A single “little sister” left Xueya completely stunned, and once he realized what had been said, he became furious. What man would be happy to be called “little sister”? Especially when the one calling him that was He Xulan.
The shopkeeper didn’t know he was a man, so it was understandable, but He Xulan was clearly doing it on purpose, full of mischief.
Yet, no matter how angry he was, He Xulan was a master, and he was just a servant. But He Xulan wasn’t the only master present; Cui Lingjing was there too, so Xueya hurriedly looked at Cui Lingjing.
Not only did he look over, but he also took two steps toward Cui Lingjing, clearly preferring to sit with him.
Cui Lingjing seemed a bit surprised when he heard He Xulan call him “little sister,” but when he saw Xueya moving towards him, and He Xulan nearby, his gaze lingered on Xueya for a moment before saying, “Go sit with your brother.”
Xueya hesitated for a moment before reluctantly walking over to He Xulan.
The bench at the food stall was a long one, and if he were to sit next to He Xulan, he’d have to share the same bench. Just then, the fragrant smell of yuanxiao (sweet glutinous rice dumplings) wafted from the pot, tickling Xueya’s nose and making him hungry. He figured that He Xulan wouldn’t kill him in public, so he sat down beside him.
The shopkeeper smiled and asked, “What would the guests like—fried or boiled yuanxiao?”
Cui Lingjing, who had never eaten common folk’s food before, instinctively looked at He Xulan. He Xulan glanced between the two pots and said, “Three bowls of boiled and one bowl of fried.”
The shopkeeper quickly complied and soon brought out four bowls.
Xueya hadn’t had yuanxiao in a long time, and seeing the bowls arrive, he got excited. But he reminded himself that He Xulan and Cui Lingjing were sitting right next to him, so he restrained his hand from grabbing a spoon.
The head eunuch, dressed as a steward, discreetly used a silver needle to test the four bowls for poison as he picked up chopsticks. There was no poison. Even so, Cui Lingjing looked at the food on the table without much appetite.
He Xulan, on the other hand, was completely opposite. Calmly, he picked up a spoon, stirred the yuanxiao in his bowl, and then put one into his mouth. Xueya couldn’t help but be drawn in by the sight. He watched He Xulan finish the yuanxiao and, feeling tempted, unconsciously licked his lips. Then he quickly looked at Cui Lingjing, his eyes clearly asking if he could eat.
But Cui Lingjing didn’t notice him at all.
Cui Lingjing, seeing He Xulan eat the yuanxiao, felt like he should eat as well to strengthen his bond with He Xulan, but at the same time, he had no desire to eat it himself. He sat staring at the bowl of yuanxiao in front of him, looking troubled.
Xueya, seeing that Cui Lingjing wasn’t paying attention to him, sneaked a glance at He Xulan beside him. Noticing that He Xulan was focused on his own food, Xueya cautiously reached for the spoon and began to eat. At first, he would sneak glances at Cui Lingjing and He Xulan, but as he continued eating, he soon forgot about everything else.
The round, plump, white yuanxiao filled the bowl to the brim. The fragrant steam rose, and with each bite, the filling burst onto his tongue. He quickly ate several pieces of boiled yuanxiao, then reached for the fried ones with chopsticks. He ate so busily that beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his lips turned red from the heat.
Xueya’s focused eating caught Cui Lingjing’s attention. As he watched Xueya eat with such relish, Cui Lingjing hesitated and glanced at his own bowl of yuanxiao. Slowly, he reached for the spoon, but just then, He Xulan spoke.
“If you don’t want to eat, don’t force yourself.”
Cui Lingjing paused and let go of the spoon, smiling as he replied, “You’re right, Brother Lingduan.” He then looked over at the head eunuch beside him. “You eat this.”
The eunuch hurriedly picked up the bowl of yuanxiao and moved to the back to eat.
Xueya was so absorbed in his food that he didn’t notice what was happening. By the time he finished eating, both Cui Lingjing and He Xulan’s bowls were empty, and their eyes were on him.
“Have you finished eating?” Cui Lingjing asked.
Xueya nodded nervously and quickly took out a silk handkerchief to wipe his mouth. He Xulan averted his gaze and called the boss lady over to pay the bill. Seeing the three of them eating just moments ago, the boss lady came over with a smile, “I didn’t expect the little sister to have the biggest appetite.”
Cui Lingjing scoffed, “That’s why she’s also the fattest.”
The boss lady chuckled, “Where’s the fat? Besides, she’s still young. I think when she grows up, all the good young men wanting to marry her will be lining up at the door.”
At this, Cui Lingjing couldn’t help but laugh, and even He Xulan smirked. As for Xueya, he couldn’t find it in himself to smile and followed everyone away from the stall with a wooden expression.
But soon enough, their spirits lifted again. As they walked further, the atmosphere grew livelier with all sorts of unusual lanterns and lantern riddles. Cui Lingjing, who had skipped the Tangyuan earlier, feeling he’d lost face in front of He Xulan, now spotted a lantern riddle and suggested, “Brother Lingduan, how about guessing lantern riddles?”
He Xulan remained noncommittal, but Cui Lingjing took it as agreement and continued, “Just guessing riddles is not so interesting. How about we make a wager?” He took off a jade pendant from his waist, “If Brother Lingduan wins against me, this jade pendant will belong to Brother Lingduan.”
Xueya, hearing they were going to guess lantern riddles, looked at the slips hanging on the lanterns, but unfortunately, he didn’t recognize many characters and could only reluctantly withdraw his gaze.
“I already have plenty of jade pendants,” He Xulan refused with a single sentence.
Cui Lingjing’s expression instantly turned awkward. Just as he didn’t know how to respond, He Xulan took the initiative, “I haven’t visited the Thousand Buddha Temple in a long time. Could we use that as the stake?”
“Of course,” Cui Lingjing agreed almost without hesitation, “And what if I win?”
He Xulan looked at Cui Lingjing, “Whatever you propose.”
This sentence made Cui Lingjing’s heart beat a bit faster. Although he knew he couldn’t suggest anything too intimate, He Xulan’s words were undoubtedly encouraging him, pushing him to get closer. So winning was even more imperative for Cui Lingjing. However, reality was harsh. He Xulan solved the riddles too quickly, almost just glancing at them and immediately knowing the answers. In ten rounds of riddles, Cui Lingjing hadn’t answered a single one before it was over.
Cui Lingjing’s face gradually darkened, and while He Xulan had won, his expression remained indifferent. They moved to the next stall, which displayed a very delicate and exquisite lantern, albeit small, with a small rabbit spinning inside when viewed through the lantern paper.
Seeing someone lingering at his stall, dressed in luxurious clothes like a noble and a young man, the owner immediately boasted about his lantern, “Honored guests, this lantern was made by one of the city’s top lantern craftsmen and took three months to make. Look, the rabbit inside can even spin.” He took down the lantern for He Xulan and Cui Lingjing to see. “My lantern riddle is also quite difficult. Would you gentlemen like to give it a try?”
Cui Lingjing was eager to turn the tables and immediately had the eunuch pay for it, impatient to start guessing riddles. He Xulan didn’t look at the riddle slip but instead gazed at the rabbit inside the lantern until Cui Lingjing gave the answer.
Cui Lingjing won this round, but he wasn’t in a great mood because he noticed He Xulan hadn’t even guessed. Feeling frustrated, he didn’t want to talk anymore and walked ahead. Everyone saw Cui Lingjing leave and hurried to catch up. Xueya noticed that no one had taken the lantern and didn’t want the owner to benefit, so he immediately reached out and took it.
After picking up the lantern, Xueya couldn’t help but be fascinated by it. He held the lantern and stared at the spinning rabbit inside. After staring for a long time, he felt that the rabbit spinning in circles looked a bit silly but still clutched the lantern tightly.
Ahead, celestial maidens and immortals began their procession, accompanied by various acrobatics like stilts, fire breathing, and plate spinning, a colorful crowd filling the area. The Imperial Guards, seeing so many people, immediately wanted to protect Cui Lingjing and He Xulan but couldn’t draw their swords to clear the crowd.
The eunuch reacted quickly, seeing so many people, he immediately protected Cui Lingjing’s side, “Master, there are too many people. Let’s go inside a shop first.”
Cui Lingjing also disliked so many people, covering his mouth and nose disdainfully, following the eunuch into the nearby shop. Once inside, he suddenly noticed He Xulan was missing.
“Where’s Godfather?” Cui Lingjing was anxious and forgot to address He Xulan properly, just calling out He Xulan’s usual name.
The eunuch realized He Xulan wasn’t around and panicked, “He was right by the master’s side just now.” He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead repeatedly, “Master, don’t worry. We brought many guards when we went out. Young Master must be fine.”
Cui Lingjing’s expression didn’t improve, wanting to rush out immediately to find He Xulan, but the eunuch firmly held him back, “Master, there are too many people outside. Let’s wait until it’s less crowded before we go find Young Master.”
Cui Lingjing looked at the surging crowd and could only stop, the eunuch reassuring him. He began to count the people guarding around, and discovered Xueya was also gone
***
Xueya had been staring at the lanterns when the sudden arrival of a crowd startled him. He soon realized it was a procession of fairies and immortals, with many performances he had never seen before, so he couldn’t help but stop to watch. After the procession passed, he suddenly noticed that the people around him were all strangers, and panic set in. He looked around, hoping to see Cui Lingjing, but there was no sign of him—not even a familiar eunuch or Imperial Guard.
Anxious, Xueya pushed forward through the crowd. As the parade dispersed, he still had no idea where he was. He was unfamiliar with the capital, and he had never been to this street before.
He looked ahead, then behind, and finally saw a familiar face—
He Xulan.
He Xulan had also spotted him.
He Xulan stood beneath a lantern, holding a mask of a ghostly figure, his tall figure as graceful as a jade tree. He looked quietly at Xueya, the lantern light reflecting in his eyes, shimmering brightly.
Xueya, upon seeing He Xulan, took a step forward, but his feet quickly came to a halt.
This wasn’t the palace; it was a crowded street. If he turned and ran now, maybe he could escape. He wouldn’t have to worry about He Xulan killing him, and he wouldn’t have to serve Cui Lingjing anymore. Sure, he wanted wealth and status, but he also wanted to stay alive.
Xueya slowly began stepping backward. Suddenly, he turned and bolted.
He Xulan watched as Xueya ran off, raising an eyebrow slightly. He didn’t move, merely gazing in the direction Xueya had fled. Less than half a cup of tea’s time later, he saw the very same “young girl” who had just run away come sprinting back, holding a lantern. The hem of her red cloak fluttered in the night wind, flashing like fire.
Xueya quickly hid behind He Xulan, wrapping his arms tightly around He Xulan’s waist, whimpering, “Brother, there are bad people!”
The lantern he had been holding fell to the ground.
The few burly men who had chased after Xueya exchanged glances and then gave He Xulan a once-over. The leader of the group rubbed his chin and chuckled, “Didn’t expect another one—one big, one small, two beauties. We’ll take them both!”
Upon hearing this, Xueya’s eyes widened in fear. He peeked out from behind He Xulan, only to see the men leering at them. Terrified, he immediately hid his head again, clinging even tighter to He Xulan, terrified that he would be abandoned. His hands gripped He Xulan’s waist even more desperately.
