The Heavenly Realm, Flower Feast.
Outside the gates of the Heavenly Palace, myriad soaring boats and immortal carriages were docked. It was a scene of bustling activity, with a constant flow of people, lively and grand.
A boy and a girl, attendants, descended from an immortal carriage, surrounded by heavenly soldiers.
Ling Xiao, with the assistance of the heavenly soldiers, led his younger sister out of the carriage.
The great immortals from all realms had been waiting at the entrance for a long time. Upon seeing this, they all bowed and greeted, "Your humble servant greets the Young Heavenly Lord."
Ling Xiao, imitating his father, nodded slightly and then said, "All your ministers, please rise."
After the great immortals expressed their thanks, they looked behind them and, not seeing the Emperor and Empress, all turned to Ling Xiao with questions.
"Young Heavenly Lord... this, why haven't the Emperor and Empress arrived?"
"Indeed! Young Heavenly Lord, when can we expect the Emperor to arrive?"
"Young Heavenly Lord, why has the Empress been so late in arriving? Is she unwell?"
"Your Majesty, is the Empress's health alright?"
Ling Xiao, annoyed by the immortals' questions, frowned and interrupted them, "My father said he will not be attending this Flower Feast."
The ministers' expressions changed, but they also knew the Emperor's nature; he was likely off on a tour of the mortal realm with the Empress again.
Fortunately, the Young Heavenly Lord was sharp-minded and could handle Heavenly Realm affairs to some extent.
"Brother, didn't you say Father and Mother will be here soon?"
"You lied to me, sob sob..."
The little dumpling beside him heard her brother say this and immediately burst into tears, her little shoulders shaking.
Her tears fell like a pear blossom after rain, a blush spreading across her exquisitely beautiful face. Her large, lovely eyes filled with tears, making her look utterly pitiable.
Ling Xiao raised his sleeve to wipe away her tears. Though his voice was young, his tone was exceptionally steady, "Be good, little sister. There will be lots of delicious food at the feast. When the Flower Feast ends, Father will be back."
"No, I want Mother, I want Father to hold me..."
The little dumpling cried even more heartbrokenly, which greatly startled the immortals. They quickly tried to soothe her.
"Little Princess, be good, don't cry. Shall we go eat something delicious later, okay..."
Just then, two figures walked into the crowd. Seeing the child wailing, they immediately rushed over and scooped her into their arms.
"Greetings, Immortal Lord Qing Yuan, greetings, Deputy Palace Master." The ministers bowed in unison.
Ye Jinghuai's gentle face furrowed. He held the little one on the ground and softly wiped the tears from her eyes, "Be good, Yue Ling. Uncle will hold you."
Seeing her uncle, the little dumpling finally quieted down a little, her sobs subsiding as she stretched out her arms for a hug. "Uncle, I want to find Mother..."
Mu Heng, seeing this, quickly pulled Ling Xiao over and asked in a deep voice, "Little Ling Xiao, where are your Father and Mother? Didn't they say they would host the Flower Feast? Why haven't they shown up after so long?"
Ling Xiao looked innocent, spread his hands, and said, "Uncle Mu, they left us to go play in the mortal realm."
Mu Heng immediately understood. No wonder they couldn't be reached; they had run off to enjoy themselves in the mortal world.
"Are these two just having children for fun?"
"Let them be. After all, there are two uncles at home to help raise them!"
Saying this, he walked over to Ye Jinghuai and gently said to the girl in his arms, "Yue Ling, be good. Shall Uncle Mu take you to play?"
Yue Ling nodded obediently, her eyes like black grapes looking up at Mu Heng. "Okay."
After pacifying the princess, the immortals finally breathed a sigh of relief.
---
The Mortal Realm, the Capital City.
The streets were decorated with lanterns and streamers. People bustled to and fro, with a dazzling array of goods for sale. Laughter and hawking voices rose and fell, creating a lively and boisterous atmosphere.
A couple, wearing fox-beast masks, weaved through the streets. Everywhere they went, they drew sighs of admiration and envy from the onlookers.
Ye Ziling was led by Ling Xi to a flower stall. The fragrance of flowers from all around wafted towards her, refreshing and invigorating.
"Which bunch of flowers do you like, my lady?" the man asked, lowering his head, his gentle voice echoing in her ear.
Ye Ziling looked at the various fresh flowers displayed on the shelves and smiled softly at him. "I like them all."
Ling Xi lowered his head, his heart warming at her smile. He said softly, "Then let's buy them all."
Ye Ziling gently shook her head. "Does my husband think we don't have enough flowers in the house?"
She remembered that the rooms were almost full of flowers. If there were any more, they likely wouldn't fit.
Upon hearing this, Ling Xi looked down at her and smiled meaningfully. "Then let's go release flower lanterns."
He took her hand and turned, heading towards the bustling crowd, disappearing into the throng.
A small boat drifted on the river. Around the boat, thousands of flower lanterns floated on the water, their lights flickering like a galaxy of stars surrounding a moon.
Inside the boat, two people were nestled together comfortably, enjoying the shimmering lights around them.
Ye Ziling leaned against Ling Xi's chest, looking up at his profile. She picked up a grape and placed it in his mouth, saying softly, "Is it sweet?"
Ling Xi bit into the grape she fed him, chuckling vaguely, "Anything my lady feeds me is naturally sweet."
She had deliberately changed into a red dress today, her red ribbon in her hair mingling with her dark tresses that cascaded down her back. Her beautiful eyes held a faint smile, and her gaze was incredibly charming.
"If it's sweet, eat more." She had just picked up the fruit plate and realized it was already empty without her noticing.
As the boat gradually docked, the attendant serving them brought over a cup of clear tea and several plates of exquisite pastries.
Ye Ziling scanned the various pastries. Just as she reached for a plate of osmanthus cake, the young man before her stared at her for a moment. The pastry in his hand tilted, nearly falling onto her clothes. Fortunately, Ling Xi caught it with his quick hands.
"Your Grace, forgive me."
The young man's fair face suddenly tensed, and his ears turned red. He lowered his head in a flurry, quickly apologizing.
"It's alright." Ye Ziling indifferently withdrew her gaze and took a sip of another cup of clear tea.
Although she didn't mind, Ling Xi's face had already darkened, his eyes filled with a chilling coldness.
He had gone through the same thing before. Did he not know what this boy was thinking?
"If your hands are clumsy, practice more before serving."
"You don't need to add these things."
"Leave."
Ling Xi propped his head on his hand. Although his tone was lazy, his voice was exceptionally cold, making the young man tremble all over.
"...Yes." The young man hurried away as if fleeing for his life.
Ye Ziling glanced at him, fed him a piece of pastry, and asked with shining eyes, "How about this osmanthus cake? Is it delicious?"
She watched his expression as she fed him, afraid of missing any hint of emotion on his face.
Unexpectedly, the man beside her had a gloomy expression, and an inexplicable coldness rose in his eyes. He said indifferently, "It's not good."
"And it's hard to swallow."
Not good?
Ye Ziling frowned. Something felt a little off.
It seemed like a certain jar of vinegar had been overturned again.