Chapter 594: Chapter 207: Ties of Affection_2
In the darkness, she couldn’t see Pei Yunmeng’s expression, she could only feel the hand she was holding was strong.
A light chuckle came from beside her ear, "Hold on tight."
Lu Tong responded with an "Mm."
The two headed toward the direction of the wooden bridge.
She didn’t know how Pei Yunmeng managed it, but perhaps the Palace Front Office didn’t select its talents solely based on looks. After all, he was quite capable. Though his pace wasn’t fast, he walked very steadily. Sometimes when people who couldn’t see the road bumped into them, he would quickly pull Lu Tong away, preventing her from falling.
He took very good care of her.
Lu Tong gripped his arm tightly, letting him lead the way with peace of mind. Perhaps the sense of touch is magnified in the dark, his even breathing and the cool, faint scent on him became distinct, just like the colorful threads underfoot, densely entwined and surrounding them.
While she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard Pei Yunmeng’s voice next to her ear, "We’re here."
Lu Tong looked up.
Under the faint light, the wooden bridge was right before her eyes, with many lotus flowers made of gold papers and colored threads piled underneath. In the center, a lotus flower bloomed especially brilliantly, a point of fine gold light twinkling within it.
The Golden Magpie was found.
Lu Tong said, "I’ll get it," and turned to walk under the bridge.
"Hey, slow down."
Seeing her rush, Pei Yunmeng quickly followed her.
There was also a young couple nearby who seemed to have noticed the Golden Magpie within the lotus and were heading towards it.
Lu Tong quickened her steps, wanting to get to it before the young couple. The husband among them saw her intent and also sped up. As they both reached for the lotus on the small bridge at the same time, Lu Tong grabbed the lotus stalk, not expecting that it was embroidered to the underside of the bridge. When she pulled, she lost balance, staggering backwards.
"Be careful."
Pei Yunmeng was behind her. Seeing her stumble, he reached out to steady her, and Lu Tong’s back crashed into his chest, while underfoot she felt her foot press down on a hard protrusion that suddenly sank down.
Was this a mechanism?
A sense of foreboding struck Lu Tong, but before she could speak, she suddenly heard a crisp sound, and something seemed to fall from the sky all around them. Pei Yunmeng swiftly moved to shield her, enveloping Lu Tong completely in his embrace, filled with his crisp scent.
"What is that?" she tensed up for a moment.
Protected in Pei Yunmeng’s arms, her cheek against his cool shirt, something seemed to have fallen on her from above, light and fluttering, tickling her skin slightly as it brushed past.
The next moment, dozens of Magpie Lamps in the hall lit up brightly, accompanied by the crisp sound of gongs, and a woman’s voice also rose.
"Magpie Bridge is complete to hurry the phoenix chariot. The time has come, the magpies call—"
In the hall, where couples had previously been standing, some now tumbled and fell, while others leaned close together with magpies in their hands, smiling sweetly.
The ground was scattered with numerous fine red threads. Lu Tong looked down to see many of them on both her and Pei Yunmeng. The red threads seemed to have sprung from the ground and landed on them, and from a distance, it looked as if the two were bound together.
Utterly entwined.
Just now, Lu Tong had stepped right on the mechanism that caused these red silk threads to spring out.
"This is called ’Threads of Affection.’"
The woman said with a smile, "A thousand threads of affection spill out, writing a new Chapter for the mandarin ducks. All the young ladies and gentlemen, those who have caught the threads, will be bound together as one, living in love and growing old together. It’s a good sign."
Lu Tong: "..."
As she was about to speak, she looked up and locked eyes with Pei Yunmeng’s gaze, which was cast down at her.
Lu Tong was startled.
In the dim light of the Magpie Lamps in the hall and the red threads stirred by the breeze from outside, there was an inexplicable sense of romantic sentiment all around.
Her hand was still tightly clasping Pei Yunmeng’s arm, her whole body leaning forward, while he supported her back, protecting her wholly in his arms when the unknown mechanism was triggered, the other hand on the hilt of his waist, keeping her completely safe.
Those pitch-black eyes gazed at her, shadows entwined on the ground, and in the convergence of their gazes, something seemed to be slowly growing.
Lu Tong stood frozen in place.
The hand behind her held her firmly, a subtle warmth emanating from her spine, and in a moment, her heartbeat skipped a beat, causing her to instinctively take a step back.
Pei Yunmeng’s gaze shifted slightly, landing on the red threads entangled around the hem of her dress. The threads were wound tightly around her skirt, making it difficult for her to move, so he knelt down halfway and carefully brushed them away.
For some reason, Lin Danqing’s words suddenly echoed in Lu Tong’s ears.
"Don’t be fooled by Pei Yunmeng’s seemingly amiable demeanor, the man who never bends his waist when speaking to others, he’s very proud on the inside."
Very proud...
Now that she thought about it, whenever he was with her, he always seemed to be bending.