Chapter 56

The Glamor of Lanterns

Finally escaping from the most crowded part of the street, Nan Yi looked up at the stacked buildings and thought that with the colorful silk lanterns blocking the view everywhere, it might be faster to just walk on the rooftops.

Just as she was about to leap onto the roof, her wrist was suddenly grabbed. The person had a bit of skill, easily pulling her over.

Nan Yi didn’t even need to look up—just from the way he held her wrist and the warmth of his palm, she knew who it was.

“Where are you going?” He skipped any pleasantries.

“Just... wandering around. How did you recognize me?”

Nan Yi looked up and was startled. On this lively Lantern Festival night, the man was wearing a white Wuchang mask—a person from the world of the living, yet choosing to dress as if from the realm of the dead.

He gave a mocking laugh. “Who goes to the rooftops for a stroll?”

Fortunately, the mask concealed the speechless expression on Nan Yi’s face, leaving her unable to refute.

His words seemed to contain a faint laugh, and he appeared completely at ease. “I’m just strolling around, let’s go together.”

It was clearly an invitation, but with the usual unquestionable tone he carried. Xie Que Shan didn’t let go of her hand, directly pulling her back into the crowded streets.

Nan Yi had no opportunity to refuse. She was already anxious, wanting to stomp her feet in frustration.

“What’s wrong? Not happy?” It seemed like he sensed her hesitation, so he turned to look at her.

“How could I not be happy...” Nan Yi mumbled.

“Whatever you want, I’ll buy it for you.” His tone softened.

Though she couldn’t see his expression, Nan Yi could sense that his mood was good. He probably didn’t know about the actions of the Bingchu Division today, right? Otherwise, how could he be so leisurely strolling through the streets?

The young master being in a good mood was troublesome. If he kept shopping endlessly, how would she manage to escape?

Even with his loose robes, he still held her wrist firmly. Nan Yi figured he was just afraid she would run away, so she didn’t think too much about it. She followed him closely, step by step.

With the masks on, no one could recognize them. Walking on the street, they were just another pair of ordinary people.

Before long, she had a new magnolia hairpin in her hair, crystal gemstones dangling from her ears, and a gold-and-onyx necklace around her neck. He seemed to delight in dressing her up, saying this looked good, that looked good, and spending money on her as if it were flowing like water.

The more he did this, the harder it was for Nan Yi to understand his behavior. She dared not speak, but inside, she was as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

What if she missed the chance to get Qiu Jie’er and the Third Aunt to the Yuyue Bridge landing...

Thinking of this, she steeled herself and suddenly grabbed Xie Que Shan’s hand.

That soft, cold hand unexpectedly slipped into his palm, like a boat sailing that suddenly hit a reef. The sharp edges of the reef jabbed into the soft heart, creating an unexpected wound.

It didn’t hurt, but her whole body felt numb.

Seeing that he didn’t respond, her fingertips gently scratched at his palm, signaling for him to come back to his senses.

His palm itched, and without thinking, he tightened his grip on her hand, stopping her from moving. Finally, his steps halted, and he looked at her through the mask.

“Young master, I’m tired. Let’s go back.” She pretended to be pitiful, speaking in a soft, aggrieved tone that sounded quite pleasant.

A smile appeared on the face behind the mask, though his voice remained calm. “There’s a place up ahead to rest.”

He was still in a good mood, showing no sign of wanting to head back. Instead, he simply kept holding her hand and walked forward.

Their palms pressed together, quickly growing hot, even beginning to sweat, but he didn’t loosen his grip.

Nan Yi felt a little dazed. She had never held hands with Zhang Yuehui before!

Was this a bit too intimate?

The thought barely flashed through her mind before she snapped back to reality with a jolt.

Intimate? With Xie Que Shan? That was a ghost story.

Xie Que Shan dragged Nan Yi to a small stall, one that offered materials for customers to make their own lanterns.

He eagerly pulled her down, intending to make an octagonal lantern with her.

Nan Yi realized this wasn’t a place to rest—this was clearly just a delay!

Did Xie Que Shan know something? Was he planning to keep her here and block her from acting? His heart was truly wicked!

Thoughts rushed through Nan Yi’s mind.

Noticing she was lost in thought, he snapped his fingers in front of her face to bring her back to attention.

“Don’t want to try it?”

Her voice came out dry, like a brittle leaf: “I want to... of course, I want to...”

“Don’t lie to me.”

He made a half-joking remark, but it made Nan Yi’s heart skip a beat. She wanted to think more carefully, but he was already bending down, seriously choosing materials for the lantern.

“Younger master—” Nan Yi had nearly given in.

“Paste,” he said, focused on his lantern, reaching for her to hand him the glue.

Nan Yi made a quick decision and stood up, leaning toward his ear to speak.

The evening air had started to carry a slight chill, numbing her ears. As she leaned in to speak, her warm breath brushed his ear, and her soft voice unexpectedly sank into his mind.

“Younger master, tonight, Xiao Liu is sending Third Uncle off. I need to get Qiu Jie’er and the Third Aunt to the boat.”

Once she finished speaking, Nan Yi immediately regretted it. What if he tried to sabotage the plan? Wouldn’t she become the one who betrayed Third Uncle?

“Sending them where?” He paused for a moment, but didn’t raise his head. He just reached for the glue, his task not interrupted.

Clenching her teeth, Nan Yi pushed forward, “To the painted boat.”

Her mind was racing, trying to come up with excuses. She still needed Xie Que Shan’s support for this.

But it turned out she didn’t need to explain at all. Xie Que Shan simply nodded, “Go ahead.”

“Huh?”

Nan Yi froze and directly pulled off his mask, wanting to see his expression clearly.

Xie Que Shan just looked at her gently, without any hostility.

“You knew about this already?”

“I only found out after you told me.”

“Then why did you waste my time?”

“I wanted to.” He raised an eyebrow, a smile in his eyes.

Nan Yi gritted her teeth in frustration. “You’re insane!”

“Don’t go on the rooftops. There are lookout posts around tonight. Just stick to the main road. Qiu Jie’er and the Third Aunt should be on their way back by now.”

Hearing this, Nan Yi finally understood his stance, and her face behind the mask broke into a smile.

She felt an inexplicable sense of joy—she had made the right choice. With Xie Que Shan’s support, things would be much easier.

She ran a few steps, then turned back and quickly picked out a small palace lantern bell, some fine silk, and tassels from the various baskets. She set them in front of Xie Que Shan.

“Wait for me to come back and finish the lantern!”

After speaking, she quickly ran off.

Ha, this person really knows how to take advantage of others.

Xie Que Shan stretched his body, a faint smile in his eyes that he couldn’t conceal.

He had guessed that with all the commotion in the city tonight, Song Mu Chuan would surely make a move. Seeing Nan Yi hurrying through the streets, it was clear she had something to do. Whether he knew about the plan or not didn’t matter; this was Song Mu Chuan’s first task since taking office, and it must have been arranged perfectly. Xie Que Shan didn’t intend to intervene.

Moreover, sending Third Uncle off was something he actually wanted.

The reason he orchestrated this whole scene was simply to test whether she would tell him the truth.

She did, and that was enough for him. He had really done something rather boring.

He wanted her to fear him, but he also realized that relying on that fear would not keep her. So, little by little, he opened the door, inch by inch, letting her get closer to him, hoping she would trust him.

In the end, he wanted her by his side.

Bit by bit, all the reasons he could voice, and all the reasons he hadn’t yet figured out, intertwined into a kind of obsession.

________________________________________

As expected, Nan Yi ran into Qiu Jie’er and the Third Aunt on their way to the Goddess Temple.

As soon as she heard that they were leaving Lidu, the Third Aunt looked completely flustered. Thankfully, Qiu Jie’er was someone with a clear mind and steadied her mother, calmly following Nan Yi to Yonggui Bridge.

Nan Yi was still wondering who would be there to meet them, whether they would recognize them... Before she could reach the bridge, a carriage hidden in an alleyway called out to them.

Song Mu Chuan emerged from behind the carriage and greeted the three of them with a slight bow.

Nan Yi looked at him in surprise.

“You wouldn’t be...?”

Song Mu Chuan gave a slight smile and didn’t answer directly. He then lifted the curtain of the carriage, revealing a Qi person sitting inside.

The Third Aunt took a step back in fright. The Qi person inside even gave a Han Chinese-style bow to her.

Song Mu Chuan explained, “Madam, Miss Qiu, I am entrusted by a friend to take you both to the painted boat. This gentleman is a Qi army captain, but he is one of us. You will both pretend to be his concubines and board the boat to meet Lord Xie.”

Nan Yi was still in shock. How could this destitute scholar, who was about to jump into the river to end his life, be the contact person now? He was calm and composed, orderly in his actions, even managing to comfort Third Aunt and help them both into the carriage with ease.

She had a vague feeling that something was off. He was too composed. She had seen his character before and had thought that, being forced into his position by the Qi people, he would have a bitter and vengeful demeanor, not the relaxed, confident attitude he displayed now. His every movement exuded a sense of determination.

After bidding farewell to Third Aunt and Qiu Jie’er, Nan Yi was still a little dazed.

Song Mu Chuan turned to look at her and said, “Madam, tonight, I too have been invited by the Qi people, and I have an invitation to board the painted boat. Please come with me.”

“You... what exactly are you?” she asked.

“Madam, my past is as you have seen—nothing hidden. But now that I am in this position, I have some opportunities to act on behalf of friends, so I am helping with this task.”

That made some sense. Xie Xiao Liu was Xie Que Shan’s sister, and Pang Yu’s fiancée, so her relationship with Song Mu Chuan was naturally not bad. But in a situation like this, Xie Xiao Liu would never ask an ordinary friend for help.

Could it be that Song Mu Chuan was also recruited into the Bingzhu Si (Candle Holders’ Division)?

Once that thought crossed her mind, Nan Yi felt a deep respect for this scholar who seemed so incapable of protecting himself. He was knowingly walking into danger, yet he did so with confidence. At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a vague worry—could he really protect himself?

“Mr. Song, then what should I do on the painted boat?”

“Miss Liu is already on the boat, and she hopes you will go and assist her.”

Nan Yi hesitated for a moment. She knew that Xie Que Shan was still waiting for her, but her inner balance quickly tipped in favor of helping Xie Xiao Liu. With such a large operation today, she would certainly need assistance. Moreover, since Song Mu Chuan was also boarding the boat and was in a somewhat vulnerable position, if he needed help, she could offer her assistance.

In her heart, Nan Yi placed Song Mu Chuan on a pedestal, like a mountain. He was a scholar, and she was just a rough person. As long as she could help him even a little, she would do so without hesitation, even feeling honored to do so.

“Alright,” she agreed.

But a strange feeling surged in her heart. It was as if many things she couldn’t see were secretly stirring, waiting to happen.