He Yan walked up to Xiao Jue. Xiao Jue glanced at her and then frowned slightly, "Why are you wearing so little?"

"It's too hot." He Yan swallowed his anger and cursed Chi Wu in his heart, but he had to pretend nothing happened and fanned himself with his hand, saying, "I don't know why, but I always feel a little hot."

Xiao Jue was about to take off his cloak, but He Yan quickly stopped him, "Really, there's no need. If I feel cold, I can just go back and get another piece of clothing. The reason I'm dressed like this is because it's too hot. Haven't you heard what Lin Shuanghe said? Sometimes people feel hot, and if you wear something too thick at this time, it won't dispel the stuffiness in your body and you'll get sick easily." She made up a bunch of nonsense.

Xiao Jue stared at her doubtfully.

He Yan grabbed his arm and said, "Okay, stop caring about what I wear. Let's go to East Market first. If we're late, we might miss out on the wonderful places."

In Shuojing City, the market was prosperous and divided into East Market, West Market, South Market and North Market. The most prosperous of them all was the East Market near the City God Temple.

The East Market is divided into the December Market, the January Lantern Market, the February Flower Market, the March Silkworm Market, the April Brocade Market, the May Fan Market, the June Incense Market, the July Treasure Market, the August Osmanthus Market, the September Medicine Market, the October Wine Market, the November Plum Market and the December Peach Charms Market.

It was the end of November and the beginning of December. The plum market had closed, leaving only three or two stalls still selling piles of red plums. The peach blossom market had already begun, with stalls everywhere selling spring couplets. Wherever you go, you'll see crowds of people watching, some cheering and clapping, some exclaiming in amazement and praise. It was extremely lively.

As the year is coming to an end, the Lantern Festival has begun. The streets are lit up in an endless variety of lights, and there are crowds of people, making it a very festive occasion.

He Yan followed Xiao Jue to the entrance of the East Market and could already feel the bustling crowd.

"It's so lively." She looked up at the colorful lights hanging above her head and couldn't help but exclaimed, "This is my first time visiting a night market."

"First time?" Xiao Jue looked sideways at her.

He Yan nodded, "Yes, I couldn't come to such crowded places before, so as not to expose my flaws. Every year when the He family's younger generation went to the night market together, I was particularly envious. When I was in Jiyang City before, I thought the night market in Jiyang City was very interesting, but I didn't expect that the one in Shuojing City was not bad either. It's really beautiful!"

Her eyes were full of excitement and joy. She had lived two lifetimes, but now she was as happy as a child. The night market was not a place only the rich and powerful could come to. Ordinary people could come here to have fun, but the person in front of her was a first-timer.

Many things that ordinary people take for granted are forbidden to her.

The young man looked at the girl beside him with gentle and compassionate eyes. The next moment, He Yan had already pulled his sleeve and squeezed towards a place selling candy figurines.

"Sugar man!" He Yan said happily, "I still remember when I was a kid I couldn't go to the night market, I was so hungry, so I asked my aunt to ask someone to buy me one when she went to the night market. I couldn't bear to eat it, so I stuck it in a pen holder, and it ended up melting everywhere." She turned around and looked at Xiao Jue, "Xiao Jue, do you want to eat it? I'll buy one for you. What do you want? Is this Qilin pretty? Or do you like the phoenix more?"

Xiao Jue glanced at the various sugar figures stuck on the haystack and said, "No."

"Why not?" He Yan said generously, "I have money, I'll buy it for you."

Xiao Jue's eyes moved from the sugar figurine to her face, and he said in a light tone, "There is no flower basket."

"Flower... basket?" He Yan was puzzled. "Do you like flower baskets?"

His tone was as calm as ever, but within that calmness, there was a subtlety that was hard to detect. "When we were in Jiyang City, didn't you give Chu Zilan a brown sugar basket?"

"How do you know?" He Yan was horrified.

"I just know it." The man raised his eyebrows slightly, turned around and walked forward. He Yan hurriedly followed him, and now he realized that Xiao Jue's tone when he said this sounded a little unhappy.

Well, giving something to his enemy might make Second Young Master Xiao particularly concerned.

"...He gave me an ear of corn at that time," He Yan grabbed his sleeve tightly to avoid getting lost in the crowded crowd, and said in a flattering manner, "I also felt that I should not owe him a favor, so I gave him a flower basket. You know that favors are the hardest to repay in this world. Our relationship is not that bad, so there is no need for us to be so clear. Don't be angry, it's such a trivial matter, and you still keep it in your heart. Lord Commander Xiao is magnanimous, don't bother with these trivial matters, Commander Xiao, Second Young Master... Young Master?"

Xiao Jue seemed to be annoyed by being pestered, so he turned his head away, his face serious but the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

He Yan saw that he was not so fussy, so he looked to the side and saw a street vendor selling Yangchun noodles, so he pulled him over there, "Today is your birthday, you should have a bowl of Shou Noodles. Come on, I'll treat you!"

The noodle seller was a couple who had set up an iron pot on the street with boiling water in it, flour in a sieve on one side, and jars of salt and vinegar on a small table. They also set up a few tables and low stools on both sides, and that was their shop.

He Yan asked Xiao Jue to sit down first, and she ran to the proprietress and said with a smile, "A bowl of noodles." After a pause, she continued, "Today is this young master's birthday," she secretly pointed at Xiao Jue, "Please ask the proprietress to make this bowl of noodles more beautiful, put an egg, more vegetables, and more salsa... well, chicken legs would be nice too..."

"That's enough, girl," the boss on the side said with a smile, "If there's more, there won't be enough space for the bowls."

"Oh," He Yan nodded, "Let's do this for now."

The lady boss smiled as she kneaded the dough: "The young man sitting here must be your lover, he is so handsome."

He Yan blushed and didn't dare to say anything.

The proprietress probably didn't know Xiao Jue, she was simply attracted by her beauty, "I've been selling noodles here for so long, but this is the first time I've seen such a handsome young man. Since you're lovers, why don't you order another bowl of Yuanxiao, the one with sesame filling? Let's eat a bowl of Yuanxiao together at the Lantern Festival, and we'll be lovers for the rest of our lives."

"No need," He Yan said with a smile, "This young master doesn't like sweets."

"That's a pity." The proprietress still smiled and didn't try to persuade him further.

He Yan was about to walk towards Xiao Jue, but after taking two steps, he turned back and said to the proprietress, "Well... give me another bowl."

The lady boss smiled and said, "Okay!"

When the Shou Mian was served, Xiao Jue stared at the bowl in front of him, speechless for a moment, "He Yan, are you feeding the pigs?"

The bowl was not big, but it was filled with noodles, an egg, green leaves, and a few large pieces of salted meat. It was very rich and looked like it was about to overflow from the bowl. The bowls of the other people were all filled with plain noodles, but the one in front of Xiao Jue was very different.

"Eat more," He Yan handed him the chopsticks, "Since it's your birthday, you can't just celebrate it casually. I specially asked the boss lady to put some food for you. It's my treat, so don't be polite."

Everyone's eyes were on their table. It was the first time in Xiao Jue's life that someone looked at him as if he was a glutton. However, the girl in front of him held her chin with both hands and smiled very sincerely. After holding her breath for a moment, he finally resigned himself to picking up the chopsticks and picking up the shou noodles in front of him.

He Yan was very satisfied, "Remember to eat it all."

Xiao Jue's chopsticks trembled, and he tried his best to keep a calm face.

At this time, the boss lady's Yuanxiao also came up. The Yuanxiao were round, exactly nine in number, and were placed in a red-bottomed porcelain bowl, which was particularly pleasing. The boss lady didn't know if it was intentional, but she only gave her a spoon. He Yan lowered her head and scooped one into her mouth. The sesame filling was particularly sweet.

It was extremely cold when he came out, but the night market was bustling and crowded, which dispelled a lot of the coldness. At this moment, the hot soup in front of him was warm, the Yuanxiao was sweet, and the person sitting opposite him was eating noodles quietly. Suddenly, He Yan felt that the years were peaceful.

Those days filled with danger, conspiracy, calculation and knife flashes suddenly became very far away, as if the peaceful days like the ones before my eyes could continue for a long time from now on.

She lowered her head and smiled, then picked up the spoon and obediently scooped up the Yuanxiao in front of her to eat.

A bowl of Yuanxiao and a bowl of Shoumian, eaten very slowly.

Perhaps it was because of He Yan's "hospitality" or perhaps it was because of the boss lady's good cooking skills, Xiao Jue finally finished the bowl of noodles. When he put down his chopsticks, He Yan had just finished the eighth Yuanxiao in the bowl.

When I was about to pick up the ninth one, I suddenly remembered what the proprietress had just said.

"Two people eating a bowl of Yuanxiao at the Lantern Festival will be lovers for the rest of their lives."

She always felt that the word "a lifetime" was far away, but she didn't know when she started to have longing and expectation for it.

Xiao Jue noticed her hesitation and asked, "What's wrong?"

He Yan gently pushed the red-bottomed porcelain bowl to the middle, raised his head, looked into Xiao Jue's eyes, and coughed lightly, "Do you... want to have one too?"

Xiao Jue lowered his eyes and looked at the bowl of soup with only one Yuanxiao left in it, without saying a word.

He Yan felt inexplicably guilty, and suddenly felt like he was a demon seducing a good girl. He added, "I remembered that you don't like sweet food anymore... so it counts..."

Xiao Jue smiled and said nothing. He took the bowl, picked up the spoon that He Yan had just used, and ate the remaining Yuanxiao.

The proprietress was clearing the dishes from the next table. Seeing this, she smiled and said, "Okay, let's have a bowl of Yuanxiao for two. It will be sweet and happy, and a perfect marriage."

He Yan was startled and subconsciously looked towards Xiao Jue. The young man's beautiful eyes stared at her, as if he had seen through her secret thoughts.

He Yan stood up suddenly and took out a few copper coins from his pocket. "Well, now that we're done eating, let's go."

Escaped in panic.

After eating, they walked around the night market and felt much warmer. When He Yan and Xiao Jue walked to a place, they found that there were many people in front of them. He Yan casually asked a young man beside him: "Excuse me, what are you doing in front?"

The man glanced at He Yan and said, "We are guessing the lantern riddle. Today is the last day. If you want to go, you can still catch up. The more you guess, the more likely you are to take away the most beautiful peacock lantern!"

Since they were all at the night market, they naturally wanted to join in the excitement. He Yan pulled Xiao Jue into the crowd with one hand. After they got in, they saw a long corridor with all kinds of lanterns hanging from the eaves. Under the lanterns was a piece of paper with words written on it, which was the lantern riddle. Most of the people who came here were lovers. Some of them had guessed a lot and were already holding a few lanterns in their hands. He Yan saw it and was eager to try, so he asked Xiao Jue, "Do you have a favorite lantern? I'll help you win one."

Xiao Jue lowered his eyes and looked at her: "Will you help me?"

"Of course, today is your birthday, so I'll buy you whatever you want. Winning a lantern is nothing, after all, I studied at Xianchang Hall."

Xiao Jue smiled and was about to speak when he suddenly heard someone calling him not far away: "Xiao Huaijin!"

He Yan looked back and saw a man and a woman walking towards them in the corridor. They were Yan He and Xia Chengxiu.

The couple both wore goose yellow long gowns and skirts today, and they matched each other very well. Yan He was still the same old way, never looking straight at people, and when she walked, her ponytail swung high. When she came in front of He Yan, before He Yan could speak, Yan He said to Xiao Jue: "Hey, rare guest, I never thought that one day I would see Xiao Huaijin come to the night market again."

Compared to Yan He's rudeness, Xia Chengxiu was much gentler. He just looked at He Yan and Xiao Jue and said with a smile, "Miss He, Commander Xiao."

He Yan returned the greeting: "Miss Cheng Xiu."

Yan He finally spotted He Yan beside Xiao Jue, and looked at them both with a disgusted look, "Xiao Huaijin, you didn't come to the night market with this kid... this guy, did you?" He pretended to stroke his arm, "It's so disgusting, I have goosebumps all over my body!"

He Yan: "..." How can this person say that to others? Didn't he also accompany his wife to the night market?

Xia Chengxiu pulled Yan He, and Yan He yelled, "What's wrong? I didn't say anything wrong."

"Sorry," Xia Chengxiu smiled at He Yan, "Nan Guang is just like that. I was just joking and didn't mean any harm. Miss He, are you guys going to guess the lantern riddle too?"

He Yan nodded: "Yes. I just happened to pass by here. General Yan also wants to guess the lantern riddle?"

"I don't guess what women like." Yan He said, "I'm here to accompany Cheng Xiu." His eyes fell on Xiao Jue, "Xiao Huaijin, you..."

"He doesn't want to guess, he came here with me." He Yan quickly interrupted him. Yan He would become a fighting chicken once he met Xiao Jue, and he had to compete with Xiao Jue. If Xiao Jue wanted to guess, it would arouse Yan He's competitive spirit. Then they would not go to the night market tonight, and they would just compete here in guessing riddles.

In order to be able to go somewhere else later, He Yan stopped decisively.

"Okay." Yan He crossed his arms and said, "Then guess quickly."

He Yan and Xia Chengxiu looked at each other. Xia Chengxiu smiled slightly and took off a piece of paper from the lantern in front of her. He Yan followed her movements and looked at the lantern at hand.

The riddle was quite simple, "Every mountain is filled with longing", and He Yan knew all the characters, but he just didn't know what they meant when they were put together.

On the other side, Xia Chengxiu had already received the note and read it out loud: "I am leaving you with a farewell." She thought for a moment and looked at the boss: "Is this '玢'?"

"You have good eyesight, young girl." The lamp maker smiled and gave Xia Chengxiu a wooden sign with a red stroke on it.

It seems that if you gather ten strokes, you can exchange for a lantern here.

He Yan took a deep breath and felt that the lantern puzzle he had chosen was not right. He thought about changing to a simpler one and walked to a lotus-shaped lantern and picked up the paper hanging below.

"No winter, no summer."

He Yan: "..." What is this?

She turned her head and glanced at Xiao Jue, who was standing not far away, looking at her leisurely. He Yan didn't want to lose face, so she coughed lightly and walked to another place.

"The mist obscured the tower, and the moon obscured the ferry."

He Yan: “?”

She was about to cry. She had just boasted that she had studied in Xianchang Hall, but now she felt that it was better not to have studied there. What was all this? She knew the words, but why did they make no sense when put together? Looking at the women who were guessing like fish in water, He Yan was overwhelmed. She felt that even if she encountered the most difficult battle, it would not be as embarrassing as this moment.

Just as I was holding the note in front of me, at a loss, a voice suddenly came from behind me: "Aren't you going to give me a lantern?"

At some point, Xiao Jue came over and stood behind her. He Yan hummed for a while and said nothing more.

The corners of his lips curved up, "It seems your poetry hasn't improved over the years."

"Every profession has its specializations," He Yan said stiffly, "I can't do two things at once."

He seemed to chuckle, and the hot air he exhaled fell on He Yan's neck, making it itchy. On the other side, Xia Chengxiu had guessed all ten lantern riddles in the blink of an eye. The craftsman drew ten ink characters on her wooden sign and exchanged it for a jade rabbit lantern.

Yan He held the lantern in his arms and said to He Yan proudly, "Why haven't you guessed it yet? You haven't been to school, have you? Xiao Huaijin," he held Xia Chengxiu in one hand and even provoked Xiao Jue, "the wife you found is not as good as my wife."

Is Yan He sick? He Yan was speechless. He was thinking that since no one else could compare to Xiao Jue, why not compare to his wife? Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. How could he be so superficial!

She was cursing Yan He in her heart when Xiao Jue suddenly whispered in her ear, "Don't worry about him." Then, standing behind her, he followed her movements and picked up the lantern puzzle note in front of He Yan.

Xiao Jue was very tall, and when he reached behind him to get the note, he had to lean forward slightly. From the perspective of others, it looked like he was holding He Yan in his arms. He Yan could almost feel the warmth of his chest against her back, and her ears turned red. She forgot to look at the note in front of her. Xiao Jue had already said, "Both are in the vastness and are invisible."

"Ah?" He Yan was stunned for a moment.

The craftsman smiled and came over with a wooden plate: "My lord, you guessed it right!"

"Xiao Huaijin, you are cheating." Yan He said angrily, "How can you help her guess!"

"It's none of your business," He Yan couldn't bear it any longer and said to him, "If you don't like it, you can help me guess!"

"Who wants to help you guess!" Yan He flicked his sleeves, "Let's go, let's go. Seeing them makes me upset!" He took Xia Chengxiu's hand and walked away.

At this moment, He Yan finally had time to focus on the lantern puzzle in front of him.

She was holding the paper in front and reading the words on it, while Xiao Jue was saying the answers behind her.

"Since ancient times, love has always been full of regrets."

"The heart is full of resentment."

"Every time there are ten, go up one and subtract three."

"Baseball."

This man used to be the best in Xianchang Hall. When He Yan read out the riddle of the lamp, he didn't even have to think about it, and directly said the answer. Xiao Jue was already a handsome, smart and handsome young man, and he always stood out in such occasions. Soon, the girls with and without lovers gathered in a circle, either staring at Xiao Jue in fascination or casting envious eyes at He Yan.

The nine lantern riddles were almost finished, and He Yan picked up the note from the last lantern.

"Two trees do not form a forest, but there is love under the field." After she finished reading, she said without waiting for Xiao Jue to speak, "I know this, it is lovesickness!"

The craftsman laughed out loud: "The girl is very kind and thoughtful."

He Yan blushed at the compliment. She only guessed one out of ten lantern riddles. She really didn't deserve the compliment. The one behind her was the one with a kind heart. The craftsman finished the finishing touches on her wooden sign and said to He Yan, "Girl, go pick a lantern you like!"

He Yan turned around, pulled Xiao Jue and said, "So, I said I would give you a lantern, and I will definitely give it to you. Which one do you like?"

There are all kinds of colorful lanterns hanging under the eaves, which are dazzling to the eyes.

He Yan pointed at a Pisces-shaped lantern: "This Pisces lantern is pretty nice. Do you like it? Or this gourd lantern is also good... This lucky lantern has a picture of a horse on it..."

From beginning to end, Xiao Jue just smiled faintly and let her make a fuss.

He Yan saw a blue gauze lamp on the side, with a landscape painting on it. As people walked, the light and shadow changed, and the waterfall seemed to flow, which was very strange. This landscape lamp looked inconspicuous among the flower lanterns, but it was actually very interesting. He Yan was attracted by it at first sight, thinking that it would not be embarrassing to give this lamp to Xiao Jue, so he said to the craftsman: "I want this one."

The craftsman was busy handing out wooden plaques to another pair of lovers. Hearing this, he said, "Girls, just take it yourself."

He Yan said to Xiao Jue, "Wait, I'll get you a light."

She walked to the landscape lamp and was about to take it down when she heard a familiar voice not far away: "There is a lamp mystery ahead, do you want to go and take a look?"

Then, a woman's voice rang out, "Okay, I can buy one and hang it in the yard later."

He Yan turned around and saw a man and a woman walking towards him a few steps ahead. The man was handsome and elegant, and the woman was beautiful and charming. They were Xu Zhiheng and He Xinying.

Xu Zhiheng was holding He Xinying's hand, and the maid behind He Xinying was holding a bunch of small things in her arms, probably rouge and powder that she bought while shopping at the night market. From the looks of it, these two people were a perfect match. Xu Zhiheng smiled dotingly and spoke in a gentle and gentle manner.

He Yan stared at it in a daze, not knowing whether it was sarcasm or not. She originally thought that Xu Zhiheng would only accompany He Wanru to the night market in his life, but now it seems that anyone can do it as long as it's not her.

"Young lady?" The craftsman saw her standing there blankly and reminded her strangely. He Yan turned around, startled, and subconsciously looked at Xiao Jue.

He also stood under the light, with a handsome figure and a gaze so calm that it was almost indifferent.

－－－－－－－A side note－－－－－－－

Dudu: A little green