Chapter 27 Freezing

Sui Yan was caught off guard by the gentle word "A Yan" and felt dizzy.

He didn't dare to think too much and plunged into the crowd. He bought two lanterns in a daze and was stepped on several times. It took him a long time to squeeze out.

Duan Mingchong watched from the sidelines as the golden tassels on his hair crown were messed up by the squeezing, and anxiously tried to pull him out, but every time he squeezed in he was pushed out by someone else. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had seldom seen such a scene, so he could only wait in vain.

Seeing Sui Yan finally come out, he hurried over: "Are you okay? I just saw that you seemed to be hit by someone's elbow..."

Sui Yan's face was flushed, and his hair was a little messy. He shook his head, holding two lanterns and smiling as if presenting a treasure, "Look, lanterns. I picked the most beautiful ones."

Duan Mingchong smiled helplessly, stretched out his hand to adjust the tassel on his hair crown, and said, "If you want anything, just ask the servants to buy it. If you get squeezed out by so many people, it will be a loss."

Sui Yan was used to being scolded by Sui Xun, and couldn't stand Duan Mingchong always scolding him like his brother, so he pretended not to hear anything. He took a few breaths, put a lantern in Duan Mingchong's hand, and said with a smile: "Let's go to the river to release lanterns!"

Duan Mingchong was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly followed him.

The night market was crowded with people. Duan Mingchong didn't like getting too close to others, so he staggered as he walked, barely keeping up with Sui Yanhuan's quick pace.

Duan Mingchong looked at the black butterfly cloak swaying in front of him, then looked down at the lantern in his hand, and suddenly remembered the play he had read in the past few days.

Because Sui Yan had invited him to come with him to appreciate the lanterns, the plays they watched were all about the folk custom of appreciating lanterns. There seemed to be a passage in it that said that on the Lantern Festival, a man and a woman who loved each other would meet to release lanterns into the Ming River. They would write their love on the lanterns and release them into the water. When their love reached the ears of heaven, the two would be able to be together forever and live together until old age.

Duan Mingchong thought and murmured: "Does A Yan know about this...?"

As the new year begins, the lights become brighter.

The whole street was filled with a dazzling array of lanterns with extremely complex designs. Sui Yan was dazzled by the sight. Then he looked at the one in his hand and suddenly felt that it was a bit monotonous. However, he had already given it away and it was not appropriate to ask Duan Mingchong for it back.

Sui Yan coughed dryly, squeezed back in front of Duan Mingchong, and whispered, "Isn't this ugly?"

Duan Mingchong was stunned for a moment: "Ah? You mean the lantern? No, it's very beautiful, I like it very much."

Sui Yan looked carefully at his expression, as if trying to see if he was lying.

Duan Mingchong blushed when he was looked at by him. He wanted to ask but felt it was too awkward. But he was too curious if he didn't ask. After a moment, he pretended to be calm and said, "Ayan, you... you know that only lovers who love each other will go to Minghe to release lanterns, right?"

The more he spoke, the quieter his voice became, until it was almost inaudible.

Sui Yan was stunned for a moment, and asked doubtfully: "No way, when I was a kid, I went here with Song Xian to let go, and I've never heard of such a saying."

Duan Mingchong was bewildered: "Ah? Ah... is that so?"

Sui Yan asked: "How did you know?"

No one in the palace would tell the prince about this folk custom.

Duan Mingchong said hurriedly: "No, I just heard it by accident."

While denying it, he secretly made up his mind to have those misleading scripts burned when he got back, as they were completely useless.

Although Sui Yan pretended to be calm and denied Duan Mingchong's words, he was eager to try it in his heart.

Only people who are in love with each other will make an appointment to light lanterns together.

In fact, he did not have any romantic thoughts about the prince, but he was used to seeing the viciousness of people in his previous life, and when he suddenly met someone as elegant and kind as Duan Mingchong, he could not help but want to get closer to him.

"Light up the lanterns..." Sui Yan laughed secretly as he dragged Duan Mingchong towards the Ming River, thinking, "Even if they are not in love, as long as lighting up the lanterns can keep us together, it would be a great gift since my rebirth."

Sui Yan happily turned into an alley with Duan Mingchong and ran along the stairs towards the bank of the Ming River.

When the two finally reached the shore, Sui Yan froze.

He almost forgot...

The snow disaster this year was severe. Even after the New Year, the weather was still extremely cold. The Ming River was the stagnant water of the capital and was not connected to the moat. At this time, there was still thick ice on the river.

Sui Yan almost stumbled and fell, holding the lantern with a confused look on his face.

Duan Mingchong was a little embarrassed when he saw the frozen riverbank. He said hesitantly, "This year's ice and snow may not melt away until the end of the first month of the lunar year."

Sui Yan wiped away his bitter tears in his heart and said with a forced smile: "No, it's okay, let's wait until the ice melts before releasing it."

Duan Ming Chong thought to himself, "If he were to light lanterns after the Lantern Festival, people would probably think he was crazy."

Seeing Sui Yan's frustrated and sad look, Duan Mingchong couldn't bear to hit him again, and coaxed him, "Okay, you can release as much as you want when the time comes."

Sui Yan: “Hmm…”

Sui Yan was overjoyed when he came, but he was depressed when he left. He was led by Duan Mingchong's hand and walked forward with his head down and a sad look on his face.

It was now completely dark, and more and more people were coming to the night market. Duan Mingchong didn't like crowded places, so he dragged Sui Yan to a side street with fewer people.

Sui Yan followed him for a while and accidentally glanced at a stall selling Yuanxiao on the street. He quickly grabbed Duan Mingchong's hand and said, "I, I want to buy a bowl of Yuanxiao."

Duan Mingchong was a little embarrassed at first, and gently advised: "The food outside may not be very clean, let alone a small stall like this. If you really want to eat it, let's go back to the mansion and ask the chef to make it, or I will ask the people in the kitchen to make it for you and send it to the mansion later, okay?"

Sui Yan said: "Not good."

Duan Mingchong said, "Don't make a fuss. You were not in good health to begin with. What did the imperial physician tell you?"

Even when Duan Mingchong refused someone, he was always gentle and kind, making people feel no fear. Sui Yan immediately took advantage of the situation and said, "How can eating Yuanxiao in the mansion be as atmospheric as eating it at a stall outside?"

Duan Mingchong was a little confused and didn't quite understand what this was all about. Didn't everyone eat Yuanxiao to celebrate the festival?

But she was afraid that he would damage his health by eating too much, so she still refused to give in: "No means no."

Sui Yan blinked and suddenly said, "Ming Chong."

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Duan Mingchong's ears turned red, but he still said, "It's no use...calling me is useless. I said no, it's no."

Seeing that he still refused to give in, Sui Yan had no choice but to compromise: "Okay, I'll just buy it and not eat it. Is that okay?"

Duan Mingchong asked in confusion: "Then what did you buy it for?"

Sui Yan winked at him: "I told you it's the atmosphere."

As he spoke, he dragged Duan Mingchong to the low chair at the Yuanxiao stall and sat down, saying very familiarly: "Old man, I want a bowl of Yuanxiao, but don't put Yuanxiao in it."

The old man making Yuanxiao: “…”

Duan Mingchong: “…”

After a while, the old man brought over a bowl of Yuanxiao soup with a pale face, turned around and left without even saying a word of hospitality.

Duan Mingchong was probably the first time in his life that someone rolled their eyes at him. He was very embarrassed and whispered, "What on earth do you want to do?"

Sui Yan smiled and took out a palm-sized lantern from his sleeve and gently placed it in the boiling hot soup.

Duan Mingchong: “…”

The lantern swayed a few times due to the heat, but soon stabilized and swayed slightly in the smoke.

Sui Yan gave him a sly smile and said, "Light the lanterns."

Duan Mingchong: “…”

This child will definitely do great things in the future.

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