Chapter 321 - 209: Lantern Festival

Chapter 321: Chapter 209: Lantern Festival

’Miss Qin will have to cross this bridge sooner or later. Finding a man as loyal and affectionate as Xie Yuan would be a good match for her; it’s already quite fortunate.’

’If it were anyone else, I’m afraid they would have to taste the countless methods of the King of Pingxi’s former top secret agent. At that point, even death would be a sweet release.’

The next morning, Xie Yuan woke up refreshed and energized. He stretched lazily, completely unaware that he had become the imaginary target for a certain female housekeeper’s old "crafts" the night before.

Led by a maid to the waterside pavilion, Xie Yuan found that while he wasn’t late, Situ Qin was already there, playing her zither. A graceful melody echoed in his ears, causing him to subconsciously slow down as he ate his breakfast.

When the song ended, Xie Yuan put down the meat bun in his hand, clapped, and praised her.

"It’s like hearing celestial music that clears the senses. After hearing one of your songs, Miss Qin, I can no longer taste the meat. I don’t even want to eat my bun anymore."

Situ Qin suppressed a smile and shot him a playful glare.

"You’re such a flatterer. Not even a big meat bun can shut you up!"

Her expression was back to normal today. She wore a willow-green dress and a black cloak, sitting gracefully by the railing.

Outside the railing, the lake had frozen over, and last night’s heavy snow had covered the ice in a white blanket. Against this backdrop of a world cloaked in white, the young woman sitting quietly and playing her instrument was a painting unto herself.

Xie Yuan was captivated for a moment. He only wished he knew how to paint, but then felt that even if he did, he could never capture a fraction of the beauty of the scene and the person before him. It was better not to know how at all.

He sighed with a smile.

"I’m not lying. Every word is from the heart."

Situ Qin smiled sweetly.

"You certainly have a way with words. If you were to join the imperial court, I bet you’d be a grand villain, a treacherous official!"

"As long as His Majesty is pleased, then I’m a loyal minister."

Xie Yuan said with a grin.

Listening to music, discussing ideas, and chatting over tea and snacks, the morning quickly passed, and soon it was time for lunch.

Watching Situ Qin devour the meal with an elegance that didn’t compromise her efficiency, Xie Yuan couldn’t help but stare suspiciously at her flat stomach after the two of them had polished off the entire table of delicacies. ’Is that thing a portal to a pocket dimension?’

Speaking of which, Situ Qin had always loved good food. She was constantly snacking, never missed a main meal, and whenever she heard about a special delicacy, she would always ask if it should be eaten before or after a meal. Yet she still looked slender and captivating, with a delicate waist. He had a subtle inkling that she wasn’t lacking for curves where it counted, while the places that should be slim were indeed slim.

But Xie Yuan’s mind only wandered for a moment before he realized it wasn’t surprising at all.

In terms of true cultivation, Situ Qin was likely much stronger than him. She was a genuine Martial Artist of the Metamorphosis Realm.

Just because she had never practiced Pile Skills or combat techniques in front of him didn’t mean she didn’t know how. From her posture and movements, her foundation was incredibly solid; it was clear she had put in countless hours of sweat. For a Martial Artist of her caliber, eating a bit more had no effect at all.

’Still, I seriously suspect that Situ Qin might have trained so hard just so she could eat more...’

After lunch came afternoon tea, and after afternoon tea came a dinner that was in no way inferior to lunch, yet featured an entirely different menu.

If nothing else, Xie Yuan had eaten better in these two days with Situ Qin than he had in months. It wasn’t as if he was dining on wind and sipping dew up on the mountain, but the food couldn’t even be compared to that of a great family’s private chef.

Well-fed and well-rested, Xie Yuan had a strange thought: ’It wouldn’t be so bad to just stay by Situ Qin’s side.’

But it was just a thought.

If he stayed here, he would only become her subordinate, a dependent. At best, they would remain friends, but he could never become someone who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her.

"Let’s go, let’s go! Time to see the lantern festival!"

Seeing that the sky had darkened, Situ Qin clapped her hands and pulled Xie Yuan out the door.

This was Xie Yuan’s first time at a Lantern Festival. The long street was a river of people, everyone packed shoulder to shoulder. The stalls on both sides were adorned with countless lanterns, and riddles were posted everywhere, with prizes for correct guesses that drew many passersby to a halt.

Dragon and lion dance troupes passed through the center of the street from time to time, each time compressing the already-packed crowd even further. Xie Yuan naturally protected Situ Qin in his arms, secretly circulating his Profound Skill to fend off the surrounding people. And Situ Qin, nestled in his embrace, looked up at him with a radiant smile.

Once the dragon and lion dance troupe passed, the crowd began to flow again.

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin went with the flow, looking this way and that. They tugged on each other’s sleeves; if they didn’t hold on tight, they could easily be separated by the human tide.

But when Xie Yuan wanted to hold her hand properly, he suddenly didn’t dare to reach out. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t held hands before, but today he was feeling shy.

He hesitated for a long while. Situ Qin noticed his fidgeting, turned her head, and smiled.

"What’s wrong?"

The Lantern Festival night was cold, and when Situ Qin spoke, a puff of white breath escaped her lips, hitting Xie Yuan right in the face.

They were standing so close that Xie Yuan could smell the faint, pleasant scent on her.

"...Are you cold?"

Xie Yuan suddenly forgot how to speak.

Situ Qin couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

"Master Xie, in case you didn’t know, I’m at the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm."

"R-Right."

Xie Yuan could only think that Situ Qin’s smile was exceptionally beautiful, and that he was being exceptionally wooden today.

Situ Qin’s smile grew even wider. She looked at Xie Yuan and pursed her lips.

She continued walking forward, secretly extending her hand and letting it swing gently by her side as if she’d done so without thinking.

Xie Yuan noticed her movement. His heart instantly sped up. Mustering his courage, he grabbed her hand. He grabbed it too hastily, using too much force, but thankfully, Situ Qin was also a Martial Artist and didn’t mind. In fact, it made her want to laugh, but her cheeks reddened instead.

Xie Yuan forced an explanation.

"There are too many people. I’m afraid you’ll get lost."

"I won’t get lost,"

Situ Qin said softly.

WHOOSH—BOOM—

Fireworks suddenly exploded in the distant sky. The myriad colors reflected on Situ Qin’s small face, making her look incredibly radiant.

The two of them turned their heads along with the crowd, gasped in unison, and watched the fireworks bloom in the sky, their hands clasped tightly together.

When the fireworks faded, the sky returned to its calm, with only a few wisps of smoke remaining.

The surrounding crowd was buzzing with excitement, chattering about the fireworks display.

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin stood in the middle of the crowd, looking into each other’s eyes, as if they could no longer hear any other sound.

Situ Qin broke into her most brilliant smile.

"Xie Yuan, happy Lantern Festival."