CH 43.2

unedited

The fire trees and silver flowers were closed, and the iron lock of the star bridge was opened.*

*A sentence describing the grand occasion of the Lantern Festival night in Luoyang City.

The bright lights gradually rose as the sun went down, forming a long river of lights that flowed along the city. The lanterns were of different shapes and competed with each other, causing a slight sense of dizziness to rise before people’s eyes.

Meng Huan walked in the street, gently holding Lin Bozhou, and glanced around occasionally.

“Wow, this pastry looks so good!”

“Mm.”

“Wow, this piece of jade looks beautiful!”

“Mm.”

“Wow, this porcelain vase is too slippery to touch.”

“Mm.”

Meng Huan walked while talking randomly, and Lin Bozhou followed him, his fingers slightly clenching. For a moment, he felt disturbed by the sudden influx of chaotic and noisy movement around him and frowned, unable to restrain his irritation.

But the small hand holding his palm was very soft. Instead of holding him, it was more like being held. However, he also carefully tried his best to hold his hand as if grasping it very tight.

Many stalls sold cooked food on the roadside, pastries, and sugar crisps. Meng Huan bought a piece and turned around to see Lin Bozhou’s eyes covered with a white veil, but his brow was slightly furrowed, seemingly at a loss.

He was handsome, and Meng Huan was also not bad. The pair stood in the street, and Lin Bozhou was covered with a white veil, so people looked at him a few more times and talked about him.

“What’s going on?”

“Can’t he see?”

“It’s a waste to be blind, such a handsome gentleman.”

Having heard what was said, Lin Bozhou’s hand holding Meng Huan slightly tightened.

Feeling a tight pressure on his fingers, the social-phobia Meng Huan knew his husband was somewhat offended and summoned up the courage to glare at the gossiping people, indicating them not to look!

Then, he brought a bitten meat youbing* to his lips, “Your Highness, try it. This is delicious.”

*Youbing: Deep-fried dough cake.

Lin Bozhou smelled the oil and meat smell.

Except in the dining room, Lin Bozhou usually did not eat after noon and never ate in front of people. He pressed his hand against it. “Huan Huan, eat by yourself.”

Meng Huan sounded aggravated and emotionally heartbroken suddenly, depressed and angry. “Why didn’t you eat anything I gave you?”

I am willing to share what I love to eat with you. Such a deep feeling! Such sincere love! Such thoughtful care!

But Lin Bozhou didn’t eat it!

Outrageous!

Seeing that Meng Huan was so angry that he was about to stomp his feet, Lin Bozhou’s originally arrogant mentality relaxed, and his lips inexplicably curved a little. “Huan Huan–”

Meng Huan leaned on his ear and said softly, “Eat; no one can recognize you. Don’t worry; it’s dark now, so it will be harder to see.”

Lin Bozhou saw darkness in front of him.

But simultaneously, he could perceive Meng Huan’s breath in his ear, soft and warm.

He furrowed his eyebrows, and the next moment, the scent of the meat pie reached the tip of his nose again. “Take a bite. Take a bite. A small bite is also fine, woo woo.”

His wife was acting coquettishly.

Lin Bozhou lowered his eyes, raised his sleeve in a dignified and gentle manner to block the others’ view, and then…… took a bite of the meat pie.

Meng Huan’s expectant voice sounded in his ear, “Is it delicious? Is it delicious?”

Lin Bozhou replied, “Very delicious.”

“Yes!” Meng Huan busily stuffed the meat pie into his mouth in a silly manner. “Then, if you don’t eat it, I’ll eat it.”

“……”

As if afraid of Lin Bozhou grabbing it from him.

Surrounded by a bustling and pleasant crowd, with noisy voices in his ears, and a thronging crowd, it was just like that year in Kuzhou.

Time and space shifted to bring Lin Bozhou back to the city in the wind and snow.

It was the same trip out on the street, and it was also bustling with activity, but when he was in the crowd on the street in darkness, he only heard questions and whispers.

“The heir is actually a blind man, huh?”

“If Kuzhou is placed in the hands of a blind heir, it must be the end!”

“Since he’s blind, he shouldn’t be the heir.”

“……”

Later, he discovered that the bewitching side concubine created all this public opinion for her son, Lin Chengxu, to take over the heir’s position. However, Lin Bozhou, from then on, was disgusted by the noisy voices around him, becoming a tyrannical and solitary figure in the eyes of the onlookers, arrogant and indifferent, doing what he thought was right and no longer walking into the crowd.

When Meng Huan took him out this time, he did not encounter the traumatic memories.

It felt, surprisingly, not bad.

Meng Huan finished biting into the meat pie, turned around, and saw Lin Bozhou’s lips dabbed with very light oil, but Meng Huan was close enough to see it.

“Husband, I’ll wipe it for you.”

Lin Bozhou just let out a “huh” when the white finger fell to his lips, with the finger’s belly gently rubbing and bringing up an itchy feeling.

Meng Huan: “Cleaned up.”

Only after he finished speaking did the hot sensation of being rubbed rise on his lips.

Lin Bozhou frowned and remembered that this was a bustling street. The two men were so intimate that, in the eyes of outsiders, they could be considered a little impetuous and shameless.

Meng Huan walked forward in a happy mood.

Lin Bozhou’s mind inexplicably recalled the words and actions of his wife on the carriage that day.

Later, when they had sex, Meng Huan had never been so enthusiastic and active again, simply lying in his arms and letting Lin Pozhou do his thing, bashful and passive.

But……

Now, Meng Huan’s behavior toward him seemed to be more daring.

Lin Bozhou’s lips curved gently, holding Meng Huan’s hand tightly in the darkness and following in faith.

“Wow, the lights here are so beautiful!”

Meng Huan’s footsteps stopped in front of the most prosperous street in the capital, with huge lanterns in front of him supported with a bamboo wood frame; the light inside it was brightly lit.

This street had an excellent topography, with the Jin River surrounding it. Lit lanterns floated in the river and followed the water ripples. The lights inside the decorated boat were magnificent and brighter than daylight.

Meng Huan! Finally! Experienced! The luxurious life! Of ancient times!

“It’s really beautiful~~.”

His tone was undulated, and his eyes bright, tilting his white face with a warm smile.

Beside him, Lin Bozhou seemed to give another low laugh.

…… His wife’s adjectives were also very scarce.

Meng Huan suddenly remembered something, turned his head, and his tone was a bit chagrined. “What a pity that Husband could not see.”

“……”

There was a moment of silence.

Lin Bozhou responded with a very soft voice.

“I can see.”

Meng Huan’s joy on this occasion had been transmitted to him.

Two figures stood side by side under the huge fire tree amidst the festive and joyful scene. Meng Huan was dizzy from the dazzling sight. When he heard these words, he turned his head sideways and saw Lin Bozhou’s lowered eyebrows covered with a white veil, his lips thin, and his handsome face tinged with the orange light and shadows of the lanterns.

Lin Bozhou did not look at the lights but was looking at him.

At this moment, the sound of Meng Huan’s heartbeat continued to louden.

It echoed in the sky.

It was quiet for a while before other voices became clearer in his ear.

“Two patrons.”

It was the waiter of the decorated boat who beckoned the customers.

He spoke with a smile. “Fireworks will be set off at night on the Jin River. Do you two want to come up for a few drinks and wait?”