Chapter 147 Holding Hands "Looking into your eyes, I knew it..."

He Ming believed that his answer would satisfy Zhu Liushuang.

To her surprise, she wrinkled her nose and said coquettishly, "No, besides taking pictures of me, you also have to take pictures of A-Yu!"

He couldn't avoid mentioning Tian Xingyu, and he felt a pang of jealousy, but there was nothing he could do.

Who could blame him when Tian Xingyu was Zhu Liushuang's best friend? Whatever his wife said, went. Although he had no dating experience, he knew the importance of pleasing his partner's best friend. So he readily agreed, "Okay, okay, we'll film until you're satisfied."

"Quick... hurry and get the camera! If we don't leave now, it'll be too late..."

Under Zhu Liushuang's direction, He Ming quickly went back to his room to retrieve his DSLR camera.

The lights in the house went out, and the two of them, hand in hand, left the house.

As Zhu Liushuang went downstairs, she skipped and jumped with great joy. He Ming, who was beside her, thoughtfully took out his phone and tapped Ye Xingzhi's WeChat profile picture as they walked.

"Don't look at your phone while walking up the stairs, you might trip and fall," Zhu Liushuang said, shaking her clasped hands.

Caught off guard by the reminder, He Ming immediately put his phone back in his pocket and explained, "Um... I just replied to a work message."

"Even during the Chinese New Year, the client still won't let you off the hook?"

He Ming smiled, using a silent response to mask his guilty conscience.

————

Shoushan Temple is not far from Donghu Community; it only takes about 15 minutes to drive there.

On the contrary, it takes about ten minutes to walk from the parking lot to the Spring Festival market at the foot of the mountain.

Fortunately, this winding stone path was not rugged.

The roadside is adorned with all sorts of handmade lanterns, which, from a distance, resemble a gilded dragon radiating a mesmerizing glow in the dark night. Those who are there feel as if they have stepped into a dazzling, dreamlike world.

"That rabbit lantern is so cute!" Zhu Liushuang's gaze was drawn to the lanterns along the way. "The carp lantern is beautiful too. Ah Ming, its tail can actually move!"

"Yes, they both look good." Gazing at the woman's pretty profile, He Ming tightened his grip on her little finger. There were many pedestrians on the road, and he was afraid that the two of them would be separated if they weren't careful, so he said, "Shuangshuang, walk slowly."

Zhu Liushuang verbally agreed, but her feet flew away as fast as her heart.

She grabbed He Ming's hand and jogged forward, her breath coming out in puffs of white air: "Running will keep me warm..."

Running along, squeezing through the bustling crowds, the two arrived at the entrance of the Lunar New Year market.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of the New Year, the caramelized scent of roasted chestnuts, the delicate fragrance of plum blossom dumplings, and the sweet aroma of roasted sweet potatoes... The bustling sounds of people echoed in my ears, the loud shouts of vendors and the laughter of children chasing and playing intertwined, adding even more liveliness to the New Year's atmosphere.

Passing through the lacquered wooden archway adorned with red and colorful decorations, a street resembling a long ribbon unfolds before your eyes.

Looking up, everything was vermilion. The stall canopies were vermilion, the bedding was vermilion, and the strings of small lanterns hanging there were also vermilion. The bright yellow lights illuminated the street with a warm glow, and also shone a festive and peaceful light into the hearts of every passerby.

It was a rare occasion for Zhu Liushuang to go out on New Year's Eve, and she was overwhelmed by the sights.

She walked and looked around, not visiting many stalls, but her bag was filled with quite a few trinkets. Silk flowers, earrings, necklaces... He Ming insisted on paying for all of these for her.

After walking a while, the two of them were both stopped by a stall that was giving away lanterns for guessing riddles.

Red silk riddles hung from the ceiling, and crystal-clear wind chimes swayed in the wind. The stall owner, dressed in a maroon Hanfu, held a hand warmer while soliciting customers.

"Ah Ming, the carp lantern in the middle looks just like the one we saw on the way here!" With a crowd gathered around, Zhu Liushuang excitedly jumped up to look.

"Do you want it?" He Ming whispered in her ear.

Zhu Liushuang naturally wanted to, and she looked at him and said, "Hmm, how about we go and guess too? But... I heard from the people ahead that it seems a bit difficult."

"How will you know if you don't try?" He Ming interrupted her hesitation, immediately grabbed her wrist, and pushed through the crowd toward the riddle stall.

As soon as we approached, we heard the stall owner ask with a charming smile, "Are you two here to guess riddles too?"

Zhu Liushuang nodded, then pointed to the fish lantern behind the stall owner and asked, "Boss, can I get that carp lantern for free if I guess the riddle correctly?"

The stall owner put down the heater and said loudly, "Beautiful lady, you have excellent taste. This koi lantern you've chosen is the prized possession of my stall. It's purely handmade; the frame is shaped from bamboo, the scales covering the fish are made of colorful silk, and the eyes and tail are covered with gold foil. It takes several days to make just one of these lanterns. So... getting one won't be easy."

"How is it not easy?" He Ming asked at the opportune moment.

The stall owner noticed that the two had come hand in hand and raised an eyebrow, saying, "You can only win if both of you simultaneously guess the most difficult pair of riddles at this stall. Let me make this clear beforehand: no secretly checking your phones, and no helping each other. You each need to guess your own riddles... You have one minute."

"This is way too difficult!"

"Isn't this a clear indication that they don't want to send the fish lanterns?"

Before Zhu Liushuang and He Ming could express their opinions, the onlookers started criticizing them.

The stall owner remained unaffected by the murmurs and smiled faintly at the handsome man and beautiful woman in front of him: "Still want to guess?"

With the thought that it wouldn't cost anything to try, Zhu Liushuang readily nodded: "Guess!"

"Look, the riddle is right above you, those two crimson ones..."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Liushuang and He Ming both looked up at the same time.

She tiptoed and looked up, softly reciting: "Holding the elixir of nine years, if we part, all will be clear. Sending you off to the herb-shrouded retreat, do you know the delicate jade fingers behind your hand? Guess four characters..."

Following closely behind was He Ming's gentle, soothing voice: "Spring departs amidst the flowing waters, the sun's transformation in the west can accompany immortals. We pledge our hearts to each other, when will we grow old together with silver hair..."

After reading her own riddle, Zhu Liu's eyes flickered slightly, and she vaguely had an answer in her heart. It seems... not too difficult! There was still some time to spare, so she turned to look at He Ming's riddle. After pondering it for a while, she discovered that the answers to these two riddles were also a pair.

Unfortunately, she couldn't immediately tell He Ming the answer she had guessed. She could only gaze at him longingly, trying to convey the answer to his eyes with her thoughts.

The man beside her, who had been silent, was instantly amused by her expectant look: "You guessed it?"

Zhu Liu confidently hummed in agreement: "And you?"

“I think I have an answer…” He Ming looked back at her gently.

At that moment, they seemed to have completely forgotten that there were many pedestrians standing and watching behind them.

The two pairs of eyes that looked at each other were filled with tender affection.

"Time's up... You two can now reveal the answer to the riddle."

As soon as the stall owner finished speaking, Zhu Liushuang and He Ming exchanged a knowing smile and then blurted out the answer they had been keeping in mind.

"Holding your hand."

"To grow old together."

As if it had been rehearsed beforehand, he deliberately spoke two seconds later than her, so that his solemn vow could be delivered smoothly.

"Congratulations to you two! You are the first customers to guess the riddle at our stall. In addition to the koi lantern, I'd also like to present you with a twin lotus flower, wishing you both a long and happy life together."

As soon as the stall owner let out a hearty laugh, Zhu Liushuang immediately turned to look at He Ming.

The smile on her lips remained wide open, and her eyes sparkled with joy, as if she were about to burst with happiness at any moment.

“Ah Ming…” she called him softly, almost instinctively.

The joy of victory spurred her to move closer to him, her toes involuntarily rising to her feet. Perhaps in the next second, her eager lips would press against his half-lit profile.

However, someone brought her back from her impulsiveness in time.

"That's amazing..."

"They actually guessed it!"

"Tsk tsk... Not only is she good-looking, but she's also so smart..."

...

The surrounding chatter fell like a gentle rain, extinguishing the flame of smugness in Zhu Liushuang's heart.

She curled her fingertips, withdrew her overly intense gaze, and hid the sudden blush in her eyes.

"Thank you, boss." Her gaze swept hastily over the twin lotus lantern made of thin silk, and she stiffly accepted it.

He Ming probably knew she was shy, so he quickly took the other koi lantern.

"There are so many people here, let's go look somewhere else..." she muttered softly, touching her burning ears, without even daring to lift her head.

The man replied "okay," then put his long arm around her shoulder, and quickly led her away from the sight of the onlookers.

The laughter and whispers around them hadn't completely faded when the gently swaying lamps in mid-air touched each other, emitting a soft, warm light. Zhu Liushuang leaned against He Ming's chest, following his steps forward.

"Ah Ming, how did you guess that?" she asked him softly.

The man slowed his pace and said, "I could tell just by looking into your eyes."

"Huh?" Zhu Liushuang exclaimed in surprise, "I was actually planning to reveal the answer to you with my mind..."

"Hmm, I understand your feelings..." The man reached out and touched her smooth cheek, saying meaningfully, "To hold your hand and grow old together."

Zhu Liushuang paused for a moment before realizing what she had said, then said embarrassedly, "Ugh, who wants to confess to you..."

“It’s me, I want to be with you…” He Ming released her shoulders and took her hand again, “holding hands to admire the beautiful scenery, and growing old together.”

...

The young couple here are all lovey-dovey and affectionate.

Over there, a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman walked side by side at the other end of the Lunar New Year market. The only difference was that the two of them clearly didn't get along, and their faces showed some awkwardness and strangeness.

"I said... Ye Xingzhi, can you please stop following me!" Tian Xingyu's pace quickened, almost to the point of running.

"Am I following you?" Ye Xingzhi quickened his pace, speaking rapidly. "Is this a wide road only for you to walk on?"

Tian Xingyu pouted, not wanting to get entangled with him, so she made a "please" gesture: "Okay, then you go first, I won't block your way."

Upon hearing this, Ye Xingzhi stopped. He looked at the arrogant woman in front of him with a leisurely air, then suddenly chuckled, "It's been two months since we last met. Can we not act like we've just exploded with anger? It's New Year's Eve today, what a coincidence... How about we go for a walk together!"

"I have an appointment," Tian Xingyu said, her tone becoming more subdued.

"You've made an appointment with Zhu Liushuang, haven't you?" Ye Xingzhi asked confidently.

Tian Xingyu deliberately contradicted him: "No... I made an appointment with a man. What... you want to help me vet him?"

Ye Xingzhi continued, seemingly unconcerned: "Of course Liu Shuang wants to spend some time alone with He Ming! They're out having fun, what are you doing, a third wheel? You might as well... come and brighten my day?"

Tian Xingyu glanced at him: "Ye Xingzhi—I advise you to stop trying to sow discord between us best friends."

Ye Xingzhi stopped smirking and was about to explain when he saw Tian Xingyu abandon him and run off without looking back. He glanced into the distance and saw two figures, one tall and one short, walking towards him.

The flickering lamplight illuminated two perfectly matched faces.

I didn't mean to be a third wheel...

Ye Xingzhi silently recited a sentence in his heart, and then ran forward after Tian Xingyu's back.

-----------------------

Author's Note: The riddles in this chapter are from the internet.

[Lop-eared rabbit head] Sorry for the wait, let's enjoy some sweets...