Lu Yinghuai's words left Yunling somewhat puzzled. She scratched her temple and asked again:

"Who said I'm in love with Pei Lin?"

Lu Yinghuai was somewhat excited upon hearing this, but he remained calm and composed, saying:

"You two get along very naturally, which to outsiders makes it seem like you're childhood sweethearts, so..."

"My long-term relationship with Pei Lin will not gradually develop into ambiguous feelings of affection. It's like you can't add tonight's heavy snow to last night so that it will accumulate into a heavy snowfall tomorrow."

Yunling's words were like a powerful tonic, opening up Lu Yinghuai's meridians and making him feel comfortable all over, casting away all his gloomy emotions.

Lu Yinghuai's lips couldn't help but curl upwards, making no attempt to hide it. Yun Ling saw it clearly and asked:

What if I really do fall in love with Pei Lin?

Lu Yinghuai's face darkened instantly, as if the joy he had just felt was empty, like a big bubble that floated a few feet into the sky, then suddenly burst and disappeared, leaving only disappointment and bewilderment.

His breathing became erratic, and he looked at Yunling, hoping to catch something unusual in her face. But she was biting her lower lip, her head bowed, and her fingers were tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, looking shy. He was afraid she really had feelings for Pei Lin.

Lu Yinghuai's heart was truly in turmoil. His breathing became heavier, and he quickly drew back the curtains. The wind and snow outside calmed him down a bit.

Whatever, what does it matter? Even if she's in love with Pei Lin, so what? She's already made her word. There's no longer any possibility between her and Pei Lin, and he won't push her towards anyone else. He wants her; he only wants her.

"He's not worth it. His reaction just now already gave you the answer, didn't it?"

"I was just kidding, you big idiot."

Yunling tilted her head and glanced at Lu Yinghuai, then giggled.

Lu Yinghuai was taken aback at first, then the corners of his mouth turned up. When he thought that she had lied to him and that she didn't like Pei Lin, he couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth no matter what he did.

But when he calmed down and realized that she was just teasing him and had made him worry for nothing, he got a little angry. He wanted to pinch her cheeks, but he was afraid that she would get angry and upset him, so he was careful and didn't dare to look. He gently placed his hand on the back of her hand and waited for a while. When he didn't see that she was disgusted, he boldly took her hand.

Lu Yinghuai's heart immediately felt as sweet as if he had eaten a spoonful of honey. Yun Ling didn't dare to look too closely. She looked towards the nearby window, where the light from outside shone on the curtains, making her heart itch.

Yunling drew back the curtains and saw sparks flying outside, cheers rising in waves. As a spark hurtled towards her, she gasped in surprise.

"Oh, so this is what they call 'iron flower' (a traditional Chinese firework display)."

"Let's get out of the car and take a look."

"Um!"

Stepping down from the carriage, Yunling quickly blended into the lively atmosphere. Snowflakes were falling heavily from the sky, and sparks were flying on the ground. The contrast between cold and hot, yellow and white, created a scene reminiscent of a dazzling display of lights.

Yunling was stunned. She opened her palm to catch the scattered sparks when a loud bang suddenly came from the direction of Xuande Tower. Her ears were immediately covered by the person behind her, followed by the crackling of firecrackers.

"I told you, I'm not afraid of firecrackers."

Okay~

Lu Yinghuai released his hand, then, holding the corner of the cloak, slowly and deliberately wrapped her in his arms, trying not to be noticed by the person in front of him.

As warmth enveloped her, Yunling listened to the frantic heartbeat pressed against her back. She couldn't concentrate on the iron-making ceremony anymore, and the sound of firecrackers was barely audible. The surrounding festivities seemed irrelevant to her. How...how dare he be so bold?

"Erlang, Erlang, look! Isn't that the brat who played polo with us last time?"

The image of Yun Ling immediately flashed into Liu Erlang's mind. He quickly pushed aside the people in his way and spotted Lu Yinghuai at a glance.

"Tch, this isn't the second brother at all. Wait, no, no, the lady this refined gentleman is holding in his arms must be a young lady."

Liu Erlang was incredibly excited, as if he had caught Lu Yinghuai in a compromising situation. If he met Yunling again, he was determined to have a serious talk with her to completely dispel any thoughts of the two of them being together.

"No, Erlang, look again! Isn't that young lady the same brat who played polo with us the other day? She was actually a woman disguised as a man!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Erlang's smile vanished. He immediately pried open his eyelids with his fingers, and when he saw Yun Ling's face, he gasped for breath and nearly fell backward.

Yunling was unaware that Liu Erlang had fainted; she was only concerned with the person behind her and his faint, weak breath on her neck.

"Lu Yinghuai, you—"

"Yes, I like it."

Yunling's heart skipped a beat, her mind buzzed, and the four words Lu Yinghuai said made her ponder several ideas repeatedly in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

She hadn't even finished speaking, how did he know what she was going to say?

He said he liked it, but he didn't finish his sentence. Who knows what he meant by liking it? Did he like watching the iron flower fireworks, firecrackers, or heavy snowfall? Or did he mean... he liked her?

The thought that these words might be directed at her, that he might like her, threw Yunling into a frenzy, a complete mess, until she returned to her room, her racing heart still unable to find its rhythm.

Yunling had no heart to do anything. Lying on the recliner, the image of her holding hands with Lu Yinghuai and Lu Yinghuai hugging her from behind immediately flashed through her mind.

She quickly shook her head, trying to stop herself from thinking too much, but when she closed her eyes, Song Xiaoliulang inexplicably popped into her mind.

Did Ying Huai catch up with you back then?

"I've known Ying Huai for so many years, and this is the first time I've seen him run so fast. He didn't care about his status and just grabbed the oar and started rowing. He looked quite disheveled."

Did he invite you?

Yunling shook her head vigorously, trying desperately to shift her attention to Zhang Shi, but her heart wouldn't follow her.

Are you leaving?

Will you be going out to see the lanterns this year for the Lantern Festival?

"This year there are unusually large lanterns."

Yunling covered her eyes and took two deep breaths.

"He's so kind of him, making me go home late at night. I wonder if he sneaked out the back door to go find you."

"He even asked me what the land buyer liked, so I asked Ying'er, and she said she liked osmanthus cake. Do you like osmanthus cake?"

"Wow, this brat has been hiding his true identity. I never expected it to be the same person. Love, it's true love."

Images from the past flashed through Yunling's mind like a revolving lantern. Unable to control them, Yunling could only open her eyes again, trying to find something else to distract herself and stop thinking about Lu Yinghuai.