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墨書 Inktalez
Yang was so proactive, of course, it wasn't just to help Ye Xiaohan relax.
In fact, he had already discussed with Gu Da, and they had agreed to act separately. Gu Da would inform Gu Bei to clear his schedule, allowing Yang and Ye Xiaohan to go out together and deepen their relationship.
Gu Da was very supportive of this suggestion and immediately began to take action.
"Lantern Festival," Gu Bei said, looking at the pile of masks that Gu Da had brought back for him to choose from. He felt a bit sentimental. Although he was from the capital and had spent many years away fighting, when he really thought about it, he had experienced several festivals.
However, he had never been interested in these things before and had never thought about attending. So this would be his first time participating.
Meanwhile, in the palace, upon receiving the news that Gu Bei would also be going out to enjoy the festivities, Shangyang Princess was eagerly selecting her attire.
"This Flower Embroidery Butterfly dress was made recently; it's perfect for such a festive occasion!" Shangyang Princess held up a dress with both hands, showcasing it to her maid.
"Beautiful, beautiful!" The maid clapped enthusiastically. "This is a new style from Jiangnan; very few people in the capital have worn it. If the princess wears it out, she will surely dazzle everyone!"
Shangyang Princess smiled proudly but quickly set the dress down and picked up another one. "But this Goose Yellow Light Fabric robe is also nice; it was given to me by Mother Empress some time ago, and I've only worn it once."
The maid's smile was nearly breaking as she exclaimed, "Princess, ever since you learned that General Gu would also be attending the Lantern Festival, you've already spent two hours choosing outfits!"
"Has it been that long?" Shangyang Princess asked in surprise; she felt like only a short time had passed.
The maid pointed at all the clothes in the chamber in despair. "Just look for yourself! All the new clothes made this year are out for you to choose from. Even last year's outfits are almost all laid out!"
In truth, Shangyang Princess was exceptionally beautiful; no matter which outfit she wore, she looked stunning and didn't need to be so troubled. Each piece of clothing was custom-made for her and fit perfectly.
Hearing the maid's words, Shangyang Princess looked astonished. She hurriedly picked up a dress and asked the maid to help her change. Just when the maid thought that the princess had finally come to her senses and would stop making things difficult for them, she heard Shangyang Princess's anxious voice.
"I can't believe so much time has passed! Why didn't you remind me?" Shangyang Princess complained. "If it's too late, we'll miss out! What if General Gu goes home early? Then we won't get to see him at all!"
The palace maid silently helped the Shangyang Princess change her clothes, having lost the ability to argue with the princess.
"Why are you still not ready? Are we going or not? If not, I'm leaving first!" Murong Jing walked in from outside and saw the Shangyang Princess just finishing dressing and applying her makeup, feeling a bit impatient.
The Shangyang Princess quickly replied, "I'm almost done! Just a moment longer, dear brother! Please wait for me!" She urged the maid repeatedly. It was only because Murong Jing was accompanying her that the Queen had agreed to let her leave the palace. If Murong Jing left first, the Queen would never allow her to go alone.
"Princess, all set!" The maid stopped and placed a mirror in front of the Shangyang Princess for her to see the final result.
The Shangyang Princess looked at herself in the bronze mirror from side to side and felt quite satisfied. "Not bad! Your skills are getting better and better. With this look, even if I meet General Gu, I won't be embarrassed."
She had been looking forward to today’s Lantern Festival for quite some time. If she could recognize Gu Bei during the festival, it would mean they were well-matched and could receive blessings from above.
The Shangyang Princess had already cleared up misunderstandings with Ye Xiaohan and felt guilty about previous events. However, this did not conflict with her feelings for Gu Bei.
Since both of them liked Gu Bei, they needed to work harder to see who could win his affection first. If Gu Bei ultimately chose Ye Xiaohan, she would feel reluctant but would not interfere.
However, until the final answer was revealed, she would not easily give up.
Dressed and ready, the Shangyang Princess happily pulled Murong Jing out of the palace.
At the Lantern Festival, everywhere was decorated with lights and everyone was smiling joyfully.
Not long after they left, Liu Yang quickly found an excuse to leave in order to create an opportunity for Ye Xiaohan and Gu Bei to be alone together.
Ye Xiaohan sensed something about this; Liu Yang's behavior was quite obvious. However, she had no intention of stopping him and no reason to do so.
So much had happened recently that it made her reflect deeply, which had somewhat neglected Gu Bei. It was rare to have an opportunity like this to walk together; it wasn't a bad idea at all.
But perhaps due to the crowd being too large, Ye Xiaohan squeezed through but failed to spot anyone resembling Gu Bei. After half an hour, she had no choice but to stop and take a break.
It wasn't so much the fatigue that bothered her, but rather the sheer number of people. She couldn't appreciate any scenery, only the crowded heads and various body parts around her.
Ye Xiaohan stood in front of a stall selling masks and lanterns, where there were fewer people, allowing her to finally relax a bit.
However, she hadn't been standing there long when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around in surprise, she exclaimed, "You just got here... huh? Third Prince?"
She had initially thought it was Gu Bei who had found her, but standing before her was Murong Jing.
"Of course it's me," Murong Jing replied with a smile. "Otherwise, do you think Boss Ye would mistake me for someone else?"
Ye Xiaohan didn't respond directly, opting for a vague reply instead. It wasn't that she was unwilling to acknowledge her relationship with Gu Bei in front of others; she simply felt that romance was a private matter between two people and didn't need to be broadcasted to the world.
"Third Prince seems quite interested in the lanterns as well. Are you here alone or with some young lady?" Ye Xiaohan pretended to be curious, steering the conversation away from herself.
Murong Jing shrugged helplessly. "There is indeed a young lady, but she's my useless Princess."
"Is that so?" Ye Xiaohan didn't press further; she still couldn't fully come to terms with Shangyang Princess. Murong Jing also dropped the topic and invited Ye Xiaohan to guess lantern riddles nearby.
"A qin box. What idiom does this represent?" Murong Jing read the riddle attached beneath the lantern and looked at Ye Xiaohan.
After a moment of thought, Ye Xiaohan answered, "The qin is a musical instrument that produces sound. If the qin is in a box, then the music is contained inside. So the idiom should be 'joy within.'"
Murong Jing smiled as he flipped over the riddle card, confirming her answer was correct.
"Boss Ye is indeed sharp as ice and snow," Murong Jing praised her generously, making Ye Xiaohan feel a bit shy.
They spent some time guessing riddles, some they got right and others they didn't. Many people were just there for fun and didn't care much about whether they could solve them; everyone wore cheerful smiles.
"This place is too crowded. Why don't we go by the river to release lanterns? It's quieter there," Murong Jing suggested when he noticed Ye Xiaohan's expression of weariness.
Ye Xiaohan admired the lanterns while keeping an eye on her surroundings, but she still couldn't spot Gu Bei. Feeling a bit frustrated, she wondered whether Gu Bei was too busy to come out or if the crowd was simply too large for them to meet.
"Alright." There were just too many people, and Ye Xiaohan felt exhausted from being jostled around. She decided to take a break by the riverbank.
After buying two flower lanterns from a nearby stall, they headed toward the river. The water was already dotted with numerous floating lanterns, and more people were arriving.
"Wait, are you just going to let it go like that?" Murong Jing stopped Ye Xiaohan as she casually prepared to release her lantern into the water. "You have to make a wish first for it to come true."
Ye Xiaohan had never believed in such superstitions, and she was surprised to see that the usually rough-around-the-edges Murong Jing had a romantic side.
Under Murong Jing's persistent gaze, Ye Xiaohan pretended to make a wish before placing her lantern into the water.
The lantern drifted slowly along the current. Although it wasn't very environmentally friendly, it looked beautiful at that moment.
Ye Xiaohan focused intently on the surface of the river, completely unaware that Murong Jing was also watching her with keen interest.
"Is it pretty?" Murong Jing asked.
"Yes, it's beautiful," Ye Xiaohan nodded in agreement.
With a tone that was half-serious and half-joking, Murong Jing said, "I've seen this same lantern for many years and have grown accustomed to it. But this year, it seems particularly beautiful—perhaps because of the company I'm sharing it with."
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