"Look at how other people treat their husbands! Unlike you, you're so stingy even when buying me a silver hairpin, and in the end you just gave me a peach wood hairpin you carved yourself..."

Just as the two were looking at each other, a complaining voice suddenly rang out beside them.

They looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man dressed in linen clothes, with dark skin, carrying a shoulder pole and baskets filled with oil, salt, cloth and other odds and ends. A woman in blue with a headscarf standing nearby pinched the soft flesh on his waist, but even so, the man just smiled ingratiatingly at the person next to him and did not refute it.

Perhaps it was because Yan Xingzhi and Tang Ning were so good-looking that they attracted attention wherever they went. As soon as they entered the county town, they attracted the attention of almost all the vendors on the street, including the couple who had just finished selling the mountain goods they brought and had just bought the things they needed for their home.

Because they weren't very close, the woman in green couldn't hear what the two were saying at all. Her attention was completely drawn to the jade hairpin on Tang Ning's head, which she had never even seen before. Out of envy, she complained.

Upon hearing this, Tang Ning was stunned for a moment, then blushed and hurriedly waved her hands, "No, you misunderstood, Young Master Yan and I are not..."

"Haha, I know young girls are shy, but it'll be fine once you get married and have children."

Seeing Tang Ning blush, the woman immediately teased her, acting like someone who had been through it all.

"It's really not..."

Before Tang Ning could explain further, Yan Xingzhi spoke first, smiling at the woman in blue, "May I ask, madam, why is this large county town still so bustling with activity as evening approaches?"

Knowing that no matter how much he talked, Tang Ning probably wouldn't be able to reason with this kind of woman, Yan Xingzhi interrupted and changed the subject.

"You didn't know?" The woman opened her mouth in surprise, then looked them up and down. "Young master, you two are from out of town, aren't you? Tonight is a big day in our Lanzhou City, the Lantern Festival. You can't tell yet, but the streets will be bustling with people at night, and all sorts of lanterns will be hanging on both sides of the road. I heard there will be fireworks tonight. My husband and I will bring the children over to see it after we finish delivering our things home! It only happens once a year!"

After hearing the woman's words, Tang Ning also showed a longing expression. She hadn't expected...

No, she had already thought of that.

Yan Xingzhi wanted to win her over, but bloodshed and sweat alone wouldn't be enough. That's why he deliberately controlled their travel speed and finally settled in a county town where he already knew there would be a lantern festival. Wasn't it all to spend more time with her and have more... opportunities to scheme against her?

She understood, because these were all things she had played with before.

The main question now is who is outsmarting whom.

Just as Tang Ning had expected, as soon as night fell, Yan Xingzhi took the initiative to come and ask her to go out and see the annual lantern festival that the peasant woman had mentioned.

The reason was that the county they were in was not far from the Kongshan Sect. Since they needed to rest in the county anyway, why not take the opportunity to see how grand the Lantern Festival was and relax their tense emotions from the journey?

Tang Ning nodded in agreement.

After following Yan Xingzhi out, she realized that the woman in blue had not exaggerated. The so-called Lanzhou City Lantern Festival was indeed grand. Street vendors sold all sorts of things: hot glutinous rice balls, wontons, candied hawthorns (a favorite among children), masks, calligraphy and paintings, fabrics, and so on. But the most common items sold on the roadside were lanterns.

Rabbit-shaped, lotus-shaped, all kinds, in all colors, there's something for everyone.

Everywhere you could see children and adults carrying lanterns, clapping and cheering around the acrobats who were balancing bowls on their heads and walking on stilts. In this lively atmosphere, Tang Ning squeezed in to join in the fun twice, but because her luggage that she brought from Medicine God Valley had long since disappeared with the carriage, and she didn't have much money on her, when it came time to give tips, it was Yan Xingzhi, who had been following behind her, who took out the silver.

"Steamed glutinous rice cake, so fragrant and sweet! Hey, little girl, would you like a piece?"

Just as she passed the street performer's stall, Tang Ning immediately felt a sweet fragrance wafting into her nostrils.

Looking up, Tang Ning noticed a stall not far ahead selling a dish made of red and white glutinous rice. The steaming glutinous rice was covered with red dates, candied dates, red beans, and other ingredients. Tang Ning, who had loved eating all kinds of glutinous rice dishes since she was a child, saw this food and, seeing that Yan Xingzhi beside her didn't care at all, was about to walk forward without pausing.

She hurriedly reached out and grabbed his sleeve, "Young Master Yan..."

Because she was a little embarrassed by her desire to eat, Tang Ning's face was already flushed. Her eyes, when she looked at Yan Xingzhi, seemed to shine under the surrounding lights.

Yan Xingzhi looked puzzled. He had been lost in thought about tonight's plan and didn't quite understand Tang Ning's meaning.

Tang Ning glanced at him, then looked at the steamed rice cake stall next to her.

Understanding her meaning, Yan Xingzhi couldn't help but smile. When he saw the little girl blowing on the burn while taking a bite of the pastry he had just bought from the paper bag, and then showing an extremely satisfied expression, the smile on the man's lips became even more pronounced.

But then he saw Tang Ning, who was holding a paper bag, suddenly light up her eyes as she looked ahead. Then, as if she didn't realize what she had done, she grabbed his hand and excitedly ran forward.

Throughout the run, Yan Xingzhi kept his eyes fixed on the two people's clasped hands.

The soft, smooth sensation only disappeared abruptly when it stopped.

He glanced at his hands, his eyes unreadable, and clenched them slightly. Just as he made a fist, he felt Tang Ning pat his arm. "Look, so many lanterns!"

Yan Xingzhi looked in the direction of the sound and saw a wooden frame, about the size of a house, standing above the two people. The frame was covered with lanterns of various shapes, and at the top was a lantern in the shape of a dragon and a phoenix, which was exquisitely and meticulously crafted. The dragon and the phoenix looked as if they were alive from a distance.

Just as he was looking at this, he heard the shopkeeper next to him introduce that tonight was the Lanzhou City Lantern Festival, and their lantern shop, under the leadership of the young master, had also come up with a little something special. There was a mast here, and anyone present who could take down the embroidered ball on the mast without knocking it down could choose any lantern on this lantern stand to walk on, including the dragon and phoenix at the very top.

Upon hearing this, almost everyone in the crowd was in an uproar.

After all, outsiders might not know about the dragon and phoenix lantern, but surely the people of Lanzhou know about it?

That was the prized possession of their shop. Not only that, but a salt merchant from Yangzhou once offered a high price of one thousand taels of silver for it—a whole one thousand taels!

But when they looked again at the mast, which was almost as tall as the city wall and as thick as an arm, they knew that the lantern would not be easy to carry.

Hearing the people around her discussing the dragon and phoenix lantern, Tang Ning, after taking another bite of steamed rice cake, looked up at the lantern stand in front of her and said, "That dragon and phoenix lantern is so ugly. If it were me, I would choose the one in the third row, the Jade Rabbit Embracing the Moon. It's really beautiful!"

"The Jade Rabbit Embracing the Moon?"

Yan Xingzhi murmured.

"What?"

Tang Ning, who only heard him make a sound but couldn't make out what he said, turned her head and asked with some confusion.

Tang Ning only caught a glimpse of Yan Xingzhi's slightly upturned lips before she watched as he gently pushed aside the crowd and walked to the mast that was now surrounded by people. Before anyone could react, he lightly touched the mast with his toes and effortlessly removed the embroidered ball from the top of the mast, handing it to the shopkeeper.

"Young Master Yan..."

Tang Ning stared in astonishment at what had happened in less than two seconds.

The shopkeeper, who had been so smug and confident, was astonished to see that someone had taken down the embroidered ball so quickly after he had barely spoken. They had tried countless times before, but no one could have managed to remove it from the mast. Who would have thought that…

The shopkeeper's face gradually turned pale.

After a moment of silence, the onlookers burst into applause and cheers, urging the shopkeeper to fulfill his promise and let the young master choose a lamp from the lamp stand.

With everyone's hearts set on him, the shopkeeper couldn't bring himself to refuse. After silently groaning inwardly, he was about to order someone to take down the dragon and phoenix lantern and present it to Yan Xingzhi in front of him.

He simply waved his hand, said "No need," and then leaped down like a weightless feather, landing on the lamp stand. He then personally took down the Jade Rabbit Embracing the Moon from the third row.

"Hey, what's wrong with you..."

"Exactly! Why not choose the Dragon and Phoenix, which costs a thousand taels of silver!"

...

When the onlookers saw that Yan Xingzhi had chosen a worthless jade rabbit embracing the moon lantern, they started making noise again. The shopkeeper of the lantern shop, however, breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, said that once a choice is made, it cannot be changed, and then began to congratulate Yan Xingzhi on his arrival.

Yan Xingzhi didn't mind. He simply carried the Jade Rabbit Embracing the Moon lamp, a smile on his face. He was like a white-robed immortal descending to earth with his own light, and he landed lightly in front of Tang Ning, handing the lamp to her. "Miss Tang, here is your Jade Rabbit Embracing the Moon."

Seeing the lanterns in front of her and then looking at Yan Xingzhi's flawless smile, Tang Ning's face uncontrollably flushed red.

"I……"

Before she could even say anything to refuse, the people surrounding them started cheering.

"Little girl, take it. Your husband knows you like it and specially made it for you. Hurry up and take it."

A kind old lady next to me said with a smile.

The way he looked at Tang Ning and Yan Xingzhi was as loving as if he were looking at a younger generation in his family.

"He and I aren't..."

"We are not a couple, just friends."

Tang Ning hurriedly waved her hands, but before she could even begin to explain, Yan Xingzhi had already taken over and offered this explanation.

"Okay, okay, no, no, Mother-in-law understands, she understands everything!"

Seeing that her mother-in-law looked at her with an expression that said, "You don't need to say anything, I understand everything," Tang Ning knew that no matter how she explained, the other party wouldn't listen. She immediately grabbed Yan Xingzhi's sleeve and quickly ran away.

They finally stopped and breathed a sigh of relief when they reached a place where there were fewer people.

As soon as they stopped, Yan Xingzhi smiled and handed the lantern in his hand to Tang Ning.

Upon seeing the lantern, Tang Ning immediately recalled the embarrassing scene from just now, where she couldn't even find a place to hide. She quickly waved her hand and said, "No need, really no need, Young Master Yan. I just admired how beautiful the Jade Rabbit Embracing the Moon was. I didn't really want it. I can't take this lantern!"

Don't you want it?

Yan Xingzhi frowned slightly.

Tang Ning nodded seriously, then was astonished to find that when the other person saw that she didn't want it, they were about to throw the lantern in their hand into the ditch next to them.

Startled, Tang Ning quickly stopped her, "You worked so hard to get it, you don't have to throw it away like this..."

As she spoke, she took a light breath, "It's such a pity to throw away such a beautiful lantern, so... give it to me, I want it."

After she finished speaking, she reached out and pinched the bamboo handle of the lantern, and Yan Xingzhi smiled and let go of it.

With this simple action of holding on and releasing, an unusual atmosphere suddenly arose around the two of them.

Yan Xingzhi remained silent, and Tang Ning kept her eyes fixed on the jade rabbit holding the moon in her hands, without looking up.

Finally, feeling that the atmosphere between the two was too strange, she picked up a Rakshasa mask from a mask stall nearby and began to examine it closely.

As soon as the mask stall owner saw a customer, he immediately began to enthusiastically introduce the product, saying that there had always been a rumor in Lanzhou City that on the day of the Lantern Festival, if a girl wore a mask and walked on the street, the first man to remove her mask would be her destined true love. All the girls in Lanzhou City had tried this method, and it was very effective.

Hearing the shopkeeper's words, Tang Ning found it amusing and wanted to put down the mask in her hand. However, before she could put the mask back on the stall, another hand had already taken the mask from her. The owner of the hand—Yan Xingzhi—smiled and looked at the shopkeeper behind the stall, asking about the price.

What do you need this for?

Tang Ning reached out and grabbed his sleeve, trying to stop him from paying.

Upon hearing this, Yan Xingzhi pointed to the street and said, "I was wondering about this earlier, but after the shopkeeper explained it to me, I understand why people have been assuming we're a couple all this time. It turns out it's because of this rumor. Unmarried girls in Lanzhou City wear all sorts of masks when they go out tonight. Since you're walking with me without a mask, people naturally assume you're my wife. If you're not afraid of being misunderstood, you don't have to buy the mask."

Hearing this, Tang Ning, who had no words to refute, slowly released her hand from Yan Xingzhi's sleeve, took the green-faced, fanged Rakshasa demon mask from his hand, and quietly thanked him.

But no sooner had she put on the mask than the pedestrians on the street immediately became agitated.

After listening to their conversation, Tang Ning realized that there would be fireworks to watch by the river later. In this ancient society with extremely low productivity, apart from the Lantern Festival in Lanzhou City, many people would probably never see fireworks in their entire lives because fireworks were extremely expensive to make, and even during the Lantern Festival, one had to rely on luck to see a fireworks display.

How could we not get excited?

Tang Ning, who knew the reason, didn't even have time to say a word to Yan Xingzhi beside her before a commotion swept her away from him by the crowd.

"Young Master Yan!"

Amidst the surging crowd, she hurriedly turned around and called out to him.

"Miss Tang!"

When Yan Xingzhi saw that Tang Ning had been pushed away right under his nose without him noticing, a look of anxiety rose on his face. However, with so many unarmed ordinary people who didn't even know martial arts, he really couldn't use his martial arts skills, because it was easy to accidentally hurt someone.

Left with no other choice, he climbed onto a side of the house, and upon seeing a white figure, he immediately landed and grabbed the person's shoulder.

Before he could even ask, a tall, burly man jumped out from the side and slapped his hand away, shouting, "What are you doing!"

"Da Niu, I don't know him!"

At the same time, the masked woman in white hurriedly spoke up to disclaim any involvement.

The completely unfamiliar voice made Yan Xingzhi realize that he had most likely mistaken the person for someone else.

Afterwards, he searched for several more women in white wearing masks, but he couldn't find the right one. Yan Xingzhi was getting a little anxious.

When he finally saw a woman with an exceptionally slender waist standing by the river, he approached her with a mixture of surprise and doubt. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she instinctively turned around. Yan Xingzhi, eager to confirm whether he had found the right person, reached out and removed the Rakshasa ghost masks from both of them.

The instant Tang Ning's face appeared in front of him, a loud bang rang out, and a firework suddenly exploded above their heads.

"It's fireworks!"

Tang Ning, who had originally wanted to greet Yan Xingzhi, quickly pulled him to her side, pointed to the fireworks that were constantly blooming across the river, and said excitedly.

"So beautiful!"

Tang Ning's pupils were so dark and bright that they reflected the fireworks as if they were blooming in her eyes.

Yan Xingzhi, who had never seen such a beautiful sight before, felt a tightness in his chest. He quickly looked away from her face, but tightly gripped the Rakshasa mask he had just removed. The mask stall owner's words suddenly came to mind.

After a long while, he scoffed to himself, not knowing who he was laughing at, and the feeling of palpitation he had just felt quickly disappeared.

Yan Xingzhi's current favorability rating: -72.

It wasn't easy!

Tang Ning, her eyes glued to the fireworks and never looking away, slightly raised the corners of her mouth.

The fireworks display quickly came to an end, and so did their evening stroll with the lanterns.

Carrying the Jade Rabbit Moon Lantern, which she had protected well even in the crowded conditions, Tang Ning followed behind Yan Xingzhi, heading towards the inn under the moonlight.

With Yan Xingzhi around, how could she possibly have a perfect and wonderful lantern festival trip? Besides, this place is already very close to the Kongshan Sect.

Therefore, Tang Ning was not surprised at all when she was once again ambushed by a group of men in black in an alley.

Seeing Yan Xingzhi struggling to deal with the assassins due to poisoning, she shouted "Be careful!" and the next second she was standing in front of her. At the same time, the attacker slashed at his chest without hesitation. Although Yan Xingzhi had already drawn his soft sword to block, the tip of the sword still cut a shallow wound on his chest.

As a result, he pulled Tang Ning down to the ground with him. Tang Ning, whose cheek hit his wound, stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the red, gourd-shaped, thumb-sized birthmark that was now visible on his chest.

"Who are you……"

She guessed right!

But then a flash of cold light appeared, and the man in black was about to bring his long sword down again.

Yan Xingzhi was about to push her away when Tang Ning, who had just recovered from her shock, reached out and hugged him tightly, "No..."

Looking incredulously at Tang Ning, who was clinging to him tightly, Yan Xingzhi even forgot for a moment to hold her and dodge the falling blade.

Fortunately, a familiar, stern voice rang out behind them at that moment, "Stop!"

At the same time, a long sword was thrown rapidly, severing the long sabers above their heads.

Then came the sounds of fighting that filled Tang Ning's ears, but Tang Ning just held Yan Xingzhi tightly beneath her, her body trembling slightly.

Only when the sounds of fighting subsided did she hear that all-too-familiar voice again coming from behind her.

"Ningning."

Upon hearing this sound, Tang Ning opened her eyes as if waking from a dream. She looked up and met Yan Xingzhi's dark and deep eyes. Turning back, she met Fang Yunyang's worried and anxious eyes, which also showed a hint of uncertainty.

"Yunyang...brother..."

She called out, both surprised and delighted.

Seeing the smile on Tang Ning's face, Fang Yunyang finally raised the corners of his mouth and slowly raised his arms, "Ningning, come here."

Upon hearing this, Tang Ning glanced at Yan Xingzhi beneath her, bit her lip slightly, and got up to run towards Fang Yunyang, who was not far away.

The moment she was embraced, the jade rabbit embracing the moon lantern she had been holding fell to the ground and broke.

Fang Yunyang, who had just embraced Tang Ning, relaxed his tense emotions. He didn't know what was wrong with him. After seeing Ningning hug Brother Yan, he had been filled with an indescribable feeling of suffocation and panic. He knew they didn't mean it, just like he and Qingqing, but he just felt uncomfortable...

Yan Xingzhi's gaze lingered on the lantern for a long while before he finally lowered his eyes slightly, concealing the mockery and understanding within.

Meanwhile, Tang Ning, who was tightly embracing Fang Yunyang, heard 54088 report that Yan Xingzhi's favorability rating had just increased from -72 to -50, and then dropped to -65 after Fang Yunyang hugged her and she smashed the lantern. Now it kept changing, making it impossible to accurately measure his favorability rating.

Tang Ning raised the corners of her mouth high.

The favorability rating fluctuates, but it's completely unimportant now.

Because she had just confirmed a guess that had been lingering in her mind ever since she finished watching the plot.

The person who saved Tang Ning from the clutches of the Eastern Depot when she was young was never Fang Yunyang, but Yan Xingzhi, who was then called Ye Yu.

Therefore, in the story, the original owner always felt that Yan Xingzhi looked so kind after meeting him, and was so easily tricked by him and fell completely in love with him.

Therefore, everyone was wrong from the very beginning: Fang Yunyang was wrong, Yan Xingzhi was wrong, and the original owner of this body was wrong too.

She shouldn't have been engaged to Fang Yunyang in the first place!

From childhood to adulthood, the little brother who saved her, whom she had always longed for, was not Fang Yunyang at all.

However, in the story, she never knew until her death that she had mistaken someone for someone else.

Oh.

Author's Note: When it comes to who's more miserable than the original Tang Ning!

Yuan Tangning: Author, I'm going to write the word "tragic" on your leg! [Blood and Tears]

This is the initial concept, hahaha! Finally finished writing it! Did some of you already figure it out?