Chapter 155

Chapter 155

The lakeside was not far from Ling Family Village.

Xia Ximo had followed Ling Ling’s ghost here.

As for when Ren Fengjue had arrived, she had no idea.

But from the look of things, he intended to return with her.

And on foot, no less.

Xia Ximo still did not say much. She remembered the way back.

Ren Fengjue naturally fell into step beside her.

The two of them walked side by side in silence along the path by the lake, but Wuyou, who was forced to stay inside the Soul-Ferrying Lantern, was nearly suffocating from boredom.

“It’s such a long walk. Can’t the two of you say something to make it less dull?”

It did not dare complain loudly, only muttering under its breath.

Xia Ximo ignored it as usual.

She looked at the road ahead. When she saw their shadows walking side by side, a strange feeling stirred in her heart.

Perhaps she had grown used to walking alone, so she was unaccustomed to seeing a pair of shadows.

But after giving it some thought, she felt neither resistance nor dislike.

On the contrary, beneath this clear night sky, there was even a faint sense of contentment.

Realizing this, Xia Ximo paused slightly and glanced at the person beside her.

Ren Fengjue keenly caught her gaze as well.

Their eyes met for an instant, then each of them quickly looked away.

Xia Ximo furrowed her brows. In that moment, her heart seemed to be twisted by some sticky, clinging emotion.

Something was not quite right.

At last, Ren Fengjue spoke.

“I remember… there was a night market up ahead when we came this way. Why don’t we stop by while we’re here?”

When he made the suggestion, he had not expected her to agree.

He simply felt that, at a time like this, he had to break the silence.

Heavens knew that Young Marquis Ren, who could remain perfectly composed inside and out even when entering the capital to meet the emperor, had actually lost his nerve in front of a young woman.

Yet he heard the person beside him give a quiet reply.

“All right.”

She had agreed.

Ren Fengjue seemed to find it a little hard to believe.

He was stunned for a brief moment before remembering to continue. “It’s just over there…”

“I see it.”

Xia Ximo looked at the bustling street market not far away, and her expression also twitched faintly.

Why had she… agreed?

She clearly did not like crowded places.

Ren Fengjue gave a light cough, then continued, “I took a quick look earlier… There are quite a few little trinkets you don’t see in Shangjing.”

“Mm.”

The voices drew closer, lively and clamoring.

And yet, hearing those sounds now, she did not find them noisy.

Because it was even noisier inside her heart, and she needed something to cover it up.

The market was indeed lively. Aside from the vendors, there were also many wandering performers and street entertainers.

Peddlers carried shoulder poles, shaking the pellet drums at their waists as they called out their wares. Their cries rose and fell, one after another, yet still could not drown out the laughter of children or the scolding of adults.

A sweet-voiced young girl came up with a basket in hand, smiling brightly. Behind her trailed two little children with their hair tied in childish tufts.

“Miss, would you like to buy a fine-toothed comb or a scented fan? They’re all handmade by my family. In all of Kaiming County, no one can match our craftsmanship.”

“Sir, buy one for your wife, won’t you?”

“Big brother, buy one for this pretty sister.”

There were many passersby around them, and their path had been blocked, so the two had no choice but to stop for the moment.

Under the gaze of three pairs of clear eyes, Ren Fengjue took out a silver ingot from his robes without a second thought.

Because he acted so readily, the young girl selling the wares looked troubled instead.

“Sir, I don’t have enough money on me. How could I possibly make change for an ingot like this?”

“No need for change.”
He glanced at the goods in the basket and picked out a bamboo comb.

Seeing this, the young girl immediately took another one and handed it to him.

“Young sir, good things come in pairs, and perfect couples come two by two. May you and your wife live in harmony and love each other until your hair turns white.”

Ren Fengjue was just about to explain, but the girl seemed afraid he would change his mind. She grabbed the two little children behind her and ran off in a flash.

Looking at the two bamboo combs in his hand, he could only glance at Xia Ximo beside him.

She swept a look at him but said nothing, continuing forward.

Ren Fengjue had no choice but to hurry after her. Afraid she might be displeased, he wanted to explain, but after a second thought, he dismissed the idea.

Instead, a hint of a smile spilled from the corner of his lips.

As if Xia Ximo had eyes on the side of her face, she shot him a quick glance. “What are you smiling about now?”

Ren Fengjue suppressed his smile and looked at her. “Nothing.”

Then he held out the combs in his hand and asked of his own accord, “Does Miss Xia not intend to choose one?”

“I have no use for it.”

Her tone was still icy, but a trace of unnaturalness flashed across her face.

Unfortunately, even that tiny hint of strangeness was caught by Ren Fengjue.

The farther they walked, the denser the crowd became. When they wanted to turn back, they discovered that the road behind them had somehow filled with passersby as well.

Their shoulders and arms were pressed tightly together when someone suddenly shouted from behind, “Make way, everyone!”

It turned out to be members of a folk opera troupe, pushing a cart full of costumes and props in their direction. As the leader walked, he cupped his hands in apology to the passersby.

“Sorry, everyone. There’s a master up ahead waiting to watch a play for his birthday celebration, so we’ll have to trouble you to make some room.”

The road was narrow to begin with, so the crowd could only scatter to either side.

Ren Fengjue was tall and slender. Afraid Xia Ximo would be jostled, he quickly stretched out an arm and drew her a little closer to his side.

The distance between them narrowed even further in an instant.

Xia Ximo lifted her head slightly and only then realized that her forehead barely reached the tip of his nose.

So he was this tall.

There was a familiar scent on him, faint, like incense yet not quite. She kept feeling as if she had smelled it somewhere before.

Without realizing it, she edged a little closer. Only then did she remember that this was the scent in the main hall of the Ren Residence in the capital.

In that moment, she was actually a little dazed. The figures of Tianqing, Ren Cong, and several other servants flashed through her mind.

She had thought that once she left, she would never think of them again.

But when she truly did, it came so suddenly and without warning.

Ren Fengjue happened to lower his head to look at her. Noticing that she had drawn closer, a slight ripple stirred in his heart, though his body grew somewhat stiff.

The hand hanging behind her waist faintly wanted to move closer, but the phrase that suddenly leaped into his mind-“stop within the bounds of propriety”-restrained him.

Sweat slowly crept into his palm.

At last, the opera troupe and the others made their way down the street. The crowded masses gradually dispersed.

Xia Ximo came back to herself and pulled away from him, her expression as composed as ever.

Then she suddenly held out a hand and said, “That thing from earlier. Give me one.”

Ren Fengjue was slightly startled. After a moment’s hesitation, he took the two combs from his robe and held them out before her.

He found it rather novel.

He watched as she lowered her eyes and chose carefully, her two rows of long lashes fluttering twice like little fans. A moment later, she directly took the one on the right.

She gave no explanation.

Nor did she thank him.

Then, expressionless, she placed the comb into the purse holding the Lotus Lamp. Inside, broken silver, silk cloth, a sachet, and other items mixed together with a soft clink.

The purse instantly bulged.

And yet, somehow, her heart did not feel quite so empty anymore.