Ji Yingying turned around with a smile. More people gathered by the lake to release lanterns, with Kongming lanterns rising slowly into the sky. Lotus lanterns nearly covered the entire lake surface. Several pleasure boats glided past, creating rippling waves. For a moment, it felt like standing among brilliant stars.
The sound of silk and bamboo instruments drifted on the wind, along with faint laughter. At this moment, Yizhou City was peacefully beautiful, tranquil, and harmonious.
She sighed: “It’s so beautiful.”
Someone gently took her hand. Ji Yingying turned her head to see Yang Jingyuan standing beside her wearing his mask. She didn’t want to speak, just quietly leaned against his arm and gazed at the lake scene in a trance: “If we were on one of those pleasure boats, we’d probably feel like we were in a celestial realm.”
Her waist suddenly tightened as he held her and leaped toward the lake.
Ji Yingying let out a cry and held tightly to his waist.
He bounded repeatedly across the surface of the lake, stepping on floating lanterns, and racing toward the pleasure boats.
Points of brilliant light floated past her eyes. The lanterns seemed to bloom and dance before her, dazzling her senses.
As he landed on the pleasure boat, Ji Yingying lost her balance and fell into his embrace. He suddenly reached out and removed her mask, seeing her face.
Her eyes were more brilliant than the water’s gleam, filled with amazement: “You’re incredible!”
After praising him, she turned around. Lotus lanterns covered the lake surface like stars, stretching endlessly: “It’s so beautiful.”
The lantern light fell on her face, her skin like congealed cream. She seemed to be standing among a lake full of flower lanterns, breathtakingly beautiful.
“Shall we come here every year to view and release lanterns?” she turned back to tell him, her smile so radiant it made the lake full of lanterns lose its color.
Ji Yingying looked around as she spoke. They stood at the boat’s stern, with no one else in sight. She opened her arms and hugged him, resting her face against his chest: “I remember the first time I saw you, I mistook you for someone else. This time, I definitely won’t be wrong.”
Sheng Fengze glanced at his sky-blue narrow-sleeved robe. It was these clothes and this mask that had made her mistake him for someone else. He had only wanted to see her expression when she realized she’d mistaken someone’s identity. But at this moment, he had an impulse to let her continue the misunderstanding. He hesitated, then gently held her in his arms.
“Do the shoes still fit well? I saw the winter plum blossoms you planted in the snow. Those days when the snow kept falling harder, I couldn’t sleep soundly at night. Whenever I heard the wind rattling the window frames, I kept wondering if you had come running over again.”
“You silly, why did you have that contest with Second Brother Zhu? Sending so many fish made everyone at home tease me.”
“Shall we go to Bamboo Grove Temple sometime? The fortune stick I drew last time was accurate. This time I want to draw the most auspicious sign.”
She chattered away like a sparrow, never stopping. The deep affection revealed in her words made Sheng Fengze somewhat uncomfortable. He looked toward the shore and saw Yang Jingyuan in the distance, looking around searchingly. He held her shoulders and turned her toward the shore.
Ji Yingying saw Yang Jingyuan and trembled in fright, suddenly turning her head: “Who are you?”
The fierce demon mask prevented her from seeing his face. Only then did Ji Yingying notice his hair was different from Yang Jingyuan’s. Yang Jingyuan wore a gold mesh cap over his hair bun, while this man merely had his hair tied with a band.
The wind carried Yang Jingyuan’s voice calling her name across the lake. Ji Yingying struggled forcefully and shouted toward the shore: “Third Young Master Yang! I’m here!”
Yang Jingyuan’s ears twitched, and he focused his gaze toward the middle of the lake.
A man and woman stood at the stern of a pleasure boat. Apricot yellow jacket, red silk skirt—Ji Yingying’s clothes were particularly eye-catching. He narrowed his eyes, staring at the masked man behind her.
Sheng Fengze tightened his arms, holding her captive, and lowered his head with a light laugh: “Ji Yingying, have you forgotten your lifesaver so quickly?”
It was Young Master Sheng! He had appeared again. Ji Yingying’s heart went cold.
“He’s seen you. Can he come save you?” Sheng Fengze laughed, gripping her hand. He clicked his tongue twice, “Your hands are so cold—are you afraid of me?”
Ji Yingying said angrily: “Why did you impersonate Yang Jingyuan to lure me here?”
“Oh my, you just praised me for being incredible. One moment I’m bringing you to enjoy beautiful scenery, the next I’m kidnapping you onto a boat. A woman’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea, changing too quickly!” Sheng Fengze burst out laughing.
“Shameless!”
“But there’s nothing you can do about it. Your lover can only watch anxiously.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Sheng Fengze’s pupils contracted sharply. Yang Jingyuan bounded across the lake surface as lightly as a bird, stepping on lotus lanterns toward the pleasure boat. He murmured in admiration: “Excellent lightness skill.”
In that moment of distraction, Ji Yingying aimed and stomped hard on his foot.
He had known that given the chance, she would strike out with her claws. Sheng Fengze somewhat regretted his carelessness—he absolutely could not let anyone know his identity. He grabbed Ji Yingying’s arm and pulled her back, seizing her neck.
Within a few breaths, Yang Jingyuan leaped onto the pleasure boat. He stared coldly at Sheng Fengze and said: “Release her. Otherwise, the young master here will feed you to the turtles in the lake.”
Landing without a sound—Yang Jingyuan’s martial arts were even better than he had imagined. Had he known, he wouldn’t have acted on the impulse to come to tease Ji Yingying. As Sheng Fengze pondered how to escape, he said lightly: “What if I don’t release her?”
Yang Jingyuan revealed a smile and pulled off the purse at his waist: “Tell me, how much money do you want? I know the New Year is difficult to get through. There are several taels of gold leaf here—if it’s not enough, name your price. We can discuss this reasonably, can’t we?”
Sure enough, he was the young master of the Yang family. When threats didn’t work, he only knew how to solve problems with money. Sheng Fengze laughed heartily, reached into his bosom took out a purse of his own, turned it upside down, and shook it, dropping more than ten gems that scattered across the deck with a tinkling sound. He said mockingly: “These gems are worth more than a hundred taels of gold. You can take them, and she’ll be mine. How about it?”
As he spoke, his fingers tightened slightly, and Ji Yingying immediately had trouble breathing.
If not for money, why would he disguise himself as me to hold Ji Yingying hostage? Yang Jingyuan blinked and said: “You’re afraid you can’t beat me, so you’re using her as a hostage, right? How about this—you release her, and I won’t guarantee I won’t beat you up.”
“Provocations won’t work.” Sheng Fengze pulled Ji Yingying in front of him and lifted his chin. “Didn’t you want to throw me in the lake to feed the turtles? You jump in, and I’ll release her.”
Yang Jingyuan looked at him and pointed: “A real man keeps his word! If you dare trick young master here, you’re dead.”
Young Master Sheng didn’t answer, only tightened his fingers, choking Ji Yingying until she opened her mouth to gasp for air, her face turning red.
Yang Jingyuan wanted to curse, but he plunged into the lake with a splash.
“This time you chose better than Zhao Xiuyuan,” Sheng Fengze was surprised by Yang Jingyuan’s decisive action and lowered his head to tell Ji Yingying.
Ji Yingying watched the lake surface, tears welling in her eyes.
Yang Jingyuan’s head emerged from the water, and he wiped his face, shouting: “Ghost face! Release her now!”
Sheng Fengze spoke in Ji Yingying’s ear: “Don’t tell anyone you saw this prince. Those who know, this prince will kill to silence them. Remember that.” He released her and leaped from the pleasure boat, stepping on lotus lanterns as he gradually disappeared into the distance.
Ji Yingying froze for a moment, then quickly ran to the ship’s rail: “Hurry and come up!”
Yang Jingyuan boarded the boat and looked her up and down, waving to keep her from coming closer: “Don’t get your clothes wet. Are you alright?”
Ji Yingying shook her head: “I’m fine. You need to change clothes quickly—don’t catch a cold. Why did you jump just because he told you to? He’s such a treacherous person. His words can’t be trusted—wasn’t your jump for nothing?”
“You know him?” Yang Jingyuan looked angrily at where that man had disappeared on the shore, furious at being taken advantage of so thoroughly. If he caught him, he’d beat him until even his mother wouldn’t recognize him.
Ji Yingying remembered Young Master Sheng’s words and hesitated before saying: “I don’t know him. Wasn’t his behavior treacherous enough? There should be people in the boat—I’ll go get you some dry clothes.”
She casually picked up one of the scattered gems and hurried toward the cabin at the front.
Water dripped steadily from his body, pooling at his feet. As the wind blew, his whole body felt cold. Yang Jingyuan watched Ji Yingying’s retreating figure and muttered: “Why do I feel like you know each other?”