Chapter 29: Lantern Festival, Heartflutter

Having had this kind of 'dream' several times in a row, it finally feels somewhat different.

Xiao Jingyuan rubbed his forehead, a hint of agitation showing between his brows, but he quickly returned to normal, lifting his eyes to look at Su Chen and asking, "Have the assassins been caught?"

"We caught two; both had poison hidden in their mouths. One didn't manage to resist it and died. The other is still alive, but remains unconscious, and the chances of reviving him are slim." Su Chen said.

Xiao Jingyuan was about to get up and out of bed, but Su Chen immediately knew what he intended and stepped in front of him, saying, "Your wounds haven't healed yet, and those rebel bandits are still lurking in the dark. If you rush out now, you might not even be able to handle a single opponent. Just rest and heal; I'll take care of everything."

Xiao Jingyuan pushed his hand away and slowly rose to his feet, saying, "If I merely keep hiding and never show myself, it will only let the rebels notice that I'm seriously injured, and then they'll surely stake everything on taking my life."

"Only by appearing as I normally do can I make them wary. Now someone is so eager to destroy the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which proves the Guard has stepped on his tail. I want to see just who is pulling the strings of the Holy Heaven Sect!" Xiao Jingyuan's face was grim, icy killing intent surging in his eyes.

Su Chen nodded. "All right, I'll go with you."

Today is the Lantern Festival, and Shen Shuangning has arranged to meet Xie Lin beneath the Cloud Pavilion on Chang'an Street.

A woman dresses to please the one she likes, so of course she must make herself look her best.

Shen Shuangning's everyday makeup is extremely simple, so there is no maid in the household skilled at dressing up, and A Heng, being a martial maid, certainly doesn't know how.

Just as Shen Shuangning was wondering whether to borrow someone from her mother, Shen Ling arrived.

Shen Ling has always been handy; upon hearing that her older sister wanted to go see the lantern festival, she even put on a scarlet dress she would never normally wear, and guessed she was going to meet Young Master Xie.

Don't worry, older sister, I will definitely make you look gorgeous!

Shen Ling held an ivory comb and smoothed her sister's black hair until it fell like a waterfall. Glancing at her sister's heavenly complexion in the mirror, her eyes filled with envy and admiration.

Older sister, you're already beautiful enough as you are; if you dressed up a bit more, I don't know how many young masters would be driven mad." She praised her without reserve.

Shen Shuangning chuckled. "Where does that come from?"

However, she has always been confident in her beauty; otherwise, in her previous life she could not have seduced that cold-hearted Young Master Xiao, causing him, despite having no feelings for her, to still spend every night in her quarters.

Had she not been afflicted with cold poison at that time, making conception difficult, and had they not been separated by distance, meeting infrequently, they might have had a child......

But fortunately there was none, for otherwise a child born of parents who do not love each other would be most pitiable.

In the blink of an eye, Shen Ling had fashioned for her an exquisitely beautiful celestial bun, revealing a neck of skin as fair as snow that could defy frost.

These days, noble ladies like to pin a fresh flower at the side of their bun, but Shen Ling, with originality, pinned a jade butterfly instead, making her look lovely and lively.

Just as she was about to slant-insert a jade hairpin into her temple, Shen Shuangning raised a hand to stop her: "Don't make it too heavy; the lantern festival will be crowded, and it would be a shame if it got broken."

Shen Ling replied, "It was my oversight."

As she spoke, she caught sight of a twining gilt hairpin in the jewelry box, her eyes lit up, and she took it to show Shen Shuangning.

Older sister, how would you like to switch to this one?

A Heng, standing nearby, immediately gave her opinion: "This looks nice!"

Shen Shuangning smiled faintly. "Let's go with this one."

Shen Ling then inserted it, and the girl in the mirror seemed to become even more radiant; the pale purple glass flower set in her hair brushed against her earring, and in the glittering light it looked as if a dew drop were about to fall.

Both Shen Ling and A Heng stared, dumbfounded, and Shen Shuangning was also extremely pleased.

A Ling's eye for detail and skill are still as good as ever.

In her previous life, when she married, it was also A Ling who did her makeup.

A Heng looked at Shen Shuangning and couldn't help but say, "Such a beautiful young lady, yet she's going to cheapen herself for a man—just thinking about it makes me a little annoyed."

Shen Ling then said, "Older sister deserves the very best."

The lantern festival is so lively; A Ling should come too." Shen Shuangning lifted her head and said.

Shen Ling wanted to go, but she hesitated: "Older sister is going with Young Master Xie; I don't want to be a third wheel."

Shen Shuangning took her hand and said, "If you don't go, what reason would I have to go out?"

Mother has discerning eyes; she rarely bothers to dress up, but if yet another person went out, she would surely suspect something.

She also didn't want the household to know about her and Xie Lin's affair, after all, they hadn't reached that point yet.

Upon hearing this, Shen Ling said, "All right then, for older sister's sake, I'll go join the fun."

Madam Shen saw their eager expressions and let them go out to play, but she specifically ordered Shen Xiuci to accompany them, leaving no room for refusal.

As for her own older brother, Shen Shuangning felt a little wary of him.

The moment she saw that Shen Xiuci was coming along, she felt it was over.

What on earth is to be done?

Her older brother and Xie Lin are at odds; last time he subtly warned her to stay away from Xie Lin, yet today she's leaving the manor to meet him in secret?!

If her older brother knew she was going to meet Xie Lin, never mind whether he would flay her skin; what she fears most is that he'll go tell their parents, prompting Mother to come and restrict her.

Sigh, if she had known earlier, she would have just sneaked out.

"Ningning." Shen Xiuci, dressed in his usual attire, his face like polished jade, his black-and-white clear eyes seemingly able to perceive Shen Shuangning's little thoughts.

"You are not to leave my sight." He seemed to be warning.

Shen Shuangning's heart pounded, and she answered with an obedient face: "Yes, older brother."

She feared she wouldn't be able to keep the appointment.

As dusk fell over Chang'an City, the lanterns on Chang'an Street were lit one after another. Glass lamps, mica screens, and coral strings, bathed in the twilight, gave off a warm glow; the whole street seemed to have fallen under a sky full of stars, even the blue stone flags shimmering with iridescent light.

Just moments ago, Shen Shuangning had been worrying about keeping her appointment, but now the splendid scenery before her captured her heart, gradually making her forget Shen Xiuci's presence as she and Shen Ling wandered the lantern festival with undivided attention.

First, the scent of the copper pot selling sugar drawings drew her to the West Market Gate; then the multicolored lanterns snagged her feet, and without realizing it, she had been swept along by the surging crowd into the liveliest part of the street's center.

Shen Xiuci had always kept his distance from such bustle; if not for his mother's order, he would rather stay in his study clutching the Book of Songs than come here to be jostled by crowds.

When the crowd grew thick, following behind them became a strain for him, forcing him to concentrate with all his might to keep an eye on them, while the women, tireless as butterflies, flitted about without any pattern.

There were several times when he nearly lost them.

He truly didn't understand what there was to see.

At that moment the crowd inexplicably became much more congested; a burly, thick‑waisted man shoved him to the side and then, accusing him first, shouted, "Are you stealing something?"

Shen Xiuci, a modest gentleman, when had he ever been subjected to such humiliation?

He began to argue with that man.

When he finally came to his senses, he suddenly realized he had lost his sister!

"I won't argue with you; however many you lost, I'll make up for it." Shen Xiuci hurried off to find someone.

The burly man, however, refused to let him go easily; he raised a hand, grabbed his collar, lifted him up like a chick, and roared, "Still saying it wasn't you who stole it? If it wasn't you, why are you returning my money?!"

Shen Xiuci retorted angrily, "I said it wasn't me!".

The servant beside him hurriedly shouted, "My young master is the eldest son of the Rong Guo Duke's manor; how could he covet your petty change?"

Upon hearing that, the burly man laughed: "You're just spouting nonsense—claiming he's the eldest son of the duke's manor? I don't believe it! In my view, his whole outfit is stolen!"

Shen Xiuci snapped, "This is outrageous!".

The burly man demanded, "What are you going to do about it?!"

A crowd gathered, pointing and gossiping, forming a wall that trapped him and several servants.

By the time he finally managed to break free, he had completely lost track of his two sisters, his face grim.

Meanwhile, the troublemaking burly man and the onlooking crowd had already slipped away unnoticed, vanishing into the throng.

Here, Shen Shuangning and Shen Ling stopped before a shadow-puppet show, engrossed, while two maids stood at their sides, keeping men from getting too close.

The people ahead, for some unknown reason, fell out of sync and began shoving.

The crowd dispersed, pushing them backward in a stumble, and the scene instantly fell into chaos.

Just then, Shen Shuangning's back struck a solid chest, and the person raised a hand, gripping her shoulder neither lightly nor heavily.

She was about to turn in surprise, but a warm palm suddenly settled on her wrist; the calloused fingertips rubbed over her wrist bone, sending a fine shiver through her.

"Come with me."

His voice sounded like a jade flute steeped in pine-soot ink, sinking low as it washed over her ears.

Shen Shuangning's fingertips suddenly curled; as she lifted her gaze, she met Xie Lin's slightly lowered lashes.

He gazed at her so intently.

Today he had actually changed into a moon-white brocade robe with clustered floral patterns, handsome to the utmost.

Seeing it was him, Shen Shuangning ceased struggling and let him hold her wrist.

Although the surrounding crowd was still pushing and shoving, as she followed his sidestepping steps, the brushing embroidered shoes and dazzling lanterns seemed to be parted by the wind from his sleeves.

And though he steadily held her hand, he still occasionally glanced back at her, his eyes brighter than a sea of flowers.

On Everlasting Peace Street, a sea of people, shoulders rubbing.

Shen Shuangning gazed at the youth's sharply defined side profile, flickering in the lamplight; the warmth where their palms touched rose along her blood toward her heart, the surrounding din seemed to fade, and she heard her own heartbeat like a drum, nearly forgetting to breathe.

Xie Lin was the same.

The highest Cloudspire Tower here exactly overlooks Everlasting Peace Street, taking in the splendid view below.

Xiao Jingyuan stood with his hands behind his back beside the carved wooden rail, gazing down at the bustling lights of the long street.

Suddenly, a gleam of white light flashed through the crowd——

The jade butterfly hairpin at the woman's temple refracted the glass lamp's light, scattering specks like fireflies onto his dark robe.

"That down there looks like Miss Shen the Fourth," Su Chen remarked beside him.