Chapter 16 Chapter 16 A fleeting kiss.
On the day of the temple fair, Nie Xiangyi dressed up exquisitely.
Her forehead was decorated with gold foil, her lips were painted red, and she wore a long litmus-colored pomegranate dress that made her skin look whiter than snow, making her look extremely bright and beautiful.
The Flower God Temple Fair is a lively festival in the capital. Many families go to the Flower God Temple on this day to make wishes, which are said to be very effective.
On this day, there are not only social performances and acrobatics, but also a market that stretches for several streets. At night, there are fireworks that illuminate the starry sky.
Nie Xiangyi remembered going to the Flower God Temple Fair with her mother when she was a child, but the memory was so distant that even she felt it was a little vague.
Shanzhou is a border area and there is no such lively temple fair.
She arrived at the Flower God Temple in the east of the city with great anticipation. Although it was still early, the place was already crowded with people.
The Flower God Tree is densely packed with tokens, including handkerchiefs, sachets, and hairbands, which are the wishes that people make with expectations.
As the spring breeze blows, the tokens on the tree jingle, like a grand wind chime or petals that never fade.
Nie Xiangyi looked at the keepsakes, old and new, and said, "My mother must have made a wish back then! I just don't know what wish she made, nor what keepsake she left behind..."
"Young lady, you're missing your wife." Han Xu saw her slightly wistful expression and coaxed her gently, "Flowers are the same year after year, why don't you make a wish yourself!"
Nie Xiangyi thought about it, took out a jade pendant from her bosom as a token of trust, closed her eyes and made a wish very devoutly.
She was about to hang the jade pendant on the Flower God Tree, but she found that the surrounding branches were all hung with tokens, leaving no space at all.
After circling the Flower God Tree, she finally caught a glimpse of a bunch of slightly taller branches.
So she stood on tiptoe, stretched out her hand and tried hard to hang the jade pendant on the branch.
Just when the pair of white hands were about to touch the high branches, a big hand suddenly appeared behind them and easily hung a purse there.
"Don't you have eyes? Didn't you see that I was the one who hung up first?" Nie Xiangyi turned around angrily and cursed the unreasonable person behind him.
But after seeing who it was, her eyes widened and she was furious, "Why is it always you!"
It’s Wang Hezhang again!
"Last time before that it was a book, and the time before that it was a hairpin. This time I'm hanging a token and you're trying to steal my territory!" Nie Xiangyi glared at him angrily, "Are you doing this on purpose?"
Wang Hezhang always blushed, his eyes wandering, "You...why don't you just hang over there..."
There was still space next to the purse he was hanging, just enough for Nie Xiangyi to hang it.
Nie Xiangyi snorted heavily upon seeing this, and said in a domineering tone, "Move your purse in! I want to hang on the top of the tree!"
Wang Hezhang quickly reached out and moved his purse a little further in, then asked, "Can I help you hang it?"
"I don't need your help! I can do it myself!" Nie Xiangyi raised his head and stood on tiptoe again.
Beneath the Flower God Tree, the young girl tilted her head back, revealing a jade-like arm. She stood on tiptoe, her expression serious and stubborn, struggling to hang the jade pendant on the treetop.
After a while, she withdrew her hand in disappointment, "Forget it, then help me hang up."
Upon hearing this, Wang Hezhang hurriedly took the jade pendant and solemnly hung it on the treetop.
Looking at the two tokens that were very close to each other, a faint blush appeared on Wang Hezhang's handsome cheeks.
"Miss Nie!" He saw Nie Xiangyi turning to leave, and hurriedly followed her and called her, his cheeks flushed. "Miss, are you going to watch the fireworks tonight? I've reserved a table at the Moon Viewing Tower."
Nie Xiangyi blinked and shook his head, "I already have an appointment."
Wang Hezhang looked slightly disappointed. He couldn't help but think of the rumors he'd heard recently, some unknown source of which said that the eldest daughter of the Nie family was obsessed with the Third Prince.
He asked cautiously, "Is it the Third Prince?"
"How do you know?" Nie Xiangyi frowned in dissatisfaction, but did not deny it.
Wang Hezhang's expression darkened slightly. He didn't directly answer her question, but said sincerely, "It may be difficult for the young lady to wait for His Highness."
"What do you mean?"
"During every festival, the Divine Strategy Department is bound to be busy. His Highness the Third Prince will personally lead the Divine Strategy Guards to patrol the area. Even New Year's Eve and the Lantern Festival are no exception."
Nie Xiangyi tilted his head curiously. "Isn't curfew patrol also the responsibility of the Five Cities Military Department? Using the Divine Strategy Guards is a waste of talent, isn't it?"
The last time the Shen Ce Guards sealed off the Ghost Market, it was already very strange.
Wang Hezhang shook his head. "The remnants of the King of Jin continue to cause trouble, and they love to commit crimes in crowded times like this. The Divine Strategy Guards must be on standby at all times to deter everyone."
Nie Xiangyi pursed his lips, then quickly cheered up, "It's okay! I'll wait for Your Highness!"
Seeing that she insisted, Wang Hezhang didn't say anything more.
But he still refused to give up. He paused, looking at Nie Xiangyi's plump cheeks, "It's okay if we don't watch the fireworks. It's still early, and I heard the market over at the covered bridge is very lively, selling all kinds of things. Miss Nie, why don't you come with me to go shopping?"
Nie Xiangyi finally became interested, "Okay! Let's go!"
The covered bridge is located near the eastern city wall, spanning the moat. Every year during festivals, there is always a night market here, which takes up the entire bridge surface.
The bridge is brightly lit, reflecting the sparkling water of the river at night, creating a scene in itself.
Although it is not dark yet, vendors from all over the place are already here, selling flowers, birds, fish, insects, silks, pearls and jades, which are always dazzling.
This lively scene made Nie Xiangyi mutter to herself, "I'm not going to buy any agate cups this time."
Wang Hezhang just laughed, "Even if you want to buy it, you can't buy it here!"
There were many people at the temple fair, so Xie Zhi led the Shen Ce Guards to guard the city wall to prevent any unusual movements.
He suddenly stopped and his eyes fell on the covered bridge.
Even though there were many people around, he still spotted Nie Xiangyi at a glance.
The girl, with delicate makeup and bright and beautiful clothes, happily shuttled among the crowd, like a red fish, and from time to time stopped curiously in front of each stall.
But the young man following her looked very annoying.
It’s Wang Wulang again.
"I'm waiting for Your Highness at the Moon Viewing Tower in the east of the city!" The girl's cheerful voice seemed to still be in her ears.
But she was waiting for more than just him.
Fickle.
Xie Zhi watched coldly from the city wall. Wang Wulang even attentively helped her carry the various gadgets she bought from the stall. He sneered coldly.
He watched coldly as the two of them walked from sunset to moonrise, from one end of the covered bridge to the other.
The girl is always like an energetic kitten, always attracted by all kinds of new things.
Is Wang Wulang also her new toy?
Xie Zhi's gaze was as silent as the cold white moonlight. Under the bright lights, he looked at the two people on the corridor bridge, who looked like a perfect couple.
"The fireworks are about to start!" Wang Hezhang looked at the excited Nie Xiangyi and asked, "Since the Third Prince isn't here, why don't you and I enjoy the fireworks together? Such a magnificent sight deserves to be enjoyed with someone!"
Unexpectedly, Nie Xiangyi just shook her head stubbornly and said, "Thank you for your kindness. But I have to wait for His Highness."
Wang Hezhang looked slightly disappointed after being rejected. He forced a smile and said, "Whatever."
The Moon Viewing Tower is the tallest octagonal tower in Beijing. Most of the tower is used for banquets and entertainment, except for the top floor, which is a place for scholars to watch the stars and the moon.
High-ranking officials from all over the world had already booked private rooms in the Moon Viewing Tower, just for today's fireworks spectacle. Nie Xiangyi was no exception.
She and Wang Hezhang waved goodbye at Guanyue Tower, and then waited for Xie Zhi's arrival.
The fireworks at the Flower God Temple Fair start at the hour of Xu and end at the hour of Hai, with a full display every two quarters of an hour.
With a loud bang, brilliant fireworks exploded in the night sky, illuminating the sky as if it were daytime. The fireworks twinkled like stars, and in a flash, spring filled the air as they landed on the ground.
When will His Highness come?
She pushed open the carved wooden window with anticipation, and the brilliant fireworks seemed to be right in front of her, within reach.
The fireworks in the night sky bloomed again and again, and the girl stretched her neck and looked out again and again.
She never got to see the figure she had been thinking about day and night.
The joyful anticipation gradually dissipated with the passage of time and turned into anxiety and fear of loss.
Will His Highness come again? Nie Xiangyi thought with some disappointment, as he had never promised her in the first place.
But it's just my own expectation.
It was almost the end of the hour of Hai, and that was the last fireworks display.
Fireworks fade quickly. It was already late at night, and the crowds watching the fireworks gathered and dispersed. Only a few vendors were left packing up their stalls. The bustling market just a moment ago gradually became empty and cold.
Nie Xiangyi was still waiting stubbornly.
Until the last firework exploded in the air with a bang, through the window of the building, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a graceful figure as beautiful as bamboo and jade.
"Your Highness!"
Her lost heart suddenly began to beat violently.
Under the brilliant night sky, Xie Zhi stood tall and graceful, just as he had been when they first met in Shanzhou.
The sound of fireworks drowned out her cries, but Xie Zhi still suddenly looked up at her, as if they had a tacit understanding at that moment.
She looked into Xie Zhi's dark eyes, with their usual coldness and aloofness, isolated and alone in the bustling surroundings.
Nie Xiangyi lifted her skirt and ran downstairs towards him.
"Your Highness! We've been waiting for you!"
Xie Zhi just watched the girl under the fireworks running towards him with her skirt lifted up, like a fluttering butterfly, her eyes sparkling.
He pursed his lips and said, "Just passing by."
He didn't know why he ended up here.
Every year on New Year's Eve and the Lantern Festival, there would be fireworks in the palace, but he never stopped to watch.
Such a passionate and gorgeous thing should not be liked by a cold and ascetic person like him who was taught by etiquette and dogma.
However, Nie Xiangyi blinked slyly upon hearing this, leaned closer to him, and imitated his tone that day, saying word by word, "Lie."
This place is not on the way to their residence!
Xie Zhi looked into her eyes, as smart as a cat that had succeeded in doing something evil.
He suddenly chuckled for a moment, a moment shorter than a firework, but like ice and snow melting, the waves suddenly brightened.
Nie Xiangyi smiled, her eyes curved, "Finally, I didn't let down such beautiful fireworks!"
The final grand display of fireworks was reflected in Xie Zhi's dark eyes.
Fire trees and silver flowers, a thousand lights blazing the sky, the flickering light and shadow outline Xie Zhiruyu's cold profile. Just like the heartbeat that captivated me at first sight.
This atmosphere is so wonderful that it gives rise to many inappropriate thoughts for no reason.
"Your Highness." She called softly.
Xie Zhi looked back at her. The girl's cheeks were flushed with a faint drunken blush, and the fireworks illuminated her face, making her look sparkling, as if her whole body was covered with a bright halo.
As the fireworks bloomed, he suddenly felt a cool and soft touch on his lips.
Her bright and charming face magnified before his eyes, and the rich fragrance of gardenia almost engulfed him.
A fleeting kiss, like exploding fireworks.
The author has something to say:
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Kiss, kiss [heart eyes]
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