---

? Exciting News! “The Royal Little Wife” novel just dropped! ? Stay tuned for more chapters! Check the bio link for updates. ?✨

---

Chapter 52: Qiqiao Festival

Yu Lingxi looked at Ning Yin in astonishment, “What did you just say?”

Ning Yin looked at her for a moment and suddenly smiled, “I was kidding. If I’m dead, I won’t be able to amuse Miss anymore.”

Yu Lingxi knew that Ning Yin was not just joking. Whatever he was willing or unwilling to do, there was nothing he wouldn’t dare to do.

“You can’t joke about that with me.”

She held the half-peeled lotus pod, gathered her composure, and said seriously, “Nothing is more important than living well. This kind of talk should never be entertained in the future.”

Ning Yin looked at the delicate tip of her brows, a faint shimmer appearing in his eyes.

“Alright.”

He slowly turned the small medicine bottle in his hand, “Then, Miss, don’t give me a chance to think like that.”

Yu Lingxi couldn’t control those crazy thoughts that often popped into his mind, but whenever she heard them, she would definitely intervene. She carefully peeled the lotus seeds, placed them in a lotus leaf, and placed it next to him. Then she opened her palm, saying, “Lotus seeds for you, medicine for me.”

Ning Yin lowered his eyes, and the casually turning small medicine bottle paused for a moment before being handed over to her.

As he let go, his fingertips lightly grazed her palm, as if it were an unintentional touch.

“Morning and night, one each time.”

Ning Yin raised an eyebrow, speaking seriously, “If I personally serve it, the medicine will be more effective.”

Yu Lingxi didn’t dare to be arrogant. She shook the small medicine bottle in her hand and said, “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.”

The fragrance of lotus leaves floated on the pond, taking a deep breath, bringing a refreshing feeling.

“Ning Yin,” Yu Lingxi called softly.

Ning Yin turned his eyes to her.

“A long time ago, I wanted to say, rather than dying for someone, I hope you can live for someone, live well.”

Suddenly, Yu Lingxi had a thought: to light up the stars and moons in his dark eyes, bringing a radiant brilliance. If you can’t make everyone like you, then make everyone fear you.

After Yu Lingxi left, Ning Yin picked up a lotus seed, put it in his mouth, and carefully tasted her gentle words. He didn’t taste the bitterness of the lotus seed but found a bit of sweetness. 

Everyone cursed him to die, only Yu Lingxi instructed him to live well.

In that case, how could he disappoint Miss’s sincere expectations?

He curved his lips, placed his hand on the railing, and looked up at the sky.

Reluctant to die.

If one day the birds got tired of his branch, why not snatch a piece of the sky and keep her captive under the sky.

…

Ning Yin’s ointment had an astonishing effect. After about eight or nine days of use, scabs on his arm began to slowly peel off. The wound healed smoothly, and it seemed unlikely to leave any scars.

On the evening of Qiqiao, Qingping Prince hosted a lantern-viewing night at the Lingxiao Bridge of Wangxian Tower. Yu family’s sisters and the newlywed Su Guan were invited to enjoy the lanterns and take part in the night festivities.

Although this plan was made half a month ago, it was only ten days since the assassination attempt on the Yu family. Yu Lingxi was initially hesitant, but she heard that the old lady of the Tang Mansion was seriously ill. Tang Buli was quite distressed, and Yu Lingxi felt the need to join in the lantern festival to pray for blessings on behalf of her grandmother.

As the sole handkerchief friend of Tang Buli, she couldn’t afford to miss the appointment; it was a matter of basic decency.

“That girl has lost his parents. The entire family business relies on the old lady of the Tang family. Now that she’s also sick, it’s a time of loneliness and helplessness. It’s right to go and accompany her,” said Yu Lingxi.

After hearing Yu Lingxi’s request, Lady Yu sighed, “Xinyi, take good care of your sister and Ah Guan. Don’t be careless.”

Yu Xinyi nodded, “Don’t worry, Mother.”

“I’ll accompany them too.” Yu Huanchen, who had returned from the military, said.

He didn’t want to experience what happened on Yongning Bridge ever again. With Yu Huanchen and Yu Xinyi leading the way and accompanied by skilled individuals like Qingxiao and Qing Lan, Lady Yu felt a bit more at ease. She urged them to return early and repeatedly reminded them to be careful.

Yu Lingxi sent someone to invite Ning Yin. That day, when she was recovering in the brothel, she had promised him to take him to participate in the lantern festival, and now was the perfect opportunity.

As the rooster crowed, the lanterns began to light up. Yu Lingxi changed into a summer outfit of lotus pink, apricot red skirt, and soft gauze, and descended the stone steps. There, she saw Ning Yin approaching with hands behind his back.

He wasn’t wearing his usual dark martial attire but had opted for light-colored clothing. His ink-black hair was tied with a ribbon of the same color, half of it falling freely over his shoulder. The way he approached under the illumination of lanterns was stunning, reminiscent of his princely appearance from a past life.

It wasn’t until he reached her that Yu Lingxi came back to her senses and asked, “Why did you dress like this today?”

“Doesn’t Miss like it?” Ning Yin seemingly saw through her thoughts and used a low and deep voice that only she could hear, “Every time I wear light clothes, Miss can’t help but keep her eyes on me.”

“I don’t!” Yu Lingxi retorted without much confidence, then added, “Whatever you wear looks good. It’s just unusual to see you in light-colored clothes, that’s all.”

In the previous life, Ning Yin loved wearing red or purple, showcasing his nobility and laziness in a way that was incredibly provocative. However, when he wore white, all his wildness seemed to disappear, leaving only the cold and handsome demeanor of a mountain deity.

“Cough, cough.” Yu Huanchen cleared his throat loudly from behind.

Yu Lingxi immediately suppressed her overflowing words of praise, smiled, blinked her eyes, and lifted her skirt to board the carriage. 

Half the sky was still painted in the lingering rouge hue of the setting sun, while the other half was covered in the twilight’s indigo. The bustling and noisy world at the juncture of light and darkness formed a winding sea of lanterns.

The crowded streets were filled with many visitors, making it difficult for the carriage to move. After half an hour, they had only covered a short distance. Facing this situation, everyone had to disembark and walk, closely followed by the guards.

There were fire performances at the stalls, with shirtless men spraying flames several feet high, eliciting cheers from the crowd. Qingxiao led the way, with Yu Lingxi and Ning Yin walking side by side, followed by Yu Huanchen, Su Guan, and Yu Xinyi.

Su Guan pinched the ice jade sword tassel hidden in her sleeve and showed a bit of sweet nervousness on her face. Her round cat-like eyes were fixed on her young and handsome husband beside her. Unfortunately, her husband seemed preoccupied, staring intently at the guard who went by the name “Wei Qi”.

She tried several times to find the right moment to present a gift, but it seemed elusive.

Yu Lingxi noticed her brother’s probing gaze and couldn’t help but smile. She pretended not to notice, lowered her voice, and said, “Wei Qi, my brother is watching you. You better behave well.”

She was well aware that merely hiding Ning Yin wouldn’t be enough to gain her family’s approval of his identity. So, she decided to openly bring Ning Yin along, presenting his best side to dispel her brother’s suspicions.

Ning Yin, fully aware of her intentions, maintained a nonchalant attitude, saying without turning his gaze, “Wherever Miss is, when have I ever behaved poorly? Hmm?”

The trailing “Hmm” carried a teasing tone, sounding exceptionally pleasant amidst the bustling street market. Yu Lingxi smiled and stopped in her tracks.

Looking at the crowded ice drink shop nearby, she turned to her brother, who had been watching all along, and asked, “Brother, can I buy some iced treats?” 

Without a clear response from Yu Huanchen, Yu Lingxi happily went to make arrangements. She bought ten bowls of iced drinks, sharing lychee water and bayberry juice with her siblings and attendants. Only two bowls of grape yogurt were left for herself and Ning Yin.

She gifted everyone the iced drinks, just to make it reasonable for Ning Yin to enjoy this bowl of sweet and refreshing grape yogurt. Yu Huanchen didn’t suspect anything, but he furrowed his brows as he took his wife’s bowl, saying with a stern face, “You have a cold constitution; eat less.”

“Just one more sip, please!” Su Guan, longing for the sweet lychee water, extended a soft plea with one finger. “Husband?”

Facing tens of thousands of enemy troops had never changed General Yu, but he was defeated by the pleading eyes of his wife.

“Wei Qi, hand over the drink to her.”

Taking advantage of her siblings’ distraction, Yu Lingxi handed one bowl to Ning Yin and lifted the other one for herself. She elegantly sipped from it, enjoying the taste. On the light purple grape ice, drizzled with fragrant milk and amber honey, the combination emitted a refreshing coolness under the glow of the streetlights.

Ning Yin scooped up a spoonful, slowly savoring the mixture. The coolness spread on his tongue, followed by the melting sweetness and sourness of the grapes.

“Is it delicious?” Yu Lingxi asked in a soft voice, her beaded hair reflecting a warm glow.

Suddenly, Ning Yin had a thought: if there were some magical way to make all the noisy figures disappear from the street, then he would unhesitatingly enjoy it. In this way, he could freely embrace the light before him and integrate it into his bones and blood.

“Missing a bit of flavor,” Ning Yin commented with a faintly drawn lip line, his eyes filled with deep warmth. “Not as delicious as the lychee and lotus seeds fed by Miss.”

Yu Lingxi was momentarily stunned, then her face flushed. She used her eyes to signal him: don’t take advantage.

So, Ning Yin smiled delightfully.

Tasting the same sweet and sour flavors, they strolled together in the upstream flow of light.

On the third floor of Wangxian Tower, there was a magnificent painted bridge spanning the street, resembling a magpie bridge built in the air, making it an excellent place for Qiqiao night lantern viewing.

Tang Buli had already prepared fruits, wine, and food, waiting in a private room. Behind her stood a handsome young man who was a stranger to the others.

Seeing Yu Lingxi and the others enter, she forced a bright smile and greeted, “Sui Sui, sister Xinyi and sister Guan, come in and have a seat.”

Yu Lingxi held Tang Buli’s hand and then glanced at the quiet man behind her, asking, “And who is this?”

“Oh, him! Grandma used to punish me by making me copy books because I was lazy and loved to play. One day, I happened to meet him in the bookstore. Seeing that he was good-looking and had some literary talent, I spared some money to support him in copying books for me,” Tang Buli explained, lowering her voice, “But now that Grandma is sick, I don’t have the spare money to keep him. After tonight, I’ll send him away to find another way.”

Behind her, the handsome young man, probably unaware that he was about to be sent away, continued quietly preparing tea, looking very obedient and honest.

Tang Buli sniffled, “If Grandma gets better, I’d be willing to copy another hundred books.”

Thinking of the fate of Tang Buli in her previous life after the decline of the Tang family, Yu Lingxi felt worried. She spoke gently, “Grandma will definitely recover and live a long life.”

“Borrowing Sui Sui’s auspicious words,” Tang Buli chuckled, perking up, “Enough of these talks. Let’s go and light the lanterns!”

Ning Yin was still sitting in the corridor, gazing at the bustling crowd below, holding a half-eaten bowl of grape yogurt in his hand. His slender fingers effortlessly supported the white porcelain ice bowl.

Fearful of neglecting him, Yu Lingxi was about to bring a lantern over when she heard Yu Huanchen exclaim, “Isn’t that Ah Cen?”

Yu Lingxi paused, following her brother’s gaze.

Under the painted bridge, the crowd was packed, and two young men in splendid attire on horseback were blocked on the side of the road, unable to move. The one in white with a jade belt, showing no signs of impatience, was Xue Cen. Beside him, in a crimson silk robe, was the long-unseen Prince Ning Zizhuo of Nanyang.

With a mischievous thought, Yu Xinyi grabbed a piece of paper, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it under the bridge.

It happened to hit…

In the embrace of Ning Zizhuo.

Ning Zizhuo was feeling quite stifled, raising his head in irritation. As soon as he saw Yu Xinyi on the bridge, his furrowed brows immediately smoothed, and he raised his arm, shaking the folding fan in his hand as he loudly exclaimed, “General Yu!”

Xue Cen naturally looked up in response, spotting Yu Lingxi on the painted bridge holding a paper lantern. His eyes brightened involuntarily.

Ning Yin, leaning on the railing, saw Xue Cen and his gaze gradually darkened. He smirked, tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“I’ll go down for a moment,” Yu Xinyi handed the prayer brush to Yu Lingxi, blinked, and went downstairs to greet Ning Zizhuo.

In no time, Xue Cen came up from downstairs and greeted Yu Lingxi, “Second Sister.”

“Brother Cen,” Yu Lingxi didn’t expect him to come up and returned a greeting.

In the corridor.

Ning Yin watched the two exchanging pleasantries with an expressionless face, picking up a semi-melted ice cube from the bottom of the bowl and putting it into his mouth.

Annoying, he sneered.

After chatting for a while, Yu Xinyi went to the painted bridge with Yu Lingxi to help Tang Buli light the prayer lanterns. The intricate lights on the street suddenly became dazzling.

Too glaring.

Ning Yin slowly bit the ice cube, making a crisp sound. He squinted, glanced down at his plain white clothes, and frowned. If this colored garment were stained with blood, it might ruin Yu Lingxi’s mood.

Putting another piece of ice in his mouth, Ning Yin calmly tapped his fingers. He wouldn’t kill Xue Cen; there were plenty of ways to wound his heart in this world.

But he wondered, in the face of the Xue family’s interests, what significance did this innocent and sincere friendship between the two hold?

Yu Lingxi came down from upstairs and found Ning Yin in the corridor. He was still sitting in his initial position, his eyes hidden in the shadows of the bamboo curtain, and the bowl of ice beside him was already empty.

“Wei Qi!” Yu Lingxi ran over, panting, and whispered, “Guess where I went just now?”

Ning Yin glanced at her, the warmth in his eyes fading away. Leaning on the railing for a while, he smiled ambiguously, “I have no interest in trivial matters like ‘where Miss went to whisper with other men.’”

Yu Lingxi was stunned, chuckled, and asked, “What are you thinking?”

Ning Yin slowly replied, “Thinking of things that would make me happy, but Miss wouldn’t be pleased.”

Yu Lingxi laughed. She bent her eyes and said, “Come with me, I’ll take you somewhere.”

Ning Yin still looked at her as if trying to see into the depths of her soul.

“Hurry up! Don’t let my brother find out,” Yu Lingxi urged softly, and the lights reflected in her eyes were beautiful and bright.

Only then did Ning Yin stand up, following her in small quick steps, climbing the stairs.

The top floor of the Wangxian Tower was a well-ventilated attic on all sides, often used by scholars and literati to admire the distant view. Since it was windy and cold that night, there were no other people in the attic, only a solitary lamp.

“This is the place I found just now, with an excellent view,” Yu Lingxi said with a smile. She reached out and pushed open the window, and suddenly the night sky was as dark as ink, with stars hanging all over, and the winding night scenery of the capital city lay before their eyes.

The light entered Ning Yin’s eyes, causing him to blink.

He walked slowly to the window, standing side by side with Yu Lingxi, overlooking the city. The fabrics rustled in the wind, rubbing against each other, smoothing the restlessness in their hearts.

“Miss disappeared for so long just for this place?” Ning Yin raised an eyebrow.

“Otherwise?” Yu Lingxi said, “I climbed five floors just to find this deserted place.”

“Why?” Ning Yin stared at her and asked.

“Why what?” Yu Lingxi replied.

Yu Lingxi reached out to tuck the strands of hair beside her temple behind her ear, and smiled gently, “Didn’t I promise to take you to release the prayer lantern? There are so many people downstairs, not convenient.”

As she spoke, she took out the prepared brush, ink, and paper lantern, placing them on the window sill. She began writing a graceful sentence on the lantern: “May everything go well.”

Then she handed the brush to Ning Yin, propping her chin on the windowsill, “You write too, maybe it will come true?”

Ning Yin didn’t believe in supernatural things; to him, these childish things were nothing more than trivial playthings. However, he accepted the pen, warmed by Yu Lingxi’s touch, and with the pen moving gracefully on the blank side of the lantern opposite to hers.

Yu Lingxi watched his handsome profile immersed in the light of the lantern, feeling as if they were in a different world. In the previous life, she had wanted to watch lanterns with Ning Yin, but it never happened. Fortunately, today, she finally fulfilled this small regret.

Lowering her gaze, she looked at the freshly written wet words by Ning Yin. She couldn’t help but pause slightly. What he wrote wasn’t anything ominous, just a straightforward sentence: “May every year be peaceful.”

It was an ordinary phrase, but it seemed extraordinary because it included her nickname and his surname. Seeing her lost in thought, Ning Yin put down the brush and said, “Miss, are you satisfied with my handwriting?”

Yu Lingxi collected herself, nodded, and praised, “A person’s handwriting reflects their character; I am indeed satisfied.”

In both lifetimes, Ning Yin’s handwriting was always excellent.

Ning Yin chuckled softly, “Miss, is this mouth of yours praising me or praising the handwriting?”

“Wei Qi, you see, in this world, there are always things that can make me happy and also make you happy, right?” Yu Lingxi lit the paper lantern, and a smile bloomed in the flickering flames.

The attic was windy, and she almost couldn’t hold onto the lantern. Ning Yin raised his hands from both sides, steadying the lantern about to fall. Their palms overlapped, shadows enveloped them, and Yu Lingxi found herself enclosed in Ning Yin’s embrace, feeling his light and steady breath brushing past her ear…

Her fingertips couldn’t help but tremble, and the lantern slipped from her hand, swaying towards the night sky.

The person behind her casually placed his hands on the windowsill, still encircling her, showing no intention of letting go.

“There can be even happier things,” he said.

Previous

Next