He refused Shen Mo's outstretched hand. Although he was tempted, he awkwardly turned his head away and remained silent for two seconds before saying, "Okay."
Then, as if in a fit of pique, she walked past Shen Mo and went on her own.
Shen Mo could only helplessly withdraw his hand, knowing that Qin Moyu still harbored resentment towards him, so he did not force her.
He hesitated, wondering if he should keep his distance from Qin Moyu since she disliked him so much, so as not to spoil her mood.
After walking quite a distance, Qin Moyu realized that Shen Mo hadn't followed. She turned around and looked at Shen Mo, who was still standing there. Frowning, she said unhappily, "If you don't come soon, I'm not waiting for you anymore."
He clearly didn't want to be with Shen Mo, but he couldn't bring himself to truly abandon her.
In the sky, the night hurriedly pushed the lingering sun down, but the stubborn sun did not give up at the last moment, casting golden light on the earth. That ray of light connected the human world, as if instantly lighting up the lights of thousands of homes in the imperial city. Looking from afar, there was only a warm-colored light.
And standing before that cluster of light was Qin Moyu.
Shen Mo stared blankly at Qin Moyu, a flood of unfamiliar emotions welling up in his heart, making his eyes sting with tears.
From his time as crown prince to his ascension to the throne, and then to his abdication and seclusion, his parents always put him behind them, leaving without asking him what was going on. They always believed that he could handle everything, just as everyone expected him to be.
He remained secluded in his cave, and before he knew it, so many years had passed.
After his parents passed away, no one dared to walk ahead of him anymore, and no one would turn back to wait for him.
Seeing Shen Mo standing there dumbfounded, Qin Moyu thought to herself that if no one led the way, she probably wouldn't be able to get back to the palace even if she walked all night. She could only pout and walk towards Shen Mo.
"They're gone."
Without turning her head, Qin Moyu grabbed Shen Mo's arm and walked forward, her eyes fixed on the myriad lights of the imperial city.
The lights at night are always soft yet bright, meant to illuminate the way home for lost travelers.
But even amidst the dazzling lights of countless homes, all Shen Mo saw was the reflection of the lights in Qin Moyu's eyes.
What is that?
The crowd was packed, but Shen Mo only saw Qin Moyu.
He thought.
—That was the sun setting in the sky.
…………
Shen Mo was right. The imperial city was especially lively at night. As Qin Moyu wandered through the streets and alleys, she felt as if she had fallen into an orange ocean. As she walked through it, her restless heart gradually calmed down.
He didn't know when he had let go of Shen Mo's hand, his mind completely absorbed in the surrounding scenery, so he didn't see the complex emotions in Shen Mo's eyes behind him.
Such a lively night market naturally has no shortage of vendors, and a shadow puppet show stage attracted many children to stop and watch.
Even when surrounded by children whose average height was less than his waist, Qin Moyu felt no pressure. He was so focused on the performance that he looked just like the children next to him.
"Passing by the pond, I took a quick look and found it to be..."
The story told in this shadow puppet show is similar to the Legend of the White Snake that Qin Momo heard in her previous life. It also tells the story of a demon cultivator who falls in love with a human, gets married, and then separates for various reasons.
The story is very old-fashioned; you can guess the ending just by listening to the beginning. But the way the opera singer performs it is still captivating, making you feel the joy and sorrow of the protagonist.
Qin Moyu was listening intently when Shen Mo suddenly patted her on the shoulder.
It turned out that Shen Mo, seeing that the shadow puppet show wouldn't be finished anytime soon, found a long bench from somewhere and gestured for Qin Moyu to sit down.
Qin Moyu didn't think much of it and sat down on a stool. Shen Mo sat down next to him.
Shen Mo wasn't particularly interested in shadow puppetry, but he was very interested in watching it with Qin Moyu.
Two grown men sat on a bench, not too cramped, but very close together, their shoulders almost touching.
As Shen Mo watched the shadow puppet show, memories of his time recuperating at Qingyun Sect flooded his mind.
At that time, Master Xuanjing had roughly guessed Shen Yebai's identity and really wanted to throw Shen Yebai out, but he couldn't resist Qin Moyu's entanglement and agreed to let him stay.
Qin Moyu came almost every day and even offered to change Shen Yebai's wound dressing.
He looked helplessly at Qin Moyu's expectant face and said with a headache, "They're just external injuries, I can handle them myself."
But Qin Moyu said righteously, "No way! How can I apply medicine to the wound on my back? What if it leaves lasting effects if it's not properly bandaged? Oh, don't worry about it, don't fret, I'm super good at this!"
As she spoke, Qin Moyu winked at him, her bright eyes making it impossible for anyone to refuse her request.
“…Alright.” Shen Yebai had no choice but to agree.
The reason he was reluctant to let Qin Moyu apply the medicine and bandages for him was not because of Qin Moyu's clumsy bandaging skills, but because...
"alright!"
Qin Moyu clapped his hands, looking at his masterpiece with satisfaction.
Shen Yebai silently looked down and, sure enough, following the crooked bandages, he could see a very beautiful and very sturdy...
Bow.
"Mo Yu." Shen Yebai pointed at the bow, both amused and exasperated. "Didn't we agree to bandage it properly?"
"Yes! I bandaged it very carefully!" Qin Moyu blinked innocently, looked in the direction he was pointing, and said confidently, "But all I know how to tie is a bow."
This was perfectly reasonable. Qin Moyu didn't think there was anything wrong with tying a bow for him. She even boasted, "Look, look, how beautifully and securely I tied the bow! Don't worry, with me here, you'll be all better soon!"
Shen Yebai could only sigh helplessly.