“The Dead Wood Has Blossomed.”

After making his wish, Wei Lian opened his eyes and turned his head to see the man wearing the green ghost mask staring intensely at him.

“Is there something on my face?”

Ji Yue blinked before turning his head. “No.”

The lotus lanterns trembled and drifted away with the current. Then there was suddenly an exclamation from the crowd, “Look up at the sky!”

Wei Lian raised his head to see someone had let loose a golden sky lantern as it slowly ascended to the sky.

It was a unique custom of the Qin and Chu Empires to release sky lanterns during the Lantern Festival. Among the seven empires today, Qin and Chu were located in the Central Plain and their traditional festival retained most aspects of the Qi Dynasty. It is said that the founding fathers of these two empires were half brothers, but one took his mother’s surname. If one wanted to implicate matters regarding relationship, Ji Yue was a distant cousin of Wei Lian.

...To view it this way, Wei Lian addressing the other man as 'gege' was not too unjust.

But two hundred years later, after several generations, this kinship had long been lost.

The customs of the other five empires were very different. At that time, the Imperial Family of Qi had feudal members, and the five ancestors were originally a small county. They were the East Sea, the South Border, the North Desert, the West Icefield, and the relatively small and weak, Mountain Range.

It was only when these five empires were conquered by the Qi Emperor that the title for the ruler of these lands was changed to ‘noble’.

The descendants of the five nobility never stopped trying to restore their county’s status, and when the Imperial Family of Qi fell, they rose immediately.

And created the Yan, Liang, Lu, Chen and Xia of today.

As for the two other lands, the Qin and Chu Empires, the founding emperors were originally from the Central Plain nobilities, which carried the closest bloodline of the seven empires today.

Three thousand sky lanterns slowly rose, filling the dark sky with bright stars.

The Milky Way was vast, the moonlight was bright, and the market lights made tonight as bright as daytime.

“Wow, it’s so beautiful!” A child tugged on his mother’s clothes and pointed excitedly at the sky.

Wei Lian slowly got up and stood side by side with Ji Yue.

“It’s beautiful.” Wei Lian said with a faint smile. “I’ve never seen such a night scene.”

Ji Yue gazed up and agreed, “It’s my first time as well.”

Wei Lian turned to him. “A grand occasion that you have never witnessed before? Isn’t the spectacle in the palace much grander than the commoners’ Lantern Festival?”

“It is true that I have seen it many times.” Ji Yue replied, “But it’s also the first time I found it beautiful.”

Wei Lian teased, “What’s the matter? The light suddenly opened your eyes?”

Ji Yue glanced at him. After a long time, he turned away, ears quietly blushing.

“No, I suddenly spotted the light.”

The light in Wei Lian’s eyes flickered slightly. Before he could decipher the meaning of these words, a boatman noticed them standing on the shore for a long time and rowed over with his paddle. “Would the two gentlemen like to tour the lake? A ride to the centre of the lake will only cost you ten copper coins, the water is the perfect spot to enjoy the scenery.”

It did sound elegant to go boating on the lake amidst the flowers under the moonlight. There are three-layer boats as well as small boats on the lake. The price would vary, and the treatment was naturally different as well.

This boatman operated a small wooden boat, which looked very out of place among the magnificent decorated pleasure boats. At first Wei Lian expected Ji Yue to be critical of the treatment. But out of his expectation, the young man in red took a big step and got into the boat in an instant. He turned and stretched out a hand to him.

Wei Lian lowered his eyes and accepted the offered hand.

The hull was narrow with very limited space. The two men sat in the bow and stern of the boat, and the space in the middle could only accommodate one leg as their shoes were touching each other.

The boatman shouted, “Let’s go!” After pushing the paddle, the small wooden boat turned around and sailed to the middle of the lake.

The paddle entered the water, creating the sound of rowing. The scenery on both sides of the shore slowly moved backwards. Wei Lian gaze at the reflection of the dancing lanterns ashore in the distance and composed a poem, “Nobility children born in the human world, still ladies selling flowers for five coppers, sound of rowing accompanied with lingering shadow, the lanterns display chase the night away.”

Ji Yue smiled. “Good poem.”

Wei Lian smiled as well. “You want to add a few words?”

“Child’s play.” Ji Yue replied without much thought. “The twin moon in water and heaven, the man ahead...” He stopped abruptly.

Wei Lian asked, “What about the man ahead?”

Ji Yue paused before continuing, “The man ahead is a little fox.”

Wei Lian almost fell into the water from laughing.

“What kind of poem is this?” Wei Lian put the back of his hand over his lips, but the overflow of joy in his eyes was uncontrollable.

Ji Yue saw that the other man lowered his eyes and couldn’t stop himself from laughing. The eyes that were always hard and cold softened slightly, like the water under the moonlight, painted with the colour of spring.

Inside, he finished the actual poem.

The man ahead is the beloved one.

After sailing around the lake, the boat stopped by the share. Wei Lian watched as the colour of night started to creep in. “We should head back.”

They were scheduled to return to the palace at nightfall, now they were at the final quarter of evening.

Joyous times always passed the quickest.

“Are you not hungry wandering around for so long?” Ji Yue came over. “Let’s go eat something.”

Wei Lian agreed.

They walked back slowly along from where they came, because they were going against the flow of people, the crowd began to thin out.

No words were uttered all throughout the way.

They saw the stall selling glutinous rice balls at the start of their journey. There were several customers sitting under the shed, and a couple busy working the pot.

The wife saw the two young men so she immediately stopped what she was doing to welcome them, “Please come inside and sit.”

The duo picked a random square table and sat down on the bench.

“What flavour would the customers like?” The wife stood by the table and asked, “We have five individual flavours, two flavours, mixed flavours, sweetened bean paste...”

“Sesame filling.” Ji Yue took out ten copper coins. “Make that two.”

“Right away, son, two bowls of sesame!”

“Here you go!”

The steaming glutinous rice balls filled with sesame paste were soon brought to the table. The wife put down the bowl and chirped, “After eating the glutinous rice balls, it will be a joyful reunion. The two guests, please enjoy the food.”

Joyful reunion.

Those were good words.

They gave a very generous portion. There were ten large and round sweets in each bowl. Wei Lian scooped up one with his spoon, and as he was about to eat it, Ji Yue warned, “It’s still very hot.”

Wei Lian’s hand paused before he started to blow on his food before putting it into his mouth.

Soft and chewy texture, and the sweet sesame filling.

Food did not need to be an exquisite palace dish to be called delicious, as the commoner’s snacks left just as much a rich aftertaste, even included another flavour, spirit.

Ji Yue asked, “Good?”

Wei Lian nodded and replied, “Delicious.”

“How does it compare in the palace?”

After pondering over the question, Wei Lian firmly said, “It tastes better.”

Ji Yue did not believe the other. “I would like to see what commoner delicacies taste like, to be even more delicious than the palace food for you.”

Then he put a whole glutinous rice ball into his mouth.

And—

Hot! Hot!! HOT!!!

Ji Yue hissed in a breath.

Wei Lian laughed almost madly.

This man warned him not to burn his mouth. Yet turned around and burned his own month.

How could there be such a fool?

Wei Lian poured a glass of water and handed it to Ji Yue. “Slowly.”

Ji Yue accepted the cup and drank the entire thing, finally putting out the heat.

“Slow down, why are you in such a hurry?”

“A moment of carelessness.” Ji Yue refused to admit that he was too stupid. “Let me taste it again.”

This time, he learned his lesson and blew on his food to cool it down before eating it. He carefully tasted the flavour bomb in his mouth and agreed, “It is indeed better than the ones in the palace.”

Wei Lian asked with a smile, “Really?”

As Ji Yue was about to reply ‘Naturally’, but when he raised his eyes, he saw the young man in green looking at him quietly, resting his head on one hand.

The word he was about to say ran away.

Actually, how could this be on par with the food made by the imperial chef?

But the taste of this reunion was so good that it brought grief to the heart.

“I used to think,” After a long time, Wei Lian spoke up, “Living in this world is all for profit, the chaos of the world is caused by profit.”

“But it can be simple and happy.”

The young man in the white fox mask exclaimed, “Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known how wonderful this world could be.”

In a moment of silence, Ji Yue lowered his head and ate another sticky dessert. “No need for thanks. I was just here to take you out and have fun, as for what you said...did you really place yourself above the common populace?”

Wei Lian smiled but did not reply.

The two quietly ate the remaining glutinous rice balls and tacitly ended their conversation.

When the music was over and the pedestrians left, the bright lights from the people became sparse as the stalls were closing and the place turned quiet.

They went back to the alley, but as the carriage had not yet arrived, there was nothing under the pine tree with dark grey tree bark.

The faint chirping of insects filled the night.

There was a moment of silence in the alley.

Once they returned to the palace, they would become the aloof and remote Qin Emperor and Gongzi who took each step with careful consideration.

Things from tonight, such as fireworks, were like a dazzling dream.

Gone in a flash, nowhere to be found.

Giving a feeling of reluctance.

Ji Yue suddenly said, “We heard it.”

Wei Lian paused and asked, “Heard what?”

With the green ghost mask on top of Ji Yue, he appeared without emotion.

No one knew what he looked like right now under his mask.

He hesitated for a moment and answered—

“What you said to the girl. You like us...We heard it.”

Wei Lian raised an eyebrow.

That was not a surprising turn of events.

A martial arts practitioner's five senses are much sharper, not to mention a master like Ji Yue.

It was no wonder the other had heard him.

What was a wonder was that Ji Yue was actually able to hold back on bringing this up for so long.

Wei Lian leaned against the tree and confirmed, “Your Majesty is very cute, of course this subject likes you.”

When Ji Yue changed back into his self-addressing, Wei Lian naturally changed his honorific as well.

The tone was lazy and careless, like he was cracking a joke.

It seemed that the word ‘like’ was too casual, it didn’t hold any meaning at all.

It was hard for Ji Yue to see any real emotion in those eyes.

“Wei Lian.” Ji Yue finally said after a long time, “We did not make a wish tonight.”

Wei Lian’s tone was raised slightly, “Oh?”

“We do not believe in ghosts and deities, so there was no sincereness in our heart as we did not believe it would come true.” Ji Yue continued slowly, “At that time, we only pay attention to the two lotus lanterns on the lake bumping against each other and travelling far away together, like twin flowers on one stalk, a devoted married couple. We thought it was interesting and wanted to share it with you.”

The scene played in his head. He saw the two lotus lanterns against each other and found it interesting. As he turned his head and was about to call Wei Lian’s attention, he saw the younger man was making a wish with his eyes closed, looking sincere and peaceful.

Ji Yue was stunned for a moment. At that moment, his heart jumped with an irregular beat and he realised a big problem.

He remembered a quote from a book.

—When you find an interesting thing and want to share it with a certain someone immediately.

Then it is over, you have fallen in love with him.

After listening to this, Wei Lian nodded softly, “This subject understands.”

He reacted very flatly.

Ji Yue did the same with his lips.

It was just two lanterns bumping into each other. It was a trivial matter, very meaningless now he thought about it.

He also thought it was boring himself.

Ji Yue was about to add ‘Not really a big deal’, but Wei Lian suddenly sighed, “You’re really...”

He leaned over and kissed the man with the ghost mask.

Ji Yue’s entire body stiffened.

Wei Lian stopped after a few seconds, this lasted longer than their last one.

He shook his head and huffed, “You are really dead wood.”

Ji Yue: “...”

He was indeed dead wood.

Planted in the wet mud, took root in decayed soil, sealed under an ice layer. His heart was like a dead tree.

But there was moonlight illuminating the snowy night and a spring breeze broke open the frozen soil. There was a tree of orchids and jade willing to prose with the dead tree.

Ji Yue’s Adam apple bobbed. He reached out and took off his mask. His sharp eyes were without restraint.

A peerless individual in red whose beauty was unparalleled.

“Wei Lian.” He called out.

“Yes?”

Ji Yue changed the address, “Wei Xiao Lian.”

Wei Lian wanted to laugh. “Why are you being so overly sensitive, if you have something to say—”

He was pinned against the tree by Ji Yue without warning.

As a pair of lips landed on his own.

Ji Yue fiercely regained the lead, clasped the back of Wei Lian’s head and invaded the younger man’s mouth with his tongue.

Wei Lian groaned. His eyes widened slightly, before closing them slightly as his long eyelashes trembled.

Under the full moon, two young men in the alley kissed into oblivion.

The one in the fox mask slid quietly to the ground. He gazed up with his dazed eyes. They looked blurred by the trace of shiny water.

They were not tears.

They were just spring water melted from the snow accumulated on the high mountain.

“The dead wood blossomed.” Ji Yue pointed to his heart and asked with a smile, “Little fox, do you want to pick the flowers?”