Tang Si knew she had said the wrong thing, but her arrogant nature covered over that sense of remorse in her heart. She immediately lifted her bottom from the stool and followed Ji Yunshu.

Muruo, hugging the wine jar, called out, “Off to release river lanterns!”

Dragging out a long note.

He followed along too!

By the river, many men and women were releasing river lanterns.

On the water’s surface floated all kinds of river lanterns, one after another—some clustered together, others scattered, and some that had directly sunk below.

The light from surrounding lanterns reflected on the calm water surface, gently swaying with the slowly flowing water!

Beautiful as an illusory realm.

Ji Yunshu didn’t believe in Buddha or in evil spirits.

But she did believe in making wishes!

She found two flower lanterns and handed one to Wei Yi.

“What wish will Shu’er make?”

“Secret.”

She cupped the river lantern in her palms, closed her eyes and made a wish, then placed the lantern into the river. Her fingers gently rippled the water’s surface, and the lantern drifted bit by bit toward the middle and lower reaches along with the stirred ripples.

Wei Yi also silently made a wish. Following her earlier movements, he too used his hand to stir the water’s surface a few times, letting that river lantern drift away.

It stuck together with Ji Yunshu’s lantern!

“Shu’er, look—our lanterns are together.”

She smiled.

“Shu’er, do you know what I wished for? I wished…”

“Thud!”

Before he could finish speaking, Wei Yi saw his river lantern struck by something. The light inside instantly extinguished, then it was soaked through by someone and gradually sank into the water.

“My lantern.”

He felt sad in his heart.

“I didn’t do it on purpose.” Tang Si walked over.

She still held several stones in her hand.

Wei Yi suddenly stood up, demanding an explanation, “Why did you smash my lantern?”

“I already said it wasn’t on purpose. I just threw it casually—who knew that lantern was yours?”

“That was the river lantern Shu’er and I shared.”

“At worst, I’ll compensate you with another one.”

Wei Yi was choked into speechlessness, extremely angry.

Ji Yunshu immediately pulled him back, comforting him, “It’s just one lantern. If it sank into the water, then let it sink. I’ll give you my lantern, alright?”

“But what about Shu’er?”

“As long as your wish can come true, that will be my greatest wish.”

“Mm!”

Wei Yi was delighted, completely forgetting his unhappiness about Tang Si smashing his lantern.

Then he crouched down, gazing into the distance at that remaining river lantern.

A few steps away, Muruo leaned against a stone pillar by the river. Watching this scene, he couldn’t help but laugh, then leisurely drank more wine.

Tang Si, meanwhile, threw away the pebbles in her hand and crouched beside Ji Yunshu, tugging at the corner of her garment with her hand.

She asked, “What’s your surname?”

“Ji.”

“Ji what?”

“You can call me whatever you wish.”

“Then… I’ll call you A’Ji. Where I’m from, they all call me A’Si. You can call me that too.”

“Mm.” She nodded faintly.

Regarding Tang Si, she had used up all her patience!

However, she truly didn’t want to make a scene!

Tang Si deliberately leaned closer to her, asking curiously, “What do you do? Why do you know so much? We Hou Liao people are the most straightforward—we naturally admire clever people like you.”

She smiled slightly, “I’m not clever. I just have an extra pair of eyes compared to others, so I see more.”

“Is that so? Then tell me, what else do you see about me?”

Tang Si extended both hands, waving them before her. The various random pendants on her clothes jingled with tinkling sounds.

It didn’t feel noisy but rather like the sound of wind chimes stirred by the breeze.

Ethereal and crisp.

Ji Yunshu’s gaze, however, focused on the red silk ribbon at her waist. She pointed with her chin at the small skull, asking, “What’s that?”

Hm?

Tang Si removed the skull.

Holding it in her hand and playing with it, she said, “This? You’ll never guess—this is the skull of a you. It’s something I found in the mountains. Do you know what a you is? It’s a nocturnal animal. If it bites you once, death is certain. Back then, to chase this you, I searched the mountains for a month or two. Father said I’m a child raised by wild ghosts—I’m not afraid of anything. But we Hou Liao women should have this kind of spirit.”

She was extremely proud!

She tossed the skull high in her hand, then caught it steadily.

Tossed it up!

Caught it!

Back and forth several times.

Ji Yunshu shifted her gaze to look at the gradually drifting river lantern.

At this moment, on the bridge beside them stood two figures, one tall and one short. Their shadows reflected on the gently rippling water surface, as if merging into the orange-red light, very pleasant.

Jingrong held both hands behind his back. His cold, sharp ice-like eyes carried hidden deep affection, gazing for a long time at Ji Yunshu by the riverside below the bridge.

Seeing her crouched by the river, that delicate little face suffused with a smile, watching the gradually distant river lantern, her deep eyes as moving as starlight.

Regarding Ji Yunshu’s every smile and frown, he had absolutely no immunity.

He knew deeply that in this lifetime, she was his only one.

Mu Jin stood beside him, not noticing his gaze at all.

She asked, “Master Jing shouldn’t be from Anfu, correct?”

He nodded slightly.

“Passing through.”

“Where is the young master from?”

“The south.”

“Where are you going?”

“The north.”

The north was vast, spanning thousands of miles.

Mu Jin didn’t continue pursuing the matter, changing the topic. “That young master earlier was truly clever—just from a silver whip alone, he could deduce so much learning.”

“Indeed, she is the cleverest person I’ve ever met. Not only clever, but also the only person under heaven for whom I would sacrifice myself.”

Without concealment!

As he spoke, the corners of his lips gradually formed a smile.

Mu Jin froze for a moment!

What was their relationship?

Just as she was about to speak, someone on the bridge bumped into her. Her body stumbled and she fell sideways, just happening to tumble into Jingrong’s embrace.

And he naturally caught and protected her!

This scene was coincidentally seen by Ji Yunshu, who inadvertently raised her head from below the bridge.

In her heart, she couldn’t quite describe the loss and sadness, yet her chest felt as if someone had stuck a needle into it. The next second, she immediately looked away, feeling she was being too petty and didn’t trust Jingrong enough.

Having come this far, how could she not know how Jingrong treated her?

So she secretly shook her head, casting those thoughts behind her.

Tang Si beside her asked curiously, “What are you thinking about? You still haven’t told me—what exactly do you do?”

She only replied with one sentence, “Poor scholar.”

“Don’t believe it.”

“Why not?”

Tang Si suddenly smiled mysteriously, saying, “Forgot to tell you—I, Tang Si, not only have great courage but also quick hands. Just now…”

Hmm?

Ji Yunshu had a bad feeling.

She saw Tang Si’s hand, which had been behind her back, slowly lift to the front. In her hand, she somehow held a wooden plaque.

Dangling it before Ji Yunshu’s eyes.

That plaque—wasn’t it the jade pendant Ji Yunshu’s mother had left for her?

Her expression immediately darkened, becoming extremely cold. “Give it to me.”

She reached out but grasped at empty air!

Tang Si leaped to her feet, waving that jade plaque, asking, “Is this thing yours?”

“Quickly return it to me.”

“I can return it to you, but you have to tell me who gave you this thing.”

“What do you want to do?”

Tang Si put away her originally cunning and mischievous playful appearance. Touching the pattern at the center of the plaque, her eyes slightly darkened as she seriously spoke a sentence.

“I’ve seen this pattern before.”

“What did you say?”

“This…”

Before she could finish speaking.

Suddenly—

A sharp arrow, as if carrying a beam of rapid light, pierced through the crowded throng and shot toward Ji Yunshu.