The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

The carriage, though plain on the outside, was luxurious on the inside and had excellent sound insulation, effectively blocking out the sensual atmosphere inside.

However, Wu Tian, ​​who was experienced in driving, still sensed something.

Without changing his expression, he flicked the reins and drove the carriage around the city, making a loop before finally entering the capital city, where the lights were just beginning to twinkle.

Inside the car, Shen Qingruo leaned softly against the wall, a few strands of hair damp with sweat, her eyes watery, clearly still not back to her senses.

Shen Wangxi had regained his usual composure. He was carefully pulling up her underpants, which had slipped down to her knees, to cover her bare, tender legs.

Then, he smoothed out her disheveled skirt, and carefully tied the belt that he had loosened around her slender waist again.

After doing all this, he quickly straightened his wrinkled robes, only to find that large sections... were unwearable.

Fortunately, his clothes were always kept in the car, and Shen Wangxi took out a casual outfit of the same color and changed into it.

After composing himself, he bent down to look at her, his voice filled with pity, "Aruo, are you alright? The lantern festival has already begun."

Shen Qingruo slowly raised her eyelids, glaring at him with wet, accusing eyes, and muttered something under her breath:

"You beast, how could His Majesty grace us with his presence here..."

Shen Wangxi chuckled at her coquettish appearance, and instead of being annoyed, her heart softened even more.

He leaned closer and kissed her forehead again, whispering, "When we're outside later, you can't call him Your Majesty anymore."

Shen Qingruo blinked, somewhat bewildered: "What's it called?"

"My name is Wang Xi, and my courtesy name is Shu Bai." He looked at her with tenderness in his eyes. "Outside, you can call me by my courtesy name."

"Shu Bai..." Shen Qingruo softly uttered these two words, her voice gentle and sweet, filled with curiosity.

She tried calling out again, "Shubai?" This time her voice was softer.

By the third note, it was tinged with excitement: "Shubai~"

Shen Wangxi looked at her face, which lit up with joy because of a special title, and sighed inwardly, thinking what an easy little girl to coax.

Fortunately, she has him protecting her now. If she were to marry into another family, with her temperament, wouldn't she be easily fooled by a few words?

Shen Wangxi reached out and pulled her up: "Come on, let's get out of the car."

He got off the carriage first, then turned around and reached out to help her.

Shen Qingruo placed her small hand in his palm and used his strength to get out of the car. However, as soon as her toes touched the ground, her legs went weak and she almost fell.

Shen Wangxi reacted quickly, his long arm sweeping around her slender waist and pulling her into his embrace.

The two instantly came close, their noses almost touching.

Shen Qingruo placed her small hand on his chest, looked up to meet his eyes, and her face flushed pink.

Shen Wangxi put his arm around her, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he coughed lightly to cover up his embarrassment.

Meng Lang in the car just now was indeed unlike his usual self-disciplined and courteous manner.

Wu Tian and Granny Yan, who were following behind, had already kept their eyes down, not daring to look any further.

-

The lantern festival in Beijing truly lives up to its reputation.

Along the long street, lights shone brightly, and all kinds of lanterns competed for beauty.

As Shen Wangxi and Shen Qingruo walked among the crowd, their outstanding looks and demeanor made them stand out from the crowd, attracting a lot of attention.

Shen Wangxi frowned slightly and, without making a sound, placed a veiled hat with a light gauze over Shen Qingruo's head, covering her delicate face.

"Too many people, too many eyes," he explained in a low voice, his large hand still firmly resting on her waist, protecting her from the passing crowd.

Shen Qingruo looked at him through the thin veil and nodded obediently.

They moved slowly with the crowd and stopped in front of a stall where people were guessing riddles.

The stall owner, an old man with a goatee, was reciting a riddle while swaying his head: "It has a head but no tail, horns but no mouth, shakes its horns and head, and is all water. What is it?"

Some people around guessed it was a "fish," while others guessed it was a "boat," but the old man shook his head.

Shen Qingruo gently tugged at Shen Wangxi's sleeve and whispered in his ear, "Is it a lotus leaf?"

Shen Wangxi turned his head to listen, and even through the thin veil, he could imagine her charming appearance at that moment.

A smile flickered in his eyes as he said to the stall owner, "These are lotus leaves."

"Young master, you have great insight." The old man smiled and handed over an exquisite lotus lamp.

Shen Wangxi took it, then handed it to Shen Qingruo, and told her, "It's our Qingruo who has good insight."

Shen Qingruo held the lotus lantern, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

Next, they went to the lantern competition's exhibition area.

The place was packed with people, and the various giant lanterns, some exquisite and some magnificent, were breathtaking.

There are lifelike dragon and phoenix lanterns, landscape lanterns depicting layered mountains and rivers, and lanterns with ingeniously designed serial stories.

The artisans stood beside their works, both proud and nervous as they received feedback from the crowd.

A young craftsman created a Chang'e flying to the moon lantern, with Chang'e's flowing clothes and graceful posture, which drew cheers from the crowd.

Another master craftsman's Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea lantern, with its numerous figures and varied expressions, attracted a large crowd.

"Amazing..." Shen Qingruo watched intently, exclaiming softly.

She saw the indomitable light in the artisans' eyes, their confidence in their work, their mutual learning and their mutual defiance, and felt a vitality completely different from that of the palace.

Shen Wangxi's gaze rarely lingered on the lanterns. He spent most of his time looking at Shen Qingruo beside him, watching her look around excitedly, like an ordinary young lady, immersed in simple joy.

Amidst the bustling crowd, he leaned down, his thin lips brushing against her ear: "Do you like it?"

Shen Qingruo's ears burned and her heart raced as he got close to her.

She nodded vigorously, her voice joyful: "I love it, it's so lively here."