That night, Zhu Yixin and I spent our time in the kitchen, preparing the next day’s birthday feast for our guest of honor. Amidst our chatter and laughter, I suddenly realized the room had grown warm and bright. Under the first rays of the dawn sun, the flickering lamplight seemed faint and dim.
I reached out to extinguish the lamps one by one and gazed out the window. The sky was clear and a profound, translucent blue. There was no snow today; the moon would surely be beautiful tonight. Since last year, the capital had been plagued by constant snow, and a gale had blown all through last night. I had been worried that dark clouds might obscure the moon, but now both Zhu Yixin and I were cheered by this rare fine weather.
"The heavens are showing favor," she said with a smile. "A-Qing’s birthday will be a happy one, and everything will surely go smoothly for her this year!"
Wei Daren was indeed obedient, returning shortly after the hour of the Rooster. As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, everyone began clamoring and teasing: "The birthday girl is here!" And so, the meal began.
Having attended far too many banquets during the New Year period, everyone was tired of formality. This time, we didn't set the table in the dining hall. Instead, we cleared the snow from an open space beneath the gold and silver albizia trees in the backyard. Each person had a small low table, a pot of wine, and a few favorite dishes—simple yet charming. The silver albizia were in full bloom, radiant and dazzling. Though the golden albizia had faded, the trees were still heavy with golden leaves that trembled on the branches, emitting a faint glow like the lingering light of a sunset, which only added to their delicate, touching beauty.
Seeing that Wei Qingming was still wearing her official uniform, Lu Kaifeng asked, "Will you be busy again in a while?"
Wei Qingming gave a soft "mm" and joked, "Technically, I’m AWOL right now."
Lu Kaifeng nodded. "Then we won't delay you." He held out his hand, and a bright light gradually rose from his palm. We all recognized them as three illusions infused with his soul power—this was his gift.
Soul power was precious. Wei Qingming looked moved and was about to thank him when Lu Kaifeng smiled and cut her off. "Use them when you encounter danger; do not hoard them." His voice was as gentle as ever, but it was filled with genuine concern.
Everyone began presenting their prepared gifts, mostly weapons and defensive gear. Even Nie Xiaoyan contributed. Only Lu Lingfeng pulled a strange, pitch-black stone from her robe and tossed it casually. The little stone traced an arc through the air, spinning past the pile of meticulously wrapped gifts before Wei Qingming caught it in her palm.
The stone looked familiar, but before I could ask, Lu Lingfeng explained, "Er Zhuang found it outside. I don't recognize it, but I can tell it's good stuff. It's yours." Er Zhuang, of course, was the new ghost Wei Daren had given her as compensation.
I thought about it and finally remembered—this stone was likely a piece of Heavenly Marrow Stone, similar to the one Wei Qingming had borrowed from Uge-li during the demon calamity, though much smaller. I couldn't help but shake my head with a smile; she was using her Heavenly Eye for such frivolous things...
No one made the scene too sentimental. We just laughed, joked, and offered our blessings. However, Wei Qingming hadn't remembered her own birthday for many years. Being suddenly showered with so many gifts clearly moved her. After thanking everyone individually, she rested her hand on the pile of gift boxes, unable to find any other words.
In truth, I was also overwhelmed with emotion, but I raised my voice with a smile. "It's time for the glutinous rice balls! Once we've eaten, we'll send our 'elderly' birthday girl back to patrol the streets!" Everyone laughed, gracefully filling the momentary silence.
Between the eating and joking, the moon had quietly climbed into the sky. Seeing that the time was right, Zhu Yixin and I exchanged a look. She flashed a mischievous, bright smile and used the excuse of challenging Wei Qingming to a game of dice to distract her for a moment. When Wei Qingming turned back to look for me, my seat was empty. In the next instant, she saw me standing in the moonlight, draped in the Dream-woven Immortal Silk she had given me, holding a jade flute.
Not only the birthday girl, but everyone else was surprised as well. Though they knew I had been practicing the flute in secret, they hadn't expected it to be for this.
The Dream-woven Immortal Silk could change shape at will. Tonight, I wore it as a gown with long, flowing sleeves. The moonlight was pure and white, while the silver albizia glowed brilliantly. One light was elegant and lofty, the other dazzling and bold; both merged with the translucent white of the silk.
Wei Qingming’s expression shifted from shock to pleasant surprise, and finally to an unabashed look of love and joy. It was the first time I had felt such a concentrated, intense, and undisguised emotion from her, as clear and bright as the moonlight itself.
The courtyard fell silent. Everyone waited for one of us to speak first.
She smiled silently for a while before asking, "When did you learn..." It was less a question and more a self-muttering; she was likely thinking that a musical instrument takes months to master, so how had she not noticed any signs?
I blinked and said smugly, "Wait until you hear what I've learned. You'll be even more surprised!"
She laughed and made a "please" gesture, saying no more.
I hadn't felt much while we were joking around, but now that it was time to perform, I felt a surge of nerves. I took a soft breath and brought the flute to my lips. With a light tap of my toes, I began to dance to the graceful melody.
The piece was, of course, the flute arrangement Wei Qingming had written to accompany *Excursion to the Red Cliffs*. I couldn't master the most difficult parts, so Wen Gan had trimmed it down and adjusted a few sections to make the transitions smooth and natural. She recognized it within the first few notes. I was too nervous while spinning and dancing to look at her properly, but in one fleeting glance, I saw her eyes curved with a smile. She had forgotten to drink from the cup in her hand and simply set it on the table. My brothers and sisters were even more astonished; though the demon race is naturally gifted in song and dance, they had never actually seen me dance.
As the first movement reached its midpoint, I felt myself entering the flow, and my movements quickened slightly. The long sleeves and flowing skirt, designed specifically for this performance, took flight, drifting like clouds and mist between me and the spectators. Yet, I couldn't ignore her burning, meaningful gaze—gentle as always, but tinged with a faint, desolate worry, as if she were watching something beautiful that might shatter at a touch. But today, she was extremely happy, and that worry gradually faded until only pure appreciation and sentiment remained.
I flashed her a radiant smile and simply closed my eyes to focus on the dance.
As the piece neared its halfway point, a breeze rose from nowhere. Even with my eyes closed, I felt the light around me intensify. Gasps of delight and wonder filled the air. When I opened my eyes, I was startled too—this song and this dance had actually stirred the silver albizia trees. The tufts of light, like tiny bits of fluff, began to gather around me, chasing my toes, my hem, and my sleeves, gradually forming a vortex that enveloped me.
This was a truly unexpected delight. I started to show off, taking a moment in the midst of my busy movements to make a face at Wei Qingming. She had been watching with her chin resting on her hand, looking enchanted. Seeing my face, she couldn't help but chuckle, but she transformed that laugh into a meaningful, flirtatious look that made my heart flutter.
With that brief distraction, a large cluster of silver albizia flowers hit me square in the face. I had to tilt my head and close my eyes to dodge, and crystalline nectar splattered everywhere, even clinging to my eyelashes. I missed a note on the flute, which caused a moment of panic, but I eventually steadied myself, bringing the music and dance to a close on a long, lingering final note.
Amidst the applause of my brothers and sisters, I trotted over to her, tail held high, and asked, "Do you like this gift?"
"I do," she smiled. "I love it."
The joy of the Lantern Festival is the final carnival before the end of the New Year season. The excitement is even more intense than at the start of the year, yet it carries a heavy sense of reluctance and nostalgia—after this, life returns to the daily grind of hardship and mundanity. Therefore, on this final night, one thinks of nothing, forgets everything, casts all aside, and plays to one's heart's content all through the night.
The lantern fair is an event born solely for revelry. Immersed under the dazzling, brilliant, and overwhelming lanterns, there is always something new to see. No year’s lanterns are the same as the last, and no year’s performances are a repeat of the previous, because the inner mood of the spectators is always different. The dense mountains and seas of lanterns along the streets almost hid the sky, yet the people of the capital acted as if it weren't bright enough. In recent years, a new fashion had emerged among women: a love for all things naturally glowing and sparkling. They would carve gemstones into the shapes of tiny lanterns or spheres to wear in their hair or on their clothes, adding a touch of charm and coquetry.
The Emissary still had another hour of duty. After dinner, we hurriedly saw her off, agreeing to meet under Longjin Bridge at the hour of the Dog. Tonight, the streets were choked with carriages and horses, so the Qing River in the southwest district was specially opened. Those who didn't want to take the roads could travel east by boat and disembark at Longjin Bridge, which was also the starting point of the Imperial Street lantern fair.
Zhu Yixin and I spent a long time dressing up at home before setting out. We had intended to wander around a bit before Wei Daren finished her shift, but we dawdled so much that we arrived just in time. Today, everyone had agreed to find their own fun; Zhu Yixin would only accompany me for the first half of the night before meeting her own female friends. The members of our household who preferred quiet had even agreed not to squeeze into the crowds, choosing instead to drink wine and enjoy the lanterns from the fifth floor of Chunan Tower. Compared to Fengle Tower, Chunan Tower’s location was slightly off-center—one had to crane one's neck a bit to see the Ao Mountain lantern display—but seats were still impossible to get, were it not for our family’s deep friendship with President Ling...
While the boat was still an arrow’s flight away from Longjin Bridge, I spotted her from afar. I happily leaned out of the cabin and waved to Wei Daren. She had changed into civilian clothes of smoke-blue with dark gold patterns, draped in a dark red cloak trimmed with peacock down—a rare splash of vibrant color for her.
In my haste, even the time it took for the boat to dock felt sluggish. I couldn't wait and was the first to hop onto the raft, grinning as I grabbed the hand Wei Qingming reached down to me, leaping onto the shore.
Zhu Yixin, left far behind, laughed and scolded, "You little ingrate!"
I turned back and shouted with a laugh, "Go find your friends! See you at home!"
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