Chapter 176 The corners of her lips gradually turned up, and then up again.
Lin Shiyuan looked up at the moonlight, pretending to think, and didn't answer for a long time.
Qingling's cheeks puffed out slightly as she lowered her head and finished the soup in one gulp.
After finishing the drink, she didn't ask for more. She put the bowl aside, took her lantern frame, and then took the paper she had drawn beforehand and the paste she had prepared. She then quietly started sticking it together herself.
Lin Shiyuan glanced at her, the corners of his lips gradually turning upwards, and then upwards again.
After a while, Yao Qingling couldn't help but ask, "You've given gifts to so many people, and you haven't thought of it at all?"
She thought there was really nothing to be angry about.
How many people he sent off, what does that have to do with her?
It was just out of curiosity.
He's handsome, so many women want to flirt with him. What's wrong with him being a bit of a womanizer and sending a few lanterns like those playboy gentlemen?
Lin Shiyuan also put the bowl aside, reached out and took the frame of her lantern to help her fix it in place so that she could put the stickers on it.
The two people's hands were almost touching, completely surrounding the small lantern. Yao Qingling had to lean forward to see it clearly.
Then, their heads touched.
The light in the courtyard was dim. He stood close to her, and with just a glance, he could see her long eyelashes, like fluttering butterfly wings, making him want to touch them.
His fingertips touched her eyelashes, and as she blinked, her soft eyelashes brushed against his fingertips.
It's a little itchy, with a gentle warmth and a tender feel.
Yao Qingling was taken aback and looked up.
Their eyes met.
His finger was still hovering over the corner of her eye.
Qingling glanced at his fingers.
The man didn't withdraw his hand; it remained on the corner of her eye, and his fingertip boldly traced a line along her brow.
Yao Qingling's eyebrows were naturally thick and dark, so they were already a striking feature without needing to be drawn on.
He gently brushed her hair across his forehead, pretending to brush her bangs back to her forehead.
He said, "There was some playing along."
From courtesans and entertainers to the concubines of wealthy merchants, the legitimate and illegitimate daughters of officials, and spies from Japan, they all need to be dealt with.
They all need to be dealt with, whether it's for official business, to find out the other party's background, or to gather intelligence.
“But the lanterns I made myself…” He paused, once again whetting Yao Qingling’s appetite.
Qingling looked at him, and he said, "I can't do it."
Qingling: "Because you don't know how to make them, you just buy lanterns and give them away as gifts, or you use not knowing how to make them as an excuse to reject the girl?"
Lin Shiyuan: "You're asking such detailed questions because you're very curious?"
Qingling immediately turned her head away and snorted, "What's there to be curious about? I was just bored and asked a question out of the blue."
She buried herself in the stickers and never looked at him again.
The brush was dipped in a thick layer of paste and then brushed onto the edge of the paper. No matter how careful you were, your fingers would inevitably touch the paste.
She didn't mind and carefully and meticulously pasted each piece on.
Gradually, the rabbit lantern is taking shape.
Lin Shiyuan then spoke up: "I have never made lanterns before, not even Lin Qiao has made any by my own hands."
He then added, "Even if I know how to make lanterns and have learned how, I would not casually give away something I made myself to a woman."
Qingling's ears burned slightly. She muttered and said coquettishly, "Who asked you that?"
The man smiled faintly, and Qingling said, "Although the Mid-Autumn Festival has passed, as long as we are alive, we can celebrate whenever we want."
"The lanterns are a memento of the year and have nothing to do with anyone else."
She added, "My father taught me how to make these lanterns."
She carefully and gently pasted paper onto each part until the last piece was finished, and a cute and delicate rabbit lantern was completed.
Finally, she picked up a small piece of candle, carefully placed it inside the rabbit's belly, and nailed it to the protruding little tip.
She looked up at him: "Want to turn it on and see?"
Before the man could nod, she took out a tinderbox and lit the candle.
The lights instantly illuminated the small lanterns, but from the outside, the light appeared gentle, like hazy moonlight.
Lin Shiyuan looked at her.
The light illuminated her face; her round face and bright eyes sparkled with joy, her brows and eyes radiating excitement, like a child.
Yao Qingling picked up the small stick and held up the lantern: "Shall we take a walk in the yard?"
It's a pity the festival is over, otherwise I could have carried a lantern and walked through the bustling city, looking at the lights of thousands of homes around me, experiencing the true human touch, buying a candied hawthorn from a stall, or eating a bowl of steaming dumpling soup.
Fireworks light up the city tower, and after watching the vibrant colors, you can go home satisfied.
The two strolled along the path. The light from a small lantern was too dim, and Qingling accidentally stepped on a stone, but her body didn't sway.
A strong arm supported her steadily from behind, ensuring she was not in any danger.
Even if it was just her own carelessness.
Yao Qingling looked up and met the man's gaze. Although she didn't say a word, it seemed as if her eyes spoke volumes.
Her eyebrows were slightly curved, and her eyes were bright and sparkling, as if the stars had fallen into them.
She has become much rounder, which softens her originally heroic face, making her look like a picture of peace and prosperity under the light.
He Yin was tired, so she looked up and saw a man and a woman walking with their arms around each other and carrying lanterns.
She didn't react much; after looking at it, she went back to digging.
The two walked around the yard and passed by He Yin. They saw several bags of soil in the basket at her feet, each with a note written on it.
The two continued forward.
Lin Shiyuan said, "This girl is very quiet."
Yao Qingling sensed a hidden meaning in his words, smiled faintly, and said nothing.
Lin Shiyuan stayed for an hour before leaving.
Yao Qingling handed him the rabbit lantern: "Here you go."
The man glanced at the lantern and was delighted when Yao Qingling said, "It's for Lin Qiao. She didn't have a good Mid-Autumn Festival either, so this is to make it up to her."
Lin Shiyuan's smile didn't fade; he said he was thanking her on behalf of Lin Qiao.
He added, "Thank you for your hospitality today, Madam Yao. I will present you with a gift later."
They left from the rooftop, scaling the eaves and walls.
Yao Qingling stared at the roof for a long time.
Xia Chan appeared beside her without her noticing and said expressionlessly, "Miss, what are you looking at?"
Yao Qingling bit her lip lightly, the smile still lingering in her eyes. She looked at the moon hanging high in the sky: "Look, look at the moon. It's already a waning crescent. But don't you think the moon hanging beside the roof ornaments is especially beautiful, the moonlight exceptionally bright?"
Xia Chan wrinkled her nose and directly exposed her: "Miss, everyone's gone. What's with this waxing crescent and waning crescent moon? Doesn't your neck get tired?"
Qingling: "..."
She turned her head to look at Xia Chan: "Did you know that Physician Lin came?"
Xia Chan: "I knew it when Miss urged me to leave."
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but then she thought, what business is it of a maid like her to interfere in her master's affairs?
The young lady didn't say she was meddling, but simply sent her away, which was a sign of respect and acceptance of her kindness.
But she also had feelings for Lin Shiyuan.
This is what it means when lovers can't help but want to see each other, right?
Xia Chan said, "Since Miss and Young Master Lin are interested in each other, why not be upfront about it? Then you can ask a matchmaker to propose marriage, exchange birth dates, and exchange betrothal gifts. This way, you can be open and aboveboard and avoid all this sneaking around."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
