The candlelight flickered slightly in the dark night, and Qi Changyi fell asleep while reading a medical book.
I don’t know how long I slept, but I felt something gently caressing my cheek, itchy and soft.
He slowly opened his eyes. The candle had already gone out. Even though the room was dark, he could still tell who was in front of him at a glance.
“Brother Pei!”
"Um,…
Qi Changyi rubbed his eyes and sat up straight, "Why are you back? Is the banquet in the palace over?"
"No," Pei Zheng stretched out his hand to straighten his collar, "It's nothing interesting, so I came back first."
Qi Changyi said "Oh".
"Are you awake?" Pei Zheng asked, "Do you want to go out for a walk?"
"Can I go too?" Qi Changyi's sleepiness was swept away. He looked at Pei Zheng with sparkling eyes and nodded heavily, "Yes!"
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Pei Zheng took his hand and said gently, "Let's go."
Walking on the cold moonlight all over the ground, I walked out of the back garden and out of the prime minister's mansion.
After leaving the prime minister's residence, the street was bustling with people and a lively scene.
Without asking anyone to follow them, Pei Zheng held Qi Changyi's hand, and the two of them slowly walked along with the celebrating crowd in the city.
They were just like ordinary people, with their hands hidden under their sleeves, fingers clasped and tightly intertwined.
Everyone had a happy look on their face, as if they were having a grand doomsday carnival. Many people were busy on both sides of the road, holding something in their hands.
Qi Changyi kept looking curiously, but suddenly bumped into Pei Zheng's back.
Pei Zheng turned around and straightened him up, then asked in a low voice, "Are you tired?"
"Not tired at all, Brother Pei, are you tired?"
Pei Zheng smiled and shook his head, "Then, we'll go back later."
"Okay." Qi Changyi pulled Pei Zheng's finger, "Brother Pei, what are they doing?"
He pointed to the roadside.
Just then, a few people ran by in a hurry. Pei Zheng pulled Qi Changyi into his arms and put one hand into his cloak to protect his stomach.
Qi Changyi let out a small exclamation, then lay softly on Pei Zheng's chest, looking up at him with blinking eyes.
"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"
Qi Changyi pouted and shook his head, "I'm fine, Brother Pei, but you scared me."
Pei Zheng pulled the corner of his lips and apologized softly, "Okay, it's all my fault. It's my fault."
He stroked the little guy's soft black hair, "Then, can you forgive me?"
Qi Changyi pulled Pei Zheng's hand down and placed it on his lower back, then buried his head in Pei Zheng's arms and rubbed it, saying sullenly, "Brother Pei, I'm not angry with you. Even if I am angry with you, I won't be angry as long as you hug me."
The hand on the lower back did not move, and then slowly tightened, holding the person in the arms tightly against his chest.
"Okay, I'll hug you. I'll hug you."
There was still a constant stream of people flowing around, and two people standing on the side of the road were hugging each other tightly.
Anyone would take a second look at a pair of beautiful people who are well-dressed and outstandingly pure. After finding out that they are two men, they would whisper to each other and look at each other strangely.
Qi Changyi's entire little face was hidden, and nothing else could be seen.
When Pei Zheng raised his eyes, he could see those curious, inquiring and disgusted looks. He looked back indifferently with a cold and fierce gaze, which made those people quickly shift their gazes and quicken their pace to pass by.
The crowd was slowly increasing, and Pei Zheng once again took the little guy's hand and continued to follow the crowd.
They passed by Zuichunfang, a small brothel that was once famous in the city, passed by Pinxiang, a restaurant that once served the best food in the world, and passed by
The little vendor who ate noodles with me passed by the clinic that Jiang Yubai once opened in the city.
Then we walked across the stone arch bridge and came to the river bank.
There were many people standing on the shore, looking at the lights on the opposite side. They were reflected on the calm river surface, like river lanterns floating on it.
They also released river lanterns at the Lantern Festival last year. At that time, they all made wishes to the river lanterns, and their wishes were all about each other.
Qi Changyi looked around and found that everyone around him was accompanied by someone, no one was alone.
He held Pei Zheng's hand tighter. He was no longer alone.
Suddenly, a crying sound was heard nearby. Qi Changyi turned his head and saw a young girl covering her eyes with her sleeves. For some reason, she was crying very sadly. The young man next to her patted her shoulder gently, his expression also very sad.
"It'll be okay, it will pass, don't be afraid, as long as we are together, we have nothing to fear." said the young man.
"But, but I don't want to die yet. We haven't gotten married yet. We haven't had time to get married," said the young girl crying.
The young man ignored the eyes of others and hugged his girl in his arms.
Qi Changyi looked at them for a while, turned his head and wanted to ask Pei Zheng something, but suddenly heard a loud "bang" not far away.
A grand and brilliant colorful firework bloomed overhead, and the dazzling light illuminated the entire river bank.
There were cries of surprise from the crowd. The gloomy atmosphere just now was blown away by a firework. People looked up at the flowers blooming in the dark night, and the panic and fear in their hearts were temporarily cast aside.
Qi Changyi also raised his head slightly to watch the fireworks, but the view from their position was not very wide.
Pei Zheng asked in his ear, "Want to see it more clearly?"
"I do!" Qi Changyi also leaned over and whispered in Pei Zheng's ear.
So Pei Zheng pulled him out of the crowd and walked along the river bank.
The fireworks on the other side of the river were still blooming, and only two figures were walking against the light, crossing the layers of crowds and passing through the obstacles.
A brilliant and dazzling light shone behind them, the white and black clothes fluttered in the wind, and they themselves were the brightest light in the dark night.
They arrived at a drum tower in the city, which was guarded by soldiers. Pei Zheng took Qi Changyi to the top of the drum tower.
Once you get on the bus, you can see the entire city.
Qi Changyi stood in front of the fence and his eyes suddenly felt warm after seeing the lights on the streets and alleys of the city.
Hanging all over the city, on tree branches, in front of shops and held by pedestrians on the street, were all bright red and white rabbit lotus lanterns.
The originally dim city was illuminated by lights.
The fragmented red light breaks through the shackles of darkness and illuminates the mountains and rivers for thousands of miles.
Then the fireworks began to light up again, even grander, more colorful and beautiful than before.
Standing on top of this high Drum Tower, so close to the night sky, the fireworks seem to be blooming right before your eyes, and you can touch the fleeting beauty by reaching out your hand.
But no matter how beautiful the fireworks were, they could not compare to the shining light in those swaying watery eyes. Qi Changyi was looking up at the night sky with tearful eyes, and the person next to him was looking at him sideways.
The gaze was gentle and affectionate, tracing along the delicate, porcelain-white face, as if to carve his every frown, smile, and affectionate features into his bones.
Qi Changyi felt someone approaching from behind, and then he was embraced, but there was still a little space between the two of them, and they didn't get close.
He turned around in the gap, and tears from the corners of his eyes fell out as he turned, sparkling and clear in the light.
He suddenly threw himself into Pei Zheng's arms, leaving no gap, and pressed his whole body tightly against Pei Zheng, hugging his neck, burying his face in his neck, and kept shouting, "Brother Pei, Brother Pei, Brother Pei"
Pei Zheng hugged him, letting him hang on him, supporting his weight, touching his hair and asking softly, "Why are you crying? Don't you like it?"
"I like you so much," Qi Changyi said in a crying voice, "Brother Pei, I like you so much.
I like you so much that you like it so much"
"Okay, I get it. Stop crying, okay?" Pei Zheng wiped his tears and lifted his chin to make him look at him. "The fireworks haven't finished yet. Do you still want to watch?"
Qi Changyi stopped crying and said with sobs, "Yes, I have to see it."
Pei Zheng smiled, turned his body back, and circled him between himself and the fence. He lowered his head slightly and could smell the sweet, soft and milky fragrance on him.
"Have you been reading medical books recently?"
"Yeah, I also want to be a great doctor like Master, so I have to read a lot of books."
Qi Changyi recounted the books he had read, the illnesses he had treated for the servants in the mansion, and every little thing that had happened in the past few days. He wanted to share everything with Pei Zheng and tell him everything.
"Have you taken good care of yourself? Have you eaten well? Have you slept well?"
Qi Changyi nodded, "All good, I eat more than before."
Pei Zheng raised his hand and gently touched his belly through his clothes, "So, did this little thing bother you?"
Qi Changyi curled his lips. “Sometimes, I can’t eat anything because of him, but Xiao Yuzi still insists that I eat more. Also, Brother Yubai left me a lot of medicine before he left. They are all very bitter.”
"No matter how hard it is, you have to finish it obediently, understand?"
Pei Zheng clenched his thin wrist and said, "Even if you can't eat any more, you have to eat a little. You won't gain weight no matter how much you eat. Why are you still so thin?"
Qi Changyi also glanced at his wrist. "I haven't lost weight, Brother Pei. I'm a little fatter than before. Really. If you don't believe me, feel me and see if I've gained weight. I'm like a little pig."
As he spoke, he turned around, raised his arms and laid them on Pei Zheng's shoulders, wanting him to hug him, with his feet slightly raised.
Pei Zheng looked down into his eyes with deep eyes, then sighed softly after a long time, and took him in his arms, carefully avoiding his belly, and fit the little guy tightly into his chest.
He took a deep breath, his voice low and his tone paused.
"Yes, it has become heavier, little pig."
Qi Changyi was greedy for this tight embrace. It had been a long time since Brother Pei had hugged him properly. He missed Brother Pei so much, and missed the time when they were in Guigu, Liuyun Villa, and the frontier. At that time, Brother Pei didn't have so many things to do and had much time to accompany him.
Then, the last firework exploded in the night sky.
The hustle and bustle faded away, and the sky was filled with shining stars.
Outside the imperial capital, where the night and the sky overlapped, a sky-high flame gradually lit up.