When I think about the mysteries of love in ancient China, one figure stands out—Yue Lao, the Old Man Under the Moon. His legend has fascinated me for years. Imagine a gentle, wise deity who quietly shapes the romantic destinies of mortals, all beneath the pale lunar glow. He’s not a thundering god, but a patient matchmaker, weaving the threads of fate with a red silken rope.

Yue Lao’s story begins with a chance encounter. A young man named Wei Gu meets an elderly stranger by moonlight. This is