In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

The blush on Xie Yige's face faded, and her fingertips felt slightly cool.

She bit her lower lip, then suddenly slammed her hand on the window sill: "Zhou Xuan'an! If you keep talking nonsense, you don't want me to help you find a wife for the Lantern Festival, do you?!"

"No, no, no!" Zhou Xuan'an immediately cowered, clasping his hands together in a gesture of apology. "Brother was wrong, brother knows he was wrong! Good sister, we're counting on you for the Lantern Festival!"

"Get out of here!" Xie Yige pretended to be still angry and slammed the window shut.

Leaning against the window frame, she slowly slid down to sit.

My heart was racing, my face was burning, but somewhere deep inside, a cool, bitter feeling washed over me.

Even a princess wouldn't look favorably upon them.

What is she thinking?

"Master, what's wrong? You don't seem to be in a good mood!"

Dudu, who had disappeared for several days, slowly reappeared in her mind.

"Where did you go?"

"Dudu's gone to charge, going to sleep uses up a lot of battery."

"What is charging?"

"Uh... it means replenishing energy, just like you people need to eat when you're hungry."

Xie Yige found it a little confusing, but she could roughly understand its meaning.

"Tonight is the Lantern Festival, there will be many people, so you stay put." With that, she went to dress and change her clothes.

Under the same twilight, a quiet villa lies to the east of the city.

Cui Yutang stood in the bedroom, facing the open wardrobe, for almost half an hour.

There were about ten traditional Chinese robes hanging neatly in the closet, each one perfectly ironed and flawless.

But he felt that none of them were right.

What exactly is he doing?

It was just an ordinary lantern festival, just a simple invitation between classmates.

He stopped hesitating and reached out to take off the moon-white robe.

As he pushed open the bedroom door, the old servant greeted him: "Is my lord going out?"

"Okay." Cui Yutang nodded. "Let's go to the lantern market."

"Should we prepare a car?"

"No need."

He stepped out of the courtyard and into the deepening night. Lanterns lit up one after another along the long street, their warm yellow glow blending together to bathe the entire city of Donglin in a gentle yet bustling atmosphere.

The sounds of gongs, drums, stringed instruments, and laughter drifted from afar, mingling together and rushing towards us.

This was the first time he had walked the streets of Donglin City during the Lantern Festival in the two years since he had been there.

At the other end of the long street, Xie Yige was being pulled by her brother's sleeve, walking in the same direction.

"Hurry, hurry!" Zhou Xuan'an was extremely anxious. "Wanrou must be getting impatient!"

"Okay!" Xie Yige lifted the hem of her light green skirt and jogged to catch up.

"Sister Wanrou, we're here!"

Xie Yige, with her sharp eyes, spotted a pale yellow figure by the bridge pier through the crowd.

Xie Wanrou looked up at the sound, her eyes crinkling beneath her veil, and quickly walked over. Zhou Xuan'an had already loosened his grip on his sister's sleeve and stepped forward, stopping in front of Xie Wanrou.

"Wanrou," his voice was a little hoarse, "you've finally agreed to see me."

Xie Wanrou's eyes reddened, and she lowered her head: "I'm sorry, my mother... doesn't really like me going out."

"I'm sorry." Zhou Xuan'an hurriedly waved his hand, belatedly realizing he had said the wrong thing. "I'm not blaming you, I just...missed you so much."

He touched the back of his head as he spoke, looking annoyed.

Xie Wanrou looked up at him, her veil swaying slightly, and tears welling up in her eyes.

Seeing this, Xie Yige quietly took two steps back, turned around, and slipped into the crowd.

Since her brother and sister-in-law rarely see each other, she couldn't be the tactless lantern that dazzles them.

However, she always felt that something was off about her future sister-in-law's family, and hoped that nothing bad would happen, otherwise her brother would be devastated.

The crowds surged, and the lanterns shone like daylight. She walked alone down the long street, but for some reason, her brother's words came to mind—

"His family doesn't even look down on princesses." My heart suddenly tightened slightly.

"Boss," she stopped in front of a sugar figurine stall, trying to shake off those thoughts, "how much is this little rabbit?"

"Two coins each!"

"Give."

She took the sugar figurine; the tiny rabbit glistened under the lamplight. She stuck out the tip of her tongue and gently licked the rabbit's ear.

sweet.

Xie Yige's eyes narrowed happily, like two crescent moons.

This scene was captured perfectly by those deep, pool-like eyes not far away.

Cui Yutang stood in the crowd, having followed her all the way.

From the moment she slipped into the crowd, his gaze never left that graceful figure in light green. He watched her buy sugar figurines, watched her lick the rabbit ears, watched the way her eyes curved into a smile—

His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

Her ears turned slightly red.

He didn't dare to go forward, but quietly followed her from a distance of three or five steps. He watched her stop in front of the lantern stall, looking up and guessing riddles; he watched her stop, attracted by the acrobatic troupe; he watched her instinctively grab onto a lamppost when she stumbled because of the crowd.

A strange, secret sense of satisfaction arose in my heart.

It was as if the city lights and bustling noise were merely a backdrop for her. He, on the other hand, was a despicable spy, hiding in the shadows, stealing this inappropriate, fleeting intimacy.

I just hope this road will never end.

Excuse me! Please let me through!

A man carrying a load of goods squeezed in from the side, swinging his load sideways, and was about to bump into Xie Yige, who was looking down and licking a candy figurine.

Cui Yutang's heart skipped a beat.

The body moves faster than the mind.

He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. The cargo pole brushed past her skirt, creating a gust of wind, and the little rabbit fell to the ground.

Xie Yige gasped and bumped into his arms. The cool sandalwood scent instantly enveloped her, along with his warm chest, strong arms, and the suppressed breathing above her head.

Are you alright?

The voice came from above, carrying obvious worry.

Xie Yige looked up and met Cui Yutang's deep, unfathomable eyes. The lamplight fell on his face, highlighting his clear features and the panic in his eyes that he couldn't hide in time.

"Thank you, Mr. Cui..." She hurriedly stepped back, her cheeks burning. "Thank goodness you were here."

Cui Yutang looked her up and down, and only after confirming that she was alright did he let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief: "It's good that you're alright."

He paused, glancing behind her: "Why is Lady Xie alone? Where is Brother Xuan'an?"

"We... got separated." Xie Yige lowered her head, not daring to look him in the eye.

The lie was so clumsy that even she felt guilty.

"Shall I help you look for it?" Cui Yutang's voice remained gentle.

"Thank you, Mr. Cui."

So the two walked side by side into the crowd.

The long street was teeming with people. Their shoulders brushed against each other from time to time, their clothes touching before quickly separating. Each unintentional touch felt like a tiny electric current coursing through their limbs.

Xie Yige's hands, which were holding the handkerchief, were slightly sweaty.

Cui Yutang's breathing was also heavier than usual.

As they passed a stall selling purses, Xie Yige suddenly stopped and gently tugged at his sleeve.

"Young Master Cui, look."

The stall wasn't large, covered with a blue cloth, on which a dozen or so pairs of purses were neatly arranged. The fabric was ordinary, but the embroidery was extremely exquisite—mandarin ducks playing in the water, lotus flowers blooming side by side, flying wing to wing... It was clearly prepared for lovers tonight.