Half a year ago at the Lantern Festival in Jinjiang, she had drawn a lantern for him—a lantern painted with plum blossoms.

She also remembered releasing sky lanterns with Wei Yi. On the sky lantern, nine characters were written: “May hearts be without dust, the dead are gone.”

Wei Yi said, “Today is their Lantern Festival here, but Brother Jingrong won’t let me go out. He says it’s dangerous outside. But everyone says it’s really fun out there—there are beautiful flower lanterns everywhere, and lots and lots of fireworks. I saw fireworks before, a huge bunch.” He spread his hands wide apart, gesturing a large arc. “They exploded in the sky, and they were even more beautiful than the fireworks we set off back home. So I spent five taels of silver to buy that firecracker, and then I can set off fireworks here.”

Five taels of silver?

“Who did you buy it from?”

“Brother Lang Bo.”

“Five taels of silver, and he just gave you this?”

“Yes, Brother Lang Bo said the fireworks from this firecracker would be more beautiful than anyone else’s, so he told me to give him five taels of silver.”

Complete trust!

Indeed, for fifty-three taels of silver, Lang Bo should collect it back bit by bit, otherwise he wouldn’t have money to marry a wife.

Ji Yunshu smiled and tapped his head.

“Silly boy.”

She asked again, “Do you really want to go out?”

He nodded vigorously.

“Alright, then I’ll take you out.”

“Really?” His eyes widened in delight. “Will Shu’er make me a lantern like before?”

“What kind of lantern do you want?”

“Of course the most beautiful one, the most special one, one that only I have.”

His voice was loud!

Ji Yunshu thought for a moment. Most beautiful? Most special?

Then…

“Alright, I’ll make the most beautiful, most special one.” A doting smile gradually appeared at the corners of her mouth.

Wei Yi was overjoyed beyond measure.

But—

Lang Bo somehow appeared out of nowhere, picked up the firecracker on the ground whose flame had already gone out, held it in his hand and hid it behind him, saying with a serious face, “Master Ji, the Prince has instructed that you and Young Master Wei cannot go out.”

His tone brooked no negotiation!

Ji Yunshu just smiled. “Brother Lang, since when did this yamen become a cage?”

“A cage? Master Ji must be joking. How could this yamen be a cage?”

“Then why bind our hands and feet?”

“Huh?”

“Since it’s not a cage, what’s wrong with us going out to see the flower lanterns? Besides, we’ll come back after seeing them. Brother Lang, you don’t need to worry. Moreover, Zijin is following us in the shadows, nothing will happen.”

Lang Bo couldn’t quite respond, but after thinking for a moment, he said firmly, “No, the Prince said that if you and Young Master Wei leave the yamen, I’m finished. The Prince will definitely kill me. Master Ji, please don’t go out. The Prince is still dealing with that gold matter and can’t look after you. If you go out and something happens, I…”

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted.

“Fine, I won’t make it difficult for you. We won’t go out.”

Ji Yunshu appeared very understanding and obedient.

But when Wei Yi heard this, he became anxious.

He blinked his sour eyes at her. “Shu’er, can we really not go out?”

She nodded slightly, but the corners of her mouth curved into a cunning and meaningful smile.

Impossible to fathom.

Then she said to Lang Bo, “Brother Lang, could you please help me find two pumpkins that are somewhat round in shape?”

“Is Master going to cook?”

“Mm… something like that. I want to make a hometown dish.”

“Alright, I’ll go find them for you right away.”

So he happily went off to find pumpkins.

Soon, he found two medium-sized pumpkins.

Ji Yunshu then pulled Wei Yi to the kitchen, found a brush and a knife, and began to “work extensively” on the pumpkins.

Wei Yi propped his chin in his hands and sat to the side, obediently watching.

He saw Ji Yunshu cut an opening at the top of both pumpkins, scrape out the strings and flesh inside until clean, also scraping the inner walls thinner, then rinse them clean with water. Her fair and nimble hands took a small, sharp knife and began to carve into the pumpkins bit by bit.

Extremely focused!

After about an incense stick’s worth of time, a circle of hollow-carved bamboo and bamboo leaves appeared on both pumpkins. Just looking at the shapes, they were lifelike.

Afterward, she found several thin strings to thread through the pumpkins, hanging them with two long, smooth sticks, and finally placed candles inside.

The orange-yellow light flickered inside, projecting the hollow-carved bamboo on the pumpkins onto the surrounding pale walls and ground. As the candlelight swayed, the bamboo shadows also moved slightly, as if one were in a bamboo forest.

That scene was breathtakingly beautiful!

Wei Yi was stunned. His body slowly straightened as he looked at the bamboo shadows around him in disbelief, a delighted smile gradually spreading across his lips.

“Wow!” he exclaimed.

Like a mischievous sloth.

“Shu’er, this is the most beautiful lantern I’ve ever seen.”

Ji Yunshu smiled and handed him one of the pumpkin lanterns. “Carry it, and we’ll go see the Lantern Festival.”

He carefully took it, looking troubled. “But Brother Lang is outside.”

“Then we’ll go through the back door.”

“Mm.”

Filled with joy, he carried that pumpkin lantern and followed behind Ji Yunshu, quietly making their way to the back door.

Just as they opened the door—

“Playing thief?”

Came Muruo’s deep voice.

He was sitting on the stone steps outside the door, lazily leaning to one side, one leg stretched out long, directly blocking the path through the back door. He was holding a jug of wine and drinking from it, with wine bottles scattered haphazardly all around him.

Why hasn’t this kid drunk himself to death yet?

Ji Yunshu moved the pumpkin lantern in her hand toward him, illuminating his half-profile with its clear features.

“Why are you here?”

Perhaps because it was the first time seeing such a unique lantern, Muruo rubbed his eyes and reached out a finger to tap lightly on the pumpkin a few times.

“What the hell is this thing? It even glows?”

“This is a lantern Shu’er made.” Wei Yi answered quickly.

“A lantern? Interesting. If this were sold in the market, it would definitely make a fortune. How do you make it? Teach me. After I return to the capital, I’ll close Yuhua Pavilion and specialize in selling lanterns.”

Before Ji Yunshu could answer.

“I know.” Wei Yi answered quickly again, simply sitting down with a plop and saying, “This is made from a pumpkin. First you use a knife to chop off the pumpkin’s head, then dig out all the flesh inside, and then…”

“Stop, you think you’re killing someone?”

He hastily waved his hands. “I’m not killing anyone. Killing people means paying with your life. We killed a pumpkin, that’s right. And Shu’er killed it, not me.”

He threw the blame right at Ji Yunshu.

He continued, “This lantern Shu’er made is so beautiful. The bamboo on it was all carved bit by bit with a knife by her. Look at the bamboo on it—isn’t it beautiful? And these leaves, aren’t they beautiful too?”

“They are beautiful.”

“Shu’er used string to tie up the pumpkin, then tied the string to…”

The two squatted together, enthusiastically beginning to discuss the method of making pumpkin lanterns.

Muruo seemed to have discovered an enormous business opportunity and firmly decided to go back and close Yuhua Pavilion, then open a flower lantern shop specializing in selling pumpkin lanterns.

Thinking about making a fortune, he squinted his eyes and laughed wildly, then poured another mouthful of wine down his throat.

The corners of Ji Yunshu’s mouth, like a transparent person, twitched violently!