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墨書 Inktalez
"This is something I don't need to tell you!"
After a pause, Dongfang Bai pressed his lips together and said.
Hearing this, Qi Yingying merely stuck out her tongue and playfully replied, "If you don't want to say it, then don't! Even if you did, I wouldn't want to know anyway!"
"Hmph, it’s best that way."
After saying this, Dongfang Bai turned his face away and stopped looking at Qi Yingying. He failed to notice the fleeting sadness in Qi Yingying's eyes, which had been smiling at him just moments before.
Soon, Le Yao Yao arrived with Leng Yixuan to join Dongfang Bai and the others.
It was early afternoon, and since there was still plenty of time, Dongfang Bai suggested they head down the mountain and take a stroll in the streets.
Leng Yixuan was the most supportive of Dongfang Bai's suggestion!
After all, Leng Yixuan had been born in the Great Xia Imperial Palace and had spent the past few years living within its walls, rarely venturing out into the streets.
So when she heard they were going out for a stroll, a bright smile blossomed on Leng Yixuan's face, her excitement so infectious that anyone who saw her couldn't help but smile back.
It took about an hour to travel down the mountain from the First Villa by carriage.
Along the way, Le Yao Yao and Qi Yingying entertained Leng Yixuan in the carriage. After all, children are children; their words are always so innocent and playful that they often had Le Yao Yao and the others laughing heartily.
Dongfang Bai sat atop his beloved horse, closely following the carriage ahead. The sound of melodious laughter floated back to him, and even without looking, he could imagine the radiant smile on that person's face.
Thinking of this brought a sense of joy to Dongfang Bai's heart.
Thus, along the way, everyone was in high spirits.
An hour later, they finally arrived at the bustling street at the foot of the mountain.
Although it couldn't compare to Capital City, the economy here was quite prosperous.
The spring sun shone brightly, with blue skies and white clouds. The warm sunlight bathed everyone, creating a comforting atmosphere.
A gentle breeze blew, refreshing and invigorating.
On such a beautiful day, the locals loved to come out and stroll.
So, even though it was afternoon, when Le Yao Yao and the others reached the street, they found it bustling with people. The streets were crowded with a continuous flow of cars and horses.
The lively street was lined with shops selling everything from rice and ingredients to fruits, silks, antique jade, rouge and powder—everything one could imagine!
Moreover, there were numerous performers showcasing their skills: monkeys performing acrobatics, puppies jumping through hoops of fire, plate spinning, fire breathing, and more...
The thrilling performances made the onlookers' blood race. The sounds of applause and cheers echoed throughout the street.
As they walked along the street, taking in all sorts of fascinating sights and spectacular performances, Leng Yixuan was having a blast. Her laughter rang out like never before.
Le Yao Yao had no interest in the things around her; her thoughts were solely focused on Leng Yixuan's Little One. She even bought him some delicious candied hawthorn and a dough figurine.
On the other hand, Qi Yingying, with her childlike heart, found everything new and interesting. Throughout their journey, she continuously bought things, creating quite a scene of shopping.
After spending an entire afternoon wandering, Le Yao Yao and her companions grew tired and decided to dine at the best inn in the area.
At that moment, it was mealtime. Fortunately, they had arrived early; otherwise, they might have found no seats available.
Le Yao Yao was unfamiliar with the signature dishes of this inn, so Dongfang Bai personally ordered many dishes that Le Yao Yao and Leng Yixuan enjoyed.
He also ordered some floral tea and other beverages.
Knowing that Leng Yixuan had a sweet tooth, Dongfang Bai thoughtfully ordered dessert for him as well.
After ordering nearly ten dishes, Dongfang Bai finally signaled the waiter to prepare their meal.
While waiting for the food to arrive, Qi Yingying played with Leng Yixuan non-stop. Le Yao Yao felt relaxed and propped her chin on one hand as she turned to gaze out of the second-floor window at the bustling street below.
This inn was situated in a busy area with a constant flow of people coming from both north and south, making the entrance lively and vibrant.
Watching the continuous eaves of the building and the intersecting streets filled with vendors calling out their wares vividly showcased the various aspects of daily life.
Le Yao Yao's heart drifted far away.
If only she had never gone hiking with her classmates, never ended up here by chance, and never met her lifelong love—she would not have been hurt so deeply or painfully.
Perhaps, by now, she had already graduated from university, stepped into the workforce, and eventually met someone she liked, marrying and starting a family.
But how often does life go as one hopes?
Moreover, falling in love with Yu was something she would never regret in her life. It was just that fate had played a cruel trick on her, separating her from Yu, leaving her unable to see him again...
Thinking of this, Le Yao Yao felt a wave of sadness wash over her. Her vision blurred, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
To prevent Dongfang Bai and the others from noticing, Le Yao Yao tightly closed her eyes, suppressing the deep longing in her heart. After a long moment, she finally opened her eyes again.
At this moment, she had regained her composure; her surroundings were clear and bright.
However, just then, Le Yao Yao felt a burning gaze fixed intently upon her.
Startled, she quickly turned to look in the direction of that gaze.
Amidst the crowd, she immediately spotted the tall figure of Renli dressed in black.
The instant she saw him, it felt as if she had been struck by lightning; her entire body trembled.
Her heart skipped several beats at that moment.
It was as if her ears had temporarily lost their hearing; the sounds of bustling voices and vendors calling out were completely drowned out.
The throngs of people around her seemed to vanish from her sight; the world fell silent. All she could see was that familiar tall figure!
Broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with straight legs clad in tight black clothing, his perfect figure was outlined exquisitely.
Although the person wore a black gauze hat that concealed his face completely, just one glance was enough for Le Yao Yao to know it was him!
Because she had seen this physique countless times, it was deeply etched in her heart.
Even if he turned to ash, she would recognize him at a glance!
Yu, it was Yu!
Thinking of this, Le Yao Yao's heart trembled fiercely. Then, regaining her composure, she leaped out of the second-floor window without a second thought, right in front of everyone.
This action startled not only the surrounding townsfolk but also Dongfang Bai and the others.
Moreover, Le Yao Yao's movement was so swift that by the time Dongfang Bai noticed and wanted to stop her, it was already too late. He could only spring to his feet and instruct Qi Yingying to take care of Leng Yixuan before jumping down from the second floor himself.
"Le Yao Yao, what's wrong!? Le Yao Yao!"
Ignoring the commotion around them, Dongfang Bai was solely concerned about Le Yao Yao at that moment.
After landing, he quickly caught up with her. Reaching out, he firmly grasped her wrist as she pushed forward, worry etched on his face.
Feeling Dongfang Bai's tight grip on her wrist, Le Yao Yao frowned and tried to break free from his hold.
"Brother, let go of me! Hurry up and let go!"
"Le Yao Yao, you need to tell me what happened right now!"
At Le Yao Yao's plea, Dongfang Bai furrowed his brow, concern etched on his face.
Seeing that Dongfang Bai was not letting go, Le Yao Yao felt a surge of anxiety. She was afraid that Yu would leave, so she quickly spoke up.
"Brother, Yu is over there! I just saw him! Please let go of me; I need to go find him!"
"What!?"
Upon hearing Le Yao Yao's words, Dongfang Bai's handsome brows knitted together. His deep black eyes followed the direction Le Yao Yao was pointing, but all he could see were crowds bustling along the street. There was no sign of the person she mentioned.
Seeing this, Dongfang Bai looked into Le Yao Yao's eyes, which were filled with worry and pity. Yet, he did not loosen his grip at all.
"Le Yao Yao, you must be mistaken. Yu is gone; he’s no longer here. Please don’t say things like that. It pains me to see you like this."
"No, brother! You have to let go! What I said is true; I really saw Yu! Even though he was wearing a black veil and hat, I still recognized him. He’s not dead; he’s here! Please let go! Otherwise, I won’t hold back!"
As she looked ahead at the throngs of people, Le Yao Yao's heart raced with urgency.
After all, even though she had seen Yu, there was a strong sense of unease within her. It felt as if he would disappear if she didn’t find him right away.
She had to find him—she simply had to!
With this thought in mind and seeing that Dongfang Bai still wouldn’t release her, Le Yao Yao grew desperate. Without thinking twice, she bit down hard on Dongfang Bai's hand that was gripping her wrist.
All that could be heard was Dongfang Bai's pained hiss. Although feeling sorry, he finally let go.
Le Yao Yao, seeing this, rushed towards the direction where she had just spotted Leng Junyu without a second thought.
At that moment, the street was bustling with people, a sea of faces, with luxury cars continuously passing by.
Le Yao Yao squeezed into the crowd, her beautiful eyes filled with excitement and anxiety as she searched for the person she had been longing for.
However...
She couldn't find him.
She could no longer find him.
Because he was no longer there...
Looking around at the throngs of people, men and women alike, there were countless faces, yet not a single one belonged to the person she wanted to find.
"Yu, why did you leave? Why didn't you wait for me? I saw you just now, I really saw you..."
Le Yao Yao stood frozen in place, gazing at the crowd around her, her eyes hollow as if she had lost her very soul.
Dongfang Bai, who had hurried after her, sighed deeply upon seeing Le Yao Yao's despondent state.
"Le Yao Yao, why can't you let him go?"
"Do you really not know how worried I am about you?!"
On the bustling street, filled with people and cars, there were two hearts, both heavy with sorrow at that moment.
...
Although some unpleasant events had just occurred, they did not affect the evening's plans.
After dinner, Le Yao Yao and her friends prepared several Sky Lanterns, intending to make wishes together in the square later.
Today was the annual Kongming Lantern Festival, making the Sky Lanterns particularly popular.
The square was already packed with people, a sea of faces jostling against one another.
At this moment, it was already the hour of Chen.
As the lights began to twinkle, the bright moon hung high in the sky, and countless stars sprinkled across the vast expanse above, making the night even more enchanting.
A gentle Evening Breeze blew through, carrying a hint of coolness, yet it did not dampen anyone's joyful spirit.
In the square, people were already writing their wishes on the Sky Lanterns, perhaps in memory of a deity, before sending them up into the sky.
Before long, the mesmerizing night sky was dotted with glowing yellow Sky Lanterns, enhancing the dreamlike beauty of the night.
Watching this beautiful scene as the bright yellow Sky Lanterns slowly ascended into the sky, rising higher and higher, it felt as if they truly were flying up to the heavens.
The people around were superstitious, believing that these Sky Lanterns would rise into the sky and be seen by the celestial beings above.
However, they did not know that these Sky Lanterns would only ascend halfway before falling back down.
Yet, seeing their faces filled with hope, Le Yao Yao couldn't help but feel moved.
So what if she acted foolishly once more!?
With that thought in mind, she picked up the brush that had been prepared nearby, dipped it in ink, and began to write her heartfelt message on the Sky Lantern.
"Yu, I really miss you. I want to see you again. I miss you so much..."
As the brush came to a stop after the final stroke, a tear fell with a soft 'plop' onto the lantern.
"Mommy, why are you crying!? Please don’t cry!"
Leng Yixuan's sweet voice broke through Le Yao Yao's moment of sorrow, and she suddenly realized that she had been shedding tears.
Awakening from her daze, Le Yao Yao quickly sniffed and used her handkerchief to wipe away the tears on her face. She bent down slightly and embraced Leng Yixuan's small frame, smiling as she said,
"Mommy isn't crying; it's just that the smoke here is too thick and made Mommy a bit teary."
"Oh, I see."
Upon hearing Le Yao Yao's words, Leng Yixuan nodded in relief.
She smiled at Le Yao Yao and said, "Mother, let's release the Sky Lanterns! Everyone else has already done it!"
Upon hearing Leng Yixuan's words, Le Yao Yao nodded and took Leng Yixuan's hand, leading her to his Sky Lantern.
On top of Leng Yixuan's Sky Lantern, a line of words had already been written.
Since Leng Yixuan had only recently started practicing calligraphy, her writing wasn't very good. However, upon seeing the words she had written, Le Yao Yao couldn't help but smile with delight.
"I hope Mother can always be happy and be with Xuan for a lifetime."
"Hehe, Xuan is so sweet."
Hearing Leng Yixuan's words, Le Yao Yao bent down and gave her a big kiss on her soft cheek.
This made Leng Yixuan giggle uncontrollably.
Just then, Qi Yingying, who had also finished writing on her Sky Lantern, walked over.
Le Yao Yao glanced at Qi Yingying's Sky Lantern and saw the words "May I find one true heart, never to part until old age." Seeing this made Le Yao Yao smile gently.
This little girl, usually so cheerful and carefree, was indeed at the age where she began to ponder love!
"Hehe, 'May I find one true heart, never to part until old age,' who is this referring to?"
Le Yao Yao watched as Qi Yingying approached, a teasing smile spreading across her face.
Upon hearing this, Qi Yingying's cheeks flushed, and she shot Le Yao Yao a shy glare before replying, "It's nobody."
"Oh, if it's nobody, then why would you write like that? Come on, tell Sister Yao Yao the truth. Do you have someone you like!?"
Le Yao Yao pressed on with an inquisitive look. Qi Yingying felt her cheeks grow even warmer but stubbornly refused to say a word.
Noticing this, Le Yao Yao paused for a moment before suddenly adopting a look of realization, her tone stretching out dramatically.
"Oh, I know who it is! No wonder you've always been so special towards him. So you like... um..."
Before Le Yao Yao could finish her sentence, Qi Yingying panicked and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
"Sister Yao Yao, you mustn't tell anyone about me liking the uncle. I'm begging you!"
Qi Yingying's eyes were filled with desperation as she spoke. Hearing this, Le Yao Yao was immediately taken aback, her eyes wide in disbelief as she swiftly pulled away from Qi Yingying's grasp and exclaimed in shock.
"What!? So the person you like is your brother!?"
"Uh!? You already knew that, didn't you!?"
Seeing the astonished expression on Le Yao Yao's face, Qi Yingying realized she had been tricked. In an instant, she felt both angry and annoyed but ultimately found herself unable to do anything about Le Yao Yao.
Le Yao Yao couldn't help but smile when she saw Qi Yingying's little face turn red with anger.
She hadn't expected that a small test would reveal Qi Yingying's true feelings.
However, it wasn't surprising; after all, Qi Yingying was quite innocent, and her acting skills were exceptional.
Feeling pleased with herself, Le Yao Yao pondered over the fact that she was curious and puzzled to learn that the person Qi Yingying liked was actually Dongfang Bai.
"Yingying, if you like your brother, why do you always go against him? You make him so angry!"
Le Yao Yao truly couldn't understand this point.
After all, when you like someone, isn't it natural to show them kindness? Why was Qi Yingying so unique in her approach?
Upon hearing this, Qi Yingying realized what Le Yao Yao was thinking.
At that moment, Dongfang Bai was playing with Leng Yixuan nearby and hadn't noticed them. This allowed Qi Yingying to boldly share her unspoken thoughts.
"I know what you're confused about, Sister Yao Yao. Actually, I met the uncle a long time ago."
As she spoke, Qi Yingying seemed to reminisce, gazing into the distance with sparkling eyes and a faint smile on her lips as she continued softly.
"That year, I was only ten years old. At that time, because my father had saved the uncle, we began to have dealings with the Eastern Family. Moreover, I became like a sister to Uncle Dongfang; our relationship was very good. One time, my father brought me to the Eastern Family. I was quite active back then, so as soon as we arrived at the Eastern Family, I couldn't sit still. The maid who was supposed to guide me lost track of me at some point, but I didn't mind and wandered around the Eastern Family by myself. It was on that day that I met the uncle."
At that time, he was sitting outside the Bamboo Grove, reading a book on a chair.
I still remember that day; it was a spring afternoon, and the sunlight was bright, warming everyone it touched.
He, dressed in white, with his head lowered and eyes downcast, looked so graceful and ethereal, like a celestial being. When I saw him then, I truly thought a deity had secretly descended to the mortal realm...
As she spoke, Qi Yingying's lips curled into a gentle smile.
"So at that moment, I vowed to myself that in this lifetime, I would work hard to become his new Wife! However, back then, I was young and afraid he wouldn't like me. So I waited and waited until I finally came of age. When I learned he was still unmarried, just at that time, my father had to go on a long journey. In truth, my father could have left me at home alone, but I insisted on accompanying him to the Eastern Family. Perhaps my father understood my intentions and agreed."
Hearing Qi Yingying's romantic history, Le Yao Yao felt somewhat surprised.
She hadn't expected this young girl to understand what love at first sight meant.
"Then why do you always argue with your brother? If you like him, just tell him! It's much better than keeping it bottled up inside."
"Hehe, Sister Yao Yao, I actually don't want to act this way. But there are countless women who like the uncle. Have you ever seen him show interest in any woman? If I were to confess directly or do something like other girls do—like sending a handkerchief as a gesture of affection—what would set me apart from those other women? He wouldn't see me as special. The reason I tease him is because... I want to get closer to him. After all, proximity brings opportunity! Hehe, even if it's just arguing with him every day and watching him get frustrated by me makes me happy! At least in his heart, I'm different from other women..."
Le Yao Yao listened to Qi Yingying's words in silence.
However, everyone has their own way of expressing love; she chose not to comment further.
"Hehe, I won't say much else except to wish you that your dreams come true!"
Le Yao Yao said sincerely.
After all, this girl, although younger than her, truly liked her! If she really became her sister-in-law in the future, it would feel quite nice.
As Le Yao Yao was lost in thought, Qi Yingying sincerely offered her blessings after hearing her words.
"I also wish Sister Yao Yao happiness and joy."
"Hehe, thank you."
Le Yao Yao replied with a smile, then exchanged a knowing glance with Qi Yingying.
Just then, Dongfang Bai came over holding Leng Yixuan. Upon seeing the joyful expressions on Le Yao Yao and Qi Yingying's faces, he curiously asked, "What are you talking about? You both look so happy."
"Hehe, it's a secret among us women!"
In response to Dongfang Bai's question, Le Yao Yao shared a smile with Qi Yingying before playfully blinking her beautiful eyes and teasingly saying.
Dongfang Bai merely smiled elegantly at her words.
In truth, he wasn't interested in what Le Yao Yao and the others had just discussed. However, seeing the smiles return to their faces was the most gratifying thing for him.
So, since Le Yao Yao didn't say anything more, he didn't press for details either.
In the end, Le Yao Yao and the others lit their sky lanterns one by one. Watching their sky lanterns rise slowly into the sky with their wishes written on them, Le Yao Yao wore a gentle smile on her face.
She prayed sincerely in her heart.
She hoped that her wish could come true, and she longed to meet Yu again...
At that moment, while Le Yao Yao was filled with hope, she remained unaware that not far behind her, a lanky figure stood watching her intently, his gaze never wavering...
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