Chapter 11

In ancient times, lamplight was considered yang and water was considered yin; a lamp floating on water symbolized "harmony between yin and yang."

People write down the misfortunes and illnesses of the year on slips of paper, place them under lamps, and ask the eastward flowing water to carry away all the bad luck, praying for peace and health for their living relatives.

The Lantern Festival in Yuedu was a great success.

Heading to the bridge, you can rent a small boat for just a few dollars and take a ferry across the river surrounded by two banks. Three thousand lights float around the boat, and passengers can choose the right moment to put their river lanterns into the water, letting the light blend into the world around them.

Despite Wen Yuan's objections, Shi Mingyue boarded the boat.

"Miss, this is too dangerous. What if we can't see clearly at night... how will we explain this when we get home?" Wen Yuan was timid and remembered the Shi family's instructions, so she didn't dare let Shi Mingyue take any risks.

"We finally get to go out, wouldn't it be a waste to miss this beautiful time..."

Shi Mingyue stood at the bow of the painted boat, her moon-white fox-fur cloak billowing slightly in the night wind, like a half-moon falling on the water.

The moment she opened her mouth was like a newly melted snowflake suddenly falling from the eaves of the Imperial Street, striking the bronze lamp with a clear, cold sound.

Sitting on the boat, Shi Mingyue watched the lantern market gradually recede into the distance. Suddenly, the river widened, and thousands of river lanterns floated like a slowly flowing galaxy.

The light from the river lanterns shone up from below, a mix of golden and orange-red, tracing patterns on her chin, neck, and fingertips, as if draping her in a soft, shimmering veil in the night.

The old boatman kept the oars very low as he worked, intending to work diligently and get the boat to shore as quickly as possible so he could pick up the next passenger.

But just as he looked up to catch his breath, his gaze met that crimson shadow at the bow of the boat—the moon was extremely beautiful at that moment. The old boatman, who had lived for more than fifty years, understood for the first time what "a fleeting glimpse of beauty" meant, and what "a color that should not exist in the human world" meant.

"Miss, compose a poem before the boat docks. The best poem will win a pair of exquisite mandarin duck jade pendants. Miss, you are so talented, why not give it a try?"

Wen Yuan's eyes gleamed, and as if she had planned this all along, she took out paper and pen from her bosom.

"Is it something you want?"

Shi Mingyue smiled slightly and took the paper and pen.

"I know Miss is the best to me." Wen Yuan tugged at Shi Mingyue's wrist and acted coquettishly. Those jade pendants were so beautiful.

"Miss, it seems someone has already gotten the jade pendant." The boatman suddenly remembered something and quickly stepped forward to speak.

"Um?"

The pen in her hand suddenly stopped in mid-air, and Shi Mingyue blinked, her gaze falling on the boatman.

"This is it. I think that person wrote it really well, so I copied it down."

He quickly handed over the note he was holding. He was over forty years old and not very well-educated, but he was still amazed by the man's literary talent after reading the poem.

Shi Mingyue held the letter in her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly, as if touching still-warm stardust.

The lamplight shone up from below, revealing a line of small characters on the paper.

"In the north there is a beautiful woman, peerless and independent."

"One glance could topple a city, a second glance could topple a nation."

The verses praising the beauty's "ethereal" appearance suddenly caught her eye; the ink still carried the scent of freshly ground pine soot, as if it had just dripped from the tip of the brush.

"This is so well written..."

Shi Mingyue praised her repeatedly, even her breathing became softer, and she used her fingertips to trace the strokes very slowly, inch by inch, her movements light and gentle.

She savored the memory several times, and finally, she held the note in her palm and quietly pressed it to her chest—the lamplight shone through the back of the paper, revealing the slightly trembling outline of her finger bones and a burning, secret moon.

Shi Mingyue's eyelashes drooped, and the flickering lamplight concealed the sudden surge of emotion in her eyes.

Wen Yuan noticed that her young mistress's cheeks seemed a little red, the flush sliding down to her ears, making her soft bones look red as well.

What are you looking at?

Shi Mingyue sensed Wen Yuan's gaze. Her lips tightened at first, then quietly relaxed, like the first pear blossom in a spring night hesitantly unfolding in the wind.

"Miss, are you feeling a little hot?" Wen Yuan asked curiously.

"No, I just think this poem is very well written..." A smile lingered on her lips, but didn't fall.

"In the north there is a beautiful woman, peerless and independent..."

The girl looked up, her eyes crinkling as she gazed at the bright moon in the sky. She hadn't read such a beautiful poem in a long time.

...

Yun Zhan and 21 also rented a small boat and followed behind Shi Mingyue.

"Yun Zhan, you've had your fun, haven't you?" 21 snorted a few times. Sure enough, good memory is worse than good writing skills. Just randomly bringing a poem from the original world is a game-changer here.

"Luckily, we're not from the same world, or it would have been incredibly embarrassing." Yun Zhan tucked the jade pendant into his pocket. Why not take it when you have the chance? This jade pendant was made of the finest mutton-fat jade.

As Shi Mingyue stood at the bow of the boat, a sudden loud noise shattered the beautiful and tranquil atmosphere around her.

The ship suddenly exploded, the flames initially blindingly white, then bursting into a massive, crimson wave that tore through the hull, carrying splinters of wood, nails, and scorching sparks.

Shi Mingyue suddenly felt her feet sink into the ground, and all sound went out in her ears with a "buzz," leaving only her heart pounding wildly in her throat.

"Miss! Grab me!"

Wen Yuan was startled and, disregarding her own safety, climbed to Shi Mingyue's side. She reached out to Shi Mingyue with all her might, but the flimsy boat veered off course at that moment.

The shock from the second explosion made Wen Yuan's ears ring. After being hit on the back of the head by a falling plank, Wen Yuan felt dizzy and then collapsed unconscious onto the ship.

"Wen Yuan!"

Icy water poured into her collar, cuffs, mouth, and nose from all directions. Shi Mingyue was terrified and helpless. She couldn't swim at all. The feeling of her clothes becoming heavy as lead after soaking up the water pulled her into the realm of near death.

"Don't move, let me hold you." A steady voice came from behind Shi Mingyue.

Yun Zhan reached out and firmly gripped Shi Mingyue's wet wrist; the force was extremely steady, pulling her back from the icy abyss.

"Whoosh—"

Yun Zhan was grabbed by the terrified Shi Mingyue, and the two of them were plunged into the icy water at the same time.

In the darkness, Yun Zhan's arms were his only lifeline, his burning palms pressed against Shi Mingyue's cool skin.

Shi Mingyue leaned against Yun Zhan's arm, surrounded by a great sense of security, and her restless heart quietly settled down.

Shi Mingyue, her hair still wet, turned her doe-like eyes and saw Yun Zhan's face.

Yun Zhan's delicate features resembled a landscape painting, and water dripped from his chin, flowing down his fair neck and into the stream.

Yun Zhan appeared calm, but his eyes were as deep as a moonless abyss, reflecting only the shadow of the bright moon, a tiny point that filled the entire night.

"Don't be afraid, I can swim. You just need to hold me and you'll be safe." Yun Zhan didn't say much more, and slowly swam towards the shore, supporting Shi Mingyue by the waist.

"Hold on tighter, I don't have the strength to hold you back."

"good..."

Shi Mingyue was still afraid. Her fingertips tightened with fear, and she couldn't help but curl up Yun Zhan's collar, as if grasping the last piece of driftwood, or as if grasping the only wick that hadn't gone out on the entire Lantern Festival night.

...

shore

Yun Zhan brought Shi Mingyue up. Shi Mingyue covered her forehead and her steps were unsteady. She had only taken a few steps when she fell straight forward, but fortunately Yun Zhan reacted quickly and caught her.

"Why are you dizzy again?" Yun Zhan placed her on the pile of stones. She was rescued in time and didn't choke on much water.

"He was probably scared, and his emotions were too volatile." 21 guessed, after all, he had just come back from the brink of death.

"But you're really brave, daring to jump in to save someone without any life-saving equipment. Do you know how many people have lost their lives instead of saving others?" 21 muttered a few words.

In 21's memory, Yun Zhan had always been a guy who wasn't afraid of death.

"She's the female lead. How can I complete my mission if she dies?" Yun Zhan checked her breathing. Hmm... she's still alive, she's probably just passed out.

"She's such a delicate porcelain doll... Is there any medicine that can wake her up?" Yun Zhan asked, worried that something might happen if she remained unconscious.

"Yes." 21 took out a bottle of medicine for Yun Zhan from her spatial storage.

This medicine was taken from a cultivation novel script. One bottle completely eliminates negative effects on the body; it's incredibly effective.

Yun Zhan held Shi Mingyue in his arms. The fainting Shi Mingyue was as delicate as a white lotus that had been knocked down by a sudden rain, and she lay softly in Yun Zhan's arms.

The girl's wet hair clung to her snowy cheeks, water droplets rolled down her eyelashes, and her lips had faded to a faint pink. Even in her sickly appearance, she was still stunningly beautiful.

"What if she can't drink it?" Yun Zhan tried, but Shi Mingyue's teeth were too tight to open, and the little bit he fed her just flowed out of the corner of her mouth.

"Why don't you feed her with your mouth?" 21 said, making a startling statement.

"If you can't offer opinions, then don't." Yun Zhan said with a dark face, telling 21 to shut up.

"How could I just kiss such a precious young lady? Even if I were to put it another way, I couldn't do it myself..."

She thinks Shi Mingyue is beautiful, but her opinion remains purely appreciative, without any ulterior motives. If there were another way to save Shi Mingyue, she would absolutely not choose to kiss her.

"Well, in that case, I have a magical medicine-feeding device here. Just put the tool on her lips, and it will mimic the 'flower kiss therapy,' making it feel like feeding her medicine mouth-to-mouth."

"This one is alright."

Yun Zhan placed the medicine into the tool and gently applied it to Shi Mingyue's lips.

Shi Mingyue had not completely lost consciousness. In the darkness, her senses were amplified, and the soft, warm touch on her lips sent a shiver through her body.

She hadn't expected to be kissed, and before her shock could even form, it was swallowed up by Yun Zhan's warm breath, turning into a barely audible sob.

The medicine wasn't bitter; on the contrary, it had a slightly sweet taste. Carrying Yun Zhan's scent, Shi Mingyue obediently swallowed it all...