“Granny Yu, don’t go…”

Fu Huan quickly grabbed Zi Yu and pulled her back down to sit.

“Master, what are you doing?” Zi Yu didn’t understand Fu Huan’s behavior. She knew her young mistress best—someone who always detested evil and sought revenge, never one to swallow such a great insult.

“Let her keep making trouble. No matter how much she schemes, Si Qing still won’t like her,” Fu Huan said. Though she was disgusted by You Lan’s actions, she wouldn’t cause trouble for her at this moment.

After all, the Celestial Emperor hadn’t explicitly stated that You Lan was the one who revealed this information.

Besides, the Celestial Emperor hadn’t directly accused her and Si Qing of having romantic feelings for each other. If she went to confront You Lan now, wouldn’t she just be creating problems for herself?

Considering You Lan’s delicate and pitiful demeanor, she might stir up more minor issues again.

Never mind, let her be for now.

“It’s rare for Master to swallow such an insult,” Zi Yu sighed.

…

…

“It’s not that I’m enduring this insult; I just don’t want to cause any trouble right now,” Fu Huan replied, then stretched lazily. “I’m going back to take a nap.”

With that, she returned to her room.

……

Lying on her bed, Fu Huan pulled the blanket over her head and closed her eyes, ready to have a good sleep.

But as soon as she closed her eyes, Si Qing’s face appeared before her.

She tossed and turned several times, but the phenomenon didn’t improve at all. Instead, it became increasingly exaggerated, causing her to lose all drowsiness. She kicked off the blanket and sat up on the bed.

“I must be going crazy,” Fu Huan rubbed her head, got out of bed, and opened the door.

Outside, the sky had gradually darkened. Fu Huan leaned against the doorframe, looking in the direction of the Underworld, momentarily lost in thought.

By this time, normally, she would have already prepared red bean porridge and brought it to his study. She wondered what he was eating today…

Fu Huan was a bit annoyed with herself—why was her mind filled with thoughts of Si Qing?

Never mind, she should go out for some fresh air.

Leaving Phoenix Feather Pavilion, Fu Huan headed in the direction of the Mortal Life Tree.

……

When Fu Huan arrived at the Mortal Life Tree and saw the figure sitting beneath it, along with the qilin beast crouching nearby, her steps faltered, and she stood frozen in place.

Si Qing…

What a coincidence.

Si Qing seemed to sense someone’s arrival. He looked up, and upon seeing the petite figure before him, he wasn’t particularly surprised. His originally cold eyes and brows softened somewhat.

Seeing Si Qing looking at her, Fu Huan inexplicably began to experience heart palpitations again. She felt as if her heart was beating so fast that it might jump out at any moment.

“Lord Underworld God,” Fu Huan walked step by step toward Si Qing, then bowed to him.

Usually, when she addressed him this way, Si Qing didn’t have any particular reaction. But hearing these four words now, he found them especially jarring.

It seemed this form of address…

Felt too formal and distant.

“Mm.” In the end, Si Qing merely nodded, acknowledging her greeting.

After exchanging greetings, Fu Huan intended to find a place to sit nearby, but today, for some reason, the ink qilin had occupied the spot where Fu Huan usually sat.

Now, the only vacant place to sit was right next to Si Qing.

But that would put her too close to Si Qing…

“Sit down. Why are you standing?” Si Qing’s lips curved slightly upward, seeming to be in a good mood.

Hearing this, Fu Huan could hardly consider anything else. She bent down and sat beside Si Qing. As she sat, her body was almost touching his.

Meanwhile, someone nearby quietly activated his mind-reading technique.

“The Celestial Emperor has rescinded his edict. You know about that, right?” After sitting down, Fu Huan turned to look at Si Qing.

Si Qing nodded.

Seeing this, Fu Huan didn’t say anything further. She rested her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on a spot in front of her.

In her heart, there were countless thoughts.

It was truly a case of thinking about something and then encountering it. At Phoenix Feather Pavilion, her mind had been full of thoughts about this man beside her, and now, after coming out, she ran into him.

For some reason, she wanted to tell him that it was because You Lan had been causing trouble behind their backs, telling the Celestial Emperor they had a romantic relationship, that the Celestial Emperor had rescinded the edict.

But that didn’t seem appropriate either.

Given the current relationship between them, it wasn’t suitable to discuss such matters. After all, they had no real connection to begin with, and bringing it up would only add unnecessary burden.

Never mind, let it go.

Fu Huan found it all headache-inducing, rubbed her temples, and sighed softly.

Si Qing sat beside her, and after glimpsing her inner thoughts, his brows furrowed slightly.

Regarding the Celestial Emperor’s sudden rescission of the edict, he hadn’t thought too much about it, assuming it was simply a straightforward decision. He hadn’t expected there to be such intrigue behind it.

You Lan…

He had underestimated her.

But just now, had the woman beside him said that when she returned to Phoenix Feather Pavilion, her mind was full of thoughts of him?

A hint of amusement appeared in Si Qing’s eyes.

“Tonight is the mortal realm’s Lantern Festival,” Si Qing suddenly remarked after they had been sitting for a while.

Fu Huan was startled and turned to look at Si Qing. “Lantern Festival?”

Si Qing nodded slightly.

Fu Huan hadn’t gone to see the Lantern Festival for a long time. When she was younger, she used to pester Father Ziwei or Granny Yu to take her. Now that she was older, she rarely went to see it.

“Shall we go and take a look?” After thinking, Fu Huan suggested to Si Qing.

Si Qing had never been interested in such events. He had just suddenly remembered it and mentioned it to Fu Huan.

“Mm.” Si Qing ultimately didn’t refuse Fu Huan.

After she had left the Underworld today, he had stayed in his study, with a pile of documents beside him, but he hadn’t been able to focus on them at all. The inkstone beside his hand was empty of ink.

The study had suddenly lacked a certain vitality.

He had come to the Mortal Life Tree specifically to wait for her, and unexpectedly, she had come.

……

When the two left the Mortal Life Tree, they deliberately concealed their auras. Their attire was also simplified, appearing much plainer.

On the main street, hawkers selling lanterns could be heard everywhere. Many couples, holding newly purchased lanterns, rushed toward the place where the lanterns were released.

Fu Huan looked at the various lanterns with delight, tugging at Si Qing’s sleeve beside her. “Let’s go buy lanterns too.”

“Mm.” Si Qing glanced at Fu Huan’s hand, pulling at his sleeve, nodding in agreement.

Walking to a small stall, Fu Huan selected a lotus lantern. Seeing Si Qing standing motionless beside her, she asked, “What lantern do you want?”

“Miss, you two lovebirds only need to release one lantern.” The stall owner, a middle-aged woman with a kind and charitable appearance, smiled when she saw that Fu Huan wanted to buy two lanterns.

Fu Huan was startled by the woman’s reference to them as “lovebirds,” her face showing some embarrassment. She smiled awkwardly and was about to explain when Si Qing had already paid the woman for the lantern and carried the lotus lantern from Fu Huan’s hand away.

Fu Huan was stunned for a moment before quickly catching up.

Walking beside Si Qing, Fu Huan didn’t ask why he didn’t buy two lanterns, thinking that this big man probably didn’t like releasing lanterns.

Arriving at the place where lanterns were released, Fu Huan watched a group of men and women crouching by the riverside releasing lanterns, then looked at their lanterns and frowned. “They’ve all written words on their lanterns.”

Si Qing looked in that direction and indeed saw that all those lanterns had words written on them.

“Do you want to write something too?” Si Qing asked her.

“If we’re going to release it, let’s do it properly. There seems to be ink and brushes provided over there,” Fu Huan looked around and noticed a table set up on the other side with another middle-aged woman sitting beside it, apparently selling writing materials.

Fu Huan and Si Qing walked over.

“Ink and brushes provided, ten copper coins per use,” the woman announced the price as they approached.

Upon hearing this, Si Qing wordlessly gave the woman a tael of silver. “Keep the change.”

Hearing this, the woman’s eyes lit up. She quickly pocketed the silver, her gaze toward the two becoming much warmer. She immediately stood up, personally ground the ink for Fu Huan and Si Qing, and handed them a brush.

After taking the brush, Fu Huan held the lantern, feeling somewhat at a loss about what to write. She looked at Si Qing. “What should we write on this?”

“I don’t know,” Si Qing glanced at Fu Huan, his tone flat.

Fu Huan pouted.

“Miss, on the lantern, you should first write both your names, then write some phrases like ‘everlasting love,’ ‘sweet happiness,’ or ‘lifetime together,'” the woman kindly suggested from the side.

“…” Fu Huan and Si Qing fell silent upon hearing this, not knowing how to respond.

The woman, seeing their awkward demeanor, secretly smiled, thinking they must be a new couple, hence their shyness and reluctance.

If that was the case, she would help them.

“How about this: Miss, you write this gentleman’s name first, then let him write yours, and finally each of you thinks of a phrase. Wouldn’t that solve the problem?”

After speaking, the woman excitedly walked to Fu Huan’s side, urging her to write Si Qing’s name first.

Fu Huan’s mouth twitched. Writing “Lord Underworld God” would probably frighten this woman, and writing “Si Qing” wasn’t appropriate either—the name of the lord of the Underworld wasn’t something she could casually use.

“What is this gentleman’s name?” the woman asked curiously when she saw Fu Huan hesitating.

Upon hearing this, Fu Huan looked up at Si Qing.

Si Qing, standing to the side, felt Fu Huan’s gaze and looked toward the woman. “Si Qing.”

“…” Fu Huan felt as if she had seen a ghost.

“Si Qing, what a nice name. Miss, hurry and write it down,” the woman urged Fu Huan.

Fu Huan nodded, and just as she was about to put brush to paper, the woman suddenly spoke again. “Writing ‘Si Qing’ seems a bit formal. Write ‘Brother Qing’ instead—it shows more affection between you lovebirds.”

“…” Fu Huan once again felt as if she had seen a ghost.

Si Qing also inexplicably felt goosebumps rise on his skin.

“Write it quickly…” The woman seemed even more anxious than Fu Huan, continually urging her.

Fu Huan pressed her lips together, silently sighing in her heart. After all, this lantern was just for fun; she might as well write it.

Brother Qing…

What a sickeningly sweet term of endearment.

In the end, Fu Huan wrote the three characters for “Brother Qing” on the lantern.

“Here you go,” After writing, Fu Huan handed the brush and lantern to Si Qing.

Si Qing reached out to take them, and upon seeing the neatly written “Brother Qing” on the lantern, he found it particularly pleasing to the ear.

So he calmly put brush to paper and wrote two characters on the lantern—

“Huan’er.”

This time, it was Fu Huan who felt goosebumps rising all over.

They were just releasing a lantern; why did they have to make it so awkward for themselves?

Brother Qing…

Huan’er…

If the Celestial Emperor saw this, they would never be able to explain themselves, even if beaten to death.