Chapter 109 Left a note

Luo Zhaohan looked at the lamp carefully.

Each side of the plain white gauze lamp is depicted with plum blossoms of various shapes, and the brushstrokes are so delicate that even the texture of the petals can be clearly seen.

My fingertips brushed across the lamp frame, which was made of extremely smooth bamboo strips, with a natural warmth and a hint of clear bamboo fragrance.

She could even see traces of careful processing at the bamboo joints.

This feels so familiar.

This meticulous care, this almost harsh perfection, made Luo Zhaohan's heart skip a beat, and an incredible idea flashed through his mind like lightning.

She suddenly raised her eyes, and her clear pupils looked straight into Pei Ji's eyes, "Aji, this lamp... was made by you?"

Pei Ji obviously didn't expect that she could see through him at a glance.

Being looked at like this by those eyes that seemed to see through everything, a trace of embarrassment quickly passed across his usually stern brows.

He slightly turned his gaze away, his ears tinged with a faint red in the warm light of the lantern, and his voice lowered. "Yeah. It's my first time, so I'm clumsy and afraid it'll be rough. Do you like it?"

The last question was asked carefully.

The simple three words "Do you like it?" were like a stone thrown into the lake of one's heart, creating huge ripples in Luo Zhaohan's heart.

A strong warm current instantly rushed into her nose, making her eyes hot.

She blinked hard to drive away the wetness, but held the lamp in her hands even more carefully.

He made it himself, from selecting the bamboo strips, polishing them to a smooth finish, to meticulously outlining the plum blossoms stroke by stroke...

He was a high-ranking official in the Dali Temple, whose official duties usually had others do for him, yet he was willing to spend so much time and energy just to give her a unique lantern.

How could this be just a lamp? This was clearly his burning sincerity, a treasure that was unique and precious!

She imagined him sitting under the lamp, putting away all his sharpness, concentrating on sharpening bamboo strips and drawing patterns.

The scene was so gentle that it made her heart tremble.

"Aji..." Luo Zhaohan's voice was choked with sobs as he called out softly, like a feather gently brushing across his heart.

She suddenly lifted the lantern in her hand gently, and the octagonal lantern, which emitted a warm and soft light, was placed steadily between their faces.

Pei Ji was slightly stunned, and looked at her hazy but unusually bright eyes behind the light in some surprise.

In this dim interval of light and shadow, Luo Zhaohan slightly raised his face, his eyes penetrating the thin veil and firmly locking onto his deep eyes.

"Pei Ji, I like you."

"boom--!"

It was as if something exploded in my brain.

My heart skipped a beat, and then it began to pound violently in my chest like a drum.

The two people's eyes met and entangled silently in the halo.

She saw the sudden surge of emotion in his eyes, and he saw the sincerity in her eyes, without reservation.

A surge of affection flowed silently between them, nearly breaking through the thin veil of light. A blush unconsciously crept into the corners of both their eyes, whether it was from the burning passion or the chill of the night wind.

A gust of night wind blew by at the right time, blowing the several glittering silk ribbons under the lamp.

The small silver bells tied to the end of the silk ribbons collided with each other in the wind, making a series of crisp and pleasant "ding-ling" sounds.

Ding-ling… Ding-ling-ling…

The sound was like heavenly music, instantly breaking the silence and adding a touch of dreamy romance to this touching moment.

Pei Ji's Adam's apple rolled with difficulty, and when he spoke again, his voice was low and hoarse, yet incredibly gentle.

"I named it 'Zhao Zhao Le'."

"May Zhao Zhao live a happy life."

Deep in the shadow of the tall porch of the general's mansion, Luo Jince folded his arms and leaned against the cold vermilion pillar, silently feeling the cold wind for a while.

He curled his lips and looked at the couple below the stairs with complicated eyes.

Humph, Pei Ji! This "future brother-in-law" who stole his sister! He makes me angry just looking at his serious face! His sister is so good, it's really hard for her to be with him...

The villain in Luo Jince's heart was stamping his feet in indignation.

He listened to the wind in boredom, looked at Pei Ji's foolish wait, and muttered in his heart: Why are you pretending to be affectionate! I'd rather freeze you to death!

But when the familiar red shadow rushed out of the mansion like a flame and fluttered towards the waiting figure like a cheerful little bird, Luo Jince's muttering stopped unconsciously.

He watched from afar as his sister took the lamp with surprise, and saw the light that instantly blossomed in her eyes, brighter than all the lights in the city.

He saw the rare tenderness and embarrassment on Pei Ji's face, which had always been icy, and saw the cautious look on his sister's face as she held the lamp.

Although I couldn't hear what they were saying, the warmth and tacit understanding in the air at that moment when they looked at each other silently across the lanterns was like a warm current, silently penetrating the cold wind.

He saw a light in his sister's eyes that he had never seen before, a joy that came from the heart.

He also saw the undisguised love in Pei Ji's deep eyes when he gazed at his sister.

So that's how it is.

Luo Jince loosened his grip on his arms a little, and the corners of his mouth, which had been pouting, quietly flattened without him noticing when.

It turns out that this is how Pei Ji sees his sister.

At this moment, Luo Zhaohan's clear voice came with a smile: "Xiao Ce! Are you standing there like an idiot, enjoying the breeze? Come here!"

Luo Jince suddenly came back to his senses, and the last bit of awkwardness on his face completely disappeared, replaced by a kind of happiness with a hint of happiness for his sister.

He grinned and replied, "Coming!" His voice was brisk, and his footsteps were brisk as he stepped out of the shadows and walked quickly towards the pair of figures at the bottom of the stairs.

In the carriage, the air seemed to solidify into a block.

Pei Ji, the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple, was wearing a dark uniform but could not hide his cold and aloof air. At this moment, he was staring at Luo Jince who was sitting opposite him.

The lantern that should have been shining brightly in the night market was now casually placed on the cushion between the two of them. The Chang'e on the lantern paper was holding a rabbit alone, and the dim candlelight in the car reflected her, making her look particularly lonely.

Its owner, Pei Ji's fiancée Luo Zhaohan, is nowhere to be found.

Luo Jince was only fourteen, the age when he was fearless. He stiffened his neck, and glared at Pei Ji with a pair of almond-shaped eyes that looked very similar to Luo Zhaohan's, filled with anger and even a hint of contempt.

"Pei Shaoqing," Luo Jince's voice was slightly hoarse with the sound of a teenager going through voice change, but his tone was firm. "Where on earth did you take my sister?"

Pei Ji didn't answer immediately.

His deep eyes, like an icy pond, first swept across Luo Jince's face, which was flushed with anger, and then slowly fell on the lonely lantern.

There seemed to still be a hint of the warm touch of the woman's fingertips on the lamp handle.

"Lost?" Pei Ji finally spoke. His voice was low and calm, and no emotion could be heard. But it struck Luo Jince's heart like a hammer. "I'd like to ask you, why did you appear in front of my carriage alone, holding your sister's lantern?"

Luo Jince choked and his face turned even redder, but his confidence remained undiminished: "It's all because of you! My sister was so happy to take me to see the lanterns, saying she would pick one for you too! What happened? The lantern was picked, but she disappeared! I searched the whole place and couldn't find her! I turned around and saw your carriage passing by! Who else should I look for if not you? You must have upset her again!"

"Again?" Pei Ji caught the word sharply and frowned.

He was busy with official duties, and indeed, he and Luo Zhaohan didn't meet often. Every time they met, she seemed to be smiling and talking happily, and didn't seem unhappy. Could it be that he had overlooked something?

"Hmph!" Luo Jince snorted heavily, like an irritated little animal. "Stop pretending to be confused! Although my sister doesn't say it, I know she's unhappy! Every time she comes back from seeing you, she sits by the window for a long time, staring at the orchid you gave her! She's been looking forward to this lantern festival for a long time, just wanting to walk around with you, but you're nowhere to be seen! And now, you've disappeared! If anything happens to my sister, I...I'll never let you go!"

As the boy spoke, his eyes turned red, and he was obviously anxious and afraid.

Pei Ji's hands on his knees tightened slightly. Luo Zhaohan was staring at the orchids in a daze? Looking forward to the Lantern Festival?

He was completely unaware of all this.

An indescribable irritability mixed with a hint of panic quietly crept into my heart.

He considered himself calm and self-controlled, having solved countless cases, but he never thought that he would be so slow in love and might even hurt her without knowing it.

"Stop the car." Pei Ji suddenly ordered in a deep voice.

The carriage stopped immediately, steadily.

Pei Ji's gaze fell on the lantern again. The pattern of Chang'e flying to the moon was painted exquisitely.

He reached out, not to take the lamp, but to gently pick up a folded piece of plain paper placed under the lamp.

Luo Jince was stunned: "What is that?"

Pei Ji ignored him, his slender fingers unfolding the plain paper. On it was Luo Zhaohan's beautiful and familiar handwriting, with only a few words:

"Jin Ce: If you can't find me when the Lantern Festival ends, don't panic. I'll go to Bi Bo Bridge west of the city to release a river lantern and then be back. Don't worry, sister."

The handwriting was unhurried, clearly something that had been planned in advance.

Luo Jince stretched his neck and saw the content. He was stunned. The anger and accusations in his heart deflated like a popped balloon, leaving only embarrassment on his face.

"Ah... this... my sister... she left a note?" He scratched his head and lowered his voice. The energy he had just to blame was gone.

Pei Ji pinched the thin piece of paper, applying slight force with his fingertips.

She left a note for her brother to let him know she was safe, but she didn't say a word to him.

An inexplicable bitter feeling rose up in his throat, making him feel even more uncomfortable than Luo Jince's accusation just now.

"Bi Bo Bridge..." Pei Ji repeated the place name in a low voice, looking at Luo Jince sharply, "Why does she go there to release river lanterns? Go alone?" Bi Bo Bridge is quite a distance away from the main lantern market and is a bit remote. Especially in the dead of night, it is not a good place for a woman to go alone.

Luo Jince felt a little uneasy under Pei Ji's all-seeing gaze. He shrank his neck and whispered, "I... I don't know why my sister insisted on going there. Maybe she heard that the river lanterns there float far and are effective? She just said she wanted to be alone..."

The more he spoke, the softer his voice became, and he obviously realized that it was not appropriate to let his sister go to such a remote place alone.

"Effective?" Pei Ji caught the word keenly, and his doubts deepened.

Luo Zhaohan is not someone who is obsessed with gods and Buddhas.

"Hmm," Luo Jince nodded, trying to recall. "My sister seemed to want to pray for the soldiers who were about to go to war? Or pray for safety for someone else? She didn't elaborate, just muttering that she wanted to light a lantern."

Pei Ji's heart sank. There was indeed news from the court that the war in the north was getting serious and that reinforcements might be coming soon, but how could a secluded woman like Luo Zhaohan know about such military affairs?

Unless... someone told her? Or, the person she cared about was someone who was about to be put in danger?

A name jumped into Pei Ji's mind almost uncontrollably.

Xiao Heng, the son of the Marquis of Zhenbei. A young general who was equally famous as him, but also a childhood sweetheart of Luo Zhaohan.

There were even some groundless rumors circulating. Could it be... that she was doing this for Xiao Heng?

This thought was like a tiny thorn, making Pei Ji extremely uncomfortable.

"Get out of the car." Pei Ji's voice was a little colder than before, and it carried an order.

"Ah? Where to?" Luo Jince had not yet fully recovered from the misunderstanding.

"Bi Bo Bridge." Pei Ji said it concisely. He took the lead in lifting the curtain and got out of the car with a step of his long legs.

In the darkness of the night, his tall figure was wrapped in an oppressive chill.

Luo Jince dared not delay, and quickly grabbed the lantern and hurriedly jumped off the carriage. Pei Ji's followers had already brought the horses over. Pei Ji jumped onto the horse with a clean and efficient movement.

"Get on the horse and lead the way." Pei Ji's eyes fell on Luo Jince.

Luo Jince held the lantern and looked at the tall horse, feeling a little scared: "I... I'm not good at riding..."

Pei Ji didn't say anything, but just glanced at a sturdy guard next to him.

The guard immediately stepped forward and said to Luo Jince, "Young Master Luo, please ride with me."

Luo Jince breathed a sigh of relief, holding his precious lantern, and clumsily climbed onto another horse with the help of the guards.

"Go." Pei Ji squeezed the horse's belly, and the horse immediately rushed into the night like an arrow.

The guards followed closely behind with Luo Jince.

The cool night wind blew in, dispelling the stuffiness in the carriage, but it could not dispel the doubts and inexplicable anxiety in Pei Ji's heart.

The sound of horse hooves hitting the bluestone road made a crisp and rapid sound, echoing in the quiet street.

Luo Jince hugged the lantern tightly, his body swaying with the horse, his heart beating fast.

On the one hand, he felt annoyed that he had not taken good care of his sister and had wrongly accused Pei Ji. On the other hand, he was worried that his sister might be in danger when she was alone outside.

He glanced at Pei Ji who was riding his horse in front of him. His dark figure almost blended into the night, with only his outline appearing and disappearing in the occasional lights passing by on both sides.

Young Master Luo muttered to himself: This cold-faced future brother-in-law, who looks like the King of Hell, doesn't seem as unkind as the legend says? At least, he seems to be really anxious to find my sister.

Soon, the group moved away from the brightly lit main city area. The further west they went, the fewer people there were.

The unique damp smell of the river permeated the air. Turning a corner, the view suddenly opened up. An ancient stone arch bridge spanned the broad river. It was the Bi Bo Bridge.

There was no one on the bridge, only the river water under the bridge was rippling in the moonlight and flowing quietly.

The evening breeze blew, bringing with it the slightly fishy smell of the river water and the scent of grass and trees on the shore.

"Sister?" Luo Jince was helped off the horse by the guards and immediately looked around anxiously. The bridge and the ground were empty, so where was Luo Zhaohan?

"Where is the person? Didn't my sister say she was here?" He was panicked and tightened his hands around the lantern.