Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie walked north, exiting the dark alley shortly and arriving at the place where sky lanterns were released.
Due to the evening hour, several people had already begun releasing lanterns, with numerous Kongming lanterns scattered across the sky.
Zhong Li spotted a vendor selling lanterns on the small hill. She pulled Lu Wuxie’s intact arm and headed towards the slope.
The mountains in Linzhou were slightly steeper and taller than those in Liaocheng.
For convenience, the imperial court had carved paths and built stairs, installing iron chains on both sides for people to hold onto, preventing accidents.
Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie proceeded slowly with the crowd. With the protection of the iron chains, those ascending felt somewhat more at ease.
Just as they reached the halfway point of the mountain, a woman’s voice suddenly called out from behind, "Ah Rong ge, look, our matching lock from two years ago is still here."
Zhong Li heard the sound and turned her head towards the source of the voice.
She saw a woman dressed in the common attire of the Southern Yue Kingdom. Her cheeks were tinged red from the cold due to the weather. As if unaware, she called out to the man following her.
The man had a bamboo basket on his back, and the top of a child’s head was faintly visible within. He smiled at her and said, "Hold on tight, don't fall."
The woman pouted and replied, "I know, you chatterbox!"
The man shook his head, took off a coarse cloth that looked like a scarf from his neck, and draped it around the woman’s neck, saying, "Don't get cold either!"
The woman’s cheeks flushed red. She nodded and leaned close to the man’s ear, whispering, "I was just too excited. People say that if you find a lock hung here from Qixi two years ago during the Zhongyuan Festival, you and your loved one will be together forever. That's why I..."
"Alright, but still be careful," the man nodded. He tightened the bamboo basket on his back, took the woman's hand, and whispered in her ear.
"Mmm!" The woman smiled happily. She glanced at the familiar child in the basket and murmured, "Little Mao Tan, let's go burn some money for Grandma and Grandpa, and write them a message to bless us from heaven."
The child in the basket seemed to understand, wiggling and nuzzling.
Zhong Li stood still, watching them pass by. She was suddenly reminded of Zhong Wuyou, being cared for by the wet nurse in the separate courtyard. By the time she returned, he should be this old too.
"Li'er, what are you thinking about?" Lu Wuxie had walked a few steps ahead. Not seeing Zhong Li follow, he returned to ask.
Zhong Li remained silent. She merely glanced at the matching locks hanging on the iron chains and quickly ascended the mountain.
Lu Wuxie watched her retreating back, his thin lips slowly tightening.
The vendor selling sky lanterns was at the mountain peak.
After Lu Wuxie bought two sky lanterns, and once they had finished burning paper, they began to release the lanterns.
One could write on the sky lanterns. Zhong Li’s wish was simple: to uncover the truth behind Ge Meng’s death. As for anything else…
She wrote a string of numbers on the lantern and released it.
Lu Wuxie knew this was not the time for casual writing. He glanced at Zhong Li and quietly drew something on the bottom of the sky lantern before releasing it.
At this moment, the darkness enveloped the whole of Linzhou. The myriad candlelight shimmered, brightly illuminating the area around the small mountain.
Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie returned to the post station close to the hour of Xu (9-11 PM).
Fortunately, the roadside stalls were still open. The two ate some dumplings to fill their stomachs before preparing to rest.
To ensure their actions appeared natural and to prevent others from becoming suspicious, they decided to share a room.
However, Zhong Li slept in the smaller suite inside, while Lu Wuxie slept on the larger couch outside.
They bid each other goodnight. Just as Zhong Li was about to close the suite door, Lu Wuxie suddenly called out, "Li'er!"
Confused, Zhong Li opened the door slightly, only to find Lu Wuxie standing opposite the door.
"Young Master, if there is something..."
"You can say it tomorrow. If you do, you'll be Lord Zhong tomorrow!" Lu Wuxie interrupted her quickly.
Hearing him say this, Zhong Li felt inexplicably nervous.
She lowered her gaze, waiting for him to speak.
"Actually, July is quite special," Lu Wuxie said, feeling a bit clumsy for the first time.
"Mmm?" Zhong Li was puzzled.
"To encounter two festivals at once," Lu Wuxie said, reaching into his pocket and presenting something to Zhong Li.
"I once thought of celebrating Qixi with you, and afterward, taking you to Lingshan to see my mother. Who knew... these two wishes seem to have not been fulfilled."
Zhong Li lowered her gaze to the item in his hand. It was a small wooden box, intricately carved with several peonies, simple yet elegant.
"What is this?" she asked.
Lu Wuxie replied, "I thought it suited you, so I bought it. It was Qixi the day I bought it, so at least I didn’t miss it."
Hearing this, Zhong Li recalled when they were in Jincheng and casually browsed a market. He had nervously tucked something into his sleeve. So, it was this.
"Young Master..."
"Li'er, I know I can't force you to accept it, but I only want to give this to you. If you don't like it, you can throw it away, and I'll consider you to have accepted it.
Since we can't hang a matching lock, consider this my sentiment for you." Lu Wuxie, perhaps fearing her refusal, didn't wait for her to finish. He placed the small box into her hand and quickly departed.
Zhong Li stood there blankly, watching the shadow of the man washing up, undressing, and blowing out the candle to sleep behind the screen. After a moment of hesitation, she put the box into her hand and turned back into her room.
The night was long. She lay on the bed, tossing and turning.
Unable to resist, she sat up, took out a tinder, and lit a candle. She opened the small box on the table.
Instantly, a cosmetic paste with a faint peony fragrance and a set of eyebrow pencils appeared before her eyes.
The color of the cosmetic paste was elegant and simple, just as she liked it, but she had never had the time to buy it.
As for the eyebrow pencils, looking at them made her eyes sting. In the Southern Yue Kingdom, there was an unwritten rule: if a man gave a woman eyebrow pencils, it signified his commitment to groom her eyebrows alone for life. Therefore, this item was rarely included in gifts men gave women.
She sighed, closed the box, intending to return it. But then she recalled Lu Wuxie's words. Her gaze fell upon the discarded wastepaper basket lying alone in the corner. After a long hesitation, she placed the box in her personal belongings.
-------------------------------------
The next day.
Lu Wuxie woke up naturally. It was rare that he had slept well last night. Just as he was about to call Zhong Li in the suite, he smelled a familiar fragrance.
It was the scent of sweet potato porridge.
"Is Master up?" Lin Jin placed a bowl of porridge in front of him.
He glanced in the direction of Zhong Li's room, a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
"Where is Lord Zhong?" He took a bite but found his appetite lacking, so he stopped eating and asked.
"Lord Zhong said she received a message from that group and has already gone to the Prefectural Office," Lin Jin replied.
"Why didn't you wake me?"
Lin Jin said, "It was Miss Zhong who said you should sleep longer. She said she saw you didn't rest well yesterday."
Lu Wuxie took his outer garment and put it on. "Lin Jin, prepare the carriage. We're going to the Prefectural Office."