The moon would leave at any moment, and with the same resolute finality as Ji Rong’s departing back all those years ago.
He could not afford the price of watching Ji Rong leave a second time.
His Regent Father was that very full moon of his decades-long dark life, having briefly illuminated him before hiding back into the clouds.
He had needed to endure a long, agonizing, scorching white day before he could once again hold the bright moon in his embrace.
He had dragged the bright moon down using unseen methods, and the price was day-after-day anxiety over his departure.
He felt apprehensive and anxious.
Therefore, he had to keep his eyes on Ji Rong every single moment, allowing no negligence, leaving not a single possibility for the bright moon to hide back into the clouds.
He was filled with loss and insecurity because he knew clearly that he had never truly possessed him.
He was no fool; on the contrary, he could clearly sense that his Regent Father’s feelings toward him had warped.
Everything seemed to be moving in the direction he hoped for.
Yet that was still not enough.
His nature was wicked and hypocritical.
He couldn’t pretend for a lifetime, nor did he want to pretend for a lifetime.
What would happen on the day Ji Rong saw through his true nature?
Without a doubt, he would leave.
Yet he could not accept that.
Therefore, to secure future stability, he had to play a chess game.
His bottomless pupils churned with a paranoid dark undercurrent, cold, unyielding, and stiff like frosted ice.
Yet the next moment, the ice melted into water.
Ji Rong was looking over.
He had stayed here a bit too long, and Qi Zhaoxuan caught the puzzled expression in Ji Rong’s eyes.
He lifted his foot and walked forward.
Qi Zhaoxuan placed the gourd filled with osmanthus wine onto the table.
He watched as Ji Rong’s jade-like fingers picked up the gourd, pouring the liquid into a cup in a steady stream. The wine aroma was not strong, carrying a light, delicate scent of osmanthus.
Qi Zhaoxuan rolled his throat a few times, his voice deep as he called out, “Regent Father.”
Ji Rong looked up at him, his fingers already supporting the cup.
“Regent Father, whether you believe it or not, ever since we stepped down from the carriage, no one has followed us. There are no hidden guards, no watchers, and I do not distrust you.”
“From beginning to end, there are only the two of us.”
The fermented rice wine had entered his mouth.
The wine slipped down his throat, and the chilled osmanthus brew was ice-cold, washing away some of the unbearable summer heat.
Ji Rong swallowed a mouthful, a hint of incomprehension dancing within his spirited pupils.
“I figured that since Regent Father wanted to slip out of the palace to relax and have fun, you surely wouldn’t want anyone trailing behind, whether openly or in secret.”
Qi Zhaoxuan looked at him, his gaze carrying rare sincerity and pleading: “Do you believe me? Please?”
Ji Rong slowly finished drinking the rice wine in his cup and leisurely poured another.
A short while later, he chuckled, a smile lacing his words: “Qi Zhaoxuan, then can you let me go?”
Whether this remark was a joke or a test remained unknown.
Qi Zhaoxuan’s expression shifted, though he quickly returned to normal.
Ji Rong did not miss that fleeting moment of abnormality.
Yet precisely because of that fleeting abnormality, he felt somewhat more at ease.
Qi Zhaoxuan remained unchanged; he hadn’t altered at all.
The sound of instruments drifted in from outside the window, and the crowd burst into cheers.
The North Lake boat performance had begun.
The lanterns on the boats were radiant, dancers wore water-sleeve skirts, and the music of bamboo flutes and string instruments sounded in unison.
The noise of the crowds along the riverbank surged, cheers rising one after another and merging with shouts of acclaim, shaking the heavens with clamor.
At that moment, Ji Rong abruptly said, “Alright.”
It took Qi Zhaoxuan a few moments of thought to realize what Ji Rong was answering.
He had expected to receive no response, yet unexpectedly, he heard a delayed “Alright.”
Ji Rong had eaten his fill, and Qi Zhaoxuan had long since put down his chopsticks.
“Let’s go. With such a lively lantern festival, we shouldn’t waste it,” Ji Rong smiled, turning the little fox vibrant once more. “Since it’s so lively for once, let’s not bring up those matters. We can talk about it when we get back.”
Qi Zhaoxuan did not argue, and Ji Rong took that as his consent.
The song and dance performance on the boats held no novelty, and Ji Rong no longer wished to watch.
The unfinished osmanthus wine was taken over by Qi Zhaoxuan to carry. After stepping out of Baiwei Pavilion, the two of them walked continuously along the street.
There were quite a few stalls selling small trinkets on both sides of the street, and Ji Rong was quickly drawn to one of them.
A dazzling array of various mechanical birds was on display, and the vendor handed one over for Ji Rong to see.
The mechanical bird was compact in size; its feathers featured a gradient of pinkish-purple and cyan-blue, and its wings were as thin as cicada wings yet remarkably tough, emitting a faint sound from the wingbones when fluttering.
The moment the vendor loosened his grip, the mechanical bird darted out like a mysterious arrow, so fast that only an afterimage remained. After circling once in the air, the mechanical bird slowly landed back on the vendor’s palm.
“This style of mechanical bird is a recent new arrival, with many inferior designs from the old versions improved,” the vendor introduced, “Using refined copper for the skeleton, it’s more sensitive than before, flies faster, and is also sturdier.”
Qi Zhaoxuan remembered that Ji Rong should be quite fond of these mechanical birds. He had previously seen an entire shelf of mechanical birds in the Prime Minister’s residence, placed right in the study where one could see them at a glance upon raising their head, with each one different in color and style without a single duplicate.
“Does elder brother like them?”
Qi Zhaoxuan asked softly.
“?”
Elder brother?
What kind of act is he pulling now?
Ji Rong looked at him with puzzlement.
Qi Zhaoxuan had always liked calling him “Regent Father.” With so many people around, even if he couldn’t use that title, where on earth did “elder brother” spring from?
Qi Zhaoxuan urged in a low voice, “Elder brother?”
Ji Rong remained silent, taking it as tacit consent to this form of address as he lowered his head to browse the stall.
In the end, he selected five mechanical birds.
Not bringing servants had its disadvantages as well; all the items bought could only be carried by Qi Zhaoxuan.
The money pouch had already been handed over to Ji Rong, leaving Qi Zhaoxuan with no free hands left.
“Selling candied haws!”
Ji Rong looked toward the sound.
A vendor was carrying a straw pole hawking his wares, with candied haws stuck all over the pole and mountain haws threaded on bamboo skewers, each fruit evenly coated in a crystal-clear, glistening sugar glaze.
A group of little children swarmed over, buzzing as they bought a batch.
After the children left, Ji Rong bought a skewer as well.
The sweet and sour taste was just right.
There were six mountain haws threaded on the bamboo stick, but after eating three, Ji Rong no longer felt like having any more.
Although it was sweet and sour, eating too much became slightly cloying.
With a natural motion, Ji Rong extended the bamboo skewer toward Qi Zhaoxuan’s lips, his eyebrows curved into smiles as he asked, “Want a bite?”
Qi Zhaoxuan bit down on one of the fruits.
Ji Rong’s gaze remained fixed on Qi Zhaoxuan’s face.
The next instant, Qi Zhaoxuan’s brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of disgust flashing through his eyes.
The corners of Ji Rong’s lips curved upward high, smiles overflowing from the depths of his eyes while ripples spread across his pupils.
He knew Qi Zhaoxuan disliked sweets.
He had done it on purpose.
Many bizarre and eccentric items had been brought to the lantern festival. After walking through the entire street, it was just about time to release the lotus lanterns.
Ji Rong had bought a large pile of items, which eventually had to be sent away with someone, allowing him to feel somewhat lighter.
A crowd had gathered ahead, with cheers occasionally erupting from within.
There were too many people, and Ji Rong wanted to go inside to join the bustling excitement, so he reached back, grabbed Qi Zhaoxuan’s hand, and once again squeezed his way into the crowd with him.
Upon getting inside, he felt somewhat disappointed, as it was merely an archery platform.
Ji Rong lost interest and dragged Qi Zhaoxuan back out.
No sooner had they stepped out than Ji Rong’s gaze was caught by a lantern nearby.
A round, plump orange cat lantern featuring a round head, short and stubby limbs, fine velvet fur embroidered on its face, pupils made of black glass that looked remarkably vivid, and a fluffy big tail at the very back.
It looked a lot like Luobo.
Ji Rong poked the person beside him.
“Do you think it looks like Luobo?”
Qi Zhaoxuan didn’t particularly like that soft, clingy cat. Ever since returning from Yongxing Temple, Regent Father had been holding that cat in his arms every day, rolling around in Regent Father’s arms all day long, and sometimes even jumping onto the bed.
He hadn’t even been able to hold Regent Father for that long.
What right did a cat have?
So he replied indifferently, “Ugly.”
It was unclear whether he was calling the lantern ugly, or calling Luobo ugly, or both combined.
Ji Rong ignored Qi Zhaoxuan’s vicious remarks about Luobo, bought the lantern directly from the vendor, and said he would come back to pick it up a little later.
The time for releasing lotus lanterns was fast approaching. The crowd around the archery area was slowly thinning out, and many people had gathered around the North Lake.
The vendor asked, “Would the young gentleman like to check out the lotus lanterns? The merchandise at our shop can be said to be the finest in the capital without a doubt.”
Ji Rong followed him over.
This shop and the archery stall next door were connected shops; this one sold lanterns, while the next one sold lotus lanterns and river lanterns.
The vendor hadn’t boasted; along the way, he had seen quite a few shops selling lotus lanterns and river lanterns, and the quality and style of this particular shop were indeed top-tier.
As soon as Ji Rong stepped into the shop, he set his eyes on a lotus lantern.
Its petals were layered in a pink-white gradient with a touch of cyan-green, looking exquisite and extremely beautiful.
Ji Rong pointed toward it and asked, “How about this one?”
Following his gesture, the vendor smiled and said, “The young gentleman truly has a discerning eye. That is our shop’s crowning treasure, but it is not sold separately.”
Pointing toward the door, the vendor added, “Win the grand prize at archery, and you can take this lotus lantern directly. No one has won the grand prize yet today. Would the young gentleman like to try?”
Ji Rong followed the vendor outside.
Several circular rings were suspended in mid-air by ropes, arranged in order of size from largest to smallest. There were nine rings in total, spaced three feet apart in a straight line, with a bullseye set right at the center behind each ring.
A challenger would nock an arrow to a bow, shooting through each ring sequentially in order from largest to smallest while accurately hitting the bullseye to complete the challenge and claim the grand prize.
Each ring allowed three attempts at a challenge.
The vendor explained, “Starting from the sixth ring, even if you ultimately fail to win the grand prize, you can still receive corresponding rewards.”
The earlier rings weren’t particularly difficult, but the opening of the final ring was extremely small, just barely large enough for an arrow to pass through. The slightest deviation would affect the accuracy of hitting the bullseye. The vendor mentioned that most people got stuck on the final ring.
It certainly was difficult.
Yet for him, it wasn’t overly hard.
Ji Rong weighed the bow a few times, his left hand steadily supporting the bow frame while his right hand nocked the feathered arrow onto the string in a fluid, continuous motion.
With his pupils narrowed slightly and the bowstring pulled to its absolute limit, just as energy was coiled and ready to release, Ji Rong slowly relaxed his tension.
He tossed the bow casually to the side, letting it land in Qi Zhaoxuan’s hands.
A hint of mischievousness played in Ji Rong’s eyes as he slightly raised his chin, speaking in a casual tone: “I want that lotus lantern.”
Qi Zhaoxuan silently took the bow, nocked an arrow, and effortlessly passed the first eight rings in succession.
Cheers erupted continuously from the crowd, while Ji Rong stood to the side, his fingers playing absentmindedly with the tassel on his folding fan.
The final ring.
The man stood sideways, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, wearing the cold and rigid cloud-patterned mask.
The feathered arrow was nocked onto the string, his fingertips lightly gripping it as he slowly pulled it to the maximum. The bow body bent into an arc, and the muscle lines on the man’s arms tightened.
The bowstring twanged and the arrow flew out like a shooting star, piercing the air.
Watching this scene, Ji Rong’s heart skipped a beat, his fingertips freezing on the tassel while tiny ripples of light danced in the depths of his eyes.
Before anyone could react, with a single sound, the arrow struck dead center, embedding itself deeply into the bullseye. The arrow tail trembled slightly, hitting the mark without the slightest error.
Thunderous cheers and applause instantly erupted from the crowd.
Qi Zhaoxuan turned his head, his gaze cutting through the bustling crowd and landing squarely on Ji Rong.
He saw the smile shining in Ji Rong’s eyes.
His fingertips twitched.
There seemed to be a sky full of stars in Ji Rong’s eyes. His Regent Father was truly gorgeous beyond compare.
Qi Zhaoxuan took the lotus lantern from the vendor, walked to Ji Rong’s side, and hooked the corners of his lips into a faint smile. He gently shook the lotus lantern in his hand, as if asking for credit.
“Won.”
“Mhm.”
Ji Rong took the lotus lantern.
“Releasing lotus lanterns during the Lantern Festival is for blessings. Would this young gentleman like to buy one?” the vendor asked.
Qi Zhaoxuan was not particularly interested in this, so in the end, Ji Rong helped pick one out for them to take.
Right beside the stall was the North Lake. By this time, the peak of the crowds had mostly dispersed, so it was not overly congested.
The stall provided writing brushes and ink, and they borrowed a set.
There was a stone slab nearby that could be used as a makeshift desk for writing.
Ji Rong raised his hand to moisten the brush and take ink. After writing a few characters, he acutely noticed that Qi Zhaoxuan’s gaze had fallen over here.
He immediately reached out to block it, frowning in dissatisfaction, “What are you doing? You aren’t allowed to look.”
Qi Zhaoxuan pulled his gaze back.
Ji Rong turned his head and continued writing. Holding a brush, Qi Zhaoxuan had no idea what to write.
His mind was entirely filled with the content of Ji Rong’s paper that he had inadvertently caught a glimpse of earlier.