The lanterns carried some indescribable expectations, drifting along with the water and shining in the sparkling river, floating towards the distance.
It wasn’t until they couldn’t see the lanterns anymore that Shen Fengyue withdrew his gaze and walked down the bridge with Lord Shen, strolling through the bustling streets and alleys. Every time they arrived at a new place, Shen Fengyue always looked at everything with a curious gaze, and Lord Shen would timely explain everything to him in a knowledgeable manner.
After listening to his explanations many times, Shen Fengyue would frown at him and stare at him suspiciously, with an expression of, How do you know everything?
After being stared at by Shen Fengyue like this, Lord Shen’s mouth couldn’t help but raise an arc, he put on a smile on his face and said, “I’m just an ordinary person. When I was young I was fond of playing, I liked to wander around the streets and alleys, and my family scolded me for it. So, I became familiar with all the small things in the streets and alleys of the capital.”
After he finished speaking, he lifted his chin and gestured for Shen Fengyue to respond.
Shen Fengyue snorted coldly, turned his head, and walked forward faster without looking at him.
Lord Shen had longer legs than him, so he effortlessly kept up with him and even hummed a tune leisurely.
The melody was broken and out of tune, clearly, just something he hummed without much thought.
When Shen Fengyue heard the tune, his face darkened, and he walked even faster. The wind generated by his quick pace lifted his light and thin dress, making him look like a goddess walking on Earth.
As they passed by a vendor, the merchant called out to them urgently, “Sir and Madam, please stop!”
But they didn’t stop and ignored him.
It’s said that when calling out to someone, there must be a clear purpose. So, the vendor added, “Sir in black and Madam in the goose-yellow dress, please stop!”
The man in black and the woman in the goose-yellow dress stopped and turned around.
“Excuse me, are you calling us?” asked Shen Fengyue.
The vendor nodded, and Shen Fengyue and Lord Shen went over to ask what was going on.
The vendor pointed to the items on his stall and smiled, “Sir and Madam are truly a perfect match, a match made in heaven. Would you like to buy a string of moonstones? I sell the moonstone from the Moonstone Temple, which is said to be the most effective. You can carve your names on it, thread it with a red string, and you’ll be together forever.”
Oh… it’s another sales pitch, Shen Fengyue understood immediately. He glanced at the items on the vendor’s stall and saw a long table covered with a red tablecloth. On the table were stones of various sizes and shapes, all white and smooth with their edges rounded.
These are the moonstones he’s talking about, Shen Fengyue thought to himself.
“Why do you say we are a couple?” Shen Fengyue asked.
“Is what you said true?”
Lord Shen asked at the same time, but their questions had different implications, indicating their different concerns.
Shen Fengyue glared at him, and Lord Shen immediately changed his tone, “Let’s just go along with it.”
The vendor smiled knowingly and nodded, “I understand.”
Understand what? The vendor’s response left them both puzzled.
Regardless of what the vendor knows, let’s just clarify the situation first.
“We are not a couple,” Shen Fengyue stated firmly.
The vendor glanced at the cinnabar dot on his forehead and then at their intertwined hands, smiling ambiguously. Without saying a word, he conveyed his understanding through his gaze.
When Shen Fengyue, the wife spoke up, the Lord immediately fell silent and obediently followed his wife’s lead. It was clear that the wife was a strict one.
Shen Fengyue felt uneasy under the vendor’s gaze and instinctively let go of Lord Shen’s hand. However, he did so too hastily, and Lord Shen allowed him to do so, making their actions seem suspicious.
“Don’t be ashamed, Madam. I understand. It’s only natural for newlyweds to act this way,” the vendor spoke with the tone of someone who had seen and experienced the world’s many complexities.
Shen Fengyue couldn’t take it anymore and discreetly tugged on Lord Shen’s clothes from behind, signaling that they should leave quickly.
Lord Shen pretended to be clueless and misunderstood Shen Fengyue’s meaning, saying with a delighted expression, “So Madam also likes them. Shall we buy a pair?”
Shen Fengyue, ???!!!
As the vendor was happy to have customers, he allowed them to freely choose their stones.
Shen Fengyue forced a smile and used his eyes to convey a message to Lord Shen, “Who is your Madam?”
Lord Shen nonchalantly picked up a stone from the red cloth and replied the same way, “Shall I call you Master?”
Shen Fengyue, “…” Just forget it. If he calls Master, everyone will know that we’re playing the master-servant game.
“Madam, how about this one?” The vendor picked up a stone and presented it to Shen Fengyue.
Shen Fengyue silently accepted this title. Madam was fine, he was afraid that if Lord Shen suddenly called him “Master,” it would be too awkward. He took the stone and carefully examined it. The stone he chose was pure white, without any flaws, and had smooth edges and corners. It was indeed beautiful.
“Not bad.” Shen Fengyue held the stone in his hand and said, “Let’s pick another one.”
Lord Shen carefully selected another good stone. The vendor handed them two small knives to carve their names on the stones. Then, he went out to find a red thread and a pen.
“Madam, let’s carve each other’s names.” Lord Shen took the knife and focused on the small stone, considering where to start. After a while, he noticed that Shen Fengyue was not moving and seemed absent-minded. Taking advantage of the vendor’s absence, he leaned over and whispered in Shen Fengyue’s ear with a playful tone, “Madam, why aren’t you moving? Do you really want me to call you ‘Master’?”
“…”
Who could resist this?
Shen Fengyue’s heart skipped a beat, then began to beat rapidly. He was afraid that if he wasn’t careful, his heart would jump out of his chest.
“Ahem.” Shen Fengyue cleared his throat and silently moved a few steps to the right, keeping a safe distance to avoid further attacks from the enemy. He picked up the knife and was about to start carving when he remembered something and added with a smile, “Can you be a little more serious?”
The enemy continued to attack after hearing his words, Lord Shen turned his head to look at the person who was avoiding him deliberately, he couldn’t help but laugh at this scene. The sound of laughter scattered into countless particles and entered Shen Fengyue’s heart, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.
Lord Shen noticed the redness behind Shen Fengyue’s ear and knew that his wife was shy. He stopped teasing him to avoid making him too upset and having to coax him later.
