9: A Glimpse Amid Lanterns · Familiar Eyes, Unchanged Gaze

Night had fallen over the capital of Great Yan, draping the city in a cloak of velvet dusk. The lantern market blazed to life in its heart, bustling with warmth, color, and celebration.

With the royal banquet drawing near, envoys from distant lands had gathered for this annual festival. The streets shimmered beneath countless lanterns, and throngs of people flowed like tides through alleyways, their voices rising in a jubilant chorus—vendors calling out their wares, children laughing in delight, travelers exchanging joyful banter. The air itself seemed to pulse with life.

On both sides of the main avenue, stalls overflowed with delicacies. The scent of roasted chestnuts mingled with the crisp air, while brown sugar glutinous cakes sizzled on copper pans. Skewers of crispy grilled fish crackled over coals, the aroma of smoke and spice coaxing passersby to linger. At mobile lantern stalls, handmade lanterns—dragons, phoenixes, and blooming lotuses—glowed with soft warmth. Children ran through the streets with lanterns in hand, laughter trailing behind like falling petals in the wind.

Ahead, a storyteller spun ancient tales of Great Yan, his voice rising and falling like waves. Nearby, acrobats swallowed swords and danced with flames, prompting cheers and applause from the delighted crowd. Along the river, lantern boats drifted lazily across the water, their shimmering reflections dancing like fallen stars upon the lake. It was a night that seemed woven from dreams—fleeting, brilliant, and unforgettable.

Xiao Zhengyu, clad in a robe of midnight black, walked alone through the crowd. He had never been fond of noise or crowds, yet as the host of this gathering, he quietly fulfilled his duty, observing the visiting dignitaries with a calm and watchful gaze.

Then, from somewhere beside him, a familiar voice called out—

"Your Highness, the Third Prince?"

He turned toward the sound and saw a woman standing beneath the lantern glow, her figure wrapped in ornate silks. It was Li Zhiyu—her beauty as vivid as the day they first met. Her eyes sparkled with delight, laughter flickering like candlelight in their depths.

"Princess Li," he replied.

"What a lovely coincidence to find Your Highness here." Her voice was light, teasing, her gaze bright with mirth. "With the lantern market in full bloom, why not accompany me on a walk through it?"

Xiao Zhengyu paused only briefly before nodding with quiet assent.

They strolled side by side, taking in the sights—the dancers, the lanterns, the performers that lit up the night. Li Zhiyu was in high spirits, stopping now and then to admire a lantern or sample a sweet. Every gesture, every turn of her wrist, brimmed with the charm of a southern princess. Though Xiao Zhengyu spoke little, he remained by her side with patient composure, answering her words with the occasional murmur.

As they neared the lake, Li Zhiyu suddenly halted, her eyes lighting up with intrigue. "Oh? Isn't that someone from the Northern Di envoy…?"

Before she could finish, Xiao Zhengyu followed her gaze—and there, on the distant embankment, stood a slender, solitary figure bathed in moonlight.

A woman dressed in pale blue robes stood quietly at the water's edge. Her wide sleeves fluttered with the night breeze, silver tassels brushing against her cheek. The moonlight softened her form, casting her in a hushed, otherworldly glow. Her gaze was fixed on the water, her reflection dancing amid ripples—dreamlike, ephemeral, almost unreal.

A flicker of something unreadable passed through Li Zhiyu's eyes. Then she called out, her voice ringing gently, "Miss Yan!"

At the sound, Yan Changxin turned her head. Her eyes—serene and distant—swept over the lantern-lit night, finally resting upon Xiao Zhengyu.

A faint tremor passed through her gaze—but the next moment, her expression was composed. She smiled with quiet grace and bowed slightly. "Princess Li."

"What a delightful encounter," Li Zhiyu said, her voice light with amusement. She cast a casual glance toward Xiao Zhengyu, as if by accident. "Miss Yan, this is His Highness, the Third Prince of Great Yan. A man of exceptional talent, both scholarly and martial—a pillar of our realm. How fortunate to cross paths here tonight."

Yan Changxin hesitated ever so slightly, then curtsied with elegance. "Yan Changxin greets His Highness."

Xiao Zhengyu's gaze deepened. He returned the courtesy with calm restraint, his tone even. "There's no need for formality, Miss Yan."

She smiled again, her demeanor unshaken.

After a moment, Xiao Zhengyu spoke. "The lantern market is particularly refined this year. Since we've met, shall we walk together?"

At his words, Li Zhiyu's eyes flickered, her smile widening. "How lovely. I was just about to suggest the same."

Yan Changxin paused briefly, her eyes brushing across Xiao Zhengyu once more. Then she nodded, her voice as gentle as falling petals. "It would be my pleasure."

The three walked along the lakeside path, followed discreetly by attendants. Willow branches hung low over the shimmering water, where stars and lantern lights swirled in a quiet, rippling ballet. The two women walked one before the other, with Li Zhiyu occasionally engaging Yan Changxin in light conversation. Her words, though courteous, carried subtle notes of testing, but never stepped beyond the bounds of elegance.

And Xiao Zhengyu, for his part, watched Yan Changxin with the quiet intensity of one searching for answers.

The daughter of the Northern Di Chancellor's household—elegant, poised, her words flawless.

Yet…

"Miss Yan," Li Zhiyu asked softly, "Do you find the lakeside view to your liking?"

Yan Changxin smiled faintly. "The landscapes of Great Yan are like poetry. Tonight's lights and reflections… are utterly entrancing."

As her voice faded, a ripple passed across the lake. A beam of moonlight slipped through the night sky, spilling over the water like silk, casting a gentle halo on its surface.

At that very moment, Xiao Zhengyu's gaze settled on her face.

Beneath the moonlight, her features seemed carved from frost—serene, coldly beautiful. But within that stillness, there was something else… a quiet, unwavering resolve. A sorrow that had turned to steel.

It felt… familiar.

His chest tightened.

Those eyes—he had seen them before.

The sudden jolt of recognition faded quickly. His expression remained placid, his voice steady. "Miss Yan, this is your first time in Great Yan. Have you been adjusting well?"

She blinked once, surprised, then met his gaze.

"Your Highness is kind to ask. The customs and people here are gracious. I've had no trouble adjusting."

He nodded slightly, saying nothing more.

The lakeside night remained still. Lanterns shimmered on the water's surface, swaying like fireflies in a dream. The three continued their walk, speaking in measured tones. Yet beneath the surface, a strange undercurrent flowed—soft, silent, and charged with something unspoken.

Xiao Zhengyu turned his gaze away. His fingers twitched slightly.

That strange sense of familiarity… where had it come from?

The wind stirred again. The lantern market behind them still glittered in celebration.

But somewhere deep within him, a ripple had begun to spread—quiet and unrelenting, like the first stirrings of a storm.