Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Yan Shang glanced at Meng Zaishi.

Meng Zaishi smiled at him very casually; the scar on his face twitched like a bulging vein, looking sinister and terrifying.

Yan Shang’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and he walked toward Mu Wanyao’s carriage.

During this, Mu Wanyao kept her eyes on Meng Zaishi, and Meng Zaishi looked at her in return. Neither of them spoke a word.

The officials of the Court of State Ceremonial followed behind their Minister, not daring to lift their heads to look too much. Some of the lower-ranking officials, who might only have this one chance in their lives to see the lofty Princess, were filled with envy that Yan the Second was actually the Princess's neighbor. They couldn't help but steal a glance at the magnificent, opulent carriage.

From a distance, they saw the radiant Princess, as precious as a pearl, sitting inside the carriage.

The low-ranking officials secretly marveled at the Princess’s beauty, but in their hearts, a discordant, quiet mutter arose: How did she look vaguely, seemingly, approximately... a little familiar?

As if they had seen her somewhere before.

But how could they have ever seen a noble Princess?

The officials lowered their heads, not daring to think any further.

It was not until the carriage door closed and the vehicle had driven toward the Imperial City gate, and the people from the Court of State Ceremonial and the Wuman had bid each other farewell, that the crowd finally dispersed.

Sitting in the carriage, Yan Shang looked at Mu Wanyao opposite him.

Mu Wanyao’s expression was a bit cold, a bit vacant. He stared at her for a couple of breaths, and only when the carriage exited the Imperial City gate did she seem to remember that there was another person in the carriage and look toward Yan Shang.

Their gazes met.

Mu Wanyao reluctantly made an expression no different from her usual self and revealed a faint smile: "What is it?"

Yan Shang asked slowly: "Your Highness usually ignores me once you go out. Why did you come to the Court of State Ceremonial to pick me up today? Are you not afraid of inviting misunderstandings?"

Pausing for a moment, Yan Shang’s eyelashes veiled his eyelids, and his voice became even softer: "Or, did Your Highness come not to pick me up, but for other matters—or other people?"

Mu Wanyao was shocked.

Then, looking at the delicate and scholarly young man opposite her, she fell silent for a moment, not knowing what to say.

Of course, she couldn’t help but want to come and see what was going on with the Wuman; of course, her heart had been thrown into chaos upon hearing that the King of Wuman had come in person.

She had used the pretext of coming to the Court of State Ceremonial naturally for the sake of the Wuman envoys. It was just that she had not expected to see Meng Zaishi at the entrance of the Court.

The roaring memories from three years ago returned, leaving her heart feeling both frozen and scorched by fire.

But these matters... she did not want Yan Shang to know, did not want to tell him.

Meng Zaishi would inevitably stir up some trouble.

Mu Wanyao did not want Yan Shang to be involved in any of it.

She was already tainted, even her heart was no longer clean. But only the admiration in her heart remained pure.

She loved a man with a clean heart, and so she did not want him to be hurt, nor did she want him to know of her humiliating past. She hoped to maintain some dignity in Yan Shang’s eyes.

However... Yan Shang was far too clever.

There were many things and many words where perhaps she herself had not noticed the loopholes, yet Yan Shang could very likely detect them from the traces in her speech. And because he was a person who never spoke much about uncertain things, dealing with such an individual was actually quite exhausting and required great vigilance.

Mu Wanyao did not consider herself stupid, but she did not possess the wisdom to deceive Yan Shang.

Thus, after a long silence, Mu Wanyao said coldly: "If you have guessed something, just say it directly. Do not play guessing games with me."

Yan Shang lifted his eyes and looked at her.

He whispered: "That Wuman gentleman just now—is he an old acquaintance of Your Highness? Is the friendship... not shallow?"

Mu Wanyao raised an eyebrow and nodded.

Yan Shang frowned, appearing to have many unresolved questions and contradictions. For instance, he could not fathom if the person Mu Wanyao had spoken of back in Lingnan—the one who held a grudge against her—was this same person today. If they were enemies, the two of them simply looking at each other without speaking didn’t seem like enmity; yet if they were not enemies, the other party could not have asked a question like "Who is Yan Shisheng?"

Yan Shang was too confused.

What kind of connection was truly hidden here? Was the person Mu Wanyao had wanted to deal with originally truly this Wuman man?

But seeing Mu Wanyao’s wary gaze, he froze, suppressing his confusion, and said: "I see. I would like to ask Your Highness for a favor."

Mu Wanyao remained cautious: "What favor?"

Yan Shang: "He asked me: 'Who is Yan Shisheng?'"

Mu Wanyao was stunned for a moment, then let out a soft "Ah," understanding what Meng Zaishi had discovered, but she was filled with even more questions.

Mu Wanyao looked at Yan Shang, and Yan Shang recounted the events that had occurred at the Court of State Ceremonial. Yan Shang said: "He does not know that I am Yan Shisheng... but I come from Lingnan. As long as he has suspicions, it is only a matter of time before it cannot be hidden."

Sitting in the carriage, Mu Wanyao leaned forward, placed her hand on Yan Shang’s knee, and looking into his eyes, she promised immediately: "I will dispatch the dark guards from the Princess’s estate to follow you and protect you from this day forth. I will absolutely not let him hurt you."

Seeing her care so much for his safety, the unease in Yan Shang’s heart lessened slightly.

He shook his head gently and smiled a little shyly. He said: "I am in Chang'an, and I am an official of the imperial court. I made the stakes of the situation very clear to the Wuman today. Even if they suspect I am Yan Shisheng, they will not dare to make a move in Chang'an."

"And since I am a capital official, it is impossible for me to leave Chang'an without an extraordinary situation. Thus, my safety is not a problem; Your Highness need not worry for me."

"What worries me is not myself, but my family. I fear that if the Wuman cannot deal with me, they will go to harm my family and use them to threaten me."

Mu Wanyao nodded, thinking that there was indeed no lack of such a possibility.

She asked: "How would you like me to help?"

Yan Shang: "I only need Your Highness’s assistance to put me in contact with your uncle... the Magistrate of Nanhai County. Although Lord Li is not the highest-ranking official in Lingnan, it is precisely a magistrate who wields the most complete control over the local jurisdiction."

"I wish to take advantage of the favor earned from my strategies back then to ask Lord Li to dispatch troops to secretly protect my family. I will also write a letter home to my elder brother, urging him to be on high alert. If my family suffers because of me, I would be guilty of an unforgivable sin, even in death."

The fingers Mu Wanyao had placed on his knee trembled, and she felt a sense of apology in her heart.

She had been worried only about what Meng Zaishi would do to her, while Yan Shang was concerned about his family suffering because of it. It was all because of her.

Therefore, she could not let Yan Shang become more deeply entangled in the enmity between her and Meng Zaishi.

Mu Wanyao comforted Yan Shang: "Rest assured, since you have thought of this in advance, your family will surely be safe. After all, the Wuman are within our Great Wei borders, and they cannot send letters freely now. You should trust my uncle’s capability."

Yan Shang nodded.

Mu Wanyao said: "Speaking of which, you have been away from home for a year. Do you miss your family?"

Yan Shang said: "To miss them is only natural. However, what else can be done?"

He sighed, lowered his eyes, and said with a touch of melancholy: "From the day I left Lingnan, I knew that in this life, I would likely have few opportunities to meet my father, elder brother, third brother, or youngest sister. The bond between me and my family will likely have to be maintained solely through letters."

"Because I am not the eldest in the family, I cannot overstep my elder brother to bring my father to Chang'an. Even if I live well in Chang'an and have a bright future, I cannot bypass my brother to fulfill my filial duties. And if I cannot see my father, how could my younger brother and sister see me often?"

"Mostly, they compensate me by constantly sending me money and gifts. All I can return is money and gifts. No matter how much I miss them, there is no other way."

As he spoke, Mu Wanyao felt a sense of melancholy along with him.

Mu Wanyao said: "The two of us are truly pitiable."

Yan Shang tilted his head to look at her.

Mu Wanyao lifted her face, smiled at him, and said: "I see my family every day, yet I do not want to see them at all, and my feelings for them are grinding away day by day; you miss your family every day, yet you cannot see them, and the kindness you show them can only be maintained through material possessions. The two of us are truly companions in misfortune."

Yan Shang whispered: "Do not say that. I will accompany Your Highness; Your Highness will not be that pitiable."

Mu Wanyao laughed briefly.

She whispered: "Yes."

She lowered her eyes, masking the coldness and gloom in them.

Once she dealt with Meng Zaishi, all of this would get better.

Yan Shang leaned against the carriage wall, silent for a long time, before he suddenly said, acting on a whim: "If only one day I could leave Chang'an and go to Lingnan to be an official. Once in Lingnan, I could see my family and look after them..."

He hadn't finished his sentence when his knee was struck hard by Mu Wanyao with a slap.

Mu Wanyao scolded him sternly: "Stop talking nonsense!"

She furrowed her brows, her tone severe: "Capital officials are different from local officials, let alone a place like Lingnan. If you haven't committed a major error, since you are already a capital official, you will not easily go to a local county. Not to mention a place as remote as Lingnan."

"A capital official is the only true official. How many noble family members, once they are no longer capital officials, simply refuse to take up posts in local counties? In the Great Wei, although official positions move quickly, those who fall to lower levels sink in the lower levels and will not easily rise to the higher ones. The distinctions between clean and corrupt official ranks are clear; once you go down, it is not easy to come back up! Do not say such foolish things!"

"I understand you want to look after your family. But only in Chang'an—even if you cannot see their faces—can you better look after them. As for the rest, let it be."

Yan Shang did not agree with Mu Wanyao’s view. If everyone only wished to be a capital official, what would happen to the local counties? If everyone were dissatisfied, who would govern them?

But what Mu Wanyao had said was exactly the taken-for-granted common knowledge of everyone. Moreover, Mu Wanyao was so anxious because she was afraid he would get into trouble, afraid that he would jinx himself and truly affect his own official career... Yan Shang did not refute her words and whispered to soothe her: "Alright, I understand. I will not talk nonsense anymore. I will perform my duties well and not stir up trouble. Rest assured."

Mu Wanyao narrowed her eyes, looking at him with half-belief.

She thought that with her around, what could happen to Yan Shang? Thinking of this, she relaxed, and a smile appeared in her eyes.

The carriage was still moving, and Mu Wanyao lightly lifted the curtain to take a look at how much further it was to the estate. Seeing that it was still some distance, she lowered the curtain with peace of mind.

Mu Wanyao raised one eyebrow slightly at Yan Shang, her lips curved in a faint smile. She lifted her eyelids gently; the curve was extremely small, but because her gaze was focused intently on Yan Shang, these eyes that seemed to have so much left unsaid appeared incredibly vivid.

Seeing this look, Yan Shang’s back stiffened, his scalp tingling.

Sure enough, the next moment, she crawled over, knelt on his lap, cupped his face, and leaned down to kiss the corner of his mouth. She said softly: "Did you miss me?"

The temperature on Yan Shang’s face turned scorching; he lowered his eyelids to avoid her provocation: "...Your Highness, we are still in the carriage."

Mu Wanyao smiled brightly: "And so what? You won't die from a kiss."

She bit his lip delicately, her fingers sweeping across his face like feathers. He retreated, and with nowhere left to retreat, he finally leaned against the carriage wall and reached out to embrace her.

Yan Shang whispered: "...You are tormenting me again."

Mu Wanyao raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean? Are you not enjoying it? Do you not want to be affectionate with me? Yan the Second, open your mouth."

In any case, it was always Yan Shang who accommodated her, letting her have her way. However, in the small space of the carriage, with the estate not far away, they would have to get off soon... If she tormented him and didn't care about the consequences, he would be the one suffering.

Yet, helpless, under Mu Wanyao’s pressure, Yan Shang half-reluctantly submitted.

Mu Wanyao leaned down to kiss him, hearing the sound of his pounding heart; the fingers he used to grip her waist were also burning hot... She lowered her eyes and peeked at him, seeing the sweat dampening his temples and the slightly closed corners of his eyes flushed a deep crimson. His robes were messy from her movements; one hand was on her waist, and the other held onto the small table beside them.

Mu Wanyao saw his fingers, holding the table, turning white from the force, trembling slightly.

Mu Wanyao loved him in her heart, and kissed the corner of his eye again. She whispered, her tone desolate: "Brother, I know that you are only talking to me about your family to distract me from my bad mood, that you are just lying obediently beneath me, letting me bully you."

Yan Shang was startled.

The word "Brother" made his ears burn.

He opened his eyes and looked up at her.

His eyelashes fluttered once, and her kiss landed on his eyes, forcing him to close them again.

When Yan Shang opened his eyes again to look at her, she was blushing and smiling at him, filled with joy.

Yan Shang turned his face away and whispered: "Your Highness, do not call me that; it is not good if people hear."

Mu Wanyao smiled without speaking, rubbing the back of his neck, nonchalant: "I know you have something you want to ask me. I will only answer once; ask whatever you wish. I see you have been holding it in from the moment you got on the carriage until now; although you are always like this, I feel sorry for you, so I want to answer you once. Ask."

Yan Shang stared at her.

Thousands of questions had been hovering in his heart, but when it finally reached his lips, what he really wanted to ask was only one sentence—

After a while, he asked: "That Wuman man you looked at earlier at the entrance of the Court of State Ceremonial—the one with the scar on his face—is he your lover?"

Mu Wanyao’s pupils turned slightly; she looked down at him.

The two stared at each other in silence for a long time.

Mu Wanyao lowered her head, kissed his lips again, and answered him: "No."

Yan Shang breathed a sigh of relief, the string that had been taut in his heart finally slackening.

He looked at her and said: "You say no, so I believe you. Do not lie to me."

Mu Wanyao stared at him, her eyes suddenly feeling a bit hot, which she blinked away. She giggled, leaned over, and pestered him for more kisses. He had no choice but to follow her, complying with her wishes. But just as their lips were entwined, Fangtong coughed outside and said: "Your Highness, Yan the Second, we have arrived at the estate."

Yan Shang’s face turned bright red instantly as he pushed Mu Wanyao away.

Mu Wanyao glanced at his good-for-nothing appearance, chuckled twice, and even took a sip of tea, not feeling the slightest bit bothered, stepping out of the carriage naturally. Yan Shang took a long time to get off, scurrying back into the estate to avoid Fangtong’s notice.

Mu Wanyao returned to the estate and summoned Fangtong.

Mu Wanyao asked Fangtong: "That is Meng Zaishi. He truly survived the great calamity and became the new King of Wuman. I didn't see wrongly today, right?"

Fangtong nodded: "Yes, Your Highness did not see wrongly."

Mu Wanyao: "But he has an extra scar on his face."

Fangtong nodded again.

After a long while, Mu Wanyao sneered: "So what if he has an extra scar? I would recognize him even if he turned into ash."

Fangtong asked anxiously: "Your Highness, what should we do? If he uses his former relationship with you to threaten Your Highness..."

Mu Wanyao: "I cannot let him affect me."

She had Fangtong lean in close, whispering instructions for Fangtong to go to the barbarian market and find people who were similar in build and appearance to Meng Zaishi. She ordered such and such, and so and so, giving a whole series of instructions. She also ordered the guards of the Princess’s estate to increase their martial arts practice and strengthen the guards.

Fangtong was startled.

He guessed Mu Wanyao’s intention.

He wanted to say that this was somewhat risky, as the Princess might get implicated.

But Fangtong looked up, gazing at Mu Wanyao’s ice-like profile, and it seemed as if he saw that night when they walked out of the sea of flames in Wuman—

Flames burned fiercely among the tents and rock peaks behind them.

As night turned to dawn, Mu Wanyao, dagger in hand, escaped with only the few of them; most had perished in the war behind them.

Mu Wanyao led them, stumbling into the Great Wei frontier army, crying and begging for help: "I want to see my mother! Is it true that my mother has passed away from illness? I want to pay my final respects to my mother, I do not want to stay in Wuman anymore—"

"General! I beg you! Let me see my mother one last time! Let me see my father! Wuman is in chaos, they will kill me... let me go back—let me go back—let me go back!"

Each cry was more hoarse and sharp than the last. Wuman was engulfed in flames and war overnight; the successor was missing, and the old Wuman King was dead beyond doubt; yet the young Princess’s hoarse cries echoed in the Great Wei army camp. A dignified Great Wei Princess knelt at the feet of a frontier general, lifting a dirty, pitiful face.

Her long hair was disheveled, and her sleeves were a mess from the fire. A few scattered servants followed her, each at a loss.

The noble Princess suffered all humiliation, begging people with her misty, heartbreaking eyes, gripping the hem of a general's battle robe tightly with her slender fingers.

She cried and cried, kneeling in the dawn, and finally was helped up by a soft-hearted Great Wei general, finally crying her way into a future.

That weeping was fake.

The Princess had long since stopped crying.

But the heartbreaking hatred in that crying was real.

She never wanted to stay in Wuman again—

She never wanted to go back to Wuman again—

On Meng Zaishi’s side, after Yan Shang left, Meng Zaishi returned to the residence the Great Wei had arranged for them.

Meng Zaishi ordered his subordinates: "These next few days, investigate that Yan Shang thoroughly for me. I suspect he and Yan Shisheng are the same person... If it is true, that would be truly interesting."

Kelilu, who had been struck twice at the Court of State Ceremonial, was supported over, barely alive, to beg for the King’s forgiveness.

Meng Zaishi grabbed Kelilu by the shoulder, preventing him from kneeling.

Meng Zaishi smiled faintly: "You tried to test a Great Wei official for me; what sin is there in that?"

Kelilu: "I, I tested the wrong person..."

Meng Zaishi said coldly: "That is not necessarily the case. That Yan the Second, while speaking with me, suddenly changed to another register to write... the first register was problematic; either he intended to give us a hard time from the start, or he acted on impulse to test us."

"In either case, this person cannot be underestimated; he is not an opponent you can handle. From now on, be careful around this person and do not reveal your bottom line."

Everyone nodded.

Meng Zaishi then looked at the "Fake King" who had been impersonating him, and said lazily: "They in Great Wei are particular about things like 'the crime of deceiving the sovereign'; since we have arrived here, we must naturally follow their rules. For the time being, switch our identities back, and when I need it, I will have you be the 'King' again."

The "Fake King" agreed.

But he hesitated: "However, that Luo Xiu sent by King Ale has seen what you look like, Great King. If you suddenly disappear, or if he sees your true face after you restore your identity, will he be suspicious?"

Meng Zaishi said slowly: "Rest assured. Once we reach Chang'an in Great Wei, you just need to get rid of Luo Xiu; he is dying to get away from us to act freely. King Ale sent him—could it be to monitor me? What do I have that is worth monitoring by King Ale?"

"That Luo Xiu, what he plots and schemes... is likely in Great Wei, in Chang'an."

"Let us watch and see what he truly intends to do. As long as he doesn't stir up big trouble, we will ignore him."

The subordinates nodded.

They discussed further: "Then, should we also, like the other small nations that pay tribute to the Great Wei, take this opportunity of the grand ceremony to renegotiate various treaties with the Great Wei? After all, the political marriage happened a long time ago, and the treatment... should surely be improved a little, right?"

Meng Zaishi nodded.

They discussed the matters they intended to accomplish on this trip to Great Wei.

In the end, after much thought, the topic returned to Princess Danyang, Mu Wanyao.

Meng Zaishi suddenly asked: "If I ask for the Princess who was married into our country to return, you say, the Great Wei Emperor should be impatient to agree, right?"

Everyone looked at each other in dismay: "Let the political marriage Princess return... what does that mean?"

Meng Zaishi looked at them, half-smiling: "How about as Queen?"

Everyone looked at each other again; seeing that Meng Zaishi was actually serious, they were aghast, thinking that the Princess had once schemed against the Great King and almost gotten him killed... however, Meng Zaishi’s deterrent force had weighed on them for many years, so they yielded: "We will all listen to the Great King."

On the Wuman side, an envoy named Luo Xiu turned out to be a Great Wei man who could speak the Great Wei language. When Great Wei officials saw such a person, they were naturally very happy.

Luo Xiu took the opportunity to ask to tour various government offices; the Great Wei had always been generous and tolerant toward surrounding small nations, so they naturally welcomed him warmly.

Luo Xiu heard that they were writing articles for the grand ceremony, so he went curiously to the Imperial Academy. For several days at the Academy, Luo Xiu saw a eunuch named Liu Wenji every day. That eunuch spent his days quietly copying books in the corner; for several days, the officials at the Academy had been treating him quite well.

Luo Xiu was surprised, because his father was a Great Wei man, and he had heard from his father how much the Great Wei despised those who became eunuchs.

This Liu Wenji made him feel intrigued—

That day, Liu Wenji left the Imperial Academy to return to the palace. At the palace gate, he encountered an anxious servant.

Because he had seen many things, Liu Wenji recognized this person as the servant of a foster son recognized by the Emperor’s Great Inner Eunuch, Eunuch Cheng. That foster son of Eunuch Cheng outside often sent people into the palace to curry favor with Eunuch Cheng, and every time, many eunuchs rushed to curry favor with them.

It was the first time Liu Wenji had encountered this person on the way into the palace.

His heart skipped a beat; he carefully bowed and offered a salute, asking: "Are you here to see Eunuch Cheng? Eunuch Cheng is on duty these days, serving His Majesty constantly; I fear he is not at leisure. If there is anything the matter, perhaps this humble servant could help on his behalf?"

The servant was very anxious, and seeing that it was a eunuch, he felt quite at ease. He felt that eunuchs were all his own kind.

The servant said: "Please bother this Eunuch to pass a word for me! My master competed with a steward from Scholar Guo’s household over a plot of land and accidentally struck the steward. My master begs Eunuch Cheng to save his life..."

Liu Wenji raised an eyebrow.

Asking: "Scholar Guo, is it Scholar Guo of the Imperial Academy?"

When the servant saw that the other party actually knew, he was very excited: "Exactly!"

Liu Wenji then smiled and said in a measured tone: "As I said before, Eunuch Cheng has not been free these days, and even we lowly servants cannot get to see his face."

Seeing the despair on the other party’s face, Liu Wenji guessed that the other party had been waiting here for a long time, and most likely all the other eunuchs had given the same answer. That was why such a good thing could fall into his lap.

Liu Wenji said: "However, I happen to know this Scholar Guo. If you can wait, why don't I help your two families build a bridge, have a meal and a drink, and speak openly about this matter? It is just a plot of land; who can’t afford to buy one? It should just be a small misunderstanding."

The servant was overjoyed: "That is exactly the point! Thank you, Eunuch! How should I address you, and how should we contact you in the future?"

Liu Wenji then spoke this way and that, sending the person away.

After the person left, Liu Wenji silently returned to the Department of Imperial Household Affairs to report on the day’s affairs.

It was too cold.

He huddled, arched his back, lowered his head, and walked slowly along the palace path.

He thought it would probably snow soon.

Need to prepare more charcoal.

Yesterday, he heard people from the Department of Imperial Household Affairs say that a little eunuch didn't make it, died there, and was carried out on a straw mat.

Liu Wenji did not wish to die like that.

It was just fawning over big shots with a smiling face, just fawning over people everywhere... he was getting more and more accustomed to this.

Only... it really was so cold.

With a shiver, Liu Wenji walked a bit faster—

On New Year’s Eve, Mu Wanyao entered the palace early in the morning to prepare for the grand ceremony that night.

The envoys of various countries entered the palace, led by officials of the fifth rank and above from the Court of State Ceremonial. All officials above the fifth rank had to enter the court to attend the grand ceremony, while those below the fifth rank began their long holiday.

Yan Shang first went to visit the teacher his father had arranged for him, and then went to Minister Liu’s estate to pay respects to his teacher in the true sense of the word.

Minister Liu felt pity that he was alone in Chang'an with no family, so before Minister Liu entered the palace for the grand ceremony, he instructed Yan Shang to stay at the Liu estate today and celebrate the New Year with the Liu family.

In the evening, Yan Shang stood alone in the courtyard of the Liu estate, watching the twilight dim.

Liu Ruozhu quietly walked up from behind, seeing Yan Shang standing under the corridor, having not moved for a long time. She coughed lightly, and Yan Shang came to his senses, smiling at her.

Liu Ruozhu blushed and asked: "Why is the Second Young Master standing here alone? Are you uncomfortable?"

Yan Shang said: "No, the teacher’s wife has been very kind. But the young lady came just at the right time; I suddenly remembered something and want to bid farewell to the teacher’s wife, but I feel embarrassed, so I trouble the young lady to speak for me."

Liu Ruozhu was stunned.

She panicked: "You are leaving? Why? Is there something we did not do well that made you feel lonely?"

Yan Shang naturally said no, and said: "It is just that I suddenly remembered someone, I... I want to spend the New Year with someone else."

He just saw the dim sky at dusk, standing under the corridor, and suddenly thought of someone.

Thinking of what she had said: "The twilight dims, the small boat sways late."

Everything he thought of was "Mu Wan" (Mu Wanyao's name), and "Mu Wan" was all of his beloved.

...He couldn't wait to see her, wanting to stay up to welcome the New Year with her.