“Physician Mei?” Zhen Yu waved her hand in front of Mei Jinxiu’s eyes to pull her back to her senses.
“Brother Hu can’t possibly look like Prince Hao. If he really does, you definitely mustn’t let Prince Hao and Princess Consort Hao know about this, and you can also forget about using a painting to find him.” Mei Jinxiu’s tone was grave.
“Prince Hao already knows about it. I saw him and followed him into a restaurant, thinking that he was Brother Hu. I only found out later that it was a case of mistaken identity.” Zhen Yu slowly recounted.
Where is my Brother Hu? Why does he look so much like Prince Hao? His eyebrows, eyes, and nose are practically a magnified version of Brother Hu!
Mei Jinxiu’s heart fiercely leapt when she saw Zhen Yu’s serious expression. Before Prince Hao was adopted by Lord Pei, he had been living in the rural areas. He can’t really be…Brother Hu, right?
She vehemently shook her head. It doesn’t matter what the truth is. He just has to shower affection on Su Xi-er!
Mei Jinxiu asked Zhen Yu for her name and age, and found out that the latter was older than her. After leaving her some instructions and advice, a patient appeared at the door. By the time Mei Jinxiu was free again, it was already late afternoon, causing her to be unable to leave for the Prince Hao Residence before night fell.
~~~
Only after entering the Prince Hao Residence did she learn that Pei Qianhao and Su Xi-er had yet to return. MaybePrince Hao took Su Xi-er out to play.
Little did she know that she hit the nail on the head. Su Xi-er and Pei Qianhao were indeed riding a boat on the Merchant River.
The boat was spacious and luxurious, with multi-coloured silk and red lanterns hanging from every corner. There were many private rooms on the boat as well, and it was far enough away from shore that peaceful silence made itself known.
The bright moonlight scattered across the river’s surface and reflected off the ripples of the water, forming a beautiful scene.
“Xi-er”. Pei Qianhao planted a kiss on her forehead, then grabbed her hand and walked to the bow of the boat.
“It’s very beautiful.” Su Xi-er leaned against his chest, and recalled what she told Ning Lianchen when they were young.
Back then, Lianchen had asked me, “Imperial Elder Sister, apart from viewing the sea of Lingrui flowers, what else do you like?”
I was holding the script of a drama in my hands, and the scene described inside just happened to sound like what I would enjoy. “A quiet and peaceful night with no one around as we sail a boat on the river. Large red lanterns[1] will be hung up to accompany the moonlight, and the surface of the river will be decorated with many small floating flower lanterns[2]. Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
“That would indeed look beautiful, but doesn’t everyone light flower lanterns during Nanzhao’s Lantern Festival?[3] Why don’t you go and view the lanterns then?”
“It’s rather noisy with so many people. I want all the flower lanterns to light up for me.”
Su Xi-er wryly smiled at her memory. Everyone lights one flower lantern. How is it possible for all the flower lanterns to be for me?
Just as this thought crossed her mind, countless flower lanterns began to appear before her eyes, their red glow lighting up the entire river in the dark night.
Pei Qianhao whispered into her ear, “Xi-er, how’s the view?”
Su Xi-er’s eyes widened as she looked at him. “Lianchen told you about this?”
“All the flower lanterns are lit for you. Regardless of what you wish for, I will give it to you.” Pei Qianhao tightly embraced her, their bodies melded together.
The small boats that had secretly lit the flower lanterns silently left after receiving the signal from the head guard.
The rims of Su Xi-er’s eyes had reddened. “You’re too mean; you didn’t even tell me that you were doing all this for me.”
He has done so much for me, but I haven’t reciprocated with a single thing. She suddenly felt like she was a failure.
“The only thing you have to do is enjoy.” Pei Qianhao’s eyes shone as he raised his hand to cup her face. “Xi-er, kiss this Prince; kiss this Prince until I am satisfied.”
These familiar words…He had once said this to me beside the well in the Palace Side Quarters. “Kiss this Prince until I am satisfied, then I will promise you.”
Su Xi-er couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing how she was both crying and laughing at the same time, Pei Qianhao inwardly thought that women were indeed unfathomable.
“Alright, this young lady shall kiss you until you’re satisfied today!” Su Xi-er’s laugh echoed over the lake, making it so that even the guards who had left on their small boats could hear it.
1. Here are two common examples:
One.
Two.
2. They come in many designs but this is the most basic design you would probably see on television. There’s a tradition of placing flower lanterns on the river during the Qixi Festival.
3. Celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month, it marks the end of the Chinese New Year. Here’s a Wikipedia article for your reference. Feel free to search online or check out the Wikipedia page for all the cool lanterns! If you are curious about some of the food that is eaten during the festival, I previously covered it on my Twitter and Instagram.
