Dongfang Zhan's eyes turned cold, and the black chess piece in his hand instantly turned to ashes. He stared hatefully at the black and white chessboard. He had lost. He had actually lost again!
"Your chess skills are truly superb!"
"Both of them are exceptionally talented!"
"The player with the white pieces won; his talent is clearly superior!"
Pedestrians gathered in small groups, gossiping amongst themselves. Dongfang Zhan's face grew even more gloomy. How dare a group of ignorant people criticize him?
"Congratulations, young master!" The middle-aged man chuckled as he handed the round knife to Dongfang Heng. His chess game was solved, and he had also witnessed a wonderful match. This Qixi Festival had been truly wonderful.
Dongfang Heng stepped down from the high platform, handed the round sword to Shen Lixue, and said coldly, "The way of chess is ever-changing. Every move made by the player holding the pieces has a hundred different effects on the outcome of the game. Life and death are unpredictable. One careless move and you're dead!"
Dongfang Zhan's face darkened. He only won one game, yet he mocked him for his poor skills. Fine, very well, shameless hypocrite.
Glancing sideways, he saw Shen Lixue smiling as she accepted the round sword, her gaze towards Dongfang Heng filled with joy and admiration. A surge of anger welled up within him, but he suppressed it, flicked his sleeve, and strode forward, saying, "Farewell!"
"Thank you!" Shen Lixue looked at the round knife in her hand, quickly drew it, and a cold light rushed towards her. The blade was so sharp that it could cut a hair with a breath. It was a rare and powerful weapon.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dongfang Zhan's figure almost disappearing into the darkness, and Shen Lixue's joy subsided: "Dongfang Zhan lost to you, and he is unwilling to accept it. He will definitely find an opportunity to secretly plot against you and turn the tables!"
Dongfang Heng brushed a stray hair from Shen Lixue's forehead with his jade-like fingers: "Our feud has happened more than once or twice, one more time won't hurt!"
"Bang!" A firework shot into the sky, bursting into dazzling light. Shen Lixue looked at the sky and blinked: "Fireworks on the Qixi Festival too!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Fireworks rose one after another, bursting into the sky and displaying various beautiful patterns, illuminating the dark night sky as bright as day.
"In Qingyan, fireworks are set off to celebrate every major festival!"
Dongfang Heng glanced sideways. Under the fireworks, Shen Lixue's beautiful face was like a snow lotus, radiating a unique brilliance: "You like watching fireworks!"
"Fireworks are beautiful, everyone loves them!" Shen Lixue grew up in a heavily guarded ancient castle, where she spent her days studying various profound books and learning all sorts of fighting techniques. She rarely saw fireworks. The ancient night sky was clear and bright, reflecting a sky full of stars, making the fireworks even more dazzling. It was very different from what she had seen in modern times.
"Fireworks! Fireworks!" A burst of excitement erupted from the crowd, and young men and women of all kinds surged toward the fireworks display like a tidal wave.
"Let's go see the fireworks too!" Dongfang Heng was a man and didn't have much interest in fireworks, but Shen Lixue liked them, so he would go with her.
Shen Lixue looked at the crowded people in front of her and frowned: "There are so many people, it's easy to get separated. Let's not go and join the fun."
Dongfang Heng raised the corners of his mouth: "The place where we watch the fireworks won't be crowded." He stretched out his long arm, put his arm around Shen Lixue's small waist, and flew forward quickly.
Shen Lixue felt as if her feet were lifted into the air, and the scenery in front of her changed instantly. When her feet landed, she was no longer standing on a busy street, but in an open space.
Looking around, dozens of guards stood twenty meters away with their backs to them. In the open space in front of them, all kinds of fireworks were set off. Dongfang Heng flicked his finger, and several fireworks were set off at the same time, shooting straight into the sky. There were fireworks of various colors such as red, yellow, blue, and green. The sparks of light surrounded him, beautiful, dazzling, and so eye-catching that it was hard to look away.
Shen Lixue walked among the fireworks. As far as the eye could see, bursts of fireworks soared into the sky, each bright sparkle creating a beautiful, dreamlike scene, making one feel as if they were in a fairyland.
"Do you like it?" Dongfang Heng stepped forward, a hint of a smile flickering in his deep eyes.
"It's like a fairyland, breathtakingly beautiful!" Shen Lixue nodded, a warm smile spreading across her beautiful face. This was specially prepared for her by Dongfang Heng. He cared deeply for her and was someone she could entrust her life to.
"And there's something even more beautiful!" As soon as Dongfang Heng finished speaking, a cluster of golden fireworks instantly rose into the sky, its shimmering light cascading down like a waterfall. The golden light illuminated the dark night sky, and the scattered sparks, like golden snowflakes, drifted and scattered across the world...
The enormous golden fireworks were dazzling, with colorful specks of light shooting into the sky from the fireworks tubes and instantly dissipating, radiating a brilliant glow. The golden afterglow slowly drifted down, and from a distance, it looked like a golden snowfall, beautiful and dreamlike.
Shen Lixue stood beneath the golden snowflakes, a bright smile blooming on her beautiful face. As a golden snowflake drifted down before her, she gently reached out to catch it, but the shimmering golden light had already slowly dissipated into the world before it even reached her hand.
The golden light reflected off her fair and delicate skin, making her look like a beautifully sculpted jade sculpture, almost unreal. Dongfang Heng stood beside Shen Lixue, gazing at her beautiful face, his heart fluttering slightly. He gently leaned down and pressed his sensual lips to her alluring lips, giving her a light, shallow kiss.
A warm, smooth touch came from Shen Lixue's lips, and a faint scent of pine filled her mouth. Looking at the handsome face so close to hers, her eyelashes trembled, and she gently closed her eyes, feeling the tender affection Dongfang Heng had for her.
In an instant, all around fell silent, and everything in heaven and earth disappeared. It was as if only the two of them remained in the world. Golden fireworks continued to rise into the sky, bloom, and dissipate around them, as if weaving a beautiful barrier for the two intimate people, blocking the view of outsiders.
In the darkness, a sharp gaze pierced through the golden fireworks, landing on the young couple in the center. The man held the woman tightly in his arms, his grip so strong it seemed he wanted to meld her into his very bones, never to be separated again, recklessly savoring her beauty.
The woman nestled in the man's arms, letting him do whatever he wanted. Their figures were reflected in the beautiful golden fireworks, and from a distance, they looked like a pair of celestial beings.
The figure in the shadows gritted his teeth, his large hands clenching tightly. Damn it, damn it.
On the street, the crowds who had been watching the fireworks, three or four deep, all turned around, their gazes shifting from the fireworks to the golden snowflakes. Their eyes were filled with nothing but admiration and shock: How beautiful! A hundred times more beautiful than the fireworks here.
Dongfang Yu'er and Nangong Xiao also saw this patch of golden snow. Without realizing it, they stopped fighting. The golden light in the air was like the winter sun, instantly dispelling the darkness, illuminating the sky, and warming people's hearts.
Nangong Xiao glared at Dongfang Yu'er. If his beloved were by his side, it would be very warm and romantic to enjoy the golden fireworks together. But to enjoy them with this shrew was a waste of such a beautiful moment.
The nobles, sitting casually in their private rooms watching the fireworks, also had their eyes drawn to the golden fireworks bursting forth. They had seen fireworks year after year, and they were all pretty much the same, so they had long lost much of their interest. However, this particular golden firework was breathtakingly dazzling and truly unique.
Who was setting off the golden fireworks? Nangong Xiao, Dongfang Yu'er, Lin Yan, nobles, and commoners all thought of this question, exchanged glances, and quickly ran towards the direction of the golden snow...
As the last golden light fell from the sky and the dazzling fireworks faded, Dongfang Heng reluctantly released Shen Lixue, watching her panting heavily, her small face flushed red, and her lips slightly swollen.
A faint smile played on his lips as he tenderly touched her luscious lips. The soft touch sent a jolt through his fingers to his heart, and his sharp gaze instantly became unfathomable: "Li Xue, how about we get married on your coming-of-age day?"
"That's too rushed!" Shen Lixue had never heard of a daughter getting married on the day she came of age.
Dongfang Heng buried his face in Shen Lixue's fragrant neck, deeply inhaling her unique and elegant scent. Dongfang Zhan watched from the side, eager to see what was happening. He didn't want to wait any longer; things could get complicated if he waited too long.
"Dongfang Heng, where did you get those golden fireworks?"
Dongfang Heng's warm breath sprayed on her neck, tickling and making her very uncomfortable. Shen Lixue frowned and turned to look at the fireworks on the ground. Most fireworks were multicolored, and pure gold ones were rare.
"On our wedding day, we can set off golden fireworks all night long." Faint, hurried footsteps approached. Dongfang Heng reluctantly raised his head and gazed at Shen Lixue: "It's late, let's go back to the manor."
“Okay!” Shen Lixue nodded. A cold night wind blew by, and a chill seeped into her skin through her thin clothes. It was already very late at night.
As Dongfang Heng lifted Shen Lixue into the air, his sharp gaze swept towards a corner, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
"Dongfang Heng!" Shen Lixue followed his gaze, raising an eyebrow as she saw someone there.