Chapter 273 – The sky is filled with little stars (2)
Wen Wan naturally didn’t have the face to come over and ask Nie Sangyu to change her status.
And so, Ji Man pretended that she hadn’t heard anything about this matter. When night arrived, she went to the western courtyard according to the time that Marquis Moyu had set.
When she heard this afternoon that Ning Yuxuan had been ordering the servants to move things around, Ji Man didn’t inquire further about it. Shouldn’t men be allowed to have their little secrets?
But, she did find it strange that when she arrived in the western courtyard, Ning Yuxuan pointed a spot for her to sit down and told her to not move. Then, he crouched down in the outside courtyard, took out various sky lanterns from a bamboo chest, and started fiddling with them.
What was he doing?
Ji Man was stunned. She really wanted to open her mouth and ask questions. But, seeing how serious he looked, it felt awkward for her to speak.
One by one, Ning Yuxuan fixed all of the broken sky lanterns that he had taken out from the bamboo chest over the span of two hours. His feet were probably frozen from crouching down in the snow for so long, but he hadn’t said a single word.
Based on the principle that if the other person wasn’t making a move, then she wouldn’t either, Ji Man hadn’t asked a single question either. She watched him fix all of the sky lanterns. Then, he ordered Guibai to light up the lanterns for him. One by one, the lanterns were released in the sky.
Ji Man propped up her chin in her hand as she watched. The sky was overcast tonight, and the moon’s light couldn’t be seen. Once the sky lanterns were released, it attracted many people’s attention. The lanterns looked like little stars in the sky. It was quite the spectacular sight.
Ning Yuxuan walked over and asked, “Does it look pretty?”
Ji Man nodded. She could finally ask, “My lord, were you thinking that Sangyu is tired from managing household affairs, so you invited Sangyu here to look at the sky lanterns.”
The corners of Ning Yuxuan’s lips twitched. He seemed to be emphasizing a certain point when he said, “I fixed them.”
So? Did he want her to congratulate him with a large bouquet of red flower? Ji Man felt somewhat confused. Looking at his slightly sparkling eyes, she went along with it and cheered him by clapping her hands. “Wow, you’re so amazing!”
Marquis Moyu’s expression slightly sunk. His gaze even looked slightly angry as he looked at her.
Ji Man blinked. Did he not like it when people flattered him? Then, he should have said that earlier, ah. But, did he not having anything better to do? Why had he fixed so many sky lanterns until late evening?
“My lord.” Wen Wan’s voice came from the courtyard’s entrance. Ji Man froze for a moment before she subconsciously jumped into the room behind them.
By the time she was thinking clearly again, she felt there was something strange about her impulse. Why did she need to hide?
Wen Wan had come over here because she saw the sky lanterns. With her thin dress and fluttering cloak, she looked like a butterfly when she rushed to Ning Yuxuan’s side.
Because of the darkness of the night, she hadn’t seen that Nie Sangyu was also here.
“Wan-er knew it. My lord’s heart still has Wan-er.”
Ning Yuxuan’s body stiffened. He turned his head and looked at the room behind them.
Wen Wan raised her head and looked at him as she said, “I was feeling really sad today. I thought you had forgotten all of the beautiful memories that we had shared together. But, you actually remembered it all.”
Marquis Moyu, “…”
“These lanterns, aren’t they the same ones that were released during a Qixi Festival?” Wen Wan looked at the lanterns that Guibai was still releasing into the sky. With tears in her eyes, she smiled and said, “Back then, we were just getting to know each other. I called you a lecherous skirt-chaser, but you didn’t get angry. You wrote my name on lanterns and released them by my room for me see.”
(T/N: Qixi Festival is a festival celebrating the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl in Chinese mythology. It’s also called Chinese Valentine’s Day.)
Behind them, Ji Man listened to their conversation. She let out a muffled laugh. Wen Wan was amazingly delusional. She thought that her love was still reciprocated. Still, this presented her an opportunity to gracefully withdraw from the situation. Ah, what a good night. They could look at the sky lanterns and also look at the snow. They could talk about life and the past as well.
Hugging Ning Yuxuan’s waist and with her face pressed against his chest, she mumbled, “Wan-er is truly feeling very sadly lately. It feels like your eyes and heart only has Nie Sangyu now. Wan-er had said this in the past, if you dare to fall in love with someone else, I’ll also dare to leave you.”
Ning Yuxuan’s lips twitched. He didn’t raise his arms to hug her back and only noncommittally said, “En.” In the passing, he kicked the door behind him.
“En?” Wen Wan let go of him and looked at the door. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” Ning Yuxuan’s tone was light. “I just find this door very unpleasing right now. It’s normally very useful, but at the critical points, it’ll get stuck.”
Ji Man was stumped for words. She pressed her lips together.
Wen Wan angrily said, “Why are you suddenly talking about a door…”
Looking at the lanterns in the sky, she asked, “My lord, how long are you going to make Wan-er wait?”
Ning Yuxuan stopped talking again.
Ji Man silently heckled. Dear sisters, when you reached the point in your relationship when a man won’t even be willing to make a promise to you, you should hurry and run away. A man that only offered you empty promises was a scum, but if a man wouldn’t even say words of commitment, then it meant his mind wasn’t planning a future with you.
Feeling numbness in her feet, Ji Man stood up to rub her legs. She thought for a moment before she pulled open the doors.
“My lord, as long as you promise that your heart only has Wan-er in the future, then no matter how long it takes, Wan-er will wait…”
Before Wen Wan could find the rest of her sentence, the doors behind them suddenly opened, and a woman came out.
Frightened, Wen Wan screamed, “”Ahhh!” She hurriedly hid between Ning Yuxuan’s arms. “What is that creature?!”
Ji Man gave them a very sweet smile, then she looked at Ning Yuxuan and said, “My lord, this servant is cheering for you to do your best and will leave here first.”