Shen Fengyue couldn’t find the person and didn’t dare to wander around, afraid that Lord Shen would worry. So he stood in place and admired the scenery. Behind him was a river, and an arched bridge was built over the river. Under the bridge, there were colorful lotus lanterns floating, with candlelight flickering inside, emitting a bright yellow light that slowly moved along with the flow of the river.
Standing for a while was tiring, so he squatted down. After a while, his legs became numb. When he stood up, a little girl grabbed his sleeve.
Shen Fengyue lowered his head to look at her. The little girl was holding a string of lotus lanterns. When she saw him looking at her, she immediately showed a big smile and said, “Sister, why are you worried?”
“Sister is separated from her friend. I’m waiting for him here.”
The little girl said again, “Sister, don’t worry. Your friend will definitely come to find you. Waiting is boring. Why not release a lotus lantern to relieve your boredom? When you release the lotus lantern, you can make a wish. The gods will receive your request and help you fulfill your wish.” As she spoke, she lifted the string of lotus lanterns in her hand.
The little girl’s voice was sweet as if mixed with honey. Her big smile was also very infectious, but it couldn’t hide her intention to sell the lotus lanterns.
Shen Fengyue had no money, so he had to bend down and say to the little girl, “Little friend, sister also wants to buy your lotus lanterns, but sister has no money. You should go find other people to do business with.”
When the little girl heard him say this, the curve of her eyebrows and eyes disappeared, and her mouth pouted. She looked up at him with big watery eyes.
Okay, this meant that she was going to pester him. The little girl’s appearance seemed like she would cry in the next second if he didn’t buy anything. Shen Fengyue was most afraid of the little girl’s tears, so he took a small piece of jewelry from his hair and handed it to her, saying, “Is this enough?”
The little girl took the jewelry and stuffed all the lotus lanterns in her hand into his arms. A smile reappeared on her face.
“That’s enough, that’s enough. Sister is really a kind person. I wish sister’s wish will come true!” She sweetly thanked him and ran away. When she ran, the two small braids behind her back swayed back and forth, showing that she was really happy.
Shen Fengyue watched her back and laughed, shaking his head and sighing that the young girls nowadays were really good at doing business.
He looked at the many lotus lanterns in his hand and hesitated. He thought that since he had already spent money on them, he wouldn’t feel comfortable if he didn’t release them. So he walked to the river and lit all the lotus lanterns, putting them all into the river.
He released ten at once, but he didn’t have any wishes. He just watched the lotus lanterns with lit candles floating out from his direction, mixing with their companions and flowing towards the bridge.
Shen Fengyue walked up to the bridge, step by step. When he was halfway there, he bumped into someone.
His body shook, and he apologized. But then the person hugged him tightly.
“Empress Dowager, I finally found you.”
The person rested their chin on his head, holding him tightly, as his chest rose and fell heavily. The person’s breathing was rapid as if they were overjoyed to have found him.
Shen Fengyue knew who it was.
“Don’t run around like that again, okay?” Lord Shen released him from the hug, placed his hands on his shoulders, and carefully examined him up and down as if checking if he was injured.
Shen Fengyue lightly patted his hand and said, “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Lord Shen suddenly fell silent, with a gloomy expression on his face, and his attitude changed 180 degrees.
At first, Shen Fengyue was still puzzled, wondering why this person suddenly started to act like a child again. But then he understood what was going on.
He blamed himself for running around and separating from him.
So, Shen Fengyue had no choice but to coax him like a child, with his hands clasped together in front of his chest and blinking his eyes, promising the sulking child, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have run around.”
Lord Shen raised his eyebrows, seeming unsatisfied.
“I promise I won’t leave you again and make you worry.” Shen Fengyue added another promise.
Only then Lord Shen was successfully coaxed back. He reluctantly took the other’s hand and climbed up the bridge railing, saying, “We’d better hold hands so that I don’t lose you again.”
Shen Fengyue was in the wrong, so he had to let him do as he pleased.
“What was Empress Dowager looking at so intently just now?”
“I released ten lotus lanterns and was walking towards the bridge to see where they would flow.”
“Let’s go see together.”
Lord Shen pulled him and the two walked onto the bridge, following the trail of the lotus lanterns.
“People say that lotus lanterns can carry people’s wishes. Did Empress Dowager make a wish?”
Shen Fengyue shook his head and said no.
“Then let me make a wish for Empress Dowager.” Lord Shen looked at Shen Fengyue beside him and said, “Do you want to know what wish I want to make?”
Shen Fengyue was curious, “What do you want to wish for?”
“Well, I…”
He turned his hand over and his slender fingers slipped into the gap between Shen Fengyue’s fingers, interlocking their fingers.
“I want to be with Empress Dowager forever and never be separated.”
Shen Fengyue got goosebumps and glared at him.
Lord Shen laughed lightly, his laughter hearty and indescribably happy.
To be together with you like this forever, never to be separated.
…
He silently added a sentence in his heart, till death do us apart.
