67 Lantern Festival

After a commotion, the time for the "curing of ailments" stroll finally arrived. The young women descended the stairs one by one, merging into the bustling crowd. Some walked in pairs, others in groups, while a few, having quietly arranged rendezvous, trailed a short, deliberate distance behind. The east side of Baixi Street was bordered by the city wall, and the west side by the moats, adorned with winding pavilions and water terraces. Countless people were releasing river lanterns, filling the water surface with floating lotus lamps carried away by the current like scattered stars in the sky.

The elder sisters were all leading the way, but A-Cuo intentionally lagged behind, holding her lantern. Sure enough, after walking barely a couple of steps, a figure caught up with her.

Although the Lantern Festival granted women freedom, the truly uninhibited ones were the young nobles. They gathered in groups along the roadside, watching the young women of various households and openly admiring them. Some of the more reckless ones even dared to step forward and ask for their names. Being as striking as she was, A-Cuo naturally could not avoid this. When men from two successive households came over to inquire, Mistress Lin intercepted them both. As a third one attempted to question her and had barely begun to speak, he was shoved aside roughly.

"Move along." Wei Yushan maintained his usual overbearing demeanor. The man was pushed to the ground and was about to demand an explanation, but upon recognizing who it was, he instantly lost his courage, muttered hurried apologies, and fled.

Having chased the others away, he remained silent himself. Holding an oversized fish lantern, he walked alongside A-Cuo, stealthily glancing at her by the lantern's glow while wearing a silly, inexplicable smile.

"Look at me." He prompted A-Cuo. When she turned to look, he raised the fish lantern, and its lower jaw suddenly popped open. As luck would have it, A-Cuo's goldfish lantern was small; he tapped his lantern against hers, and instantly her entire goldfish lantern seemed swallowed whole by his.

Wei Yushan smiled at her and said, "Look, the big fish eats the small fish."

Even Mistress Lin could not help suppressing a smile, but A-Cuo showed no trace of mirth. She glanced at him once, turned her head away, and kept walking.

Seeing that he could not coax a smile out of her, Wei Yushan swiftly stepped around to walk backward in front of her, intently studying the expression on her face.

"What's wrong? Are you angry again?" he apologized earnestly. "Did I say something wrong? Should I not have 'eaten' your fish?"

A-Cuo merely averted her eyes, refusing to look at him.

"No."

"Then why? Did someone bully you? Tell me, and I'll go teach them a lesson," Wei Yushan asked sincerely. "Or is there something you want? Tell me, and I will surely get it for you."

A-Cuo only shook her head.

"It has nothing to do with you."

She was no fool. She had seen everything earlier at the banquet—how Lingbo had tried so hard to provoke Cui Jingyu. Sister Qinglan's affairs with Cui Jingyu were Sister Lingbo's utmost wish, and naturally, they were her wish too.

What if, in the end, it all fell through?

And what if, because of this, Wei Yushan was deeply wounded? Or what if Wei Yushan found out? That all his displays of affection, the spiritual connection he believed they shared, his very first Lantern Festival date, and the first girl he ever fancied were purely matters of being used?

Yet Wei Yushan obviously could not guess any of this.

"It's fine. I'll take you out to clear your mind." He glanced at the crowd ahead and suddenly reached out, taking A-Cuo's hand.

The young man's hand was broad and warm, bearing the light calluses of lifelong sword practice. There was no room for hesitation, as if he would never let her go.

"Come on, let's go play some riddles. I saw a ring-tossing stall over there; I'm exceptionally good at that. I'll toss whatever you want and win it for you, and we'll even go get a real goldfish."

A-Cuo did not pull away. Seeming somewhat resigned to despair, she let him pull her hand as they wove through the crowd, shielding her from the jostling throng. He bought her an oversized sugar figurine at the sweet vendor's stall, led her to the ring-toss booth, and won enviable prizes. The proud nineteen-year-old young general, dazzling like a blazing flame, smiled at her amidst the street-full of lights, much like the loyal little dog she had kept when she was ten, earning her countless envious gazes.

At the end of the lantern festival, Wei Yushan led her to take refuge on the water pavilion's terrace, arranging the prizes across an entire table and proudly awaiting her praise.

A-Cuo merely turned her profile, watching intently as he fed the goldfish.

"Wei Yushan, do you like me?"

His ears flushed red instantly.

"Of course," he replied with absolute certainty.

"Then what if—what if I am not the person you think I am? What if you feel I've changed in the future? What if I've deceived you?"

Wei Yushan looked at her earnestly, his eyes shining as brightly as the stars.

"Then I'll deceive you once in return, and we'll be even."

***

While the crowd toured the lantern festival, Lingbo found Pei Zhao up on the city wall.

General Pei's displeasure remained as obvious as ever. He neither smiled nor cracked jokes, paid no mind to any flowered brocade satins, and simply leaned coldly against the city wall, watching Lingbo approach him.

Lingbo found it rather amusing herself; how long had it been since they last made up, only to fall out again? She herself was unbothered, though she figured little Liuer would surely be laughing at her expense.

Therefore, she said, "Little Liuer, you guys wait for me over there. I need to have a word with General Pei."

"I have nothing to say to Miss Ye," Pei Zhao said coldly.

"It's *I* who have something to say to *you*, alright?" The moments right after pulling off a misdeed were often when Lingbo was in her most amiable temper. She walked up to Pei Zhao, holding her lantern, and instead of getting straight to the point, she asked, "Where's your lantern?"

"Threw it away."

Lingbo smiled.

Being a head shorter than Pei Zhao, it was effortless for her to lean in and check his expression. Mimicking the teasing tone he usually adopted with her, she leaned closer and asked, "Really angry, are you?"

Pei Zhao was clearly quite familiar with this routine himself, which only made him angrier.

Smiling, Lingbo used the small wooden stick of her lantern to poke his arm. "Oh, stop being angry. Wasn't it just a little joke between you and Qinglan? I had no choice, did I? I didn't have anyone else I could use around me, so naturally, I had to use you. Besides, the main point was to rile up Cui Jingyu. Since you're my person, of course you have to help me out..."

"Wasn't your Shen Biwei right beside you?" Pei Zhao retorted in a huff.

"She wasn't wearing men's attire today, and besides, Cui Jingyu recognizes her." Seeing that he remained impervious to persuasion, Lingbo simply adopted his usual demeanor and began to flatter him shamelessly. "Mostly it's because our General Pei is far too exceptional—striking to look at, skilled in archery and horsemanship, and a brilliant military commander. Back beneath the viewing tower, when you defeated Cui Jingyu with three arrows, who in the capital didn't know about it? Cui Jingyu is at the height of his power right now, and only you can rival him. If I don't use you, who else can I use?"

Pei Zhao still held his chin up, but the expression on his face softened somewhat.

"Is that all? What else?"

"And General Pei is a natural clothes-hanger. This outfit was tailor-made for General Pei to wear in the first place, certainly not to scheme against him. I was just thinking on my feet, and seeing how extraordinarily handsome General Pei looked in this attire, I couldn't resist using it to vex Cui Jingyu..."

Pei Zhao raised an eyebrow.

"Then give me a respectful 'At your command,' and I'll forgive you."

Lingbo laughed in exasperation.

"In your dreams!" She reached out to pinch Pei Zhao. "Have I spoiled you too much, Miss? I merely made a joke at your expense, and now you want to climb over my head? Asking me to say 'At your command' to you—you should be saying 'At your command' to me instead! Quick, say it, or I'll beat you to death! Hurry!"

Pei Zhao laughed as she pinched him, dodging away while instinctively grabbing both of her hands. The city wall was dim, yet his face caught a pale, soft light in the shadows. Because of the darkness, it felt all the more real—a side of Pei Zhao hidden from the rest of the world, visible to her alone.

Lingbo felt a momentary pang of instinctive panic, especially as Pei Zhao leaned in with a smile.

Pei Zhao's face drew close, his tall, narrow nasal bridge, prominent brow ridge, and those peach-blossom eyes all coming into view at once, bringing with them the faint, clean scent of foliage he carried.

"What are you doing?" Lingbo broke out in a light sweat.

Yet he did nothing of the sort, merely murmuring a soft, compliant "At your command" right beside her ear.

Curiously, he was exceptionally skilled at this. He was no ferocious member of a wolf pack, but rather an indolent tiger. Conversing with him often gave one the sensation of being toyed with as prey—unable to escape, and just as you grew genuinely angry, he would roll over on the ground and expose his belly to you.

Formidable though Lingbo always was, she was no match for him.

"Now that's more like it," Lingbo said, putting on a fierce front as she withdrew her hands.

If not for her slight stutter, Lingbo felt she would have possessed a truly formidable presence.

Pei Zhao merely smiled and turned his gaze back toward the foot of the city wall. In truth, Lingbo was well aware that beneath the surface, Pei Zhao's baseline was not a happy one. Beneath his cynical, devil-may-care exterior lay turbulent undercurrents, which was likely why she so often felt the urge to peel back his facade and touch the genuine Pei Zhao hidden beneath.

"Everyone knew it was just a joke; only you are so petty," she began to needle him again. "I only asked you to come to the Lantern Festival so you could make a splash. I know you dislike striving to get ahead, but standing out is always a good thing. Born as handsome as you are, always cooped up at home—isn't it a waste? Today's the Lantern Festival, and every young lady in the capital has come out. Who knows, some young miss might just take a fancy to you, and becoming a favored son-in-law wouldn't be a bad thing either."

"You take me for Gao Huan," Pei Zhao remarked helplessly.

"What's wrong with being Gao Huan?" Lingbo mixed earnest advice into her teasing. "Only when you hold power can you properly do good deeds for the country and its people."

"Perhaps I simply refuse to do good deeds that benefit the country and the people?" Pei Zhao countered with a smile.

"Don't try to fool me. You fought battles like the one at Mingsha River and endured hardships like that—how could you possibly be unwilling to serve the country and the people?" Lingbo said. "I know there must be a reason behind it. In times of peace, striving for the top only requires walking the proper path. You are clearly capable of walking it, yet you choose not to; there must be a cause."

Even when provoked to this extent, Pei Zhao remained unwilling to speak of it. With no other choice, she could only accompany him in watching the bustling crowd beneath the city wall.

In truth, she and Pei Zhao shared certain similarities; neither of them truly belonged to the crowd, always lingering on the dark edges, which was why they crossed paths so often. Much like this moment, they both felt the myriad lights below were a fine sight—everyone joyous and prosperous, which was wonderful—yet they remained accustomed to watching it all from the shadows.

"Pei Zhao," Lingbo called his name softly.

Pei Zhao turned his face to look at her quietly, only to find she wasn't looking at him, but rather at the crowd below the wall. Her features were delicate, easily blurred by the encroaching darkness, yet Pei Zhao remembered the exact location of every single mole on her face.