amaotonovel Chapter 128 Night Falls on the Banks of the Luo River
Chapter 128 Night Falls on the Banks of the Luo River
As night falls, the banks of the Luo River on the outskirts of Beijing are draped in a tapestry of glittering stars and dazzling lights. People throng the area, their laughter and chatter rising and falling. Young men and women whisper shyly, conveying their feelings through lanterns. The sounds of vendors hawking their wares, laughter, and drums blend together to create a vibrant and lively symphony of the night.
Murong Yiqiang mustered his spirits and accompanied Su Wan'er on a stroll through the bustling streets. Su Wan'er's gaze was captivated by the dazzling array of lanterns lining the streets. Her eyes sparkled, and her face radiated a happy and radiant smile, like a blooming flower in springtime.
"Your Highness, look how beautiful those lanterns are!" Huan'er exclaimed excitedly. "Legend has it that if you release a lantern and make a wish on the Qixi Festival, your wish will come true!"
Upon hearing this, Su Wan'er's interest was piqued. She gently shook Murong Yi's arm, pouted her pink lips, and said coquettishly, "Your Highness, let's buy a lantern and release it!"
Although Murong Yi was absent-minded at the moment, his thoughts seemingly drifting in the clouds, he tried his best to hide his inner wandering when faced with Su Wan'er's expectant question. He still wore that doting smile on his face and softly replied, "Okay~"
Having received permission, Su Wan'er was as happy as a child, joyfully taking Murong Yi's hand and walking lightly towards the lantern stall across the street.
Su Wan'er pulled Murong Yi to the lantern stall, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and said eagerly, "Boss, give us two lanterns."
The shopkeeper, beaming with smiles, greeted her warmly, "Young lady, you've come to the right place! All of our lanterns are handmade by me, exquisite in design and of superior quality. Look at this lotus lantern, its petals are so delicate and vibrant, as if they were just picked from the lotus pond; and this rabbit lantern, its eyes are so lifelike, as if it's about to leap up at any moment."
Su Wan'er carefully examined the lanterns before her, her gaze shifting between the lotus lantern and the rabbit lantern. Finally, she pointed to the rabbit lantern and said, "Boss, this rabbit lantern is so cute, I want one." Then, she turned to Murong Yi, her eyes asking, "Your Highness, which one do you like?"
Murong Yi glanced around casually and said, "You can choose."
So Su Wan'er chose another lantern with a magpie perched on a branch design and said to the shopkeeper, "This one is also good, I'll take it. How much is it, sir?"
The shopkeeper smiled and replied, "Miss, these rabbit lanterns and magpie lanterns are thirty coins each. If you take two, give me sixty coins."
Su Wan'er took out her money pouch from her sleeve, counted out sixty coins, and handed them to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper took the money and respectfully handed the two lanterns to them, not forgetting to offer his blessings: "Thank you, young lady. With these lanterns on this Qixi Festival, your wishes will surely come true, and you will live in harmony and happiness!"
Su Wan'er smiled happily and said, "Thank you for your kind words, boss."
Su Wan'er gently handed the lantern decorated with magpies perched on branches to Murong Yi, a sweet smile playing on her lips. Without a word, she grabbed his hand and ran quickly towards the Luo River, her clothes fluttering in the wind. Huan'er followed closely behind, afraid of falling behind.
Before long, Lin Qianqian, Xiaodie, and Wuming arrived at the lantern stall. Xiaodie's eyes widened instantly upon seeing the adorable rabbit lantern, filled with surprise and excitement. Her cheeks flushed slightly with emotion as she exclaimed, "Wow~ Miss, this rabbit lantern is so cute!"
Lin Qianqian was also captivated by the dazzling array of lanterns before her, her eyes filled with appreciation and joy. She nodded slightly in response, "Mmm~"
Wuming stood to the side, a smile on his face, his eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation. Looking at the lanterns of various shapes and sizes, he couldn't help but exclaim, "These lanterns are indeed exquisite. Each one seems to contain the craftsman's painstaking efforts and ingenuity."
At this moment, the shopkeeper, beaming with smiles, warmly greeted them, "Gentlemen, are you here to choose lanterns? Every lantern here is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Look at this goldfish lantern, its scales shimmer and sparkle, as if swimming freely in water; and look at that palace lantern, its carvings are exquisite and delicate, exuding elegance and nobility. And this magpie lantern, just now a woman chose one to give to her husband!"
Xiaodie said impatiently, "Boss, we want the rabbit lantern, the lotus lantern, and... the magpie lantern!"
The shopkeeper smiled and replied, "Young lady, you have a good eye. The rabbit lantern and the magpie lantern are both thirty coins, and the lotus lantern is thirty-five coins, making a total of ninety-five coins. Just give me ninety coins."
Lin Qianqian took out money from her purse, handed it to the shopkeeper, and said, "Here's your money, sir."
The shopkeeper took the money, carefully wrapped the lantern, and handed it to them, saying, "Thank you for your patronage. May this lantern bring you good luck and joy."
Lin Qianqian smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words, boss." After saying that, the three of them took the lanterns and strolled towards the Luoshui River.
On the banks of the Luo River, Su Wan'er held a lantern, her eyes full of joy. She turned to look at Murong Yi and saw that he was frowning. She felt a sense of doubt and unease.
"Your Highness, what's wrong? You've had a long face ever since you came out. Is something on your mind?" Su Wan'er asked softly, her tone filled with concern.
Murong Yi was slightly taken aback, then quickly forced a smile and said, "No, no! Wan'er is overthinking it!"
Su Wan'er didn't believe it. She pouted and said aggrievedly, "Then do you dislike Wan'er?" After saying that, she pretended to cover her face with her sleeve and started to sob slightly, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Seeing this, Murong felt a pang of guilt and quickly reached out to gently embrace Su Wan'er. He softly stroked her back with his right hand, comforting her, "Wan'er~ I didn't mean it that way! You are the person I love most, how could I dislike you! I've just been a bit irritable lately, but that's all about the court, Wan'er, don't scare yourself!"
Su Wan'er nestled in his arms, a subtle smile curving her lips. When she looked up, her eyes were brimming with tears, making her look pitiful: "Your Highness, you mustn't keep anything from Wan'er. You must tell Wan'er if you have any worries."
Murong Yi nodded slightly, but his gaze unconsciously drifted into the distance, as if he were pondering something. Lost in his thoughts, his eyes darted around and suddenly caught sight of a very familiar figure. Looking closer, he saw that Lin Qianqian and her group had also arrived at the banks of the Luo River.
From a distance, they appeared to be chatting and laughing, each with a bright and carefree smile on their face.
Murong Yi was startled, as if a boulder had been thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples to spread. Then, his gaze fell on Wuming standing next to Lin Qianqian. Wuming's eyes were fixed on Lin Qianqian, filled with focus and affection, while Lin Qianqian chatted and laughed with him, the atmosphere harmonious and joyful.
In an instant, Murong Yi felt an inexplicable rage surge into his heart like a raging tide, instantly devouring all his reason. His hands unconsciously clenched into fists, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. Su Wan'er, who was being held by his side, cried out in pain from the sudden force: "Ah~ Your Highness, you're hurting me!"
This shout was like a wake-up call, abruptly pulling Murong Yi back to reality from the abyss of anger. He then realized his lapse in composure, a flicker of panic and regret crossing his face. He instinctively apologized to Su Wan'er, "I'm sorry, Wan'er, it was...it was my carelessness!"
Su Wan'er looked at him with heartache, her eyes full of concern and worry, and said softly, "Your Highness, it seems you are really tired. Then Wan'er will help you back to rest!"
Upon hearing the word "go back," Murong Yi panicked instantly. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind; he wanted to stay but couldn't find a suitable excuse. The inner struggle made his steps unusually heavy. He knew he couldn't express his true feelings, so he could only let Su Wan'er gently pull his arm, moving slowly and laboriously step by step, as if each step required immense effort.
At this moment, the Eighth Princess Murong Lin walked hand in hand with her husband Su Jinran, while the Seventh Princess Murong Qing walked hand in hand with her husband Chen Shuyu.
Murong Lin saw Murong Yi and spoke first, her voice clear and loud: "Hey~ Ninth Brother, you're here too!"
Su Wan'er was whispering with Murong Yi when she heard the voice and immediately froze. She forced an awkward smile and said, "Eighth Princess~ Seventh Princess~" Then, she quickly glanced at Su Jinran and Chen Shuyu without saying a word, but nodded slightly with a slightly meaningful and wicked smile on her lips.
Murong Yi snapped out of her daze and quickly bowed in greeting: "Eighth Sister, Seventh Sister, what brings you here!"
Murong Qing replied with a smile, "Today is the Qixi Festival, so naturally we're here to release lanterns! Hey, where are you all headed?"
Su Wan'er seemed afraid that others would not know Murong Yi's "condition," so she spoke first: "The prince is a little tired, I will help him back!" Although she tried her best to hide it, you could still hear a trace of impatience in her tone, but she could not show it because there were other people present.
Upon hearing this, Murong Lin stepped forward without hesitation, reaching out to touch Murong Yi's forehead, getting very close to him, and said, "Really? Let me see!"
Upon seeing this, Su Wan'er felt a surge of intense dissatisfaction. She quickly reached out and pulled Murong Yi to her side, tightly linking her arms with his. Her face instantly adopted an affectionate expression, as if silently declaring her ownership to Murong Lin and warning her not to overstep her bounds.
Murong Qing watched all of this from the side. Although he understood Su Wan'er's thoughts, he just sighed silently, pursed his lips helplessly, and said nothing more.
Murong Qing was standing still, her gaze wandering casually around her. Suddenly, her eyes fixed on something not far away, where she saw Lin Qianqian and the others.
In an instant, her face lit up with excitement, her eyes bright and sparkling, as if she had discovered a priceless treasure. Without hesitation, she raised her arm high, waved it vigorously in the air, and shouted, "Qianqian!"
The sudden shouts were particularly loud amidst the noise on the riverbank, attracting everyone's attention, and they all looked in the direction of the sound.
Murong Yi's expression instantly became complicated, showing surprise and a hint of displeasure that was hard to hide; Su Wan'er narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of vigilance and scrutiny flashing in her gaze.