Gu An didn't understand why Shen Xian would say that about her, but she knew that at this crucial moment, she absolutely could not leave, because if she left, it would be an admission of guilt.
If he thought she admitted guilt, then she wouldn't be able to see Shen Yan again.
Therefore, she had to persevere.
"I'm not leaving."
"Leave."
"I…"
"Get lost."
"I'm not leaving. I'm not the kind of person you described. I'm not greedy for profit at all."
"You say you're not, so why did you bring up money with me?"
Gu An's gaze flickered. She didn't want Shen Xian to know that she was an amateur matchmaker, but if she didn't explain, he would definitely get to the bottom of it.
Helplessly, she finally said, "I saw that matchmakers who introduced couples all received money. I felt that doing so had a great sense of ceremony, so I… thought of this. If you don't like it," she rubbed her eyes, "then I won't ask you to do it this way, okay?"
"..."
"I'm telling the truth."
"You just like that sense of ceremony?"
"Yes."
"..." Shen Xian smiled.
Gu An was completely bewildered. "You're angry one moment and smiling the next. What are you doing?"
"It's nothing." Shen Xian turned his face away and continued to smile.
Gu An: "..." She silently watched Shen Xian, not knowing what else to say.
And so, Gu An successfully became Shen Xian's personal matchmaker.
Every day, they would wander in various places. During this time, Gu An helped introduce many suitable girls to Shen Xian, but he didn't like any of them.
At the beginning, Gu An had always thought Shen Xian was a man who was not picky about his other half. After her recent efforts, she discovered… that following him was truly exhausting.
"I can't go on, I need a rest," she said, immediately sitting down on the dirt slope.
Upon hearing this, Shen Xian stopped and turned to look at Gu An, who was lying on her back on the slope. He said, "You've only been walking for a short while, and you're tired again. What can you do?"
"I can't do anything," Gu An propped her head with her hand, shifted her position, and lay down properly. "I'm just tired in my heart. You know, sometimes, when you're tired in your heart, it affects your body too. Anyway, I'm just incredibly tired." She closed her eyes.
Seeing Gu An like this, Shen Xian sighed helplessly. He walked to her side and said, "Open your eyes."
"No, I just want to rest." Gu An said, crossing her legs.
Shen Xian glanced at Gu An's legs and asked, "How long have you been with me?"
"One month."
"You know it's been a month, you're something else," Shen Xian squatted down and stared at Gu An's profile. "In the first few days after you started following me, you were full of energy, but the further along it gets, the lazier you become. You're deliberately wasting my time."
Hearing this, Gu An opened her eyes and turned to meet Shen Xian's gaze. "In the first few days, I admit I was quite motivated. But you, I painstakingly introduced you to your future wife, and you didn't even spare me a glance. Even if you didn't look at me, at least look at them! In the end, I got scolded. Why don't you consider my feelings at all?"
"..."
"Why aren't you talking?"
"Let's go." Shen Xian averted his gaze.
Gu An said, "How about we settle this properly?"
"..." Shen Xian admitted that he had indeed been rather perfunctory, but he hadn't expected… that the women were different from his impressions?
Of course, setting aside their looks, as soon as those women met Shen Xian, they all wore condescending expressions, as if they were celestial beings.
He thought, aren't they just women with celestial destinies? Is there any need to look down on people like that?
For some reason? He was truly unlucky. Along the way, he had encountered only such women. Those who weren't like that had no fate with him.
Thinking about it, he was also tired.
"There's no need," he said softly.
"You don't dare."
"..." Shen Xian sighed, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Gu An's arm: "You've had a hard time."
"What are you doing?" Gu An was startled.
Shen Xian: "....."
The next moment, Gu An's body suddenly became airborne.
Then, she looked at Shen Xian, who had scooped her up in his arms, with a shocked expression and said, "Put me down."
"Aren't you tired? If I carry you, you won't be tired," Shen Xian said, turning and walking forward.
Gu An was immobilized by Shen Xian's technique, unable to struggle. She could only stare helplessly at his face and say, "Put me down. I'm your personal matchmaker. This is too much."
"How am I being too much?" Shen Xian said as he walked.
"No matter what, I'm still a woman. Don't you understand the principle of propriety between men and women?"
"I understand, but," Shen Xian looked down at Gu An, "in my eyes, you are not a woman."
"Then go hug men. I, as a man, don't need you to carry me."
"Shut up!"
"You…"
Shen Xian interrupted coldly, "I told you to shut up. Can't you understand?" As he spoke, he stopped walking.
Gu An: "..." She was startled by Shen Xian's tone.
Immediately, Shen Xian squinted his eyes.
Gu An saw Shen Xian's sudden tense expression and asked, "What's going on?"
Shen Xian shushed her.
Gu An clamped her mouth shut: "...."
Just then, a voice came from behind them: "Brother Shen, since when did you learn to be tender towards a woman?"
Gu An suddenly sensed a familiar aura, the same as Shen Xian's.
Then, she quickly whispered, "Listen to what that person is saying. Hurry up and put me down, I'm begging you, Shen Xian!"