Like the Qixi Festival, the annual Lantern Festival was a day that young ladies particularly looked forward to. On that day, they could meet with two or three close friends to admire the lanterns, or have a moonlit rendezvous with someone they fancied—a rare opportunity to have fun freely.

“I’ll probably go out with my older sister or friends.” Lin Hao asked Qi Shuo with a smile, “What about you, Heir?”

“I might go out for a walk with my second brother and the others.” Qi Shuo gazed at the young lady’s delicate profile, but in the end, the words of invitation never left his lips.

He felt such regret.

Regret for his own cowardice, for never telling that mute girl that he always wanted to see her.

To watch her occasionally sit in the tree in a daze, to watch her listen silently while others laughed and chatted, to watch her stare at people with a thoughtful expression.

She seemed to harbor many secrets, all hidden in her heart because she couldn’t speak.

Only when she was gone did he realize that the feeling of wanting to see her was affection.

He had been enamored with the neighbor girl just beyond the wall.

There was no one more foolish than him.

Fortunately, they had met again.

The moment the sword pierced through his heart, he held her close, feeling only joy.

His great revenge had been avenged and he could be together forever with the girl he loved—he was truly fortunate.

He never imagined there could be even greater fortune.

When he opened his eyes, he saw her bright face emerging from atop the wall, then tumbling down in panic.

All that pain and bloodshed seemed like nothing more than a long nightmare—he and she were still living in the prime of their youth.

This time, he didn’t walk away pretending not to see her for the sake of her reputation.

He caught her.

What a pity that when he finally gathered the courage to persuade his mother consort to go to the Wen family to propose marriage, he was still rejected.

He had been too hasty.

Even though in the eyes of the world his birth and appearance were quite acceptable, if she didn’t like him, she wouldn’t agree.

He could only subtly let her become familiar with him bit by bit, to understand him, and when he was confident enough, then reveal his feelings.

“What are you thinking about, Heir?”

Qi Shuo came back to his senses, his gaze somewhat dazed. “I was suddenly thinking about last year’s Lantern Festival, when the riddle competition at the lantern mountain attracted many participants, yet no one won that glazed lantern.”

“No one could guess it?”

The capital’s Lantern Festival had a tradition where the authorities would construct a nine-tiered lantern mountain. Each tier had a lantern hung at its four corners, all the way up to the ninth tier where, right in the center, hung the most beautiful glazed lantern.

The difficulty of the riddles increased with the height of the lantern mountain. Participants in the riddle-guessing could only try once, challenging any tier’s riddle they chose. If they guessed correctly, they could claim that lantern.

The glazed lantern at the very top was a palace lantern. According to unwritten custom, only unmarried men could challenge this riddle, and if they guessed correctly, they had to present the lantern to a woman.

Those with partners naturally gave it to them, but for those without, it was a good opportunity to subtly express their feelings. The palace lantern, representing joy and good fortune, would be accepted by women even if they had no romantic interest, and even if they later rejected the man, it wouldn’t cause gossip.

On a day like the Lantern Festival, people were much more tolerant toward young men and women just awakening to love.

Men who could solve the most difficult riddle were all talented individuals. Since this tradition began, every man who presented the lantern had won his beauty’s heart, adding quite a few romantic tales to the Lantern Festival.

Lin Hao rather enjoyed watching this game, but because of Old General Lin’s death, she hadn’t gone out during the Lantern Festival for the past two years and had no heart to pay attention to such things.

“Even when the lantern festival ended, no one had guessed it.” Qi Shuo spoke of last year’s Lantern Festival anecdotes as they neared home.

“Heir, let’s part ways here.” Lin Hao suggested.

Being neighbors, running into each other on the way home was nothing unusual, but walking together in men’s clothing might easily make people wonder if they had been up to something improper.

“Then Second Miss Lin, you go first.”

Lin Hao nodded slightly and walked toward the General’s Mansion.

Qi Shuo stood in place, watching that figure disappear around the corner before beginning to look forward to the arrival of the Lantern Festival.

“Big Brother, why are you just standing here?” Qi Huan walked over, looking at Qi Shuo with puzzlement, then his face filled with alarm. “Big Brother, your heart condition isn’t acting up, is it?”

Heart condition?

The corner of Qi Shuo’s mouth twitched.

He had nearly forgotten—he had a “heart condition.”

“Don’t imagine things. I just noticed the scenery here was nice, so I stopped to look.”

“Scenery?” Qi Huan looked left and right, completely baffled. “It’s all bare walls—there’s no scenery.”

“Where are you coming from?” Qi Shuo changed the subject.

Qi Huan spoke as they walked. “I met up with friends to try that mutton hotpot you recommended that time, Big Brother.”

Speaking of this, Qi Huan felt somewhat annoyed. “That day I had originally made plans with Little Sister, but she went with her friends instead and told me to change locations.”

Big Brother ate with friends, Little Sister ate with friends—what kind of friends were more important than him?

He would eat with friends too!

Qi Shuo smiled. “Eating hotpot with friends is livelier.”

Qi Huan thought about the scene of eating hotpot enthusiastically with several friends and couldn’t help but nod. “That’s true. Huh, what’s that Big Brother is carrying?”

Qi Shuo lowered his eyes to look at the small brown jar in his hand. “Pickles a friend gave me.”

Qi Huan’s eyes lit up. “Is it good? Is it good?”

“Pickled garlic. Do you want some?”

Qi Huan lost interest upon hearing this. “Pickled garlic? Never mind then—it’ll make my breath smell. Big Brother, how can you like eating that?”

His aloof, quiet, sickly older brother actually liked eating garlic?

Qi Huan looked at his brother with scrutiny in his eyes.

Could he have been influenced by some friend?

“I’ve always liked it.” Qi Shuo said flatly.

Soon it was nearly time for the Lantern Festival. Lin Hao received two invitations—one from the young county princess Qi Qiong, and one from Miss Chen Yi, the eldest daughter of the Earl of Huai’an’s household. Both were inviting her to celebrate the Lantern Festival together.

Lin Hao consulted with Lin Chan. “How many invitations did you receive, Elder Sister?”

Lin Chan smiled. “I only received one from the county princess, and that was thanks to you, younger sister.”

Betrothed couples could openly have dates during the Lantern Festival, so friends tactfully stopped extending invitations. And since the young county princess was a mutual friend of the Lin sisters, she naturally couldn’t invite only Lin Hao.

“Then let’s go with the county princess.”

Lin Chan shook her head in refusal. “I won’t go. The county princess and Miss Chen are both good-natured people—why don’t you invite them to go together, Second Sister?”

While it was true that betrothed couples could have dates, Prince Wei’s status was different, and they hadn’t reached the stage of mutual affection, so naturally there would be no date.

“Elder Sister, you should go. You haven’t gone for the past two years.” Lin Hao urged.

“I’ve never liked crowds to begin with, and besides, since this is a marriage alliance with the imperial family, I shouldn’t go where crowds gather.” Lin Chan looked at her sister and winked. “Second Sister, enjoy yourself with your friends. Next year, the one accompanying you might not be a close female friend anymore.”

Lin Hao would turn seventeen after this New Year—her marriage would likely be settled soon.

“Elder Sister won’t go, fine, but you still have to tease me.”

The two sisters laughed and chatted together.

To Lin Hao’s surprise, before she could invite Qi Qiong and Chen Yi to go together, Qi Qiong came to find her.

“Ah Hao, I’m so sorry, but I won’t be able to go with you for the Lantern Festival after all. Word came from the palace that I’m to ascend Xuande Tower that day to view the lanterns.”