The Lantern Riddles

"Cousin, are you there?" 

A gentle voice interrupted Jiao Qingxiao, followed by a frail young lady entering the room. 

Qingxiao turned around, with a smile on her face. Her second cousin, He Qilin. Frail and delicate, it was as if she was born to suffer. Every month the He family spent a fortune on precious herbs and doctors.

In her last life, the fourth prince promised to provide her with a cure in exchange for staying silent regarding her treatment in the palace. Despite her parents relentlessly coming to ask for her back, she returned them on her own. 

Her cousin was the one to always cover for her everytime she came to the residence. Being the oldest of all, she was also the only one who could easily placate the old lady. Despite her weak constitution, that obedient, ever so proper lady entered the royal palace impersonating a palace maid. 

It was only when Jiao Qingxiao was about to take her last breath, did the crown princess reveal to her how her cousin was mutilated and beheaded afterwards. 

Qingxiao's youthful face turned pale as a paper as she recalled the crown princess's bone chilling words. 

"Cousin, are you ok?" He Qilin asked with concern, placing her palm on Qingxiao's forehead to check for her temperature. 

"Mhmm, how have you been sister Qilin?" Qingxiao asked after composing herself. It was good to be back indeed. This time she would protect her loved ones with all she could. 

"Better. Mother brought a miracle doctor. After taking the herbs prescribed by him, my health had started to improve. See haven't I gained a bit of weight?" Pulling her sleeves slightly up, Qilin showed her wrist with a grin on her face.

Her frail wrist albeit still thinner than that of a child, seemed to be slightly plumper than before. 

Jiao Qingxiao clearly recalled that this was the herb that eventually led to her worsening health, deeming her infertile at the very end. However, she couldn't tell her just yet. Sister surely won't believe her. 

She had to first find the proof. Her eyes gleamed with determination. 

"Your eyes look so pretty!" He Qilin exclaimed suddenly, noticing the phoenix pattern on her face.

"Right? Come sit, sister Qilin. I will do it for you too. You will look much prettier." 

Jiao Qingxiao pulled her hand, making her sit in front of the bronze mirror.

"Done." 

He Qilin opened her eyes, admiring her reflection. On the corners of her eyes, instead of the glowing phoenix wings, Qingxiao had painted soft white dove wings that seemed to make her face radiate more than usual.

"Hey hey, you both done or not? We are late! It's evening already. We will miss the lantern show."

Chang Jing, the first son of Qingxiao's third aunt, urged them from outside.

Qingxiao's eyes turned cold as she recognised the familiar voice. He persuaded her to trust the fourth prince, even when she found out about him having mistresses before the wedding took place. 

'Jiao Xiao, you can't be unreasonable. It's normal for a prince to have concubines and bed warmers. The fourth prince is much better in that regard. You can't break the wedding now and go against the imperial decree."

She could have exposed the fourth prince's ambitions to the emperor and gotten herself out of the wedding even then. However, this cousin of hers sure knew how to manipulate people well. 

"Cousin, let's go out!" Masking the coldness in her eyes. 

Grabbing He Qilin's hand, excitedly she got out.

From today onwards her life trajectory would change entirely. How could she not be excited?

"Isn't this pretty?" Qingxiao held up a sugar figurine in her hand, resembling a dragon.

"Make us two please?" She asked the shopkeeper without waiting for He Qilin's reaction.

Chang Jing stood aside, not attracted towards the various stalls. He stared at the several red lanterns. As he looked at the full moon, a sense of deja vu took over him along with a splitting headache. He walked away from the two of them, messaging his temple.

The river beside was frozen. Just when he was about to turn away, realising how isolated it was, a token fell out from the sleeve of his robe. 

The inconspicuous white piece of jade token rolled towards the river. A glint flashed in his eyes. Just when he was about to pick up the token resting on the layer of ice, he heard a rustling sound behind him.

Startled, he lost his footing, directly crashing on the ice cold layer of ice. 

Meanwhile,

Jiao Qingxiao happily wandered around holding He Qilin's hand. Spotting the crowd gathering across the lantern riddles, she hurried towards it, joining the crowd.

"Whoever can solve 3 riddles in a row will win a free meal tonight here" The owner of the newly opened restaurant shouted loudly.

Several interested freeloaders gave it a go. The owner surely had some tricks up his sleeves. Some could solve one or two in a row, yet none could solve 3 in a row. The crowd started to slowly disperse. Some interested folks albeit vain in their attempt were successfully attracted towards the captivating aroma of the restaurant much to the owner's delight.

Qingxiao walked towards the lanterns and randomly picked a lot of three. 

"Sometimes it's curved in a crescent smile, sometimes it's invisible, sometimes it's as round as a plate"

This was an easy one.

"Moon" She shouted.

"That's correct, miss. Give the next one a try." 

The owner wasn't too worried. He had made sure for the first one of each lot to be the easiest one to solve. 

"A thousand threads, a million strands. Reaching the water, vanishing all at once."

Qingxiao frowned. She looked back at her cousin sister for help. However, to her disappointment He Qilin looked just as if not more confused than her. 

She read it again, with her brows furrowed. 

Just when the owner thought she would give up, she shouted again, "Rain" Her expectant eyes staring back at him.