The moon, like a silver disc, hung high against the ink-black sky, with stars low-hanging and numerous street lanterns reflecting off Jade Spring Lake, making it shimmer like a flowing silver river. A gentle breeze stirred the lake, causing ripples to form as golden-painted boats floated in the center, surrounded by the melodious sounds of strings and flutes.
Yuanxi gazed through the window of the decorated boat, mesmerized by the night scene, feeling that such opulent beauty seemed otherworldly. Xiao Du sat beside her, took a small piece of mooncake from a porcelain plate, and fed it to her. He followed her gaze outside and smiled, saying, “This is the most beautiful side of the capital. You said you never spent a festival outside, so I wanted to bring you here to see what a Mid-Autumn night full of lanterns looks like.”
Yuanxi savored the mooncake, feeling it sweeter than any she had tasted before, and then turned to him with a smile, “You should have a piece too.”
She wore a red dress today, meticulously adorned. Her eyes sparkled, her lips slightly parted, and her face glowed under the flickering lanterns, making Xiao Du look at her, entranced. At first, he thought she was merely pretty, but now, with his heart moved and her image deeply imprinted, her every smile and gesture seemed captivatingly beautiful.
He grinned mischievously and said, “Look at you, there’s some on your lips.” Before she could react, he pressed her against the cabin wall, his warm lips brushing hers, teasing away the crumbs. Then, he deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth, intoxicated by her sweetness. In such a passionate moment, he wished they could be one, sharing breaths and heartbeats.
Just then, there was an untimely knock on the door, followed by a call from outside, “Master, Madam, the crabs are here.”
Reluctantly, Xiao Du released her, satisfied to see her lips swollen from the kiss, her ears flushed red. Yuanxi shyly turned away, fixing her hair and clothes, and then called out, “Come in.”
Xiaochun and several servants entered, carrying trays with porcelain plates piled high with steaming, red crabs, alongside another tray with a bottle of wine and two jade wine cups. Xiaochun, seeing the scene and Xiao Du’s unsatisfied look, hurriedly instructed the others to set the table quickly and then tactfully led them out, closing the door behind them.
Xiao Du picked up a crab, cracked it open, and placed it before Yuanxi, pouring her a cup of chrysanthemum wine with a smile, “Golden crabs with yellow chrysanthemums, only then is Mid-Autumn complete.”
Yuanxi’s hand trembled slightly, halting in mid-air as her thoughts drifted far away. Once, during another Mid-Autumn festival, someone had also held a wine jar, leaning against the rocks at the Imperial Academy, quoting, “Golden crabs and fine wine, only then is Mid-Autumn worthy.”
Yuanxi, struggling with a crab claw, looked up to see his slightly flushed face, his collar a bit loose, and his black hair tousled by the wind. Usually refined and elegant, the young tutor rarely showed such a carefree side, leaving Yuanxi momentarily stunned. After a while, she pouted, “But I don’t have any wine.”
Luo Yuan glanced at her and smiled, “Little girls shouldn’t drink wine.” Seeing her puffed-up cheeks in dissatisfaction, he softened his tone, “Don’t worry, when you come of age next year, you can have wine.”
Yuanxi finally extracted the crab meat and savored it, finding it sweeter than any she’d tasted before. She looked up with anticipation, “Will you be with me then?”
Luo Yuan only smiled, not answering directly. Yuanxi took it as a yes, never imagining they might part one day.
As she continued picking at the crab, watching him sip wine leisurely, she felt a peaceful contentment. Suddenly, she recalled something and asked, “I read in books that on Mid-Autumn nights, people float candle boats on rivers to make wishes. It sounds so interesting, but I’ve never seen it. Have you?”
Luo Yuan, having finished his wine, stood up and smiled, “That’s easy. If you want to see it, we can do it ourselves.” He fetched some candles and used lotus leaves from the lake to make small boats, lighting the candles and placing them on the leaves.
The candlelight flickered on the gently rocking water. Though not as splendid as a night river full of boats, Yuanxi was delighted, pushing the small boats further into the pond with excitement.
She watched for a while and then asked, “What do you wish for?” After a moment’s thought, she smiled, “You said you’ll take the imperial exam next spring. I bet you wish to pass with flying colors and become a high-ranking official, right?” Thinking that must be every scholar’s dream.
Luo Yuan found her serious tone amusing and, averting his gaze to the distance, said, “I do want to pass the exam, but I don’t wish to be a high-ranking official. I just hope that as an official, I can do something beneficial for the people.”
Yuanxi listened, not entirely understanding, and then made her wish. Luo Yuan, curious, asked, “What did you wish for?”
Yuanxi opened her eyes and smiled, “I wish for Seventh Aunt and Father to live long and healthy lives, and for you to pass your exam and fulfill your dreams.”
Luo Yuan was momentarily stunned, his gaze growing softer. “What about yourself? Don’t you have any wishes?”
Yuanxi thought for a moment and said matter-of-factly, “These are my dearest wishes.”
“Xi’er? Xi’er?” A voice suddenly called her name, pulling Yuanxi out of her reverie. The smiling face of her young tutor transformed into Xiao Du’s concerned expression. Still, in a daze, she looked down and realized her plate was already piled high with peeled crab meat.
Coming back to her senses, she picked up her silver chopsticks, but her mood remained unsettled. The young tutor had said he wanted to do something meaningful. How did that connect to his recommendation to the Marquis’s residence? She knew that the young tutor would only embark on a task after long planning and consideration. But then she remembered Xiao Zhixuan’s words: “Brother was very angry and told the young tutor not to come near the marquis’s residence again.” Could it be that she had ruined his ambitions?
This thought brought a wave of bitterness to her heart, making the exquisite food and drink before her unappealing. Xiao Du, noticing her melancholy, grew more concerned. “What’s wrong? Do you have something on your mind?”
Yuanxi looked up at him, hesitating whether she could confide in him. She knew that if she spoke up, the fragile mended relationship between them might shatter again. Forcing a smile, she took a sip of wine and said, “It’s nothing, just a bit of a cold wind earlier, and now I don’t have much appetite.”
Xiao Du took the wine cup from her hand, leaned closer, and gently said, “I told you, I don’t like seeing you frown. I’m your husband; you can tell me anything that’s troubling you.” Seeing her gaze shift outside to the bustling, lively streets, he seemed to understand. “Do you find it too stuffy on the boat? Let’s go for a walk.”
He then had the boat dock at the shore, took her hand, and led her into the street. The street was adorned with various lanterns, as bright as day, with vendors selling trinkets and performing amusing tricks. Yuanxi’s eyes lit up with excitement, temporarily setting aside her worries.
Xiao Du smiled contentedly. He wanted Yuanxi to forget everything about the marquis’s residence, so he instructed the servants and guards to stay on the boat. The two of them wandered the streets like an ordinary couple, holding hands. Yuanxi was captivated by everything she saw, not wanting to miss anything interesting. She soon spotted a lifelike rabbit lantern and eagerly pulled Xiao Du towards it, unable to tear her eyes away.
Seeing her interest, Xiao Du asked the vendor, “How much for this lantern?”
The vendor, an old man with a white beard, glanced up and said, “This lantern isn’t for sale. It’s a prize. Five coins per ring toss, and if you hit twenty without knocking down the pegs, you get the lantern.”
Xiao Du frowned, noticing the small wooden pegs on the ground with a stack of rings beside them. A few children were eagerly lining up to play. His face turned green. Competing with kids in a ring toss game? Raising an eyebrow, he said to the vendor, “I’ll give you five taels of silver for that lantern.”
The surrounding crowd gasped. The silver amount was nearly a month’s income for the vendor. However, the old man stubbornly replied, “You’re generous, but I can’t break the rules. Otherwise, how would I do business? You can buy out this whole street of lanterns with five taels, but if you want this lantern, you must follow the rules: hit twenty pegs.”
Xiao Du was momentarily speechless. Turning around, he saw Yuanxi’s longing gaze fixed on the lantern. A young girl with pigtails beside them impatiently said, “Uncle, are you playing or not? If not, let us have a turn.”
Xiao Du glared at her secretly, struggling internally before reluctantly picking up a ring and tossing it. Known as a sharpshooter in the army, his aim was precise. The ring flew out and landed perfectly around a peg without even touching it. The children watched in awe, clapping and cheering, “Do it again! Do it again!”
Feeling smug, Xiao Du turned to see Yuanxi smiling at him, which made the childish game more tolerable. He picked up three rings in one hand, aimed, and threw them. The rings arced through the air and landed on the same peg.
The children’s amazement grew, and the crowd gathered to witness this extraordinary ring toss skill, pushing Yuanxi to the outskirts. She looked up to see Xiao Du standing tall and proud in the center, his noble and elegant demeanor drawing all eyes. With the crowd’s cheers, he quickly hit the twenty pegs, turning to the vendor triumphantly, “Now can I have the lantern?”
The vendor smiled, handed him the rabbit lantern, and Xiao Du turned to proudly present it to Yuanxi, only to find her pushed to the edge of the crowd, smiling at him from a distance.
As he pushed through the crowd towards her, someone shouted, “They’re launching the lantern boats! Let’s go watch!” The crowd surged towards the river, carrying Yuanxi further away.
Xiao Du, anxious, struggled to push through the crowd, holding the lantern high and shouting, “Wait for me by the river!”
Yuanxi, disoriented, was carried to the riverbank. Turning to catch her breath, she suddenly saw a familiar figure across the river. As clear as the moon, he crouched to place a small candle-lit boat into the water.
At that moment, she forgot everything else and called out, “Little Tutor!”
The day the tutor left the Imperial Academy, she had been sick with a fever, begging her aunt to take her to say goodbye, but her aunt had refused.
Now, at least she had the chance to say farewell.
But her voice was drowned in the noise, and Luo Yuan, sensing something, looked towards the commotion but only saw a sea of heads. Yuanxi, desperate, pushed towards the shore, but someone stepped on her shoe, causing her to fall. On the ground, surrounded by chaotic feet, she lost sight of him and sat dejectedly, staring at her fallen embroidered shoe, finally breaking into tears.
At that moment, the crowd parted, and Xiao Du, looking worried, approached with the rabbit lantern. Seeing her state, he quickly handed her the lantern, picked up her shoe, and gently put it back on her foot, shaking his head and sighing, “How do you always end up in such situations?”
Yuanxi gazed at him, realizing that some people are like the distant moon, illuminating one’s heart but always out of reach. Others are always there, ready to help you put on your fallen shoe.
Holding his hand, she stood up and, for the first time, disregarded the stares around them, hugging him tightly and whispering in his ear, “Let’s consummate our marriage, shall we?”
Xiao Du, shocked, stammered, “Now?”
Yuanxi laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck, and softly said, “Let’s go home.”
Under the full moon, the small lantern boats filled the water, making the river sparkle like the Milky Way. On the other side, someone gazed wistfully at the two embracing figures under the lantern light, whispering, “Goodbye…”