Chapter 35

On the seventh day of the seventh month, the Cowherd meets the Weaver Girl.

Lu Minghua had long passed the age of celebrating Qixi, and this day felt no different from any other. But as soon as she got up in the morning, she saw Mama Li organizing the maids to tidy up the courtyard, setting up tables, and placing fresh fruits and fine wine. The young maids were all smiling and very happy. She couldn’t help but smile and instruct them that once their tasks were done, they didn’t need to stay and could go play. The young maids immediately laughed with joy.

Mama Li muttered that Lu Minghua shouldn’t spoil the young maids too much but said nothing more.

The young maids took out their needles and threads, starting to practice threading, hoping to win the skill competition after worshipping the Weaver Girl in the evening.

Lu Minghua initially just watched with a smile, but seeing their happiness, she was also infected and took out her needle and thread to join in, threading seven needles in one go.

Worrying about her eyes, Mama Li suggested, “Miss, why not make some skillful pastries?”

Lu Minghua’s eyes lit up, and she went to the kitchen.

She carefully crafted them, and when it came time to shape them, she playfully made them into small figures—fish, birds, kittens, puppies, lotus flowers, and more. She made a bunch and colored them with vegetable and fruit juices. When they were done, they looked lively and festive.

“Miss, your hands are so skillful.”

“Yes, yes, this lotus flower is so beautiful.”

The young maids gathered around, praising her.

“You sweet talkers,” Lu Minghua said, smiling.

The day passed quickly.

In the evening, under the starry sky, Lu Minghua stood in the courtyard, looking for the stars of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. With the maids’ anticipation, she led them in worshipping the Weaver Girl.

“Alright, go play. Let me see who can win the skill competition. The winner gets a day off to go out and play,” Lu Minghua said with a smile.

The young maids cheered and eagerly started the competition.

Lu Minghua watched with a smile when suddenly Mama Li came over, frowning slightly, and said, “Miss, Young Master Yuan from next door is outside looking for you. He said he wants to go for a walk with you.”

She was momentarily stunned, then smiled and said, “Oh, right, we did agree on that. I almost forgot.”

Actually, Lu Minghua hadn’t forgotten, but she hadn’t taken it to heart. After all, the Qixi Festival was more important to girls, and she thought Young Master Yuan was just casually mentioning it.

Mama Li finally breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Young Master Yuan wasn’t being inappropriate.

Lu Minghua got up and walked outside. Xiao Chun and a few other maids were about to follow, but she waved them off, saying, “I told you to have fun. No need to follow me.”

The maids hesitated, and Mama Li brought a lantern, feeling uneasy since it was a man. But seeing the light-hearted smile in her mistress’s eyes, she said nothing.

Given Young Master Yuan’s character, there shouldn’t be any issues.

Lu Minghua carried the lantern and saw Yan Yuanhua standing tall outside the door. He held a lantern with a design of a carp playing among lotus flowers, with a small flame burning in the lotus heart. The design was intricate and unique, catching the eye.

“Why didn’t you bring the maids?” Seeing Mama Li standing at the door, not looking like she was going to follow, Yan Yuanhua couldn’t help but ask.

“They’re having fun, so I didn’t bring them,” Lu Minghua replied casually, lifting her skirt and carefully stepping down the stairs.

If Lu Minghua were meeting someone else, he would have warned her about the dangers of people’s hearts, but since she was meeting him—

Yan Yuanhua looked at Lu Minghua, unable to suppress the smile on his lips, feeling a bit dizzy.

“Here,” he said, thrusting his hand forward.

Lu Minghua had just stepped down the stairs and hadn’t looked up yet when she saw the lantern being handed to her by Yan Yuanhua. She instinctively stepped back.

“For me?” she asked, looking up, her heartbeat seemingly slowing down. Her eyes were clear and bright, and in the night, they sparkled as if filled with stars, dazzling.

Yan Yuanhua took in the scene, feeling his chest warm up. He smiled and said, “If I don’t give you this lotus lantern, do you expect me, a grown man, to carry it?”

“We’ll trade,” he said.

“Then why did you take this?” Lu Minghua’s eyelashes fluttered as she asked.

“Naturally, to show my affection to Minghua. I should thank you for giving me this opportunity,” Yan Yuanhua said, handing it forward again.

“You’re talking nonsense again.” Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt her face heat up. Lu Minghua couldn’t help but look away.

“Take it. Give me yours, and we’ll trade,” Yan Yuanhua said, reaching out and gently taking the plain square lantern from Lu Minghua’s hand.

Caught off guard, Lu Minghua lost her lantern. Seeing his insistence, she looked down at the beautiful lantern in front of her and gently took it.

The lantern’s light flickered in her eyes, and she couldn’t help but look at Yan Yuanhua.

She glanced lightly.

Yan Yuanhua hadn’t noticed yet when she quickly looked away, gazing at the flickering lights down the mountain, and asked, “Where are you taking me?”

“To a place you’ve never been,” Yan Yuanhua said, adjusting the lantern to keep it from swaying. When he looked up, he saw her profile, her lips slightly curved, and her eyes filled with a hint of a smile. Her profile seemed to have a faint blush in the firelight. His heart stirred, and some thoughts eagerly tried to break free but were firmly suppressed.

“Mysterious,” Lu Minghua smiled, suddenly feeling her voice was a bit too soft.

“If you know in advance, it won’t be a surprise when you see it. Naturally, I have to keep it a secret,” Yan Yuanhua’s hearty laugh echoed in the night as he held the lantern and walked into the forest.

The two walked through the forest, not taking the usual path to the mountain stream but heading deeper into the woods.

The sound of cicadas was constant, and the moonlight filtered through the treetops, casting dappled shadows. A bird’s call came from somewhere, and Lu Minghua unconsciously grasped her sleeve.

“That’s the sound of a lark,” Yan Yuanhua said, slowing his pace as he noticed her breathing calm.

“A lark? I know about them. They sing well, with a bright and melodious tone, and can even mimic other animals’ sounds. But I’ve only seen them in cages, never in the wild,” Lu Minghua said, happy to chat and distract herself from her involuntary fear.

“But if we’re talking about beautiful birds, there’s a green cuckoo that’s particularly stunning.”

“A cuckoo?” Lu Minghua knew of birds with “cuckoo” in their name but didn’t know which one Yan Yuanhua was referring to.

“It’s a bird with gorgeous and vibrant feathers, a green so rich it rivals the finest gemstones. Someone once gave me one…” Yan Yuanhua began to explain.

Lu Minghua listened intently, unable to help but imagine what the bird might look like.

Yan Yuanhua shared some small stories, and the two reached a stream.

“We’re here,” he said.

Lu Minghua instinctively looked around, seeing the stream flowing quietly, reflecting the starlight. But she didn’t see anything else.

She looked again carefully, not believing Yan Yuanhua would deceive her. Finding nothing, she looked at him in confusion.

How could someone be so serious and yet so endearing? Watching her curiously examine the scene, Yan Yuanhua almost laughed. Despite his efforts to hold it in, his smile grew brighter.

Lu Minghua turned and saw him smiling, feeling a bit annoyed. “Ji’an!” she said, raising her voice.

“Shh, look,” Yan Yuanhua said, placing a finger on his lips and gesturing. Lu Minghua followed his gaze.

A small stone was thrown into the grass by the stream. Suddenly, tiny green lights scattered, dancing and swirling in the forest.

Lu Minghua’s eyes widened. “Fireflies?” she whispered, afraid to disturb the little creatures, murmuring softly.

Yan Yuanhua leaned against a tree, arms crossed, smiling at her.

The fireflies spread out, and a few flew in front of Lu Minghua. She couldn’t help but reach out, trying to catch a bit of starlight, but the little creatures avoided her, flying nimbly into the forest.

She regretfully gave up, following them with her eyes until they disappeared, then looked back.

“Look.” Just as she was about to look across, Lu Minghua saw a large hand appear in front of her, the sleeve wrapped around the wrist, the hand clenched into a fist, the knuckles distinct, and a few shallow scars visible even at night. Just as she was about to ask what to look at, she saw Yan Yuanhua’s hand turn over and open, revealing a firefly flapping its wings, wobbling as it flew up. But before it could fly far, the mischievous human caught the poor little creature again.

“For you,” Yan Yuanhua gestured for Lu Minghua to extend her hand.

Seeing the little creature being tormented so much, Lu Minghua quickly extended her hand, and the dizzy little thing fell into her palm as he opened his hand. She looked up angrily at Yan Yuanhua, then lowered her head, cupping her hands to wait for the little creature to fly again.

Yan Yuanhua smiled innocently, watching her carefully hold the tiny firefly. For a moment, he wished he could turn into a firefly and be held by her.

Glancing at the little creature, his gaze fell on Lu Minghua’s face. Taking advantage of the dim light, he openly observed her closely.

After a while, the little firefly finally took off, slowly flying from her palm. Lu Minghua smiled, lowering her hands to watch it circle once before flying away without looking back.

If it were him— He wouldn’t leave. Yan Yuanhua thought to himself.

After watching for a while, the dancing fireflies didn’t seem to tire, but Lu Minghua felt a bit tired from standing. She couldn’t help but look around, but there was no place to sit among the wild grass, so she regretfully looked away.

But she was reluctant to leave now. As she was hesitating, she saw Yan Yuanhua taking off his outer garment. She immediately looked over, her heart stirring.

Yan Yuanhua glanced around, then spread his garment on a large stone under a tree, squatting there without hurrying to get up. He looked at Lu Minghua and smiled, “Sit down.”

Her guess confirmed, Lu Minghua couldn’t quite sort out her feelings for a moment. Finally, she smiled and said, “Your garment is really being mistreated.”

Last time, he took it off to cushion her while she slept, and now he was spreading it on a stone. Really…

“It’s just a garment,” Yan Yuanhua didn’t mind at all. Seeing Lu Minghua walking over slowly, her skirt gently swaying, he stood up and smiled, “It was my oversight. I just wanted to bring you here and forgot you might get tired.”

Lu Minghua thought he should sit if anyone should, but then saw him look around and promptly sit under a nearby tree.

“Hey—” She wanted to stop him but couldn’t in time, feeling helpless.

“Sit down and rest for a while, or you’ll be exhausted when we go back,” Yan Yuanhua said, leaning against the tree with his knees bent, his hands resting casually on his stomach, looking relaxed and comfortable.

Seeing this, Lu Minghua finally sat down lightly, her moonlit dress spreading out, mingling with the blue-green outer garment. As she lowered her eyes, her heart stirred slightly.

“Look, it seems there are more now,” Yan Yuanhua said lightly, seeing she didn’t refuse. His eyes filled with more laughter as he pointed to the small stream opposite.

Lu Minghua quickly turned to look, seeing more fireflies floating in the forest, like smoke and mist, making it feel like a dream. She watched intently, forgetting to speak.

Without getting a response, Yan Yuanhua couldn’t help but glance over, seeing her slightly tilted head, her eyes bright, revealing a bit of innocent wonder.

He couldn’t help but watch, then suddenly laughed.

How wonderful. Everything was still in time.

The streamside was quiet, with only the sounds of cicadas, frogs, and birds.

Lu Minghua watched for a long time, and as the fireflies gradually dispersed, she finally decided, reluctantly telling Yan Yuanhua that it was time to go back.

It was indeed late. Yan Yuanhua stood up swiftly and said, “Let’s go. It’s getting late.”

Lu Minghua stood up and suddenly remembered, picking up the outer garment from the stone, saying, “I’ll have someone wash it and send it back to you.”

“No need, let them do it,” Yan Yuanhua said, already walking over and quickly taking the garment from her hand.

Even though Lu Minghua was prepared, she couldn’t stop him and could only look at him disapprovingly.

“It’s just a garment,” Yan Yuanhua said with a laugh, handing her the lantern from the tree and smiling. “If you like it here, let’s come back tomorrow night, okay?”

“Will they still be here tomorrow night?” Lu Minghua wanted to continue talking but was also concerned about the fireflies, worried they might fly away.

“They will. I came here a few days ago, and they were here,” he said, though there weren’t as many. He had someone use a unique lure to attract them.

“How do you find everything?” Lu Minghua said in amazement. She had lived on this mountain for half a year and didn’t know about the pond in the mountain stream or the fireflies deep in the forest.

“Just walk around more, and you’ll naturally find things,” Yan Yuanhua joked. “If you stay indoors all day, you won’t discover anything.”

That was true. Lu Minghua smiled and didn’t think much of it.

The two chatted and laughed all the way back to the retreat’s entrance. Just as Lu Minghua was about to say goodbye, Yan Yuanhua said, “Wait,” and took out a palm-sized wooden box from somewhere and handed it to her.

“What’s this?” Lu Minghua asked curiously.

Yan Yuanhua stepped forward, carefully opening it for her to see.

Lu Minghua looked inside and found a small spider.

“A happy spider?” she said in surprise.

T/N: In Chinese culture, a “喜蛛” (xǐ zhū), or “happy spider,” is a symbol of good luck and happiness. It’s often associated with the Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, where people believe that seeing a happy spider can bring good fortune and blessings. The spider is thought to weave webs that catch happiness and joy, making it a cherished symbol during festive occasions.

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Author’s Note:

On Qixi, there should be fireflies, right? Well, if not in reality, then at least in the novel.