Happy match Chapter 4.1

In darkness, I plunged into the river and kept sinking…

Though only a brief moment passed, that dull, echoing thud returned—I had grown far too familiar with it.

Once again…

I was back in my body.

Before me, on the ground, lay the same crater I had left upon falling from the heavens, the mark I had carved into the forest floor.

Inside it was the red thread I had cast aside in my anger.

I lifted my head and gazed at the nearby tree.

Perched among its branches, Shen Yuan sat there, dressed in his flamboyant pink robes, arms crossed, watching me—his expression was unreadable.

Time had rewound once again, bringing me back to the moment before I had met Shen Yuan in the mortal realm.

Yet, my first encounter with him had been in the Nine Heavens, in his Hall of Longing.

But time hadn’t reset that far back, proving that the immortals’ curse only functioned in the human world.

In the mortal realm, whenever I revealed my feelings to someone, or if they confessed their love to me, as long as they weren’t my true love, I would die.

Then, time would reset, and would pull me back to the moment before I met them.

The rules were clear, but still…

“How did it feel to be crushed?” I asked Shen Yuan, studying him intently.

Earlier, that gravely injured warrior—a mere mortal cultivator—had no recollection of the past cycle.

Every time I died and returned, it was obvious that he remained unaware.

But Shen Yuan had fallen from the heavens—would he remember what happened last time?

“Heh…” He lowered his gaze, smiling lightly. “Strange, really—this feeling of obliteration. Time rewinds, then suddenly I’m back here again. It’s as if life and death have become nothing more than a game…”

Isn’t that the truth…

I answered silently, at the same time confirming that this fluttering butterfly, remembered everything.

We were both outsiders in this mortal realm.

Our memories had been left untouched by the curse of death.

The butterfly leaped from the tree again, his robes were fluttering and resembled wings in flight.

With folded arms he stared at me, amusement flickering in his gaze, yet never reaching his eyes.

Whether he was too stunned by being crushed, or resented that I had dragged him down with me, I couldn’t tell.

“Little Fruit Immortal, this is already the third time I’ve returned to this moment since falling from the heavens,” the Butterfly informed me.

“The first time, I was stunned. The second, I was trying to figure out why. And just now—the third—I finally confirmed the truth behind this time-loop curse.”

I straightened my posture, looking up at him—he stood a full head taller than me.

“So, are you telling me this because you want me to call you clever?”

“Not necessarily.” He grinned. “But if you do, I won’t object.”

Then, still smiling, he added, “Honestly, I just want to ascend with you. When you cultivate, maybe share some of your power with me. I want to return to the Nine Heavens quickly…”

“You truly have no shame!” I cursed at him. “You think this is that easy?! It was you who caused my descent! You placed this curse upon me!”

Shen Yuan, feigning innocence, replied, “I did cause you to fall, but the curse wasn’t mine to create. The Nine Heavens’ eight hundred immortals were the ones to cast you down. Their words piled upon one another, crafting this curse spontaneously. It only proves that, in your hundred days in the Nine Heavens, you were far too reckless and angered far too many people.”

“I was upholding justice!”

“Fine, fine.” He chuckled. “But you struck me twice with heavenly lightning the very day you arrived. I was so badly injured that I had to recover for a hundred days. So, I suppose we’re even now.”

“Even!” I snapped. “But just now, you wronged me yet again! You won’t get away this time—!”

“Then, I guess I have no choice but to love you.”

His words landed abruptly—and I choked.

My instincts kicked in—I turned to the mountain, and sure enough, that thunderous roar had already begun.

I reached out to grab the Butterfly, but he evaded me effortlessly.

His movements were weightless, like an actual butterfly. He floated backward, laughing as he waved at me.

In my shock, my survival instincts took over.

I jumped, attempting to dodge—only to be struck by a falling boulder!

Once again—I plunged into the river, then returned to my body…

For a moment, I stood in silence.

Then—I squatted, grabbed a stone from the ground, and hurled it straight at the tree.

“You absolute scoundrel!”

Time had reset and the Butterfly was back on his perch.

He remained as composed as ever, tilting his head slightly, effortlessly dodging my stone.

“Get down here!” I roared, fury boiling inside me. “Come! Let’s settle this once and for all! Today, I—”

“Why is Little Fruit Immortal so angry at me?”

Still seated among the branches, he feigned grievance, wiping the corner of his eye, as though about to shed tears.

“But I truly love you, you know.”

In the stillness of the forest, the rumbling grew louder.

I: “…”

Once more…

I felt like I had dreamed—

No.

Perhaps even dreaming wasn’t quite like this—a dream would have lasted longer than this so-called ‘lifetime’ I just experienced!

It was as if I had blinked, and in that instant—I died, only to suddenly return to this moment.

Life and death were truly a game.

The Butterfly still sat atop the tree, his smirk even more triumphant than when I had mocked him for being struck by lightning.

“Little Fruit Immortal.”

I hadn’t even spoken—yet he spoke first.

Hearing him call my name, a chill ran through my bones.

I lunged forward, ready to climb the tree, to grab him, to tear his mouth apart!

But from his high vantage point, he watched my desperate climb, amusement flickering in his gaze.

“I can’t love you?” he asked, grinning. “I truly meant it earlier.”

Fury surged through me—I ripped off a piece of bark.

“You—!”

RUMBLE—

I was furious.

Utterly furious!

This world—a world that should have had nothing to do with me—I was now beginning to hate it!

And especially Shen Yuan.

I was truly starting to hate him.

“Shen Yuan! You are the worst kind of person!”

“If you have the guts, then keep killing me!”

“Today, I am ready to fight you to the end!”

Every time I spoke, I was crushed once more.

He kept confessing, and I kept dying—I felt as if time had stretched into three days and three nights.

I had died for three days and three nights—died countless times.

Countless.

Yet, time had not moved at all.

It was still the samy sunny day in the same forest with the same gentle breeze—everything paused at the moment before Shen Yuan first uttered the words—

“I love you.”

Again—I was back to the first glance before I met him.

I looked down at the red thread on the ground, then calmly lifted my gaze, locking onto Shen Yuan in the tree.

By now, he had changed positions many times—sitting, lying, lounging…

At present, his legs dangled freely, swinging in the air like a child on a swing.

He looked at me—no longer smiling, instead studying me carefully.

“Little Fruit Immortal, do you not feel pain?”

This time, his voice was coaxing, gentle persuasion dripping from his words.

“Helping me ascend wouldn’t be so hard, you know. I could even help you find your true love. Just let me stand by your side, and I’ll use all my mischief against others instead. Wouldn’t that be better?”

Once, death had terrified me.

But after dying countless times, all I felt was numbness

Now my mind felt sharper

I closed my eyes, telling myself—

I was here because I had not yet matured.

I was here because I was undergoing trials, which would refine my body and soul.

I must not become a slave to my emotions—I must master them.

I will not be angry.

If I grow angry, he will rejoice.

I will not be angry.

Impulsive emotions lead to ruin.

Fighting him head-on—arguing, struggling—it would lead nowhere.

I exhaled slowly, taking a deep breath.

The only way forward was to break the curse, ascend to the Nine Heavens, complete the ancient god’s mission, and finally achieve maturity.

And then as a fully matured fruit, I would boil every love-struck immortal across the heavens.

Every. Single. One.

Especially that damned God of Love.

I’d boil him and feed him to a dog.

The ugliest dog in the world.

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