Yu Lingxi took the lantern from Hutao’s hand, placed it on the bluestone path to melt the thin ice, and then instructed Hutao: “Go fetch some tusu wine and hot food.”
She couldn’t let him spend the New Year without even a sip of warm wine.
Hutao curtseyed and went to arrange it.
Yu Lingxi didn’t hurry away, sitting down to rest by the carved railing of the corridor.
After a while, the youth’s deep, obstinate voice came through the cold night wind: “I just wanted to repay the young miss, to make you happy.”
Yu Lingxi was surprised, her almond eyes glancing at the youth standing at attention by the steps.
It was exactly midnight, and fireworks soared into the sky from the city, bursting into patches of brilliant colors in the blue-black night.
In that instant, the city’s myriad lights and snow-covered landscape all paled in comparison.
The front courtyard echoed with the servant’s and attendants’ unified New Year greetings, creating a bustling atmosphere, yet Ning Yin’s eyes held only the blackness of night, the line between light and dark indiscernible.
Yu Lingxi suddenly remembered that in her previous life, the Regent Prince’s manor never celebrated the New Year or lit festive lanterns.
When the entire city was decorated with lanterns and bustling with excitement, only the Prince’s manor remained quiet as a tomb, without even a single red lantern or a peach wood charm.
Throughout the New Year season, the only splash of color was probably the fresh blood of unknown origin staining Ning Yin’s lower garments.
Once, when Ning Yin was in good spirits, with misty drunken eyes, he asked Yu Lingxi what she wanted.
How could she dare make any excessive demands?
After thinking for half a day, she finally made up: “I want to see the lanterns at the Lantern Festival.”
Ning Yin, tormenting her, bit her lower lip, licked away the blood droplets, and smilingly said, “Alright.”
But on the day of the Lantern Festival, what awaited them was the Empress Dowager’s remnant faction wielding the young Emperor’s edict, joining forces with eunuchs to meticulously craft an ambush for Ning Yin.
That night, blood flowed like a river at the imperial steps.
Ning Yin wiped the fresh blood from his fingertips and took Yu Lingxi to the high platform of the palace wall, allowing her to witness the most intense, most profound “lantern display” in the entire capital.
Except what hung burning from each pillar were not lanterns, but people—
Living, screaming, and wailing civil and military officials.
That was the first time Ning Yin was killed in front of her. Yu Lingxi turned paper-white, forever remembering his eyes at that moment.
He wore a curved smile, his eyes reflecting the burning flames of the “sky lanterns,” impossible to distinguish whether he was a deity from heaven or a demon from the human realm.
Such desperate and frenzied destruction was vastly different from the quiet youth before her now.
For some reason, with the light of New Year fireworks reflected in her eyes, Yu Lingxi also felt somewhat nostalgic.
If Ning Yin had never experienced those hardships and betrayals, would he… have become different?
This thought merely rippled through her mind before she shook it away.
“Young miss, the food has arrived.” Hutao led four small maids, bringing a large array of steaming hot wine and food.
They even brought a small stove for warming the wine.
After arranging the wine and dishes, Yu Lingxi sat properly, glanced sideways at the youth in the corridor, and said with pursed lips: “Come sit.”
There was obvious surprise in Ning Yin’s eyes.
He slowly ascended the stone steps and stood before Yu Lingxi, yet still refused to sit down.
Seeing his obedient and pitiful demeanor, Yu Lingxi felt her heart constrict. She simply reached out and forcibly pulled him to sit on the carved railing bench.
She poured a cup of hot wine, sprinkled two spoonfuls of her beloved pepper powder on it, thought for a moment, and then added another spoonful.
Then she presented this heartfelt cup of wine to Ning Yin, saying gently: “Drink.”