Chapter 49 The Festival On the day of the festival, Xi Lian and...
On the day of the festival, Xilian and you bickered as you put on your specially made new dresses. You usually wear more practical and stylish outfits, which are neat and tidy, but lack the delicate charm of a young girl—after all, you're still a young girl.
Xi Lian helped you tie your belt. From childhood to adulthood, she has done this kind of work for you countless times, and she has always indulged your whining and pouting.
"Okay, okay, take a deep breath—this tape is really a bit complicated... but it's nothing to pay the price for looking beautiful tonight."
You look down, "It seems a little small? It feels a bit tight..."
I started getting anxious again, "Could it be because I've been eating too much junk food lately? But I really can't control myself, sob sob sob..."
Xi Lian silently shifted her gaze to your chest:
"Uh... um..." she adjusted her words, "It shouldn't be because I've gained weight..."
"Anyway, it shows that you've grown too!" She smiled, her eyes narrowing. "That's a good thing!"
Confused, you followed her gaze to her chest, froze for a few seconds, and your face quickly turned red.
Onpharos's formal attire was similar in style to his usual straight-cut robes, except that the fabric was more expensive and the craftsmanship was more complex.
But the tailor shop owner is very familiar with you and Xilian, and knows your expectations for this festival. With a touch of elder's doting affection for their younger generation, she added some gold powder to the fabric so that it would reflect starlight under the sun and shimmer like a golden ocean at night.
Xi Lian cleverly pinned several small flowers to your and her own waists. Hers were mostly pink and blue, while yours were mostly gold.
She asked you to squat down a little, and as she put the flower wreath on you, she caught a glimpse of the flower wreath ring hanging around your neck, swaying gently as you bent over.
Instantly, she showed a complicated expression, whether from helplessness or toothache.
...
Bai'e is waiting for you at the door.
He's noticed your worries these past few days. His inability to bear it... is ultimately his own problem, and he can't impose it on you, nor should he cause you any more trouble.
So he tidied himself up and stood in front of your house waiting for you and Xilian.
The sound of a girl's laughter came from inside the door, and his thoughts couldn't help but wander a little further away, wondering what they were laughing about? Could it be related to him? But he quickly began to secretly despise his own wild imagination, coughed, and forcibly shifted his gaze to the wheat field next to him.
The scarecrow in the wheat field made eye contact with him. A jet-black crow flew over, landed on the scarecrow's shoulder, spread its wings, and cawed a few times, as if mocking his current helplessness.
He glared back defiantly.
Just as he was outwitting the crow, the door creaked open.
Bai E subconsciously turned his head—
The wind is so slow.
This was the first impression in his chaotic mind.
The gray-haired girl came out playfully, laughing, and turned back to her companions to make harmless jokes.
But Bai'er couldn't hear. His ears seemed to have suddenly gone deaf; he couldn't hear the wind, the cawing of crows, the lively cries of vendors in the distant market... He could only see your slightly curved eyes. Golden, shimmering, swaying with fragments of light.
The golden ratio, worldly aesthetic standards—none of that mattered to him. At times like these, his mouth would become clumsy, unable to utter any words of praise, only able to say, only—
This is the Meneta in his heart. His muse, the Eden he sought throughout his life.
Everything unfolded in an incredibly slow, deliberate motion, as if in slow motion. Bai'er had never seen you wear such a... grand and girlish dress. The layers of the skirt seemed to veil his vision, making everything blurry and making him feel slightly intoxicated.
Strange... I didn't drink any fruit wine today...
Just then, you turned around, a strand of hair brushing against the corner of your mouth, and gave him a bright smile.
"noob!"
He heard you call him.
Bai E wanted to say something, anything at all, "Partner, you look beautiful today," "Looking forward to spending the festival with you," anything would do—but he was too weak-willed, and before he could even open his mouth, a sudden heat and itch came from the tip of his nose.
...A stream of red heat almost flowed down his nose.
Bai E hurriedly covered his nose and turned to the side.
you:?
Xi Lian: Pfft...
You asked, puzzled and worried, "Xiaobai? Why isn't she saying anything? Has she caught a cold?"
Xi Lian looked up at the sky and then at the ground, ultimately deciding to save face for her companion, though her tone betrayed a barely suppressed laugh, "Hmm...maybe, the weather's gotten a bit chilly lately..."
Bai E pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tip of his nose. His voice, muffled and tinged with annoyance, came through his hand, "I'm fine, partner... I just have a little, uh, a little runny nose..."
You nodded knowingly. "Take care of yourself."
Xi Lian finally couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Cough! Cough cough! He really needs to take care of his health, hahaha—"
Facing Bai E's resentful glare, she coughed a few times to straighten her expression, "...I mean, Bai E is just too nervous. Why does he look like a groom? This isn't even the wedding yet. If it were the wedding day—"
Bai E couldn't help but imagine that scene, and as soon as the corners of her mouth turned up, the heat flowing from the tip of her nose became even more obvious.
Bai E: ...How despicable.
The crow on the scarecrow's shoulder cawed again, as if mocking him.
As Xi Lian walked out of the room and passed the flustered Bai E, she blinked and said, "Sometimes it's a good thing that she's a little slow, right?"
*
The ceremony began in the afternoon. To express the villagers' gratitude to the Titans, they prepared a large quantity of ale and fruit wine, intending to pour these symbolic liquids onto the fields, rivers, and weeds. Once poured, the liquids could not be taken back, symbolizing that the villagers' promises and respect would never be broken.
Meanwhile, vendors will take advantage of the large crowds to sell their wares wherever they can. As you stroll and eat your way through the festival, you'll soon have both lunch and dinner in one go.
Because [Time] favors pink-haired girls, and Xi Lian happens to have some understanding of the power of [Time], she only accompanied you until dark before hurriedly running off to prepare for the sacrificial ceremony.
Only the two of you are left.
"Want some more?" Bai E tilted her head and asked you gently.
You quickly shook your head, "No, no, I'm too full... Pancakes, maltose, cheese... Everyone's cooking is so good."
A bonfire was lit on an open space a few hundred meters away, and villagers came over to set out sacrificial items.
Speaking of which, something comes to mind. Take out your lipstick and gently glide it onto your lips.
The pink lips were pressed slightly indented by the lipstick, but quickly bounced back up, taking on an even more vibrant color.
Bai E felt a bit hot and had a dry mouth.
His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. "...Did your lipstick come off?"
You nodded. "I ate too much earlier... and accidentally licked it off. Luckily, there's still some time before the ritual."
Bai E's gaze darkened, seemingly out of mere curiosity, "You accidentally licked it off?... What did it taste like?"
You didn't understand why he suddenly asked that question. But after thinking about it, you realized that guys don't usually wear these kinds of things, so it might just be something new for him. So you patiently explained:
“Mine is made with a mixture of grape juice and beeswax. It might be… a little sweet? Actually, there’s also one made with mulberry juice, but the color is too bright for me, and Xilian said it doesn’t suit me…”
Bai E listened silently to your rambling, looked at the crumbs at the corner of your mouth, and gently wiped them away with his hand.
He remembered that dream again.
What did your lips look like in your dream...? He didn't really notice. Because he was too busy looking into your eyes.
Golden reeds. Golden moon. Golden blood. Golden—it dyed his world a dazzling, blinding gold.
It's said that the eyes reveal a person's soul. But for Bai E, the most fulfilling moment isn't physical pleasure, but rather when he truly touches your soul, when he feels that you're in his arms, the world is peaceful, and you depend on him.
But now he thinks, this lip color is not bad either.
Dogs have always preferred to express their thoughts directly.
"...May I kiss you?"
He asked you.
You seemed a little taken aback. How did the conversation suddenly jump from "Are we having dinner tonight?" to "Can we kiss?"
“…It’s possible…” Your ears turned slightly red, and you looked around before whispering, “But let’s wait until the festival is over, there are so many people.”
Her lips opened and closed, revealing her pearly teeth.
“…Okay,” he said in a hoarse voice.
...
Xi Lian, dressed in a pure white sacrificial robe, successfully completed the schedule of the ceremony.
Next comes pouring the wine.
People, each clutching a bottle of wine, ran out laughing. Normally the most frugal of people, they had finally reached their moment of indulgence, pouring the clear, fragrant liquid without a second thought onto the lakes, caves, and the land.
The soil, soaked with the wine, turned a deeper color. The river rushed by, washing over the stones on the banks. The bonfire burned brighter and brighter, with young villagers spontaneously adding firewood until it was ablaze, radiating a blazing, ever-flowing warmth in the already chilly season.
The overflowing wine was drunk by the enthusiastic crowd. Not content with drinking it themselves, they also passed it on to others.
Before long, several drunkards with poor alcohol tolerance appeared in the square, staggering and chasing after those who were pouring them alcohol, or simply dancing until they collapsed and fell asleep on the ground, which smelled of alcohol, causing a burst of laughter from the people around them, who were considerate enough not to step on them.
An enthusiastic middle-aged woman came and pulled you along:
"What are you standing there for?! Such pretty young men and women, it's a shame they don't dance—"
"Hey! Amy! Stop stepping on my foot!"
"Isn't that Bai E and the Trailblazer? Oh my, Xi Lian did a really good job just now. The three of you are truly promising talents—"
You were pulled into a dance. Although you didn't know why... according to your memory, you had experienced such festivals many times and should be very familiar with them, but now you were dancing crookedly and not very skillfully.
Bai'e comes over to you in the direction the crowd is dancing, grabs your wrist, and leads you to sway your body.
You see his blue eyes crinkle up, reflecting the warm firelight, presenting a strange color that blends blue and orange.
Did you have fun?
His breath brushed past his ear, bringing with it the rich aroma of wine.
You paused for a moment.
"...Have you been drinking?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com