Only one day remained before the Moonchase Festival.
The entire city of Jinzhou was steeped in a festive joy that seemed on the verge of overflowing.
New lanterns hung beneath the eaves of every household.
Children in new clothes chased each other down the streets, filling the air with the sweet scent of food and cheerful laughter.
This should have been Mo Hai’s favorite kind of scene—full of life, warmth, and vibrant activity.
Yet right now, he felt as though he were watching a silent film through a thick pane of glass.
It was noisy, but impossibly distant.
[Ding.
Host’s life origin continues to deplete.
Estimated time remaining: 48 hours.] The cold system prompt sounded like a precise engraving knife, carving a countdown named “death” across every dimension of his perception.
As he leaned against the window frame, staring blankly outside, the door opened with a gentle creak.
Jinhsi swept inside like a light breeze.
Today, she had traded her understated official robes for a set of casual clothes prepared for the Moonchase Festival, adorned with delicate embroidery.
The moon-white fabric set off her snow-white skin.
As she walked, her skirt swayed gently, making her look like a fairy descending beneath the moon.
An undeniable flush of nervousness and anticipation warmed her cheeks.
Her eyes, usually as cool and clear as jade, now sparkled like a night sky full of fallen stars.
“Quick, change into these.” She set a neat, folded stack of brand-new clothes on the edge of the bed, issuing her command in a tone that brooked no argument, tinged with a playful bossiness.
“There’s a lantern fair in the city tonight.
I’m taking you out for a walk.” Mo Hai looked at her and offered a soft smile.
*That works.* If these truly were his final moments, then he would give every bit of her anticipation the most complete answer possible.
*** The street lamps flared to life as night fell, illuminating thronging crowds that moved shoulder to shoulder.
Yet Jinhsi seemed to have mapped out their route in advance.
She skillfully guided Mo Hai through quieter side alleys where the crowds thinned out, though the streets remained draped in beautiful lanterns.
She spoke far more than usual, chatting happily like a cheerful little bird.
She pointed to a sugar-figurine stall at a street corner, telling Mo Hai how she had once snuck out as a child just to watch the vendor, believing it to be the most magical craft in the world.
She pulled him along to a stop before a mask vendor, picked up a ferocious devil mask with green skin and sharp fangs, slapped it over her face, and spun around to roar at him, trying to startle him.
Her effort only earned an affectionate, helpless look from Mo Hai, along with a single word: “Childish.” Her cheeks immediately puffed up in annoyance.
Seeing her adorable, pouting expression, Mo Hai chuckled.
He bought a string of bright red candied hawthorns from a nearby stall and held it to her lips.
“Here, Lady Magistrate.
Have something sweet to cool your temper.” The crystal-clear sugar coating glinted enticingly under the lantern light.
Jinhsi’s eyes lit up.
Opening her mouth, she took a gentle bite of the top hawthorn.
With a crisp crunch, the sour-sweet flavor exploded across her tongue.
She narrowed her eyes in pure satisfaction, looking just like a cat that had successfully stolen a treat.
Mo Hai simply watched her quietly, taking in her completely unguarded, genuine self with a whirlwind of mixed emotions in his heart.
There was the relief of possessing this beautiful moment all to himself, coupled with the sharp, piercing pain of knowing he was about to lose it all.
Without realizing it, they arrived at a riverbank.
Along the shore, a large crowd gathered around a stall buying lotus-shaped river lanterns.
People wrote their wishes on the lanterns before carefully setting them afloat, letting them drift far away along the rippling water.
“Let’s set one free too.” Jinhsi tugged at his sleeve, her eyes brimming with eager hope.
She bought the two prettiest lotus lanterns and handed one to Mo Hai.
Picking up a brush, she turned her back to him and began writing something intently on one of the paper petals.
Illuminated by the firelight, her profile appeared gentle and devout, her slightly trembling eyelashes betraying the nervousness in her heart.
Mo Hai didn’t need to look to know what she had written.
He picked up his brush and stared at the blank lotus lantern in his hand, unable to put ink to paper for a long time.
*What should I wish for?* *To turn back time?
For a miracle to happen?* *Or…
that she might forget me and live out a happy life?* He gave a self-deprecating smile and shook his head.
In the end, he simply wrote a brief line on the back of a petal in simplified Chinese characters—a script no one in this world could ever read.
*May tonight’s moonlight never end…
and forever light my heart.* Having written their wishes, the two walked to the riverbank together, preparing to place their lanterns into the water.
Just as they bent down, a gust of evening wind swept past.
Jinhsi’s body swayed, and with a soft gasp, she began falling toward the river.
Quick on his feet, Mo Hai reached out and caught her by the waist, pulling her safely back into his arms.
Jinhsi bumped straight into his warm chest.
The lotus lantern slipped from her fingers, alighting gracefully onto the water alongside his.
Side by side, the two lights drifted slowly into the distance on the gentle ripples.
The glow of the lanterns reflected off their faces, separated by mere inches.
He could clearly see the panic and bashfulness deep in her eyes, and smell the delicate, elegant fragrance of her hair.
She could hear the drumming beat of his heart inside his chest, feeling how tightly his arm held her waist…
and how scalding hot his touch was.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still.
An ambiguous warmth fermented in the air, rising in temperature until it reached a boil.
After a long pause, Jinhsi was the first to react.
As if burned, she pushed Mo Hai away gently, flushing red as she kept her head lowered, not daring to meet his eyes.
“Th…
thank you…” “You’re…
welcome…” Both of their voices carried a faint, barely perceptible trace of flustered panic.
“Tomorrow…
on the night of the Moonchase Festival.” Jinhsi took a deep breath, as if making up her mind, and finally raised her head.
“At three quarters past the hour of Xu, atop the clock tower on the east side of the city…
that is the best place to watch the fireworks.” She looked straight into Mo Hai’s eyes, speaking clearly, word by word.
“I’ll be waiting for you.” With that, she turned and fled, vanishing into the bustling crowd.
She had already made her decision: as long as Mo Hai agreed, she was going to drain him completely dry tomorrow night!
Hehe!
Mo Hai stood alone by the river, watching the two lotus lanterns drift farther and farther away until they faded into two blurry specks of light.
Only then did he turn back toward his quiet, cold courtyard.
He didn’t turn on the lights.
He simply sat in the dark, remaining silent through the night.
*** Dusk arrived the next evening as promised.
[Ding.
Host’s life origin will be completely exhausted.
Estimated time remaining: 3 hours.] The system’s prompt sounded like a final death knell.
Mo Hai slowly opened his eyes.
He stood up, retrieved the brand-new, moon-white robes Jinhsi had prepared for him from the wardrobe, and put them on meticulously.
Then, he pushed open the door, casting one last look at the courtyard where he had lived for nearly a month, and at the camphor tree that had begun to drop its leaves.
In the night sky, the first firework exploded in a brilliant burst of light.
He gave a soft smile and set off toward the clock tower in the east of the city.
*Jinhsi, I’m coming.* *To keep our final promise.*