Water Reflects Peach Blossoms

At night, she found Yun Weishan.

The two bladeless assassins met quietly, and she handed a letter sealed with a wax seal to Yun Weishan, asking her to give the letter to her Jackdaw.

"What is this?" Yun Weishan asked.

"Believe it." Shangguan Qian knew the answer but didn't answer: "You can't even see this?"

"Of course I know it's a letter. I'm asking you what's inside." Yun Weishan was unmoved by her perfunctory response and looked at her coldly: "If I don't know the contents of the letter, and you want to harm me again, what should I do?"

"I'm the one you just tricked." Shangguan Qian leaned closer to Yun Weishan, "I suspect... Gong Yunzheng knows martial arts."

Yun Weishan frowned: "Are you kidding me?"

"The damaged heart meridian is just the unanimous explanation from the palace," Shangguan Qian said leisurely. "Gong Yuanzheng is the only one who has examined her pulse. Who knows if this is an explanation agreed upon by the siblings?"

"Gong Yunzheng's scheming is unfathomable. Even you were almost unable to turn over in her hands. If she had martial arts skills, I'm afraid we would both be defeated by her in the end."

"Whether it's true or not, it's never a bad idea to give it a try."

Yun Weishan didn't say anything, but just put the envelope in his hand into his sleeve.

……

On the day of the Ghost Festival, Gong Yunzheng walked to the secret passage agreed upon with Gong Zishang.

When she arrived, everyone else had already arrived, except Gong Ziyu, Gong Zishang, Jin Fan and Yun Weishan, there was also a young boy she had never seen before.

The young man had a cold expression, and was wearing a white and green shirt. When he looked at her with calm eyes that did not match his age, there was a slight ripple in his eyes.

"Is it you?" His voice was filled with indescribable emotion.

Seeing through his identity, Gong Yunzheng said softly, "It's me."

Xue Zhongzi took two steps forward, looked up at her, and frowned: "You are not in good health."

Even though it was time to wear spring clothes, she was still wearing fox fur.

Xue Zhongzi turned around and looked at the gossiping Gong Ziyu and the others, pursed her lips and said, "I came here uninvited, please don't blame me."

Gong Yunzheng shook his head, feeling delighted: "I'm so happy, how could I blame you?"

It turns out that this is the surprise Sister Zishang was talking about.

"Gong Yunzheng, that's my name." Although they had been exchanging letters, they had never asked each other's names. Now that they met, she told him her name.

Seeing the woman so gentle and peaceful, Xue Zhongzi tightened his hands in his sleeves and said, "Xue Zhongzi."

"Stop talking here! If we don't get out quickly, we'll be discovered." Gong Ziyu interrupted. As Xue Zhongzi looked over at him, he pointed to the entrance of the secret passage and said, "Let's go out and see the lanterns."

When he first came to the Old Dust Valley, Gong Yunzheng was shocked by its prosperity.

She had never seen so many houses, small bridges and flowing water, such a vast world, and countless lanterns were carried by people and passed by her, in all shapes and colors.

For a moment she was dazzled by the bustle outside.

Gong Zishang left, and Gong Ziyu ordered Jin Fan to follow and protect her.

Following behind Gong Ziyu and Yun Weishan, Gong Yunzheng stopped, and Xue Chongzi, who was walking beside her, also stopped.

"Why don't you leave?" he asked curiously.

Gong Yunzheng looked at the young man beside him and said, "When friends meet, they should be entertained. It would be inconvenient to follow them."

Xue Zhongzi raised a smile on his lips. He looked at the people and scenery around him and sighed, "This is my first time leaving the palace."

Gong Yunzheng lowered his eyes: "Me too."

They should both feel regretful that they have never left the palace, but they should also be happy that they have left the palace.

"Then we won't have to laugh at each other's narrow knowledge?" The snow boy who said this was less calm and more lively than a child of his age.

When he met Gong Yunzheng, he felt uneasy, thinking that she lived in the front mountains and was knowledgeable. When they met and talked, she would definitely dislike his boring and mature talk.

But now he knew that she had never left the palace either, so they finally had something in common.

"What do you mean by narrow-minded?" Gong Yunzheng said with a smile, "It's simply that we haven't seen the wider world."

Xue Zhongzi nodded, cheerful and high-spirited: "You are right!"

Both of them were well-read and talented, but they were unable to see the wider world because of the restrictions of the palace rules.

"I'll protect you tonight," Xue Zhongzi looked at Gong Yunzheng, "so don't worry about getting into danger."

Just enjoy exploring this little world.

Gong Yunzheng returned the gift: "As a return gift, I will cover your expenses today."

Xue Chongzi didn't shy away from not having any money on him, smiling softly like melting spring snow: "That's perfect, we can complement each other's strengths and weaknesses."

"What are you going to do first?"

"Let's buy a river lantern," Gong Yunzheng said, "We agreed to release river lanterns together."

Xue Zhongzi nodded: "Okay."

The two chose river lanterns from the vendors.

Picking up the brush provided by the stall owner and writing a wish on the river lantern, Xue Chongzi looked at the woman next to him and asked curiously, "What wish did you write?"

Gong Yunzheng's eyes were gentle: "I hope my brother will have a safe and smooth life."

Xue Zhongzi: "Your brother? Why don't you write yourself?"

With her eyelashes trembling slightly, Gong Yunzheng smiled and said, "Maybe it's because... my brother is the most important person in my life."

Also because she already knew her own ending.

"What about you?" she asked. "What wish did you write?"

"I didn't write anything." Xue Zhongzi looked away from her and tightened his grip on the river lantern. "I just hope this day will come back every year."

"Life in the mountains is quiet and boring, day after day, year after year. Only today, there is a different view."

Gong Yunzheng smiled at his wish and said nothing more.

She didn't want to lie to him.

This young man with a pure mind, like a banished immortal, is her only friend.

There are little spots of light floating on the dark water, like the stars in the night sky pouring down to merge with the human world, and the small candlelight makes the petals of the river lanterns shine faintly and softly.

Gong Yunzheng squatted on the stone steps on the shore, the water reflected her beautiful face. The river lanterns fell into the water, disrupting her features, and the ripples spread out, shattering the figure of the young man standing beside her.

Gong Yunzheng stood up. The bustling crowd around her seemed nothing to her, and she felt melancholy.

"How did you celebrate the Ghost Festival in previous years?" she asked Xue Chongzi beside her.

She and Xue Chongzi started corresponding two years ago, also because of her deal with Master Yue. The contents of the letters were mostly about the scenery around them and interesting things that happened recently. Apart from that, both of them intentionally or unintentionally avoided topics related to themselves.

Xue Chongzi thought for a moment and said, "Every year on the Ghost Festival, I have dinner with Master Xue, watch the stars, enjoy the snowy scenery, and then we go to sleep."

"Sounds boring, doesn't it?"

"It's very comfortable." Gong Yunzheng said with some envy: "It's a life that many people can't even ask for."

Xue Zhongzi asked, "Did you spend the Ghost Festival with your brother?"

Gong Yunzheng: "And Brother Shang Jiao, the three of us celebrate the Ghost Festival together every year."

"So you went out to meet me this year," Xue Zhongzi asked curiously, "and your brother was with Gong Shangjiao?"

Gong Yunzheng shook his head. "Brother Shangjiao should celebrate the Ghost Festival with his chosen bride. As for Yuanzheng... he has his own things to do."