Su Li hated Qi Changying. This person was self-righteous and loved meddling in other people’s business.
He couldn’t even see someone digging soil without coming over to ask all sorts of questions. He clearly came on a mission, yet he insisted on acting as if he were some lofty, noble person who did not follow the crowd. What, did he think this would make people look up to him? What a joke.
Su Li really hated Qi Changying. Of all the people he had met so far, Qi Changying was the one he hated the most. There was no one else who even came close.
Su Li didn’t believe a word Qi Changying said. He was just waiting for Qi Changying’s plan of luring him in before capturing him to fail, waiting for the day the person came back and begged him. But, he never saw Qi Changying again after that day.
Zhuge Qiyu did come to ask him about what had happened that day. After finding out that it was Qi Changying who went to the Imperial Observatory to invite him, she told Su Li a lot about him. This was exactly what Su Li wanted.
Zhuge Qiyu said that Qi Changying was the only son of the Qi family and had grown up at the border. He returned to the capital this time because the fighting at the border had temporarily come to an end. He had accompanied his father, Qi Boming, back to the capital to report on their duties, and they wouldn’t stay long. They would have to return to Chifeng Pass before winter.
Zhuge Qiyu also said that Qi Changying fought on the battlefield from a very young age. Now, at only sixteen, he had already become a vanguard officer and earned countless military merits, large and small. He was also heroic and spirited. Not only was he upright in character, he was also unusually gentle. Among all the useless dandies in the capital, he stood out like a crane among chickens. As a result, he had become the dream lover of countless young noblewomen in the capital.
In short, Qi Changying was good in this way, and Qi Changying was good in that way. Su Li refused to believe it. What was so good about him? He couldn’t see it. How could there be such a good person in the world? Everyone had flaws and base instincts. If someone didn’t, it only meant that everything they showed others was an act, everything they wanted outsiders to see.
Su Li thought that he absolutely had to tear off this person’s hypocritical disguise. It was what he liked doing most, and what he was best at.
Thus, for the first time in years, Su Li planned something unrelated to the Nether Path into his life. That was to thoroughly tear off Qi Changying’s mask. During the spare time between his daily studies and artifact crafting, Su Li spent all his time thinking up plans to deal with Qi Changying. Of course, Qi Changying knew nothing about this.
Unfortunately, Qi Changying never came to the Imperial Observatory again. It seemed that, just as he had said, his trip to the Imperial Observatory was merely to go through the motions and give the people above an explanation. Nothing more. With no one to vent his growing displeasure on, Su Li’s frustration continued to build.
Naturally, the Zhenguo General’s (General Who Guards the Border) residence was not far from the Imperial Advisor’s residence or the Imperial Observatory. They were only two or three streets apart. If Su Li wanted to, he could easily have put on airs and gone to Qi Changying’s home to cause trouble himself. But he didn’t want to. It wasn’t because he lacked a reason. He didn’t need a reason to cause trouble. If he had to explain it, he never went to the mountain. In this world, it was the mountain that had to come to him.
The turmoil at the Imperial Observatory gradually subsided. Those who were dissatisfied with Su Li’s disciplinary actions and had caused trouble were all pacified and suppressed by Zhuge Yu. Once life settled down and his ears were free of noise, the Imperial Observatory became rather uninteresting. Su Li continued spending his days shut inside his room, facing his pile of unfinished incantations and magical artifacts.
Some time later, the elm trees outside the window began shedding their leaves. Yellow, withered leaves fell to the ground, making a “crunch, crunch” sound when stepped on.
Zhuge Qiyu used the soil Su Li had dug up to make a very successful string of Soul-Weeping Coins. Although she knew Su Li had no use for them, she still gave the finished string to him as a gift. Su Li had no shortage of Soul-Weeping Coins, so he refused Zhuge Qiyu’s gift. But Zhuge Qiyu insisted that he accept it, saying that it was the answer sheet she was handing in to him. After all, she had nothing else she could give Su Li and could only use this to thank him for teaching her during this period. The girl looked sincere, so Su Li accepted the delicate little string of copper coins.
Afterward, Zhuge Qiyu told him that today was the Mid-Autumn Festival. There would be a Mid-Autumn lantern festival on the main streets of the capital that evening, and she asked whether Su Li wanted to go and have a look. A lantern festival, on the main street…the combination sounded lively, and Su Li hated lively places. So he rejected Zhuge Qiyu’s invitation without even thinking about it. But when night fell and the streets outside grew noisy, Su Li sat by the window and listened for a while. In the end, he still changed his clothes, left the Imperial Advisor’s residence through the side gate, and headed toward the main street alone.
It’s only natural to be drawn to a lively atmosphere. He was, after all, still just a thirteen-year-old child.
From dusk onward, carriages and horses were prohibited from entering the capital’s main street. All that could be seen on the road were stalls and crowded throngs of people. Lanterns of every color hung along both sides of the street and overhead, dazzling the eyes. The noise of people chatting and laughing could be heard everywhere.
Most people went out in groups of two or three. So Su Li, a young boy, stood out conspicuously as he walked alone among the crowds. Occasionally, someone would strike up a conversation and ask whose young master he was and why he had neither servants nor a carriage with him. Most assumed he had gotten separated from his family. But when they saw his calm expression, they realized they were overthinking it, and when they received no response, they tactfully left.
The capital was full of people, and the main street was very long. Today, it seemed that the entire city had gathered here. One lantern after another illuminated the ground more brightly than the full moon on the fifteenth day of the lunar month.
The quiet stalls were boring, and Su Li was unwilling to squeeze into the crowded ones. Therefore, the lantern festival really had little to offer him. He simply walked alone from one end of the street to the other without speaking to anyone. Although he was walking along a street filled with people coming and going, he looked as lonely as someone outside the painting.
At last, he spotted something novel and spent some money on an ordinary little lantern to carry. But who would have thought it was so poorly made? Before he could even finish exploring the festival, it went out. This greatly dampened Su Li’s mood.
As it happened, he was also a little tired from walking, so he found a quiet spot where the lantern lights were sparse and sat down on the steps to rest. He picked up the lantern that had already gone out. It was called a flower lantern, but the one in his hands had no elaborate design. It was merely an ordinary round lantern with some flowers and birds painted on it. Now that the light had gone out, the flame inside had also burned one corner of the paper black. It was ordinary to begin with, and now it looked even uglier.
Su Li tossed it aside and stopped looking at it. He lowered his head and watched the little ants crawling through the cracks between the paving stones, idly blocking their path with his finger.
“Whose young master is this?”
Just as the ants were turning around in confusion, their antennae waving, a voice suddenly interrupted. At the same time, a flash of light entered the corner of Su Li’s eye. He frowned and looked up, only to see Qi Changying standing beside him, holding a flower lantern and smiling at him.
The person who had disappeared for so many days had suddenly appeared without warning. Su Li couldn’t quite explain what he felt inside, but it certainly wasn’t happiness. He furrowed his brows a little more, turned his head away, and said coldly, “Get lost.”
“Why have you become fiercer after not seeing you for so many days?”
Qi Changying put down his lantern and knelt on one knee beside him. Tilting his head slightly, he looked into Su Li’s eyes and said, “I ran into Miss Qiyu from the Zhuge family just now. She said you were at the residence, so I assumed you hadn’t come. Who would have thought you’d be sitting here alone? What’s wrong?” Qi Changying glanced at the lantern Su Li had tossed aside. “Did the lantern break?”
Su Li didn’t answer. Qi Changying didn’t mind being ignored. He merely said, “Wait a moment.” With that, the young man stood up and left the dim alley like a gust of wind, the ends of his hair and the hem of his clothes swaying as he hurried toward the patch of light in the street.
Su Li thought this person had taken it upon himself to buy him a flower lantern. Who would have thought that when Qi Changying returned, the only thing he had gained was a stick of candied hawthorn? The candied hawthorn was crystal clear and looked very tempting. Qi Changying simply held it up to Su Li’s mouth.
“Have you ever eaten this?” Qi Changying asked. When Su Li didn’t answer, he added, “Want to try it? All children like eating these. I like them too.”
“?”
Su Li originally wanted to try it. But as soon as he heard those words, he changed his mind. His voice lowered, and he spoke with the tone of a little adult. “Who’s a child?”
This appearance made Qi Changying laugh. He deliberately said, “Of course, the only young master here who hasn’t yet reached the age of tying up his hair.”
“…Get lost!”
“All right, I won’t tease you anymore. Take it and try it?”
Qi Changying took Su Li by the wrist and placed the bamboo skewer holding the candied hawthorn in his hand. As they chatted casually, he said, “I actually wish I could remain a child forever. That way, I could be carefree forever and have fewer of the troubles that only adults have. Unfortunately, if I didn’t grow up, I wouldn’t be able to take up a weapon and defend our country alongside my uncles. So I’m very envious of you, Su Li.” As he spoke, Qi Changying also handed Su Li the flower lantern he had been carrying. “Here, this is for you. It’s the grand prize I won in the poetry competition. Your lantern broke, so I’ll compensate you with another one.”
“It broke, so what? You weren’t the one who broke it. Why are you so eager to compensate me? I didn’t like these things in the first place. I don’t need anything. This lantern festival is boring. I’m going back.”
Su Li frowned. Although he said this, his eyes were fixed on the flower lantern in Qi Changying’s hand. Compared with the broken one, this lantern was clearly much more exquisitely made. It was shaped like a chubby little horse, with patterns on its back and a tail sticking up behind it. It was quite interesting. But Su Li quickly looked away.
As if to prove that what he had just said was true, he stood up, turned around, and hurried toward the other end of the alley. He looked as though he genuinely wanted to escape this place and rush back to his residence.
“This lantern festival is very interesting, Su Li.”
For some reason, Qi Changying’s voice carried a distinct trace of amusement. What was he laughing at? What was so funny? An inexplicable anger rose in Su Li’s heart. He was about to keep his head down and walk forward when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. In the next instant, Qi Changying jumped in front of him, holding the little horse lantern. The young man was tall and slender, dressed in a fitted crimson outfit with narrow sleeves. His high ponytail swayed behind him as he moved.
He took Su Li by the wrist. “What’s the point of going back alone? It’s so lively tonight. Come with me. I’ll take you to some fun places.”
With that, before Su Li could refuse, Qi Changying led him toward the brightly lit streets. He held the lantern in one hand and Su Li’s wrist in the other, jogging toward the light. He even remembered to turn back and smile at Su Li, his eyes curving as he did so. His smile was bright and radiant, even brighter than the lights along the street.
This was why Su Li really hated Qi Changying. This person simply didn’t care what other people wanted to do or what they said. He just kept dragging them along according to his own ideas, never giving them a chance or a reason to refuse. He stubbornly insisted on forcing people into doing things.
And so Su Li ate candied hawthorn, which he didn’t like. It was sour and sweet. He also explored the lantern festival, which he didn’t like, watching Qi Changying win first prize at ring toss, poetry competitions, riddles, and everything else. Whenever Qi Changying won a prize, he would stuff it into Su Li’s arms, until Su Li could barely hold everything.
He also received a flower lantern he didn’t like. The little horse looked cute and chubby, and swayed gently in the wind, like a rocking wooden horse for a child. He didn’t want it at all. Qi Changying was the one who insisted on stuffing it into his hands.
“Has this lantern festival made you a little happier?”
When the main street was no longer so lively, it signaled that the lantern festival was about to end. Qi Changying and Su Li stood on a long bridge covered with flower lanterns. He casually rested his elbow on the railing, narrowed his eyes slightly against the night breeze from the river, and turned to ask Su Li.
Su Li looked at him, then at the reflection on the river, where the lantern lights and the moonlight mingled together. “It was boring,” he said. “I don’t need to be happy.”
Qi Changying pursed his lips, a faint smile appearing in his face. “I don’t know what you’ve been through, or why you think this way or have become the person you are now. But there are many interesting things in this world. People must first learn to open themselves up before they can experience the world. Happiness isn’t a bad thing, Su Li. We can try to acknowledge and accept it.”
“…” Su Li didn’t respond.
Qi Changying continued speaking on his own. “In another ten days, I’ll be returning to Chifeng Pass with my father. Before then, if you want to, you can come to the general’s mansion and spend time with me whenever you like. I don’t actually know the capital all that well either, but ten days should be enough for me to take you around and find some interesting things to do that aren’t all the same.”
As he spoke, he straightened up. Seeing that it was getting late, he asked, “It’s very late. Shall I take you back?”
“No need.”
This time, Qi Changying didn’t know why Su Li had put on a stern face again, especially when the warm lantern light that night had finally managed to soften the child’s expression a little.
After saying that, he picked up the flower lantern and quickly walked away.
Su Li was an interesting child. Qi Changying could clearly distinguish when he was saying the opposite of what he meant, claiming he did not want something or did not like it when, in fact, he wanted someone to invite him.
And when he was genuinely refusing and absolutely did not want to be disturbed.
Like now.
The young boy carried his little horse lantern and quickly walked away. His wide-sleeved, ink-black robe swayed in the wind around him, its dark patterns shifting and shimmering. It was quite beautiful.
Qi Changying watched his retreating figure and smiled helplessly, thinking that all his efforts that evening had once again gone to waste.
He sighed and raised his voice slightly, calling after him:
“Be a little happier, Ah Li.”
As he spoke these words with a sigh, Qi Changying noticed Su Li’s footsteps pause slightly, but it lasted only for a brief moment.
Soon, he quickened his pace and disappeared into the lamplight and night.
For the next ten days, Su Li did not even step out of the Imperial Advisor’s residence.
Go looking for Qi Changying? He was not interested.
Qi Changying told him to go, so he would deliberately refuse.
He had lived unhappily for thirteen years already, and he had lived just fine. He did not need to add anything new to his life or make any changes.
Ten days later, Qi Changying would be returning to Chifeng Pass.
Su Li knew that it was a very distant place, even farther away than Yangluo Prefecture. It would take more than a month to get there on horseback from the capital.
This meant that he would once again be unable to see that irritating shade of crimson for a long time.
The farther away, the better. The longer he stayed away, the better. It would be best if this person never returned for the rest of his life.
That way, no one would try to change him anymore or force him to try things he did not like.
Although he thought this way, when he saw Zhuge Qiyu again, Su Li still asked her one more question: had Zhuge Yu already decided who would accompany the army to Chifeng Pass to perform the soul-transcendence rituals?
Naturally, Zhuge Qiyu did not dare hide anything from him.
She said that since the Grandmaster did not wish to go, both her grandfather and His Majesty did not want to force him, so they had not mentioned the matter to him again.
After some selection, her grandfather finally chose Zhuge Qiyu’s youngest uncle. In a few days, he would set out with the elite troops of the Qi family army and head for Chifeng Pass in the northwest.
Su Li nodded. After remaining silent for a moment, he frowned and said:
“Go tell Zhuge Yu, then have him pass the message on to that old Emperor. Tell his useless little son, who can’t even tell the difference between Soul-Weeping money and Five Emperor Coins, to take a rest. I’ll go on this trip myself.”
Zhuge Qiyu was surprised that he had suddenly changed his mind. Although she did not ask aloud, her surprise and confusion were written all over her face.
So Su Li added another sentence, making it all the more obvious that he was trying to cover something up.
“The capital isn’t interesting.”
The capital really was boring. Staying there was irritating.
Of course, there was something more important.
He simply wanted to go against Qi Changying.
Didn’t Qi Changying say that both he and his father were so high-minded that they did not want to deal with Zhuge Yu of the Imperial Observatory or with him, Qiyueban, and thought he was just a fraud like Zhuge Yu who knew how to flatter the Emperor?
Didn’t he say he did not want him, Su Li, to go?
Fine.
Then he would insist on going.
