Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Xiao Ce tightened his grip on the teacup, and one corner of his lips twitched slightly. He had arrived when Lu Baixu stopped Ling Xi downstairs, so he naturally didn't assume they had deliberately met.

He just couldn't help feeling a little concerned deep down, concerned about other men getting close to her, and concerned about how much she talked and smiled with Lu Baixu than when she was with him.

Ling Xi noticed that Xiao Ce's gaze was fixed on her, so she could only lower her head silently and keep drinking tea to hide her unease.

"Sister-in-law Xi! Brother Bai Xu!"

The atmosphere inside the room was deathly silent when Xiao Xiao's cheerful voice suddenly came from outside the door. She stepped into the room and let out a soft "hmm" when she saw the others.

"Brother Ce? Brother Qin Qi and Miss Qin are here too?"

As she spoke, she gracefully sat down beside Qin Zhiyi. She clearly noticed that Brother Ce, who was sitting next to Sister-in-law Xi, had a dark and unhappy expression. She felt that she had only called Sister-in-law Xi and Brother Bai Xu, which made it seem as if they had made an appointment to be together.

But she had heard Pei Lan say that Sister Xi had run into Brother Bai Xu and was resting at this teahouse. She had no idea there were so many people there.

After she slowly finished a cup of tea and caught her breath, she realized that the atmosphere in the room was really strange. Everyone was just sitting silently, and no one spoke.

"Sitting here is boring anyway, so... how about we go watch the lighting ceremony? I just saw quite a few people heading towards the riverbank."

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"OK!"

Xiao Ce was about to refuse, but Ling Xi spoke first in a low voice.

His gaze lingered on her face, where a rare lightness and joy flickered. Xiao Ce felt a pang of sadness; was it because they were almost at Jinling that she was so relaxed, her eyes sparkling with happiness?

Following Xiao Xiao, the group walked slowly along Fengyang Street toward the Qinghe River, following the flow of people.

The lights stretched along the way, and at the end of Fengyang Street was Qinghe River, where the lighting ceremony was held in the square on the riverbank.

The lights reflected on the Qinghe River, breaking into shimmering specks. The stone steps and squares along the riverbank were crowded with onlookers, their laughter and cheers rising and falling.

A lighting ceremony had already been prepared in the square, with tables neatly arranged and filled with all kinds of river lanterns for blessings, including lotus lanterns, full moon lanterns, and auspicious bird lanterns...

These are for people to use for prayer after the lighting ceremony, while a wooden lighthouse has been built on the side of the square closest to the river.

The lighthouse is about six or seven zhang tall, with its body layered and decorated with all kinds of lanterns, each with a unique shape and exquisite patterns. At the very top of the lighthouse hangs the largest main lantern of Jinling City every year on the Lantern Festival, which is magnificent and can be seen from afar.

"This year's main lantern is actually a lotus lantern!"

Xiao Xiao was overjoyed and stayed close to Ling Xi, explaining everything with great enthusiasm, afraid that Ling Xi might miss something.

The crowd stopped on the riverbank and in the square, their eyes all fixed on the towering lighthouse, and the surrounding noise subsided.

A moment later, the official in charge of ceremonies at the lighthouse gently struck the golden chime in his hand, and the clear, melodious sound echoed across the river. After three strikes, the auspicious time had arrived.

The lighthouse was lit first at its base, with clusters of lights being lit one after another. Two skilled lighthouse keepers, holding tinderboxes and pulling ropes, moved the lighthouse upwards layer by layer. The originally dark tower was soon covered with flowing light, and the entire lighthouse gradually became bright, casting a warm glow in everyone's eyes.

All eyes were finally drawn to the giant lotus-shaped main lamp at the top of the tower, which had attracted everyone's attention.

Once all the lights on the tower were lit, the two lantern makers lit the fuse at the top of the tower together, and then jumped down. In an instant, the huge lotus lantern burst into bloom, and the layers of lotus petals emitted a soft light from the inside out. The petals were warm and bright in the candlelight, and from a distance, it looked like a giant lotus floating in the night sky of Nanjing.

As the lotus lanterns bloomed, the previously breathless crowd instantly erupted in cheers.

"It's lit! The lotus lanterns are lit!"

Xiao Xiao clutched Ling Xi's sleeve, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement, and stood on tiptoe, looking up at the top of the tower.

"Look, Sister-in-law Xi! I heard that this year's lotus lantern has sixteen layers of petals, and it took the best lantern maker in Jinling two months to make it!"

Xiao Ce stood half a step away from Ling Xi, but his gaze was not on the lanterns filling the sky. Instead, it fell on her profile, which was softly illuminated by the warm light. She looked up at the lotus lanterns on the top of the tower, her eyes filled with the shimmering light. His fingertips curled slightly. The frustration that had been building up in his chest in the teahouse was stirred up even more by this scene.

Then, the people dispersed and began to flock to the riverbank, placing their lanterns one by one into the water. Soon, the candlelight on the river surface formed a galaxy, reflecting the lighthouse on the shore and the bright moon in the night sky.

"Sister-in-law Xi, Miss Qin, shall we go release some river lanterns too?"

Ling Xi frowned instantly as she looked at the riverbank crowded with people.

"You are not allowed to go."

Before she could even shake her head in refusal, Xiao Ce had already spoken up and refused.

"Brother Ce..."

"Too many people, it's easy for something to happen."

Xiao Xiao pouted, clearly unhappy.

"Yizhi, it's a rare holiday today, so let's not spoil Xiaoxiao's fun. We'll each keep an eye on one of them, nothing bad will happen."

"Brother Qin Qi is still the best."

Xiao Xiao pulled Qin Qi's arm and went to get the lantern. Qin Zhiyi glanced at Lu Baixu and lowered her head shyly. She was two years older than Xiao Xiao, so she naturally couldn't do things her own way.

"Miss Qin, I'll go with you."

Lu Baixu, who was always refined and dignified, looked at Qin Zhiyi with a faint smile on his lips. His smile was gentle and polite, but it also hid a clear sense of distance and formality.

Qin Zhiyi was intelligent; how could she not understand? But she knew in her heart that if she didn't seize this opportunity now, she might never have such a time alone with him again. So she suppressed her inner turmoil, adopted the gentle and dignified demeanor of a noble lady, and gave a slight nod and smile.

"Thank you for your trouble, Young Master Lu."

After the two left, only Ling Xi and Xiao Ce remained at the lighthouse. Xiao Ce watched Xiao Xiao disappear into the crowd by the river, his brow furrowed.

"If you want to go..."

"I don't want to go."

Xiao Ce had barely opened his mouth when Ling Xi rejected him. She had always preferred bustling city life, but disliked the noise and crowds.

He looked at her furrowed brows, unaware that she was afraid of crowds, and assumed that she didn't want him to accompany her. His heart sank, and a touch of loneliness silently crept into his eyes.

In her heart, she actually loathed him so much?

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Ling Xi looked up and saw his eyes filled with sadness and a hint of sorrow.

"What...is wrong?"

He remained silent, gazing intently at her with a deep and unwavering look, as if trying to pierce through her eyes and delve into her heart.

Under his unabashed gaze, Ling Xi felt a strange tightness in her heart and became slightly uneasy.

"What's wrong with you?"