I'm already a concubine, who wants to fight with you?

Chapter 138 Putting River Lanterns

It felt better when we left the main street and went to a place with fewer people.

Xie Fei lit the lantern and walked along the bridge with Fu Yu, the light and shadow were reflected in the river.

There were very few people in this area, not even a few vendors to be seen, and there were few lights on the river. It was very quiet all around.

Xie Fei saw a big rock by the river and said, "Girl, I'm not leaving tonight. I'll just sit here. Go and play by yourself. Come back to me when you're done."

"Then I'll come back early. If I see any sugar figures, I'll bring them back to you, young lady." Fu Yu still preferred the excitement, so she left Xie Fei and ran to watch the acrobatics.

Xie Fei walked to the stone, brushed off the dust with a handkerchief, and then sat on it.

When I lifted the lamp, I discovered that a piece of the silk cloth had been snagged at some point, and the bright light leaked out, which was somewhat blinding.

Xie Fei couldn't help feeling discouraged.

It’s a rare opportunity to come to the Lantern Festival. I should have known not to squeeze into crowded places.

I really didn't expect that there would be so many people today. It seemed as if every household had nothing to do. They all poured into the streets and surrounded the major lantern viewing venues.

She studied the poem on the silk cloth, not paying attention to its meaning. She just thought that Yuan San's handwriting was really good, much better than her scribbles.

But in fact, she was just not good at using a brush, and in the Xie family, she didn't have many opportunities to practice calligraphy.

Sometimes, Xie Fei would wonder, if his mother was not a so-called concubine but a principal wife, would her situation be a little different?
Shaking her head, she couldn't help but laugh.

Such stupid and clumsy thoughts should not be entertained.

As I was looking at the lanterns, a gust of wind blew and blew out the hot flames that were not covered by any silk cloth.

Xie Fei cried out "Ah!" and tried to light the candle again, but then he remembered that the lighter was with Fu Yu.

Just as he sighed, a gentle and soft voice sounded behind him.

"Fortunately, I have a few extra lamps prepared for the girl."

Xie Fei turned his head and saw Yuan San carrying a bright octagonal lantern and walking alone through the forest.

As he didn't have to work today, he was still dressed as usual, with most of his face covered by a mask.

He was wearing purple clothes with disheveled hair and a slender figure. Holding the lantern like this, he looked like a young master from a wealthy family out for a stroll, very dignified and calm.

After sitting down next to Xie Fei, Yuan San gave her the octagonal palace lantern.

"This one is new and more exquisite than the previous one."

Xie Fei looked at it carefully, pursed his lips and smiled softly, "Did you draw this painting?"

Yuan San asked: "Does it look like it?"

Xie Fei deliberately said: "Not at all, am I that ugly?"

The graceful woman in the painting is leaning against the window, gazing at a red plum blossom growing sideways. Her posture is calm and lazy, and her mind is wandering in the sky amid the falling snow.

The artistic conception is good, but unfortunately the characters are too small and the facial features are not so delicate. Only a few strokes can barely bring out the charm.

Unexpectedly, Yuan San not only had good calligraphy, but also good painting skills, which made Xie Fei even more curious about which academy this "tomb robber" studied in.

Although curious, Xie Fei did not ask further questions. He looked at Yuan San's feet and saw several river lanterns.

"We'll go release river lanterns when Fuyu comes back, otherwise she'll make trouble again."

Yuan San didn't think so. "The streets are bustling with circuses and lantern riddles. If I run into the maid I know in your mansion, she will forget you completely."

Xie Fei was so tired of waiting for Fu Yu to come back and light the lanterns. Xie Fei didn't care, "She is young and it is inevitable that she likes to play. It's best this way. I am the only one who remembers the misfortunes and pains in the past."

Yuan San tilted his head to look at her and said seriously, "I remember it too."

Xie Fei lowered his eyes and smiled, then handed him the poetry lamp again.

"If you fix it, it might still be usable."

Yuan San took it and actually tried to repair it.

It didn't snow today, but the wind was quite strong. Yuan San's loose hair was lifted by the wind and blew onto Xie Fei's neck, bringing a tingling sensation.

He usually tied his hair up, neatly and cleanly, so even Xie Fei could hardly see his hair loose.

Different from her soft and flexible black hair, Yuan San's hair is harder but not rough. It feels very solid but a little cool. It hangs on her shoulders and waist like spread out thick ink, lazy and casual.

Xie Fei's slender fingers were wrapped around a strand of Yuan San's black hair, like a child with an interesting toy. Sometimes she tied a bow, sometimes she took off her earrings and hooked them on her hair, having a lot of fun.

Yuan San focused on repairing the lantern. After he finished, he tilted his head and said, "It's done."

Xie Fei's hand trembled, as if he was caught doing something bad, and he retracted his hand reflexively.

The moment they looked up, their eyes met each other's, even the sparks disappeared, leaving only the reflected faces filled with tenderness.

Time stands still at this moment. I don’t know whose heartbeat it is, boom, boom, boom, echoing gently on the silent riverside.

After a long while, Xie Fei coughed lightly and looked away first.

There was a hint of disappointment in Yuan San's eyes, but it quickly disappeared. He just held the lamp and let Xie Fei fiddle with it while he quietly enjoyed it.

Soon it was the end of the Xu hour, and Fu Yu, who had been having fun, had not returned yet.

As the sky began to snow again and the cold wind howled, Xie Fei could no longer bear it.

She held up two lanterns and gently lowered them into the river.

There is an arch bridge on the opposite bank. There are few people on the bridge, and they are cheering as they point at the river lanterns floating away in the distance.

Xie Fei clasped his hands together and made a wish to the river lanterns drifting with the current.

It seems that I don’t have any big wishes, I just hope to live a smooth life.

I no longer dare to dream of becoming rich or living a hundred years.

After making the wish, she turned around and saw Yuan San standing by the river, also looking at the lights in the distance.

The night wind was howling, Yuan San stood quietly, his long hair and robe sleeves rustling, as if he was a god who was detached from the world. His eyes were indifferent yet inexplicably cold, and even the murderous wind had to retreat a little bit to his fierce aura.

Xie Fei couldn't help but wonder what wish he made in front of these thousands of bright lights?
Is it a prayer for good health, or some more unattainable wish?
After setting off the river lanterns, Fu Yu had not returned yet. It turned out that he had been having so much fun that he had forgotten all about Xie Fei.

Xie Fei looked at Yuan San again. What he was wearing today was the purple winter coat that Xie Fei had custom-made for him. It had wide sleeves and looked very noble.

Purple is a noble and luxurious color. Although Dajing did not prohibit common people from wearing purple clothes, dyeing the cloth purple was very expensive and ordinary people simply could not afford it.

When Xie Fei was making winter clothes, he happened to see purple material among the batches of silk.

She just inexplicably felt that Yuan San would look good in purple, so she made a purple brocade robe for him, and paired it with a jade-studded leather belt around the waist to outline his strong waist. Just imagine what a handsome and elegant posture he would have looked like?
Unexpectedly, when she actually put it on, it fit her better than she had imagined.

"You look quite aristocratic in purple." Xie Fei teased, "You look like a handsome nobleman who has been pampered since childhood and is not interested in worldly affairs. It's just that purple is eye-catching, and I thought you wouldn't wear it."

Yuan San said calmly: "I didn't notice."

(End of this chapter)