Chapter 1

The sky began to darken, and lights flickered on throughout the city.

Sun Yan whistled, walking home with a light step.

On his left, the widened street was still extremely crowded with vehicles, despite the expansion. The city was getting busier, with more cars and people. He enjoyed the feeling of walking alone on a bustling street, though he couldn't quite explain why.

People always have things they like. Some enjoy jogging in the morning, others like to sleep in, and many girls enjoy window shopping, browsing through stores for things they can't afford or don't even want to buy.

Of course, in a big forest, there are all kinds of birds, and in this world, there are bound to be some perverts who like to follow the opposite sex...

Sun Yan suddenly turned around, looking back with suspicion.

A group of girls was chatting and laughing as they walked behind him. Due to his sudden stop, one of the girls almost bumped into him. She stopped and glared at him angrily.

This was a world of gender equality, where women were even more equal than men, so Sun Yan stepped aside and continued to look around. There were people coming and going, but he didn't notice anything unusual.

Was it an illusion? Why did he feel like he was being followed by a pervert?

He scratched his head in confusion and continued walking.

The Changle Bridge spanned the Fuxi River, which ran through the city center. Two flower beds, each about a meter wide, separated the motor vehicle lanes from the bicycle lanes. Sun Yan walked on the pedestrian path, which was about two centimeters higher than the bicycle lane, and turned his head to look at the full moon in the sky.

The moon was very round tonight, reminding Sun Yan of the sentence he wrote in his composition book when he was a child: "The moon in the sky is like a washbasin." Now, it seemed silly and stupid, but who hadn't gone through a silly and stupid childhood? And Sun Yan felt he wasn't the silliest or stupidest one, because in junior high, his deskmate was still writing "The moon in the sky is like a washbasin," and Sun Yan felt particularly proud when his 30-point essay only lost 15 points...

The moon tonight really did look like a washbasin, but one filled with clear water, shining brightly as if it were reflecting all the city lights. Below the moon, the Fuxi River shimmered with ripples, and the moon's reflection in the river made it seem as if something was about to fly out from the "double moon" in the sky and water.

It was truly a round and beautiful moon.

But...

Sun Yan quickly turned around.

A small figure darted and hid under the shadow of the stone railing.

The stone railing cast a thin shadow due to the streetlights on the flower beds that separated the motor vehicle lanes. The girl hiding in the shadow was about 15 or 16 years old. Sun Yan didn't understand why she thought she couldn't be seen by hiding like that.

In fact, the passersby around her were already looking at her curiously, but in an era where even neighbors might not know each other, no one would bother to intervene.

The girl crouched there, like a frightened little mouse, and Sun Yan felt embarrassed to tell her that everyone could see her.

Was she following him? Sun Yan thought.

A female pervert?

Sun Yan turned and continued walking.

He walked all the way to the bridgehead and quickly turned around again.

The small girl, who had been following him, jumped back a step as if startled.

She was a very pretty girl, but Sun Yan didn't recognize her.

Her attire was somewhat like that of a beauty in a period drama, with a red coat embroidered with light blue trim, the double-breasted front overlapping neatly over her chest, tied with a knot at the waist, and a pleated skirt in the color of autumn green, the hem of the coat covering half of the skirt. This outfit resembled an ancient-style ruqun.

Her hair was styled in a double bun, a style that, to be frank, was now only worn by mothers on their young daughters in kindergarten or primary school to make them look cuter.

Although it was hard to say whether her hairstyle and outfit were "retro" or "fashionable," she was indeed a pretty girl. However, following the opposite sex was clearly not a good behavior. Sun Yan began to search his memory. Why was she following him? For revenge?

Sun Yan recalled the girls he had pulled the braids of when he was a child, but none of them matched this pretty girl. He felt a chill, wondering if he had really encountered a female pervert. But the girl's frightened rabbit-like expression made it hard to associate her with the tough and flashy girls on the street.

He asked, "Are you...?"

The girl in the ruqun quickly turned away, her back to him, like a snail retreating into its shell from an external invasion.

Ignoring him?

Sun Yan turned and ran... I'll ignore you too.

Sun Yan's home was in a commercial building on the left side of the bridgehead. He went down the stone steps and followed a small path into the dark. When he turned back, no one was behind him. Sun Yan thought it must have been a misunderstanding. The girl wasn't following him; she just happened to be walking behind him. She might have been a girl who rarely went out and had a vivid imagination, mistaking him for a thug and getting scared when he turned around.

For Sun Yan, who had always been harmless to people and animals, at most pulling girls' braids and putting sand in their necks when he was a child, being mistaken for a thug was amusing. He shook his head and turned back... A beautiful and fair face appeared before his eyes.

His hair stood on end, startled by the girl who had somehow appeared in front of him.

"What do you want?" He instinctively clutched his chest and took a step back.

The girl in the ruqun looked at him with teary eyes. Sun Yan tried hard to remember if she was a classmate from his elementary school, someone he had pulled the braid of or put insects on. The girl looked like she was about to cry, as if she wanted to speak but was too embarrassed to open her mouth.

Sun Yan whispered, "Do you... want to borrow money?"

The girl shook her head gently, her double buns swaying with the movement.

Sun Yan asked, "Do I owe you money?"

The girl shook her head again, her beautiful face turning even redder, like a juicy red apple.

"Oh!" Sun Yan took a step to the right... At least I don't owe you money.

He walked forward and quickly passed by the girl.

Suddenly, his sleeve tightened. He turned his head and saw the girl in the ruqun extending her hands, tightly gripping his sleeve, but looking completely at a loss. Seeing her anxious expression, Sun Yan felt some sympathy and turned to wait for her to speak.

The bridge was lit with flickering lights, but this spot was between two six-story apartment buildings, blocking the moonlight and streetlights. Only a few windows on the sides cast a pale yellow glow. The girl's red ruqun stood out brightly in the shadows, like a night-blooming jasmine, a hazy and beautiful sight.

"Is your name Sun Yan?" The girl lowered her head, not daring to look at him. Her voice was so weak it was like a mosquito's hum, clearly mustering up a lot of courage, but still too soft.

Sun Yan thought, "Sir? Is she an actress?"

He asked, "Are you...?"

"I, I am Du... Du Xiangxiang!" The girl bent her waist, legs together, hands clasped under her belly, her autumn green pleated skirt swaying slightly, looking extremely embarrassed.

She really seems like an actress! Sun Yan thought.

"I know you don't recognize me," Du Xiangxiang's voice was so soft Sun Yan had to strain to hear, "Actually, this is the first time I've met you today."

"Oh! Is it... did my mom owe your family money?"

Du Xiangxiang looked up and shook her head vigorously.

Sun Yan thought, that's good.

Du Xiangxian said softly, "Actually, I am a fairy from the Heavenly Realm!"

Sun Yan's mouth dropped open, "What? What are you?"

"Actually, I am a fairy from the Heavenly Realm!" Du Xiangxiang's voice was light and beautiful, like a lark, soft and crisp, sweet enough to melt in your ears.

"The situation is like this," the girl who called herself a fairy said, her face so red it seemed you could fry an egg on it, "For a special reason, I went to see Old Man Moon today, hoping he could help me with my marriage prospects. I, I just wanted to know if I could get married..."

Old Man Moon? The deity who oversees marriage and ties red strings?

Du Xiangxiang glanced at her head and said softly, "Old Man Moon showed me my future husband through the 'Mirror of Destiny.' He said, according to the light of the Red Star, my future husband is you!" She lowered her head, too embarrassed to lift it.

Sun Yan thought for a moment, "Is that so... Well, wait a minute!" He looked around.

Someone must be secretly filming this, right? This is probably some boring TV show, hiring an art school student to claim she's a fairy and that she's his future wife in front of a chosen passerby, while hidden cameras capture the reactions of the gullible people. After filming enough fools, they edit it into a show for entertainment... It must be something like that.

But he looked around and didn't see anyone hiding to film, and the lighting here was clearly not suitable for hidden filming or making a show.

He asked, "You mean, you're a fairy from heaven?"

Du Xiangxiang lowered her head, "Yes."

Sun Yan continued, "You mean, you're my future wife?"

Du Xiangxiang's head drooped even lower, "Old Man Moon said so. I know it's shocking to say this suddenly, appearing before you for the first time and shamelessly claiming to be your future wife, but, but..." She was too embarrassed to continue.

Sun Yan whispered, "So, you came down from heaven... to meet me?"

Du Xiangxiang looked like she was about to cry, "No, Yao Yao threw me down."

Sun Yan asked, "Who is this Yao Yao?"

"She is the Imperial Princess of the Heavenly Realm, the next Heavenly Emperor," Du Xiangxiang clenched her fists, looking like she wanted to hit someone and cry, "I am her maid, but she is so cruel. I feel like I will die if I stay with her any longer. But according to the rules of the Heavenly Realm, unless I get married, I have to continue serving as a maid in the Xiu Le Palace. So, I went to see Old Man Moon to find out when I can get married."

She teared up, "But Yao Yao is so cruel. She was following me, and when I just wanted to use the 'Mirror of Destiny' to see you, she used her first sword of the Heavenly Realm to break the crystal wall and threw me down."

This Yao Yao seems really bad...

Tears continued to well up in the girl's eyes, "This is my first time in the human world, but according to the current rules of the Heavenly Realm, the South Gate only opens once a month, and I can only return to the Heavenly Realm on the next full moon. I don't know what to do, and I don't even have a place to stay, so I thought, I thought..."

So, this is what happened... This is clearly a girl who had a quarrel with her parents and ran away, penniless and not knowing where to go. She probably saw me before and wanted to make me a scapegoat, so she made up this story about a fairy descending to earth, just to find someone to temporarily take her in?

Sun Yan said, "That's the case, I have an empty room at my place. Why don't you stay at my place for now?"

Du Xiangxiang's left thumb touched her right thumb, "Really?"

Sun Yan smiled, "Since Old Man Moon said you are my future wife, I can't just leave you out here. What if someone bullies you?" It was hard to believe she made up such an absurd story, but considering she actually thought someone would believe it, her intelligence was so low that he couldn't bear to leave her on the street.

Sun Yan said, "My place is nearby, follow me." He led her down the alley.

***

They climbed the stairs to the third floor. Sun Yan opened the door, pressed the switch, and the three energy-saving lights on the ceiling lit up, illuminating the room.

Stepping on the square carpet, he took off his shoes and entered the house, bringing a pair of slippers for the girl who clearly ran away from home.

Du Xiangxiang looked startled, "Do, do I have to take off my shoes?"

Sun Yan looked up in surprise at the frightened girl... Who doesn't take off their shoes when entering a house these days?

Du Xiangxiang looked like she was about to run away, "Sir, although Old Man Moon said I will marry you, we are not married yet..."

Sun Yan said, "Ah? Oh, are you worried I'll bully you? I won't!" As long as you don't sneak into my room at night.

Du Xiangxiang stammered, looking embarrassed, "But, but..."

Sun Yan looked down at her feet, and this was... embroidered shoes?

Du Xiangxiang's autumn green skirt almost reached her ankles, and under the skirt were a pair of red satin embroidered shoes. Sun Yan couldn't recognize the flowers embroidered on them, but such shoes were even rarer than her double-bun hairstyle.

Looking up at her nervous face, Sun Yan suddenly realized, "Wait a minute." He went into another room and soon came out with a pair of women's winter slippers, placing them in front of Du Xiangxiang, then stood up and turned away. He heard a rustling sound, followed by Du Xiangxiang's relieved voice, "Done."

Sun Yan turned around and saw she had put on the slippers, but spread her ruqun even more to cover them completely. This girl in the ruqun and double buns was really deep into her role, acting like an ancient girl who wouldn't let anyone see her small feet except her husband.

Letting her be, Sun Yan went to the kitchen to get two cups of water and returned to the living room. Instead of sitting on the sofa, she was kneeling by the low coffee table, as graceful as a girl from before the Tang Dynasty. Sun Yan knew that "kneeling" in modern times was actually "proper sitting" in ancient times, so he didn't find her sitting posture strange. He placed the water on the table and gave her a cup, asking, "Do you have family? Can I have their phone numbers?"

No matter what, if he was taking in someone else's daughter, he should at least inform her parents. Her family might be looking for her, and they might have even reported her missing. If the police suddenly burst in and arrested him as a kidnapper, that would be terrible.

Du Xiangxiang held the cup with both hands and said softly, "My parents are in the Heavenly Realm, and it's impossible to call them from the human world."

I thought so...

"Since you say you are a fairy from heaven, can you do any magic?" Sun Yan asked curiously.

Realizing he didn't believe her, Du Xiangxiang was a bit annoyed. She bit her lip and said softly, "I know some techniques of the Eight Trigrams and the Art of Concealment."

Sun Yan became excited, "Really? Can you show me?"

Fairy magic... Eight Trigrams and the Art of Concealment... It sounded very powerful.

Du Xiangxiang said, "Sir, please watch!" She extended her hands and gestured at the water in the cup.

What will happen? Sun Yan stared at the cup... Will the water freeze? Will it fly up? Or will she create a snowman like the queen in "Frozen"?

But after staring for a long time, the cup didn't move, not even a splash.

He looked at Du Xiangxiang in confusion, and the girl's face was so red it looked like she was about to faint. He quickly said, "Forget it, forget it, stop now..." If she fainted, he would have to perform CPR, and if the police suddenly burst in, he would be charged with rape...

Du Xiangxiang's head was almost touching the table, "I forgot, the human world is now in the Age of Decline, and there is no elemental energy in the world. I, I practice the Spirit Treasure system, and without elemental energy, I can't use fairy magic..."

"I understand, I understand!" It was normal for her, and he was the one who was silly to almost believe she could use fairy magic.

Sun Yan stood up and led her to the room on the left, saying, "You can stay here tonight. This was originally my mom's room, but half a year ago... never mind, forget about her. Don't worry, everything here is clean. I washed it recently, and there are pajamas in the closet."

He pushed the door, "There's a lock here. If you're not comfortable at night, you can lock it. I'll lock my door too..." Just to remind her, in case she tries to harass him at night.

"Thank you for taking me in, Sir!" Du Xiangxiang placed her hands at her waist, bent her knees slightly, and gave a graceful bow.

Sun Yan clasped his hands, "You're welcome, you're welcome. I'll take my leave now." He left the room and closed the door for her.

Then he tiptoed to a corner of the living room and dialed a number on the landline, "Hello, mental hospital? Did you have a patient escape today..."