It was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the weather was slightly warmer compared to the previous month. The red plum blossoms in Yin Wushu's courtyard were about to reach their peak, with two or three petals scattered on the ground, emitting a faint cold fragrance.

During that period, perhaps influenced by the fact that Xie Bai had managed to extend his lifespan by a hundred years as a walking dead, his term of office was naturally extended for another hundred years. However, this didn't mean he could leisurely pass another hundred years without any burdens. Ever since he was seven or eight years old, he had started learning from Yin Wushu how to refine the Yin corpse qi he inhaled into his body. It had been a full fifteen years since then, until this January.

His refinement of Yin corpse qi had achieved some initial success; he could control it freely, and when released, it resembled a dense black mist.

On this fifteenth day, Xie Bai spent the entire afternoon practicing how to transform the black mist into a tangible entity.

Yin Wushu always favored the elegant and ethereal long robes, and this aesthetic preference naturally extended to Xie Bai, so his robe looked almost identical to Yin Wushu's. Therefore, every time Xie Bai raised his hand to release the black mist, the wide sleeves of his snowy-white robe would be lifted by the breeze, floating lightly and forming two folds, revealing his slender wrist beneath.

Yin Wushu wore a leisurely smile on his face and willingly served as Xie Bai's target, accompanying him in practice all afternoon. As evening approached and they took a break, Xie Bai gathered the black mist and looked at Yin Wushu, hoping to hear his assessment, such as whether the sensation when the mist touched his palm was real or not, or if the pressure was enough when it tightened.

However, Yin Wushu just chuckled and pointed at his sleeve, saying, "It looks quite elegant when you dance with it. Want to go for another round?"

Xie Bai instantly stiffened. "..."

Yin Wushu picked up the book spread out on the stone table in the courtyard, smiled, and walked back into the house. With his other hand hanging at his side, covered by the wide sleeve, only a slender white knuckle was visible. As he passed by Xie Bai, he paused for a moment and then reached out to pat Xie Bai's head.

Caught off guard by the gesture, Xie Bai was momentarily stunned. Before he could react, Yin Wushu opened his palm in front of him, revealing a plum blossom that had somehow landed on Xie Bai's head. "It looks quite stylish with a flower," he said.

Xie Bai remained silent. At twenty-three years old, he had long shed the youthful air he had when he was a teenager. His features had fully matured, making him even more handsome, and his temperament had grown colder.

Whenever Yin Wushu pretended to regret naming him "Xie Bai" because it sounded too chilling, Xie Bai would just give him a blank look and suddenly flick his finger, sending the bamboo couch he was sitting on flying through the air. But this day, Yin Wushu wasn't lying on the bamboo couch, and Xie Bai had nothing to flick.

So he glanced at the lanterns hanging outside the courtyard, then suggested to Yin Wushu, "It's tradition to eat yuanxiao (NT: dumplings of glutinous rice flour filled with sweet fil and eaten in a soup) on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. I'll go make a bowl for you."

Yuanxiao was another name for tangyuan, but Yin Wushu had stuck to the earliest folk term, which Xie Bai had also grown accustomed to. His knowledge of tangyuan, including its preparation, still came from Yin Wushu. In previous Lantern Festivals, when Xie Bai felt like it, he would voluntarily make a small bowl, following the proper procedure and selecting various fillings such as jujube paste, sugar mixed with dried osmanthus flowers, or sesame.

But on this day, Xie Bai changed his mind.

When he was busy preparing the filling and dough inside the house, Yin Wushu attempted several times to sneak in and take a look, only to be blocked by Xie Bai from afar. Eventually, Xie Bai simply sealed the door tightly, trapping Yin Wushu outside.

Xie Bai was always quick with his hands when it came to making things, and before long, he had cooked a bowl of yuanxiao and brought it to Yin Wushu. Six dumplings the size of copper coins floated in the bowl, round and white, emitting a unique fragrance amidst the steaming vapor, quite appetizing.

Yin Wushu stirred the spoon handle lightly and scooped one up to eat. After chewing for a moment, he stiffened, then swallowed hard and said to Xie Bai, "Young man... just how much did you put in there?"

Xie Bai counted on his fingers and replied, "Lotus seeds, star anise, dried plum blossoms, brine, sugar, ginseng, winter celery."

Yin Wushu's face turned green. However, after a brief hesitation, he picked up the spoon handle again and finished the rest of the dumplings one by one.

"Once you get used to it, it's quite flavorful," Yin Wushu said with a wry smile, trying to comfort himself. Then, he used the spoon to poke open the last yuanxiao, grinding the spoon in the filling about to flow out.

"Xiao Bai," Yin Wushu suddenly called out.

Xie Bai instinctively responded with a questioning "Huh?"

In that split second, Yin Wushu swiftly used the spoon to touch the tip of Xie Bai's tongue, then laughed as he scooped up the last broken dumpling in the bowl and ate it. "It's okay if you can't eat it, you can still taste it," he said.

Xie Bai's entire tongue felt numb. "..."

In fact, whether it was the Xie Bai in the dream or the Xie Bai from before, he could feel that Yin Wushu had always spoiled him. Knowing that the yuanxiaos were prepared specifically for him, he still ate it all without leaving a single bite.

After Yin Wushu finished the bowl, he took Xie Bai outside. Every year during the Lantern Festival, there was a bustling lantern fair in the folk tradition. Yin Wushu was afraid that Xie Bai, who rarely interacted with outsiders, would feel bored, so he especially liked taking him out during such times to stroll through the bustling streets and lantern gatherings.

The area they lived in was close to Jiangnan, with streets crossing and winding along the river, making it easy to get lost. When they reached the main lantern street to the east, Yin Wushu stopped and sighed when he saw the bustling crowd in the street.

Seeing him pause, Xie Bai, who had walked half a step behind him, also stopped and turned to ask, "Why not go in?"

Yin Wushu looked at Xie Bai with a worried expression, then glanced at the crowded street, and said, "In a place like this, if we make two circles, you'll get lost."

Xie Bai's expression remained unchanged. "..."

Seeing Xie Bai's stiff expression, Yin Wushu sighed and adopted a helpless look. He then extended his pinky finger towards Xie Bai and said, "Let's do this, as usual, I'll lend you a finger to hold onto."

Xie Bai's face remained expressionless. "The usual rule from fifteen years ago."

Yin Wushu clicked his tongue and retorted, "Fifteen years ago? You've been holding onto it since you were five, until you were eight."

Xie Bai looked at him with an expression that said, "Fine, you have the final say."

"Sorry, just one finger?" Yin Wushu raised his pinky finger in front of Xie Bai and wiggled it. Seeing that Xie Bai showed no signs of changing his mind, he reluctantly withdrew his finger with a look of regret.

He continued to walk into the street, the lights reflecting in his eyes, shining brightly.

After walking a few steps, Xie Bai suddenly saw Yin Wushu's hand reaching out again, palm facing upward, fingers loosely curled. Due to the lack of closure between each finger, there were gaps between them. However, Yin Wushu didn't stop walking, nor did he turn his head to look at Xie Bai. His demeanor was casual, as if making a nonchalant invitation.

Xie Bai was taken aback by this gesture. His left hand, hanging at his side, twitched subconsciously under the wide sleeve. He glanced at Yin Wushu's face, then lowered his gaze to Yin Wushu's outstretched right hand, pursing his lips without saying a word.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally raised his left hand and placed it in Yin Wushu's palm. Yin Wushu naturally interlocked his fingers with Xie Bai's, pulling him into the street.

In the midst of the bustling crowd, Xie Bai heard Yin Wushu say with a hint of helplessness and amusement, "If you can still get lost like this, then I really have no idea what to do with you."

 

Translator : DarNan