Leaving behind the desolate Wen household, the moment they stepped outside, they were greeted by the festive atmosphere of the Spring-Welcoming Day. Every household had hung colorful lanterns at their doors, waiting to be lit that evening.
At the market fair, goods from all over had gathered. Crowds surged along the streets, the liveliness overwhelming.
Children banded together, darting through alleys and lanes, holding little firecrackers in their hands, calling out to friends to play.
In the original story, master and disciple paid little heed to this festival, focused only on serious matters.
But now, the two of them walked side by side through the bustling streets, blending into the festive air.
Gu Baiqing, however, noticed that ever since his little disciple had come out, he seemed distracted. Strange—wasn’t he the one who had been looking forward to this?
Following the customs of Spring-Welcoming Day, Gu Baiqing first took Little Xuanli to eat Hundred-Flower Lotus Seed Sweet Soup.
This sweet soup was only available on the festival day itself, and was something like an official free distribution: in the town square stood a giant cauldron, where anyone could come for a bowl. Wealthy local gentry would donate small silver beans to be dropped into the soup. Whoever happened to eat one would be blessed with happiness and peace for the year ahead—a beautiful wish made tangible.
And because the odds of finding one were so slim, it only spurred people’s desire to try. Everyone wanted to be among the town’s lucky few. At this time, the pavilion in the town square was already lined with people.
Mostly it was children who were eager to participate, while adults just joined for fun. So the queue for lotus seed soup was filled with kids.
Gu Baiqing and Little Xuanli, clearly men of wealth and bearing—a young master and his promising disciple—looked rather out of place standing in line.
But when Gu Baiqing saw the dazed look in Little Xuanli’s eyes gradually give way to anticipation, he felt reassured and joined in wholeheartedly.
“Brother, when you eat later you must take small bites. If you get a silver bean, you must save it—it can protect you for the whole year!” Caught up in the excitement of the children around him, Little Xuanli’s own emotions rose. He looked as though he were about to reach into a lottery draw, eager and restless.
“Alright, I know.” Gu Baiqing chuckled at Mo Xuanli’s slightly flushed cheeks. It seemed his mood had indeed improved.
When it was finally their turn, they overheard the servers whispering:
“This year, far fewer gentry donated. Two whole hours have passed, and no one’s eaten a silver bean yet. Likely there are only a handful in the whole pot.”
“Ah, those gentry have no mind for this now. Even the statue of the Immortal lost its hand—they’re all busy helping to restore it.”
Gu Baiqing listened while accepting two bowls, handing one to Little Xuanli.
Little Xuanli happily carried his, following his brother to a tree nearby to eat slowly.
Beneath the tree, many others were eating. Some children swallowed mouthful after mouthful until their bowls were empty, then turned tearful eyes to their parents.
“Papa, I didn’t get one.”
“It’s not so easy. Next year you can try again.”
“No! I don’t want to wait—I want a silver bean!”
“What are you fussing for? Look, even Little Hua didn’t get one…”
Adults comforted their children by comparing with others—if no one else got one either, the loss didn’t sting so badly.
Just then, a tall figure by the tree suddenly cried out with the joy of a child: “Brother, I got one—look, it’s a silver bean!”
From the opening of the fair until now, this was the very first lucky find. At once it drew everyone’s attention.
Some children looked on enviously until they cried. Adults offered their congratulations, even as they cast peculiar glances at the man so unabashedly thrilled over finding a silver bean.
“Xuanli really is lucky.” Gu Baiqing looked at Little Xuanli pinching the silver bean between his fingers, his eyes bright with delight, his brows and lashes curved like crescent moons. He was practically jumping for joy, his excitement so infectious that it seemed even the sunlight shining on him grew warmer and brighter.
In Little Xuanli’s hometown, Spring-Welcoming Day also had a custom of eating lotus seed soup—though under a different name—and the silver bean was still regarded as a sign of fortune. Back then, when he heard about the tradition, he had longed for it deeply. It was said that anyone who ate a silver bean would be blessed with good luck for the whole year and even bring blessings to those around them, becoming the family’s little lucky star.
He had wanted so badly to be that lucky star in his family’s eyes. He had even earnestly asked his little friends if there was any trick to getting a silver bean. But the answer had always been the same: it depended on luck. That answer had worried him for a long time. In the end, he never got the chance to try it back then.
Who would have thought—his very first taste here, and he had drawn a silver bean!
Little Xuanli clutched it like a precious treasure. He had always felt unlucky, that no matter how much he wished for something, deep down there was a voice whispering that fortune like this would never be his.
But looking back now, hadn’t his fortune already changed the moment he met such a good brother?
And now, here he was, holding a silver bean! Some children tried for years without success, yet he had gotten one on his very first try.
“Brother, you’ve finished already?” After his excitement waned a little, Little Xuanli noticed Gu Baiqing’s bowl was already empty, and his own joy dimmed.
The man collecting bowls passed by, chuckling as he said: “Silver beans are a sign of fortune—they won’t appear in bunches. This young master’s win is already a great blessing. Surely he’ll have happiness and peace for the year ahead.”
Gu Baiqing smiled and reassured him: “It’s fine. I’ll just share in your good fortune.”
But then Little Xuanli suddenly stretched out his hand, offering the silver bean that had already grown warm in his palm to Gu Baiqing. “Brother, for you. All the fortune and good luck, I give to you.”
Gu Baiqing froze for a moment. “This is what you got. You should keep it yourself.”
“It can be passed on,” Little Xuanli said aloud.
“Ah?” Gu Baiqing hadn’t heard that before. The man collecting the bowls at the side couldn’t help but chuckle: “You brothers have such a good bond. Normally people can’t bear to part with it. Even if they do, it’s usually elders who pass it on to the younger ones.”
Gu Baiqing laughed despite himself. “You finally managed to get one, and you’re just giving it to me? How could you bear to?” He felt as if he were teasing a child.
But Little Xuanli nodded firmly. “Mm. For you.”
A warmth stirred in Gu Baiqing’s heart. He couldn’t help raising his hand to ruffle Little Xuanli’s hair. Though the man before him was tall and grown, in Gu Baiqing’s eyes he seemed unbearably endearing. “No need to give it to me. Keep it well. I hope it brings you good fortune.”
Hearing his brother say so, Little Xuanli felt a pang of regret, but could only give up.
With the silver bean in hand, the two of them left the central pavilion under the envious stares of the crowd.
“Strange…” At the porridge stall, the bowl collector muttered to himself.
“What is it?”
“I just glanced at it, but didn’t that young master’s silver bean look bigger than the usual ones? Did I see wrong?”
“How could it be bigger? They’re all the same size. At most, in past years, some wealthy families slipped their own beans in to amuse the children—that’s when the sizes weren’t uniform. But those two young masters are so grown, surely they wouldn’t do such a thing.”
“That’s true.”
On the road, Gu Baiqing noticed how Little Xuanli kept holding the silver bean, unable to put it down, joy written all over his face no matter how he tried to restrain it. Gu Baiqing couldn’t help but feel grateful he had thought to ask Wu Hongxi about it.
“Alright now, there are many people ahead. Be careful not to drop it.” Gu Baiqing smiled.
At once, Little Xuanli grew tense. Carefully, he tucked the silver bean into the storage pouch. Though he had no idea how the pouch actually worked, his brother had said that putting it inside meant it would never be lost.
Ahead was the marketplace, and the crowd was indeed thick. Soon, the two of them were pushed three steps apart. Even when they managed to close the gap, it always seemed someone would slip between them, threatening to separate them again.
Gu Baiqing felt that something was missing. Just then, he heard someone nearby call out: “Little Bao, hold my hand, don’t get lost! If you get lost, the traffickers will take you away.”
“Miss Li, hold onto my sleeve tightly, don’t let go, or we’ll be separated.”
Then Gu Baiqing realized—Little Xuanli hadn’t once taken hold of him since they’d left. More than once, he had drawn near, hand half-raised, yet never grasped either hand or clothing. Why? Yesterday he had clung so tightly he wouldn’t let go.
When Gu Baiqing turned back, they had been pushed apart again. Little Xuanli looked a bit flustered, trying to edge closer, but he was too unwilling to push through people. His hand was stretched out, with nothing to latch onto.
Suddenly, a hand reached out, seizing his suspended one, and pulled hard.
Little Xuanli felt himself yanked out of the crowd, back to his brother’s side.
“Brother, it’s a bit crowded…” Little Xuanli said awkwardly.
“Hold on. Don’t get separated.” Gu Baiqing said. Anyway, with so many people, no one would pay attention to two holding hands.
“But…” That sudden “but” from Little Xuanli made Gu Baiqing pause. “But doesn’t Brother dislike physical contact? Three Bean told me. Yesterday I was wrong, I must have made you uncomfortable. Actually, Brother, you could have told me. I… I didn’t have to… I just thought…”
Little Xuanli trailed off, unable to put it clearly into words. He simply liked being close, wanted to be closer.
Gu Baiqing thought back—had he ever told Three Bean he disliked physical contact?
Looking at Little Xuanli’s worried little expression, he couldn’t help but feel both pained and amused. So that was why he had been holding back ever since they left. This child really…
“Don’t listen to Three Bean. That’s for other people. You’re different. Aren’t you my important younger brother? Naturally you can do as you like. I’ll never be troubled by it. As long as you’re happy.” Anyway, there was only one day left—he could at least play the good man to the end.
Those words struck Little Xuanli’s heart like a thunderclap. He almost couldn’t believe it. Not because Brother allowed his touch, but because Brother said he was different. Different, in Brother’s eyes.
For the first time, Little Xuanli was treated as someone important. He, who could be abandoned by anyone, was now “different” in his brother’s mouth.
With others, Brother disliked contact. With him, it was alright. So long as he was happy.
Little Xuanli’s mind almost couldn’t keep up. He couldn’t even understand—how could anyone treat him like this?
Gu Baiqing, saying so, didn’t let go. He pulled Little Xuanli along toward the wall. “Let’s walk on the side.”
Little Xuanli lowered his head, staring at their joined hands, then lifted his eyes to Gu Baiqing’s back. Warmth welled up inside him. But soon, it dimmed again… If Brother were to marry someone else, would he stop being “different”?
That man had said—unless the two of them married. But wasn’t marriage supposed to be between a man and a woman?
Though only six years old, Little Xuanli was not stupid. At least in what he knew, men did not marry men.
A tinge of sorrow crept into him—why wasn’t he a girl?
He unconsciously tightened his grip on Brother’s hand, reluctant to ever let go.
“Xuanli, come.” Suddenly, as if he had spotted something, Gu Baiqing pulled him toward a stall.
Little Xuanli’s attention was quickly diverted. When he finally saw what was being sold, he froze on the spot.
Pinwheels, bamboo dragonflies, little slingshots… A dazzling array of toys. All around, children clamored noisily to their parents for them.
The reason Gu Baiqing noticed was because, last time he was with Mo Xuanli, he had seen him pause in front of this very stall in a daze. That was what led Three Bean to talk about the Spring-Welcoming Day.
Gu Baiqing thought that when Xuanli was little, he must have wanted these things too. People often say that once you grow up, you stop clinging to the things you obsessed over as a child—even if you get them later, they no longer bring that pure joy. So the greatest happiness is to have them when you first long for them.
And now, Heaven had given Little Xuanli this chance. At six years old, he had seen the toys he liked, but he hadn’t dared ask his parents, only wishing that during the Spring Festival they would buy one for him on their own. Just one would have been enough. He would spend a long time thinking it over, weighing his choices carefully, and from among all the toys he liked, he would pick the one he liked best.
But he had never gotten the chance. The regret had been sitting there, only until not long ago.
“Boss, this one, that one, that one too… ah forget it, give me one of each.” Gu Baiqing’s voice came, snapping Xuanli out of his daze.
That sudden air of a nouveau riche made the surrounding children stare at him in wide-eyed envy, clamoring noisily at their parents.
Those parents wanted to roll their eyes at Gu Baiqing. He looked young enough—did he already have a house full of children? Buying so many—could they even play with them all?
But then they saw him pay, scoop up the pile, and push it all into the arms of the tall young man beside him.
“Here. Take them. Play as much as you want.”
Everyone who heard was struck dumb. The children especially looked like they couldn’t believe their ears. Wasn’t this supposed to be their stuff?!!
“Brother, you—”
“You don’t like them?” Gu Baiqing frowned at how blank Xuanli looked, stunned and dazed. Could it be these toys brought up some bad memory?
Xuanli lowered his head and looked at the toys in his arms—each one was something he had once wished for. He had thought it would take him forever to collect them all, but now it was as if every dream had suddenly come true at once. There was no need for agonizing choices, because he had them all.
Brother never asked if he wanted them, nor which one he wanted. If he had, Xuanli would never have dared say it out loud. But Brother had simply bought them all for him.
Xuanli’s head spun as he hugged the armful of toys. Feeling the envious, jealous stares of the other children all around, his sense of pride swelled to the brim. His joy was so great it nearly turned into tears.
“I like them, I like them all… Brother, you’re so good to me.”
Gu Baiqing froze for a moment, a little embarrassed. After all, the money was Mo Xuanli’s—he was basically using Mo Xuanli’s money to buy toys to coax Little Xuanli, and then being thanked for it. It felt a bit awkward.
From then on, all along the road, Little Xuanli acted like a child, marveling at everything. He couldn’t bear to put the toys away into the storage pouch, instead keeping them on him, switching between them as they walked. If a toy needed two players, he would look up at Brother, and Gu Baiqing would go along with him. If not for the busy street performances nearby, the two of them probably would have been a strange sight all on their own.
Gu Baiqing simply held Xuanli’s hand, wandering from performance to snack stalls to festival games. Xuanli’s smile never faded, and especially those eyes—every time Gu Baiqing looked at them, they seemed different, as though more and more stars were being poured into them.
And for once, Gu Baiqing felt truly at ease, almost forgetting the business he had to attend to that night. Only when darkness fell, and the festival parade began to assemble, did he realize Jingzhan’s side must also be ready.
“Brother, let’s play that one…” After a whole day together, Xuanli finally relaxed enough to make a request of his own. He knew now that no matter what he asked, Brother would agree. Brother was simply that good to him.
Gu Baiqing glanced over. They were releasing river lanterns. But just one look and he could see it was mostly young men and women at the riverbank, and what those wishes were for went without saying.
A six-year-old wouldn’t understand, of course. But no matter how much he indulged Xuanli, Gu Baiqing couldn’t just walk into a setup so obvious. He was about to suggest something else when a nearby shopkeeper called out to Xuanli.
“Young master, buy a red-thread river lantern! Just write two names on it—if it floats past the stone shoals and makes it safely to the lake, the two of you will be together forever.”
Xuanli’s eyes lit up instantly. He didn’t understand the implication of the red-thread lantern at all, only thought the red strings twining around it looked beautiful, and the meaning sounded wonderful.
“Brother, let’s do this one, okay? We’ll write our two names, then we’ll never be separated.” Xuanli said happily.
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