Kiyomi Tsuki et son renard

Chapitre 79

They all knew that there was no such thing as a match made in heaven between him and her... and even if there were, they would have long since abandoned it.

Tian Shuang had just come out of the temple and saw the young lady and Suo Ge each holding an embroidered ball with a red thread at each end, their expressions strange. Tian Shuang noticed the young lady's unusual expression.

Tian Shuang had never liked Suo Ge. In her mind, Suo Ge was no better than Fu Jin. She knew that Suo Ge had caused her young mistress a lot of suffering, and although her young mistress had never wanted to mention Suo Ge, she still harbored resentment. Seeing that her young mistress had abandoned the embroidered ball and left, she stopped thinking about it and hurriedly followed.

Many people are curious about who received this "heaven-sent match" today?

No one knew who they were, but according to one of the witnesses, the woman was incredibly beautiful, even surpassing Tian Xiri, the most beautiful woman in the capital. It was just a pity that judging from her clothes and appearance, she didn't seem to come from a high social class...

Upon hearing this, someone asked, "Have you met Miss Tian Er?"

The man shook his head sheepishly, admitting he had never seen her before; it was merely a guess. He then added, “That man was exceptionally handsome and refined, clearly a young master from a prominent family in the capital. He probably looked down on the woman because of her humble origins, seeing her dressed in simple clothes.”

One person laughed and said, "It's quite common for men to have three wives and four concubines. It's fine to take them home as concubines. There's no need to waste such a blessed marriage."

Another person said, "Judging from that woman's reluctance to marry a man, perhaps she is already taken."

This statement made sense, and everyone nodded in agreement, only sighing, "What a pity, such a perfect match made in heaven."

The temple keeper, after casting the "Heaven-Sent Marriage" knot, was deeply moved. He said that he had cast the knot his entire life, and had never witnessed such a bizarre event. The sudden gust of wind and the unexpected breakage of the kite string seemed like some kind of divine guidance. He dared to predict that the man and woman who received the knot today would be a perfect match. Moreover, he saw that both the man and woman who received the knot were outstanding in temperament and appearance. It was just a pity... alas, unexpectedly, this golden couple chose to give up this wonderful marriage, which was truly regrettable...

The temple keeper's words spread like wildfire.

The news spread like wildfire, and men and women in love lamented: a strange gust of wind and a kite falling from the sky altered the original trajectory of the "divine match." It seemed that fate had guided them, determined to bring about a happy marriage. Those two were destined for each other, but they chose to abandon this preordained destiny. What a pity! If only they had been the ones to receive it… The man thought: such a beautiful woman, I must marry her; the woman thought: such a handsome man, I must marry him!

The news that a man and a woman had both abandoned their "perfect match" spread throughout the capital in less than a day.

The real male and female protagonists, however, did not mention this matter at all after leaving the Temple of the Matchmaker.

For them, some things happen, but they can only be treated as if they never happened.

One had refused marriage, the other was already engaged; neither had nor would they ever be entangled in a so-called "good match." His "heaven-sent gift" and her "good match" were, in their eyes, both ironic and a joke.

But this matter doesn't mean that no one will know just because they don't say anything.

Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for families to enjoy the moon and reunite.

That evening, they were supposed to stay home, ostensibly for a family reunion. However, the Emperor, mindful of the Empress Dowager's fondness for lively gatherings, summoned all imperial relatives and their families to the palace to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together. Remembering his aunt whom he hadn't seen for many days, Xi Ri accompanied his father to the palace, along with Xi Yun. Xi Yun was of marriageable age, so attending more banquets would be beneficial.

After entering the palace, she and Tian Xiyun first went to pay their respects to their aunt, the Empress Dowager. The aunt carefully examined Xiyun for a while, asked about Xiyun's age, and said with a smile that Xiyun was of marriageable age and that she would find a good man for Xiyun.

Upon hearing this, Xiyun, contrary to her usual respectful demeanor, immediately and quite emotionally refused her aunt's offer. Her aunt looked slightly surprised, and then asked for the reason. Xiyun excitedly pointed to the sky and swore loudly that she already had someone she loved and only wished to marry that person for the rest of her life, and asked her aunt not to worry.

Although surprised, her aunt patiently asked her which family's son he was. Xiyun couldn't answer for a moment, and her aunt, slightly annoyed, scolded Xiyun for being indecent.

Xi Ri, who had been listening nearby, was alarmed. She recalled Long Ming's previous entanglement with Xi Yun... and felt a deep sense of unease.

Her elder sister, Consort Tian, was deeply favored by the emperor and was promoted several times within two years, eventually becoming the Noble Consort Shu.

Although Consort Shu and Xi Ri were not born of the same mother, Consort Shu was usually kind and gentle to her. After visiting her aunt, she and Xi Yun went to pay their respects to Consort Shu. The sisters chatted for a while, and Consort Shu intentionally reminded Xi Ri that Prince Ming was currently recuperating at home and that she should send someone to visit him often.

He nodded in agreement.

In the past, Xiyun would have definitely spoken coldly to her at this moment, but today she was uncharacteristically alone, just standing there in a daze, occasionally looking embarrassed, as if she had remembered something...

Even Consort Shu sensed something amiss and tentatively asked some questions, but Xiyun only gave vague answers. Consort Shu felt increasingly uneasy and looked at Xiri with suspicion.

But Xi Ri could only remain silent.

Afterwards, Consort Shu bestowed many exquisite items upon them, and only when the banquet was about to begin did she bring her two younger sisters, Xiyun and herself, to attend the banquet.

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon hangs high in the sky, bright and round. The palace is filled with enchanting lights, songs and dances, and a joyous and peaceful atmosphere.

It has been two years since Xiri last appeared on such an occasion. In Xiri's eyes, everything is still the same. It's just that now, there is no longer the excitement and faint anticipation of the past.

Perhaps in other people's eyes, she was already the future princess of Prince Ming, so no one would mock her for the rumors of that year. Instead, they were more considerate and polite.

Halfway through the banquet, Xue Qiyu, the younger sister of Consort Ning, suddenly started telling an interesting story that piqued the interest of the young women at the table. She was talking about the strange tale of someone abandoning a "heaven-sent match" at the Temple of the Matchmaker that day. Xue Qiyu had heard this bizarre version from somewhere, and she described it in a very mysterious and fantastical way, leaving the women extremely curious. Xue Qiyu's story was quite exaggerated, mentioning things like "a miraculous wind from heaven," "auspicious five-colored clouds," "a kite controlled by the gods," "a commoner woman of unparalleled beauty," and "a handsome and distinguished nobleman"...

These exaggerated words left Xi Ri speechless with shock and disbelief. Fortunately, Xue Qiyu was unaware that the two people were actually her and Suo Ge; otherwise, all the beautiful memories that had flashed in the eyes of these young girls would have been shattered instantly.

Upon hearing this, the crowd excitedly discussed it. Some said it was a pity that such a perfect match had been lost; others were somewhat gloating, saying that a crow can never fly to the top and become a phoenix; some praised the woman for her self-awareness; some simply didn't believe that the woman would abandon such a perfect match; while others lamented that the man didn't know how to cherish a beautiful woman...

Xi Ri couldn't listen anymore and made an excuse to leave the banquet without informing Tian Shuang who was waiting outside the hall. At this moment, she just wanted to be alone.

The thought that today they would be linked hand in hand with Soge... made her heart clench slightly. If... they had been together two years ago, instead of today... then... wouldn't that be...?

How lamentable and laughable...

Today, it's all just a cruel twist of fate.

Unconsciously, she arrived at the edge of a pond. All around was quiet, withered leaves falling day and night, silently withering away. Looking out, she saw a shimmering pond, in which a full moon was reflected, unparalleled in the world, yet utterly alone.

She took a deep breath, looked up at the night sky, not at the dazzling moon, but at the starlight.

The autumn night was bright, and tonight was the Mid-Autumn Festival. The moon almost stole all the light from the night, but she thought of someone... He always liked to come under the moonlight...

He has been gone for many days. I wonder if he is alright? And when will he return? Xiyun has clearly fallen deeply in love with him. She doesn't even know who he is, but she is already so determined to marry him. She even praised him as the most perfect man in the world in front of her aunt, the Empress Dowager.

I wonder if this is yet another twist of fate...

But, him?

Thinking of him makes me smile. The way others see him and how I see him seem so different.

I wonder if, at this very moment, that young master... is also gazing up at the night sky, just like her...

While I was lost in thought, I suddenly heard footsteps not far away. Not wanting to be seen by others, I deliberately hid in the shadows.

A moment later, a young girl walked slowly down the bluestone path from the other side. She was graceful and alone, and stopped by the pond. She sighed softly, seemingly a little lonely. Although he could only see her profile, Xi Ri recognized her as Suo Ge's younger sister, Ning Xiang.