Chapter 44#
Lantern Festival: Little Pei Goes South of the River (11)#
In the Lotus Prefecture, the clear ponds were vast, planted entirely with lotuses. In summer, the fragrance of the lotuses filled the air. Pavilion platforms and waterside pavilions stood among them. To the south were embroidered banners and colorful towers; to the north stood green-curtained water platforms, facing each other from afar, resembling a small water town.
Ordinarily, this was a fine place for a leisurely stroll, but today it was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder. Pei Xiting, carrying the lotus lantern he had exchanged for, wandered aimlessly through the crowd. He felt something was missing, leaving him completely disinterested.
Yuan Fang carried the painting case at his side. Today’s “Pei’s heart” was truly easy to read, so he offered a suggestion: “How about going upstairs to paint?”
“I don’t have any concepts,” Pei Xiting said.
Right, his mind didn’t know where it had flown off to. Yuan Fang grumbled inwardly but couldn’t figure it out. “Since you wanted to come with the… young master, why didn’t you go invite him again this morning?”
“If he wanted to come, asking once last night was enough. If he didn’t, asking a hundred times today would be useless… Forget it, come or don’t.” Pei Xiting let out a breath and patted his throbbing forehead. “Want to stroll around a bit more before going upstairs?”
Yuan Fang had no objection, following Pei Xiting as he moved forward with the tide of people. This corridor was winding and circuitous, gradually dispersing the crowd, each group having its own excitement.
A burst of startled cries came from ahead, and the two went over to see what the commotion was about.
“‘Guan guan ju jiu, on the river islet; a graceful fair lady, a gentleman’s good mate…’”
A youthful voice sang amidst the crowd. A cleanly dressed young man in plain clothes held a lotus lantern, staring straight ahead, cheeks flushed, tears in his eyes. Before the song ended, a girl, amidst the giggles of her companions, shyly yet boldly ran forward, quickly stuffed an embroidered pouch into the young man’s chest, snatched the flower lantern from his hand, turned, and ran off laughing and playing with her friends.
Pei Xiting watched the fluttering, distant light gauze skirt, then turned back to look at the young man, who was already in tears and overjoyed. He felt a pang of envy.
Others succeeded in their confessions, exchanging tokens of affection, while he couldn’t even get his target to show up.
“What does that mean?” Yuan Fang asked, oblivious to the romantic nuances.
Pei Xiting snapped back to reality and said, “‘Lian’ (lotus) sounds the same as ’lian’ (to pity/cherish). So on the Lotus Picking Festival, girls put the lotus seeds they’ve picked into an embroidered pouch and give it to their beloved. It’s one of the customs here in Jiangnan.”
Yuan Fang said, “Oh, no wonder there are people reciting poems and singing songs everywhere. Lots of the flower lanterns at the stalls are also sold in pairs.”
As they spoke, they moved on and witnessed several couples confessing their love. But one scene up ahead was a bit different. A man was passionately confessing, but the girl looked very unwilling. Blocked by a wall of people, her expression was one of embarrassment and awkwardness, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.
Seizing a teaching moment, Pei Xiting instructed the single dog Yuan Fang: “If you ever have a girl you like in the future, never, ever confess like this if she doesn’t like you or doesn’t like being confessed to in public. Also, if you’re just a spectator, don’t be like that guy over there, eagerly shouting ‘Say yes, say yes’ to put the girl on the spot.”
Yuan Fang asked, puzzled, “I’m not stupid or mean, how could I do that?”
As he finished speaking, he opened the lotus leaf wrap in his hand, took out a peeled lotus seed, and flicked it with his finger. It hit precisely on the back of the knee of the big guy who was blocking the girl and shouting “Say yes.”
A single small lotus seed, in Yuan Fang’s hands, was no less powerful than a hard, sharp weapon. The big guy’s knee buckled, and he fell heavily to the ground. His fall cleared the way, and the girl seized the opportunity to run off immediately.
“Who! Who was that!” The big guy scrambled up, spun around, and bellowed, “Who hit me? Who!”
He was tall and burly, and his shout caused the people nearby to retreat, quickly dispersing.
The big guy found no one suspicious, cursed loudly, then went up and said something to the man who had just confessed. Both their expressions turned grim, and they left together.
Pei Xiting raised an eyebrow. “So they were in cahoots. One confesses, the other plays the spectator to block the girl.”
Two more lotus seeds shot out. Both men fell simultaneously, knocking their heads on the ground as if kowtowing. Amidst the confused stares and stifled laughter of the onlookers, they scrambled up again, cursing and yelling.
When they looked over, Pei Xiting and Yuan Fang were earnestly admiring the lotuses outside the railing, looking perfectly natural.
Failing to find their attacker, the two had no choice but to leave, still cursing.
“That move was way too cool.” Pei Xiting withdrew his gaze, took a lotus seed, and popped it into his mouth, his tone envious. “Is it too late for me to learn now?”
Yuan Fang didn’t comment on Pei Xiting’s talent. He just said, “It’s easy to hurt your hands before you master it. Your hands are too precious; better not push it.”
“Alright.” Pei Xiting didn’t insist. “Anyway, I have you. From now on, if I hate someone, you can just secretly give them a ‘shwoosh’.”
He said this naturally, with a hint of intimacy and reliance, as if he truly believed “Yuan Fang” would always be by his side. Yuan Fang was a little stunned, then said, “Sure.”
After strolling around downstairs, Yuan Fang bought some lotus leaf cakes, lotus leaf-wrapped rice, and lotus-scented sticky rice balls. Pei Xiting had no appetite, only buying a tube of iced lotus seed soup. They then headed to the Colorful Tower.
The Colorful Tower wasn’t open to the public; you had to pay. Bai Yunduan was a local and knew that this place was always packed during festivals, especially in the height of summer, so seven days ago, he had booked a private room for Pei Xiting.
The room was on the first floor. Yuan Fang presented a colorful lotus token, and the waiter immediately led them to the private room with great attentive .
The room was decorated in a fresh, natural style, uniformly using seasonal elements. The outer window faced the bustling crowd, but the inner window opened onto a pond of clear lotuses, with winding mountains in the distance and birds flitting by—it felt like a different world from the outside.
A small water platform extended from the inner window, separated from left and right by bamboo blinds. While not soundproof, they couldn’t see each other. Yuan Fang placed the painting case on the long table on the water platform, then turned and went back inside to eat.
Pei Xiting arranged the painting tools from the case one by one. As he prepared methodically, he said, “When I get into painting, I lose track of time. You don’t have to stay with me.”
“Just paint, don’t worry about me.” Yuan Fang stuffed his mouth full of lotus leaf cake.
From the water platform on the right, a girl was singing “The Lotus Picking Song.” Her voice was sweet and didn’t disturb him at all. Pei Xiting’s wrist moved steadily and dexterously, the lines and contours forming under his brush. He didn’t use a sketch today; whatever his eyes saw and his heart felt flowed right onto the paper without any hesitation. But when he finally put down his brush to review the painting, he was startled.
A pond of clear lotuses, verdant green mountains, green trees and orioles, nimble birds, the vastness of heaven and earth—the scenery and colors were all fresh and natural, brimming with vitality. Yet, on his painting, he sensed a hazy, desolate atmosphere, as if a rain were falling within the scene.
“…” Pei Xiting set down his brush, looked up at the distant green mountains, lost in thought.
“What’s wrong?” Yuan Fang, now full and having slept a bit, asked from behind.
Pei Xiting shook his head. “Nothing.”
Yuan Fang got up, walked behind Pei Xiting, and looked at the painting on the table. Though he wasn’t fond of elegant arts and didn’t understand calligraphy or painting, he could still see the vibrant life in the painting—and the artist’s restless mind and undisguised disappointment today.
The reason needed no elaboration.
Pei Xiting was rarely like this, and Yuan Fang felt a pang of sympathy. “It’s lively here during the day, but nothing compared to the beautiful flowers and full moon at night. You wait here, I’ll go invite the young master.”
“How will you invite him?” Pei Xiting asked curiously.
“I’ll say you’ve finished a painting and invite him to critique it.” Yuan Fang said.
Pei Xiting was amused by this naive idea and curled his lips in a smile. “No one has the face to make him personally travel here just to look at a painting.”
The Crown Prince was a gilded, jade-like Bodhisattva statue. It was for others to find ways to kneel and worship at the foot of the white jade steps, not for him to deign to come and see someone—unless he wanted to.
Pei Xiting understood this. He just hadn’t taken it seriously until now. Perhaps because, compared to others, it was exceptionally easy for him to see the Crown Prince, and these past few days, that person had been half Crown Prince, half Brother Fu, not the full ten-tenths Crown Prince. Now, he was experiencing it firsthand.
“Forget it.” Pei Xiting sighed. “I need to steady my mind. Steady, steady…”
Listening to Pei Xiting encouraging himself like he was chanting a spell, Yuan Fang shook his head. He was about to pack up the painting tools when he sensed something and turned his head to look to the left.
He stepped lightly to the bamboo blind, a dagger from his boot scabbard already in his hand.
Pei Xiting turned his head to look, confused, but didn’t make a sound, quietly alert, ready to dodge if there was danger.
Suddenly, the bamboo blind broke apart from the middle. Yuan Fang back-flipped to dodge, shielding Pei Xiting. His dagger flew out but was knocked back by the hilt. At the same time, something else was caught in the other hand… a sticky rice lotus leaf cake.
Yu Shaoyun stood hugging his saber by the side rail of the adjacent water platform, smiling gently at Yuan Fang. “A welcome gift.”
Yuan Fang: “…”
Looks like Yuan Fang’s carb-lover reputation has spread a bit, Pei Xiting thought as he stood up. His gaze passed over Yu Shaoyun’s shoulder and landed straight on the person sitting behind the qin table.
The Crown Prince today was dressed in a plain, elegant green silk robe, with his hair held up by a wooden hairpin. There wasn’t a single flashy or ostentatious ornament on him, yet he was purely a figure of gold and jade, supremely handsome. The fiery glow of the evening sunset draped over the horizon, spilling its gorgeous orange flames across him, yet it still couldn’t overwhelm him. Instead, it highlighted his peerless beauty.
In front of him lay the Xiting Wenqin qin, but Pei Xiting had been sitting here for most of the day and hadn’t heard a single note.
When had he arrived? Was being in the next private room an accident or intentional? Had he heard what they said earlier… In an instant, countless thoughts raced through Pei Xiting’s mind. He bit his lip lightly, struggling to suppress his surging emotions, and smiled normally, saying, “What a coincidence.”
Coincidence? The Crown Prince thought, not really.
Zhao Fan and Shangguan Jie had barely arrived at the Willow Bank to find Pei Xiting when the secret guards reported it to the Crown Prince. Yu Shaoyun rolled his eyes and said, “Those two have no good intentions towards Secretary Pei. If they run into him and ruin his mood, which would ruin your painting, wouldn’t that be a shame? Since we’re free and just out for a stroll, why don’t we go to Lotus Prefecture too?”
The whole of Ningzhou was celebrating the festival. The Crown Prince wasn’t sure if Zhao Fan and Shangguan Jie knew Pei Xiting was going to Lotus Prefecture today, but considering all possibilities, and since Yu Shaoyun had a point, he agreed to the suggestion.
Yu Shaoyun found out Pei Xiting’s room number and paid ten times the price to get the adjacent room from the previous occupant. Shangguan Jie and Zhao Fan did inquire about Pei Xiting at this place, but Yu Shaoyun had greased the wheels beforehand, so naturally, no one here dared to say anything. So, Pei Xiting spent the day painting in peace, while the Crown Prince spent a quiet day in the left room.
The Crown Prince turned his head and saw the water-red robe Pei Xiting was wearing—the one he had gifted. He paused, then said, “Shaoyun.”
Yu Shaoyun acknowledged and withdrew.
Seeing this, Yuan Fang also took the sticky rice lotus leaf cake and left.
The Crown Prince looked at Pei Xiting. “Come here.”
Pei Xiting had never liked taking orders, but in the past, he had never felt aversion or resistance to the Crown Prince’s “come here.” Maybe it was because the man’s voice was too pleasant, his calm tone could still feel incredibly seductive. But today, for some reason, Pei Xiting didn’t feel like obeying. His body didn’t move.
“Aren’t you going to come look at my painting?” he asked.
The Crown Prince watched him. Pei Xiting still didn’t move, his eyes fixed straight ahead, as if in a silent contest. The next moment, a blur flashed before his eyes, and the Crown Prince had already vaulted over to land right in front of him.
Pei Xiting took a step back to make room.
The Crown Prince examined the painting. He looked carefully, not missing a single detail. Finally, after a long while, he said, “Your mind is not at peace.”
“A painter isn’t an immortal. He has seven emotions and six desires, so he can’t always have a heart as still as water and paint with flawless precision. I think this painting is very good… very vivid.” Pei Xiting said.
A flicker passed through the Crown Prince’s eyes. Indeed, in that case, the painting contained not just the world within, but also “Pei Xiting.”
“Of course, I painted it for you today. If you don’t like it, I can paint another one.” Pei Xiting said. “I’ll take this one back and have it framed myself.”
“No need,” the Crown Prince said. “You painted it very well.”
Pei Xiting asked, “Is that an evaluation or a compliment?”
“Both,” the Crown Prince said.
Pei Xiting smiled. He seized the opportunity to ask, “When did you arrive, Your Highness?”
“Earlier,” the Crown Prince said.
His Highness the Crown Prince was speaking in platitudes. Pei Xiting was speechless but smiled faintly and said, “Why aren’t you playing the qin today, Your Highness?”
“Someone next door is playing the qin. Adding my own would just ruin the atmosphere,” the Crown Prince said. “Unless Master Pei could clear the way for me and intimidate everyone else into inaction.”
Pei Xiting, completely unbothered by the jab at his own qin skills, said, “Why didn’t you say so earlier? With my ten-finger demon qin power, I could easily do that.”
The Crown Prince made no comment on Pei Xiting’s thick skin, just smiled faintly.
Pei Xiting waved his hand. “Running into each other is fate. I wonder if you’d be willing to embrace local customs and have a cup of green-stalk wine with me?”
The Crown Prince saw no reason to refuse. “Alright.”
“Please, follow me.” Pei Xiting gestured for the Crown Prince to enter the room.
On the low table was a basket containing freshly picked lotus leaves, curled up like lids. Pei Xiting punctured the center of the leaf to connect it with the stem, then turned and handed it to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince took the lotus leaf cup. Pei Xiting then picked up the wine flask on the tray and gently poured it into the leaf’s heart. The wine would pass through the leaf and stem, entering the mouth from the stem’s opening, probably giving it a unique flavor beyond the wine itself.
Pei Xiting watched the Crown Prince, curious. “How does it taste?”
“A slight bitterness alongside the fragrance,” the Crown Prince said.
“Let me try.” Pei Xiting turned and made another lotus leaf cup. Just as he was about to pour for himself, the Crown Prince took the flask, intending to pour for him.
Pei Xiting made an exaggerated show of being flattered, earning a cool glance from the Crown Prince. He immediately straightened his expression, gently bit the stem’s opening, and took a sip of the wine, savoring it before saying, “Mm, not bad. But of everything I’ve drunk today, that tube of lotus seed soup was still the best.”
He had been here from day to dusk, and in that time, he’d only had one small tube of the soup. He hadn’t felt it while painting, but now he was a bit hungry.
“I want to go buy another tube, and also set my flower lantern loose.” He looked into the Crown Prince’s eyes, speaking very naturally. “Would you like to go for a walk?”
The Crown Prince put down the lotus leaf cup. “Let’s go.”
Pei Xiting was delighted inside. “Then wait while I pack up the painting.”
“Someone will take care of it.” The Crown Prince turned and walked out.
Hearing this, Pei Xiting followed confidently.
They left the private room and headed straight for the stall selling the lotus seed soup. But their timing was unlucky; they arrived just in time to see the last portion handed to another customer. The stall owner counted the day’s earnings of copper coins, packed up his load with satisfaction, and left.
Pei Xiting was a little stunned, seeming displeased. He stood still and didn’t move.
The Crown Prince watched him for a moment. “There are other stalls.”
Pei Xiting, for some reason feeling petulant, said, “But the others might not be as good as this one.”
The Crown Prince didn’t argue. “Then we’ll buy one from each stall. If there’s none better here, there will be outside. Ningzhou is vast, with a thousand or a hundred thousand stalls selling lotus seed soup.”
Pei Xiting was somewhat placated, but started worrying. “But if we buy them, we might not finish and it would be wasteful.”
“You can use the price of one tube to buy one sip. The owner won’t mind.” The Crown Prince said.
That way, the soup wouldn’t be wasted, though it would waste some money. Pei Xiting pretended to be reluctant. “I don’t have that much money.”
How much could lotus seed soup cost? The Crown Prince saw through Pei Xiting’s little scheme but didn’t expose it. He unfastened the money pouch from his waist and tossed it into Pei Xiting’s arms.
Pei Xiting caught the pouch, cupped it in both hands, and quickly caught up. “But what if I end up tasting until I’m stuffed and still haven’t found a better one?”
“Then find that stall owner just now and ask him to make you a tube.” The Crown Prince said. “Two paths, you choose.”
Pei Xiting looked at the Crown Prince’s beautiful, serene profile. “How about we make a bet?”
“Oh?”
“Let’s try six stalls. If one of them is as good as or better than that one, then I’m lucky today. If not, then I’m unlucky.” Pei Xiting said.
“And what do they mean?” the Crown Prince asked.
“If I’m lucky, then you can ride on my good fortune and also have a tube of delicious lotus seed soup. If I’m unlucky… " Pei Xiting paused. “Having you accompany me on this gamble is enough for me. I won’t argue with my bad luck.”
He seemed to imply something. The Crown Prince was silent for a moment, but didn’t dwell on it. “Fine.”
So they walked along, sampling. The first was too sweet, the second too bland, the third too watery, the fourth too thick, the fifth had no ice, and the sixth was under a willow tree across the busy stream—not lively enough. The stall owner was an old granny, smiling kindly.
Pei Xiting took a sip. “It’s good.”
The Crown Prince took a tube from the old granny and tasted it. Too sweet. By Pei Xiting’s taste, he shouldn’t have liked it.
But Pei Xiting looked relaxed, as if he genuinely thought it was good. Was he refusing to admit his bad luck, insisting on winning this bet?
A few children were playing nearby. Pei Xiting said “Hey!” and “Who wants some lotus seed soup?”
The children flocked over, clustering around the generous Pei Xiting as if he were some kind of celestial being.
“Beautiful big brother, can I have another one for my grandpa?” a little kid asked, carefully tugging on Pei Xiting’s sleeve, looking up.
Pei Xiting patted his head. “Take it.”
“Thank you, beautiful big brother!” The kid shook his sleeve, took the two tubes of soup, and ran off happily.
Pei Xiting gestured grandly, the children were overjoyed, the old granny packed up early, and he got a lot of smiles in return. He smiled too, and continued walking along this lakeside path. As he walked, he even spun around once.
The water-red robe swayed before the Crown Prince’s eyes. His gaze flickered, and he almost evasively turned his head to look at the crowd on the opposite shore. “Aren’t you going to set the flower lantern? We should go that way.”
“Too many people over there. Lanterns packed against lanterns won’t float far. If there really are spirits, they won’t see them. Better to find a quiet place, just set mine… Hey!” Pei Xiting’s words were cut short. He suddenly saw something, immediately grabbed the Crown Prince’s wrist, and pulled him to hide behind a large tree ahead.
The tree, of some unknown species, was tall and sturdy. Among its green leaves bloomed countless dense purple flowers, covering them like a giant umbrella.
The Crown Prince steadied himself, glanced at the tree in front, then looked down at Pei Xiting, who was very close. “What’s wrong?”
Pei Xiting whispered, “I saw the World Heritage Young Master and the Little Marquis. They’re right across the way.”
He looked like a little thief, but the Crown Prince didn’t understand. “Why are we hiding?”
“Aren’t you traveling incognito?” Pei Xiting said in a tone that suggested he was doing it for the Crown Prince’s sake. Then he cautiously peeked half his head out towards the opposite bank. Seeing the two chatting and laughing, he couldn’t help but ’tsk tsk’.
Don’t be fooled by how chummy these two are now, and how they played along in the harem early in the original story. Later on, in the original story, along with Zong An, these three would still want to kill each other to monopolize “Pei Xiting.”
The Crown Prince saw Pei Xiting watching intently, his delicate little face cycling through expressions of mockery, exasperation, sighing, and confusion, showing his rich inner thoughts.
Were Shangguan Jie and Zhao Fan worth him being so sentimental?
The Crown Prince didn’t understand and wasn’t keen on continuing to hide. He made a move to pull his hand away, but Pei Xiting pulled him back.
Pei Xiting had pulled on instinct, using force. Perhaps because of the cramped space, the Crown Prince stumbled slightly and bumped into Pei Xiting. Being tall with long legs, Pei Xiting couldn’t hold his ground and stepped back, hitting the tree trunk.
Pei Xiting let out a low grunt. In the dim, secluded path, it sounded suggestive, and the Crown Prince suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.
Just then, a couple passed by arm in arm. In the dim light, with the Crown Prince’s arm braced above Pei Xiting’s head, mostly shielding him, they didn’t realize the one in red was a man. They naturally assumed the intimately positioned pair were lovers, giggling, “Beautiful flowers, full moon, wild lovebirds get busy by the pond.”
“Young people, so bold. People pass by here after all.”
“What do you know? This is the thrill, like stealing a kiss in front of others. Haven’t you seen all those men and women in the grass and woods using heaven and earth as their bed?”
“…Can you go further away before saying that? Treat me like I’m dead?” Pei Xiting snapped back to reality, rolling up his sleeves as if to charge out. The Crown Prince raised his arm, blocking this little firecracker who was about to go off. “Not afraid Zhao Fan and Shangguan Jie will spot us?”
Pei Xiting looked up, meeting the Crown Prince’s gaze. His heart was pounding, but his expression was perfectly natural. “Aren’t you afraid? What am I afraid of? Let them see me with you. I can just borrow your authority to throw my weight around.”
The Crown Prince looked at the autumn-water eyes so close. “You are a fox, but I am not a tiger.”
Pei Xiting felt his eyelids burn from the gaze, his steps feeling unsteady. “Your son is a tiger, so naturally, you are a tiger too.”
The Crown Prince took a moment to understand, realizing he meant the little Dàwáng. “You call the little Dàwáng your brother. If he and I are in a father-son relationship, then where does that leave you and me?”
Pei Xiting smiled. “Didn’t I say it before? You are the Crown Prince, the minor father of the people. You are naturally a generation above me.”
The Crown Prince didn’t engage with his flippant remark. The hand braced above Pei Xiting’s head pressed down slightly, as if trying to push him into the ground. Pei Xiting was about to feign begging for mercy when the Crown Prince said, “They’re coming this way.”
Pei Xiting instinctively grabbed the Crown Prince’s sleeve, unhappy. “Really?”
The Crown Prince didn’t pull his sleeve away. “You dislike seeing them that much? I noticed you’ve had a few drinks with Zhao Fan these past few days.”
Without thinking, Pei Xiting said, “Of course! I was trying to meet you. How could I let anyone else ruin it?”
The Crown Prince was stunned. Seeing Pei Xiting’s scrunched-up expression, so lively and animated in a way rarely seen, his rosy cupid’s bow pursed adorably, he said, “I lied.”
“Huh?” Pei Xiting cast a suspicious glance at the Crown Prince, then leaned out from under his arm. True enough, those two were nowhere to be seen.
He sighed in relief. “That’s more like it. Good of them to be sensible.”
The Crown Prince asked, “What would you have done if they really had come?”
“I trust you would have found a way,” Pei Xiting said.
The Crown Prince thought for a moment. “I wasn’t planning to find a way for you.”
Pei Xiting said, “Then I would have begged you to find a way… Hey, are you teasing me?”
The Crown Prince didn’t continue teasing him. He turned and walked ahead.
Pei Xiting wiped the sweat from his forehead, let out a breath, and followed.
At the end of the path stood a drooping willow, elegant and curved. At first glance, it looked like a man in a blue robe kneeling by the pond, head down as if admiring his reflection.
Pei Xiting walked around behind the willow, lifted the lotus lantern from its handle, and gently placed it on the water’s surface. “Will Your Highness make a wish?”
The Crown Prince said, “If there truly were gods and buddhas in this world, temples would no longer see the incense and offerings of common folk.”
“Because the rich and powerful have already worn down the thresholds, leaving no room for the ordinary people? I understand. But taking everything too seriously makes it boring. Do all the kneeling worshippers truly believe in gods and buddhas? Not necessarily. Some just pray to themselves, to others, and get nothing, so they can only pray to the heavens and earth, just to keep themselves going.” Pei Xiting nudged the lotus lantern, speaking softly. “Your Highness was born and placed on a cliff’s edge—high in status but cold and lonely. What you have today, you fought for with your life. So naturally, Your Highness doesn’t believe in gods or buddhas. But over these years, has there truly never been a time when Your Highness wished gods and buddhas were real?”
The wind rustled the willow leaves. The crimson hair tie among Pei Xiting’s dark, thick hair fluttered in the wind. Layers of shadows passed before the Crown Prince’s eyes, sometimes Pei Xiting’s hair tie, sometimes a torrent of blood.
He closed his eyes. “Do you wish for me to say yes?”
“I hope Your Highness says yes. Your Highness can say that, because Your Highness is human, and humans have the seven emotions and six desires, isn’t that so?” Pei Xiting said.
The Crown Prince neither agreed nor disagreed. “If gods and buddhas existed, they would not save me.”
This seemed like an evasion, but it was an answer in itself—the Crown Prince had indeed wished for gods and buddhas, because even one as honored as he had things he couldn’t do and people he couldn’t save. At those times, he sought but couldn’t obtain. The Crown Prince, like his body, appeared flawless like gold and jade to outsiders, but was actually covered in cracks. Outsiders just didn’t know His Highness had vulnerable, disheveled moments, and he wouldn’t show them.
Pei Xiting said, “Then why doesn’t Your Highness save yourself?”
The Crown Prince asked, “How?”
“It only takes one sentence: As long as Your Highness sees himself as human, you are saving yourself.” Pei Xiting said. “Joy, anger, fear, love, evil, desire. As long as Your Highness can face your own seven emotions and six desires, you are saving yourself.”
The Crown Prince let out a soft chuckle. He found Pei Xiting naive. “I am the Crown Prince.”
“That’s in public. In private, Your Highness can just be yourself. Be Zong…” Pei Xiting paused, realizing he didn’t even know the Crown Prince’s personal name. He could only say, “Zong Fuchuan.”
The Crown Prince didn’t take the bait. Instead, he asked, “So what is your wish?”
Pei Xiting felt a chill. A direct refusal. This seemed like a bad sign. His heart sank halfway. He put on a mysterious air. “If I say it, it won’t come true.”
The Crown Prince remembered the dream Pei Xiting had spoken of on Mount Zhaohua. “Want to own a mountain of gold and silver?”
Pei Xiting laughed softly. “Why need gods for that? I have the rose pendant and the qin you gave me; they’re already quite valuable. If I ever can’t make ends meet, I’ll just pawn them.”
The Crown Prince poured cold water on him. “I doubt anyone would dare buy them.”
“Then I’ll rent them out. Like that qin.” Pei Xiting schemed. “Lend it out for three or five hundred taels at a time. Plenty would line up. It would be pure income.”
The Crown Prince snorted. “You dare.”
“Push me too far, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t dare do. But I won’t.” Pei Xiting turned to look at the Crown Prince, his gaze sincere. “Gifts from others, I will naturally treasure doubly. Your Highness, make a wish too.”
The Crown Prince didn’t refuse this time. “I don’t have a lantern.”
“I do. Use mine.” Pei Xiting patted the spot beside him, generously.
The Crown Prince walked over. “One lantern for two wishes. Pei Wenjuan, have you heard the saying—”
“‘Greedy for more than you can swallow,’ right?” Pei Xiting finished the proverb and offered his own insightful take. “Precisely because two wishes are too many, my flower lantern will swell up, look bigger than others, and be easier for the gods and buddhas to see.”
The Crown Prince commented, “Twisted logic.”
“Who decides what’s twisted logic and what’s not? I don’t care. My Dao is the Dao.” Pei Xiting reached out and tugged the Crown Prince’s robe. “Hurry and make a wish. The lantern is floating away.”
The Crown Prince let out an almost inaudible sigh. He did half-kneel. Pei Xiting had already closed his eyes, his expression earnest and peaceful. In the hazy moonlight, he looked incredibly beautiful.
The Crown Prince didn’t know what wish Pei Xiting made, but since he wanted something, he thought to himself: Let Pei Xiting’s wish come true.
“I’ve made mine.” Pei Xiting opened his eyes and met a pair of dark eyes. Still deep and calm, unreadable, yet seemingly holding some indefinable emotion. A slight ripple disturbed their usual placidity.
The Crown Prince, caught off guard, found himself locked in a direct gaze. His eyelashes trembled slightly, but he didn’t look away, feigning nonchalance.
Pei Xiting had always been intuitive. This was no different.
A bird landing on a cliff kicks loose a pebble. Though small, it still makes a sound when it hits the ground. It’s a tangible reaction, impossible to conceal, isn’t it?
Through a person’s eyes, you could glimpse their heart. It felt like a bird skimming across autumn water. The Crown Prince saw the auspicious phoenix eyes instantly shimmer with ripples. He felt a dawning awareness, averted his gaze abruptly, and turned away. “Done. Let’s go.”
“Your Highness.” Pei Xiting stood up and called out.
The Crown Prince stopped but didn’t turn around.
Pei Xiting clenched his hands behind his back. “I have something to tell you.”
It was “tell you,” not “want to tell you.” So aggressive, so direct.
A warm string of beads brushed against his wrist and fell into his hand. The Crown Prince had a guess. After a long silence, he said, “Some things are better left unsaid.”
“I haven’t said it yet. Do you know what I’m going to say, Your Highness?” Pei Xiting stared at the Crown Prince’s back, his tone sarcastic and provocative. “What are you afraid of?”
The Crown Prince said, “Presumptuous.”
Pei Xiting’s eyes stung, but he persisted. “Dare you not look at me?”
The Crown Prince turned to look at Pei Xiting, his expression darkening. But Pei Xiting’s heart was ablaze, and he wasn’t intimidated. “I like you.”
The Crown Prince’s eyes widened slightly. “…Absurd.”
“I am perfectly clear-headed.” Pei Xiting looked straight at the Crown Prince. Though the hands behind his back were already numb from gripping each other, his voice was steady. “I never knew before if I liked men or women. But I only feel my heart race when I see Your Highness. I only feel nervous and uncomfortable when I’m alone with Your Highness. I feel displeased when I see Your Highness seeking Spring Sound to sing. I have a primal desire for Your Highness… I can’t deceive myself. There’s no reason to. I like Your Highness, and I want to pursue you. There’s nothing shameful about it. I wanted you to know.”
The sound of the Lotus Picking Song drifted across the lotus pond. Pei Xiting said, “Today is the Lotus Picking Festival. Lovers confess their feelings. I thought I wouldn’t see Your Highness today. I was hypnotizing myself, thinking maybe even the heavens thought the timing wasn’t right, warning me not to be impulsive.”
He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “But I did see you. So I can’t miss this chance.”
He should stop him immediately, make him shut up, take back the words, the Crown Prince thought. But he knew Pei Xiting couldn’t be easily subdued.
It was rare for the Crown Prince to find something so troublesome.
Pei Xiting pressed his lips together, then relaxed them. He asked directly, “Your Highness, would you be willing to give us a try?”