August fifteenth, the Mid-Autumn Festival. Lanterns had just begun to glow, and the full moon hung high overhead.
It was the lively opening of the Mid-Autumn water lantern festival. The entire ancient city had been adorned in shimmering splendor, like a Jiangnan ink-wash painting unfurling beneath the moonlight.
The crisscrossing long streets teemed with crowds, and the clamor soared into the heavens.
Festive lanterns and decorations filled every corner, while the warmth of everyday life felt especially comforting amid the holiday celebrations.
An old stone bridge stretched across the roadside, its waters rippling beneath it. Numerous magnolia lanterns dotted the river's surface, and from afar, they looked like a glowing dragon winding through the water.
At that moment, an extravagantly decorated dragon boat passed beneath the bridge. Under its multicolored lights, layer upon layer of golden ripples spread across the river.
Qingyi leaned against the railing at the bow, holding a small round fan and fanning herself steadily.
She watched the dimly glowing beauty of the lantern-lit night, sometimes looking toward the bustling streets on shore, sometimes lowering her eyes to the flower lanterns drifting across the river.
It was a sight she had never witnessed from the depths of her secluded chamber, and it stirred a faint longing for such a life.
However, there were simply too many people aboard the boat watching the lanterns, packed together so tightly that no water could pass through.
Amid the surging crowd, someone shoved Qingyi. She lost her balance and began to topple over the side.
Just as she was about to fall into the river, a tall figure came sprinting from afar.
Zhu Yuan moved with agile grace. She leaped up, raced across the shoulders of passersby to the shore, then flew onto a small boat moored by the river. With