"Why not let go?"
"Pulling you like this prevents you from knocking against the window when the sedan jostles.”
His words rendered her speechless.
Yan Ge had the carriage stopped at a night street.
Today was the emperor’s coming of age ceremony and it was a universal celebration. In ordinary times, this place would be devoid of people, but tonight both sides of the street were decorated with bright lanterns, the crowd was surging, and dragon dancing acrobats rippled about constantly.
Emperor Yuan did not expect the capital to be so lively this late at night and looked everywhere in amazement and curiosity.
The two people walked among the crowd. Emperor Yuan could hold her hand more openly and so grasped it tightly.
"This is the Nightless Street of Jingcheng." Yan Ge separated from Emperor Yuan: "I inquired about it when I first came to the capital. The little second brother from the wine shop strongly recommended that I come here. He said that on Your Majesty’s coming of age ceremony was going to be celebrated by everyone. When the time comes, a variety of programs will be performed on the Nightless Street and the place will be lively for three days and three nights. I originally thought I'd come play here for all three days. I didn’t expect to be absent on the first day. "
Emperor Yuan listened to the regret and dissatisfaction in her words and reassured her with a smile: "We’ll come back tomorrow and the day after together.”
Yan Ge did not reply. She dragged Emperor Yuan to wander around the shops on both sides of the street and bought many novelty items.
There was a small street vendor that was said to be selling blessed copper coin pendants wound with red string. They were very cheap, but everyone sought good luck and so Yan Ge bought two. She wore one and stood on tiptoe to hang the other around Emperor Yuan’s neck.
"This is for protection. Many people around me wear it and say it can keep one safe and sound.”
Emperor Yuan was unconvinced, but when he saw Yan Ge’s solemn look, he had no objections.
It was likely that in the spirit of the emperor’s birthday, most items sold were birthday paraphernalia; there were hats, belts, capes, and masks.
The items were very interesting, and Yan Ge was amazed.
Without meaning to, they walked through the entire Nightless street.
They purchased two river lanterns from the stall at the end of the street. Yan Ge handed the brush to Emperor Yuan first: "Today is your birthday, so your wish should be more effective than anyone else. Make a good one."
Emperor Yuan raised his eyebrows. He did not believe in these so-called wishes. With this skill, he may as well fulfill them himself.
But when he saw Yan Ge's expectant face, he reached out and took the brush from her white and slender hand, and seriously wrote a ‘wish’ on the paper.
"What's your wish?" The two were very close. When turned his head slightly and his breath seemed to brush over her face, and it was unknown whether the hairs on her forehead moved from a breeze or his breath. Raising his hand, he reached out and pinched the strands of hair with his fingers.
In the face of her doubtful gaze, he unhurriedly helped her tuck the hair behind her ear.
The feeling of her hair fleeting across his fingertips seemed to linger, and he rubbed them together from within his sleeve. It might have been the residual wine, but he wanted to hold her in his arms at that moment.
Yan Ge was unaware of this. She took the proffered brush and wrote her own wish on a paper and placed it in her river lantern. She then took the lead and walked to the river channel with great enthusiasm.
After walking a few steps, she realized that Emperor Yuan was still in the same place. Turning her head, she beckoned him: "Follow me closely and take care not to be carried away by the crowd.”
Only then did Emperor Yuan react to his gaffe. After catching up to her in a few steps, he held a river lantern with one hand and Yan Ge’s hand with the other as he asked: "What did you wish for?"
She did not reply. She knelt down solemnly on the river bank facing the lanterns floating away. Folding her hands together, she closed her eyes and silently murmured what must have been a prayer to the heavens.
Her stance was upright and her face was pious. The river lanterns twinkled like stars, and their warm yellow light covered her entire body. As she knelt there, the brilliant lights reflected on her made her seem like an immortal that descended down to earth, and it caused people to feel inconceivably somber.
Emperor Yuan watched at her like this, and for a moment looked like a fool. The noise around him seemed to stagnate at that instance, and only she remained in his eyes.
"Why not let go?"
"Pulling you like this prevents you from knocking against the window when the sedan jostles.”
His words rendered her speechless.
Yan Ge had the carriage stopped at a night street.
Today was the emperor’s coming of age ceremony and it was a universal celebration. In ordinary times, this place would be devoid of people, but tonight both sides of the street were decorated with bright lanterns, the crowd was surging, and dragon dancing acrobats rippled about constantly.
Emperor Yuan did not expect the capital to be so lively this late at night and looked everywhere in amazement and curiosity.
The two people walked among the crowd. Emperor Yuan could hold her hand more openly and so grasped it tightly.
"This is the Nightless Street of Jingcheng." Yan Ge separated from Emperor Yuan: "I inquired about it when I first came to the capital. The little second brother from the wine shop strongly recommended that I come here. He said that on Your Majesty’s coming of age ceremony was going to be celebrated by everyone. When the time comes, a variety of programs will be performed on the Nightless Street and the place will be lively for three days and three nights. I originally thought I'd come play here for all three days. I didn’t expect to be absent on the first day. "
Emperor Yuan listened to the regret and dissatisfaction in her words and reassured her with a smile: "We’ll come back tomorrow and the day after together.”
Yan Ge did not reply. She dragged Emperor Yuan to wander around the shops on both sides of the street and bought many novelty items.
There was a small street vendor that was said to be selling blessed copper coin pendants wound with red string. They were very cheap, but everyone sought good luck and so Yan Ge bought two. She wore one and stood on tiptoe to hang the other around Emperor Yuan’s neck.
"This is for protection. Many people around me wear it and say it can keep one safe and sound.”
Emperor Yuan was unconvinced, but when he saw Yan Ge’s solemn look, he had no objections.
It was likely that in the spirit of the emperor’s birthday, most items sold were birthday paraphernalia; there were hats, belts, capes, and masks.
The items were very interesting, and Yan Ge was amazed.
Without meaning to, they walked through the entire Nightless street.
They purchased two river lanterns from the stall at the end of the street. Yan Ge handed the brush to Emperor Yuan first: "Today is your birthday, so your wish should be more effective than anyone else. Make a good one."
Emperor Yuan raised his eyebrows. He did not believe in these so-called wishes. With this skill, he may as well fulfill them himself.
But when he saw Yan Ge's expectant face, he reached out and took the brush from her white and slender hand, and seriously wrote a ‘wish’ on the paper.
"What's your wish?" The two were very close. When turned his head slightly and his breath seemed to brush over her face, and it was unknown whether the hairs on her forehead moved from a breeze or his breath. Raising his hand, he reached out and pinched the strands of hair with his fingers.
In the face of her doubtful gaze, he unhurriedly helped her tuck the hair behind her ear.
The feeling of her hair fleeting across his fingertips seemed to linger, and he rubbed them together from within his sleeve. It might have been the residual wine, but he wanted to hold her in his arms at that moment.
Yan Ge was unaware of this. She took the proffered brush and wrote her own wish on a paper and placed it in her river lantern. She then took the lead and walked to the river channel with great enthusiasm.
After walking a few steps, she realized that Emperor Yuan was still in the same place. Turning her head, she beckoned him: "Follow me closely and take care not to be carried away by the crowd.”
Only then did Emperor Yuan react to his gaffe. After catching up to her in a few steps, he held a river lantern with one hand and Yan Ge’s hand with the other as he asked: "What did you wish for?"
She did not reply. She knelt down solemnly on the river bank facing the lanterns floating away. Folding her hands together, she closed her eyes and silently murmured what must have been a prayer to the heavens.
Her stance was upright and her face was pious. The river lanterns twinkled like stars, and their warm yellow light covered her entire body. As she knelt there, the brilliant lights reflected on her made her seem like an immortal that descended down to earth, and it caused people to feel inconceivably somber.
Emperor Yuan watched at her like this, and for a moment looked like a fool. The noise around him seemed to stagnate at that instance, and only she remained in his eyes.
