Chapter 92

Proofreader: Mim

Li Zhi carefully reburied the soil over the skeletal remains and smoothed it out before returning to the gates of the Eastern Palace with Jianxi in her arms, using the bell to lure the cat back.

Gao Shan glanced at her as she approached with the cat but said nothing. He simply locked the gates behind her as they left.

Carrying Jianxi, Li Zhi made her way back to Changqiu Hall and handed the cat over to an overjoyed and tearful Lu Yao.

“Jianxi seems fond of bells—it might have been the bells in the Eastern Palace that drew her there,” Li Zhi explained, handing the bell to Lu Yao. “When you have time, play with her using this. That way, she won’t wander off again.”

After leaving Changqiu Hall, Li Zhi walked briskly toward the Palace Administration Bureau, her mind heavy with thoughts.

The secret to the treasure of the former dynasty was undoubtedly linked to the missing shinbone of Crown Princess Wei. But where had the bone gone?

Crown Princess Wei’s skeleton was blackened, clearly poisoned, yet Xie Lanxu claimed she had taken her own life.

Did he truly not know, or—

Li Zhi abruptly halted. Ahead of her on the palace path stood a familiar figure.

Xie Lanxu was walking with two ministers, speaking as they passed. When he noticed Li Zhi in the distance, he stopped and said something to the ministers. After they bowed and left, he stood alone on the path, silently inviting Li Zhi to approach with his gaze.

Suppressing her inner turmoil, Li Zhi composed herself, pushing her suspicions down and feigning calm as she walked toward him.

“Your servant greets the Left Assistant Minister,” she said with a respectful bow.

“Hmm.”

Once the two ministers were out of earshot, Xie Lanxu spoke. “I heard Zhaoyi Lu’s cat went missing.”

“It’s already been found,” Li Zhi replied casually.

“Good. After all, the imperial guards were mobilized.” Xie Lanxu’s eyes lingered on her hair for a moment. “Your hairpin is crooked.”

Li Zhi instinctively reached up to fix it.

“Is it better now?”

Instead of answering, Xie Lanxu stepped closer, gently removing the hairpin and repositioning it himself.

“There. All done,” he said softly.

Just as Li Zhi began to relax, Xie Lanxu caught her hand before she could lower it.

“Look at this,” he said, his tone light yet pointed. “Your fingernails are full of dirt. Anyone who knows would say you were looking for a cat. Anyone who doesn’t might think you were digging for treasure.”

His seemingly nonchalant words struck Li Zhi like a thunderclap. Her heart raced wildly, pounding so hard it echoed in her ears like the tolling of a death knell.

She forced herself to respond with feigned indignation. “You make it sound so easy. Why don’t you try chasing after a cat, climbing and crawling around? You’d be even more of a mess than I am!”

In that moment, Li Zhi felt as though she had split into two selves.

One was calm and confident, controlling her body and words, while the other hovered above, riddled with guilt and dread, desperately hoping her act could deceive Xie Lanxu’s sharp gaze.

“Banban,” he said softly, calling her by her childhood nickname. His eyes bore into hers. “You’re not hiding anything from me, are you?”

“Of course not,” Li Zhi replied instinctively.

Xie Lanxu studied her for a moment before breaking into a smile.

“…That’s good,” he said.

“Do you have anything you’re hiding from me?” Li Zhi asked in return.

“No,” he answered evenly.

That made them even.

The guilt and fear that had gripped Li Zhi dissipated in an instant.

You’ve lied to me too, she thought almost vindictively.

Yet even as those feelings faded, a strange sense of disappointment lingered in her heart.

Would her answer have been different if Xie Lanxu had been truly honest with her?

Li Zhi didn’t know. She couldn’t guess.

Xie Lanxu’s heart had never been fully open to her, just as hers had never been fully open to him.

And perhaps, that was for the best.

After the Qixi Festival, time passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was Mid-Autumn.

On the holiday, Li Zhi had dinner at home with her younger siblings before taking the entire family out to enjoy the lantern festival.

Though not as grand as the Qixi Festival, the Mid-Autumn lantern displays were still a sight to behold.

Unlike Mingyue Tower, the capital remained lively well into the night. Beneath the darkened sky, the streets bustled with activity, a sea of people ebbing and flowing like waves, their faces glowing with joy.

Li Zhi held Li Cien’s hand as they wandered through the crowd. For a fleeting moment, she felt as though she had been transported back to a Mid-Autumn Festival from years ago—back when her twin sister still held her hand.

“Banban, do you have any dreams for the future?”

A young girl, barely half the height of the crowd, asked her twin sister as they walked hand in hand.

“Of course!” the younger twin answered without hesitation. “I want to sail on a boat, explore the seas, and see the world beyond!”

“Will you come back to visit me?”

“Of course!” The younger twin nodded emphatically. “You can come with me, sister! We’ll go to the ends of the earth together—”

“I can’t go…” The elder twin shook her head gently, her expression neither wistful nor sad. It held only the quiet kindness and acceptance of a lamb. “Father will send me to the palace. As a daughter of the Li family, that is my duty.”

“Ah…” The younger twin pouted. “I’m a daughter of the Li family too. Does that mean I have to go to the palace too?”

“You can do whatever you want. With me here, you don’t have to worry about anything.” The elder twin tightened her grip on her sister’s hand. “We share one heart and soul. If I fulfill my duty, it’s as though you’ve fulfilled it too. If you see the ends of the earth, it’s as though I’ve seen them too.”

“That’s not fair! Then I’ll stay and keep you company—” The younger twin sulked.

The elder twin stopped at a lantern stall, bought a rabbit-shaped lantern, and handed it to her sister.

Amid the glow of countless lanterns, the elder twin’s warm smile seemed to shine brighter than the sun itself.

She gently patted her sister’s head and said softly:

“Unhappiness is the norm for women in this world. My dream is for my sister to be happy and joyful for her entire life.”

“Sister Li Zhi! Sister!”

Li Cien’s voice jolted her back to the present.

They were now standing in front of a lantern stall.

“Which one caught your eye, Sister?” Li Cien asked curiously.

Li Zhi’s hand reached for a rabbit-shaped lantern.

“…This one,” she said, lifting it up and handing it to Li Cien. “It’s for you.”

Li Cien beamed with joy as she accepted the lantern.

“Thirty wen for the rabbit lantern,” the vendor said cheerfully.

Li Zhi handed him a string of coins without a second thought. The vendor bowed deeply in gratitude.

“Use this to buy your child a new pair of shoes. Autumn is coming,” Li Zhi said.

It was then that everyone noticed a barefoot girl, no older than three, sitting behind the vendor. She was playing with a few smooth stones on the dusty ground.

The little girl played with her smooth pebbles on the ground, tied to her father’s waist with a rough cloth rope. Though she was covered in dirt, the small rabbit lantern by her side glowed faintly, illuminating her tiny world.

After leaving the stall, Li Xiangsheng, Li Cien, Jia Sui, and Jia He clustered around Li Zhi, walking further along the lively street.

Before long, everyone had acquired some festive trinkets to mark the occasion.

Hei Huo, tasked with carrying their purchases, drew many stares with his striking appearance. Some looked on with fear, keeping a great distance as though breathing the same air as him might curse them.

Unbothered by the attention, Hei Huo took a bite of his first-ever mooncake and marveled at the taste, smacking his lips with delight.

The crowd surged forward as a troupe of street performers passed, and in the jostling chaos, Li Zhi found herself separated from her group.

She struggled to push her way back toward them when suddenly, a figure wearing a jade rabbit mask stepped in front of her.

When she moved left, he moved left. When she moved right, he mirrored her again.

Li Zhi looked up in surprise at the masked figure. Beneath the snow-white rabbit mask, a pair of eyes as calm and clear as autumn moonlight gazed silently at her.

Realization dawned, and an involuntary smile spread across her face.

“Are you inviting me to fly to the moon with you?” she teased.

The masked man held out his hand.

Li Zhi placed her hand in his, and together, they melted into the sea of people, disappearing without a trace.

Not long after, a group of imperial guards parted the crowd, making way for a man carrying a swallow-shaped lantern.

It was Xie Fengshao, dressed in resplendent, expensive clothing, exuding the charm of an aristocratic young master. He stopped in the exact spot where Li Zhi had stood moments ago, glancing around with a dazed, forlorn expression.

Meanwhile, Li Zhi let the jade rabbit pull her along, their pace quickening until they were running.

It had been years since she had run like this, without care or restraint.

The wind rushed past her ears, filling her chest with a forgotten sense of freedom. She couldn’t hold back her laughter as it bubbled up from within.

The jade rabbit turned to look at her, his crescent eyes gleaming with mirth.

They ran until they broke free from the crowd, arriving on a quiet street lined with shuttered shops. With all the activity concentrated on the main thoroughfare, this deserted area felt like their secret garden.

“Bang—”

A distant firework exploded, its booming echo reaching them from the direction of the palace’s Mid-Autumn banquet.

Bright bursts of color bloomed across the night sky, one after another.

The jade rabbit stopped and removed his mask, turning to face Li Zhi.

Under the glow of the fireworks, Xie Lanxu’s features appeared almost otherworldly. His finely drawn brows and eyes were like those of a celestial being, and the soft rustle of his flowing sleeves in the night breeze only heightened the illusion. His ivory-white face bore a gentle smile.

The fireworks roared above, but the sound of Li Zhi’s heartbeat was louder still.

She fought to keep control, refusing to let her emotions overwhelm her.

I can be anyone’s empress, she told herself. It doesn’t have to be him.

Firework after firework illuminated the sky, their radiant sparks raining down like shimmering dew.

Xie Lanxu took her hand, pulling her gently into his arms.

Her head rested against his chest, their faces so close that their breaths mingled.

Amid the deafening explosions of the fireworks, Xie Lanxu leaned down. His nose brushed lightly against hers, a touch as soft as a koi fish skimming the water. He lingered, nuzzling her with quiet reverence, as though memorizing her presence.

After a few tender movements, he lifted his gaze to meet hers.

“You once said,” he murmured, “that you would give everything for me, as long as it made me happy.”

His voice was soft, yet to Li Zhi, it drowned out the thunderous fireworks.

“…I did say that,” she replied, her voice trembling.

“Then promise me,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. “Do not betray me. Do not deceive me. Do not leave me. Swear that you will belong to me, and only me, forever.”

The ground trembled with the force of the fireworks, and Li Zhi’s body quivered beneath his touch.

I chose Xie Lanxu because he had something others didn’t—the treasure.

She repeated the thought to herself, trying to solidify her resolve.

It’s just the treasure. That’s what makes him different.

Yet, the reflection of her flushed, vulnerable face in his moist, glimmering eyes made her conviction feel laughably fragile.

“I swear,” she said softly, “that I will always belong to Ah-Li.”

She closed her eyes, as if hiding from the conflict within her. Her lashes, like delicate wings, quivered with unease.

“If I break this vow, the heavens—”

Xie Lanxu cut her off.

“I don’t believe in the heavens,” he said. “If you break this vow, I will decide your punishment myself.”

Li Zhi let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

Having witnessed Xie Lanxu interrogate prisoners, she knew that swearing by him instead of the heavens made little difference.

“It doesn’t matter,” she amended her vow carelessly.

Oaths are made to be broken.

“We will always be together,” she said aloud, as if to convince herself.

Her sister’s gentle voice seemed to echo in her ears, a reminder of promises from a time long gone.

But no matter how far she went, even to the ends of the earth, she could never find that shadow again.

Two warm tears spilled from her closed eyes, rolling down her cheeks. She didn’t wipe them away, letting them fall as if to erase her fleeting vulnerability.

Xie Lanxu leaned in, his lips as light as a feather brushing against her tear-streaked face.

He kissed away her sorrow.

Once, twice, again and again.

“I vow as well,” he whispered.

“Banban will always belong to Ah-Li.”

“And Ah-Li will always belong to Banban.”

Translator’s Note: Keep your tissues ready for the next Chapter Milords!!!