Bai Yueguang, the stand-in for Prince Sick Jiao

It was evening when Ling Youyao left the Ling's house. She wanted to stay, but Ling Qingyan knew that there was an awkward situation between her and Fu Mingjue, so she drove her back without saying a word.

On the way back, she asked the coachman to drive the carriage back first, and decided to walk back by herself.Yinzhu and Lubao knew that she was worried, so they walked and strolled with her.

The twilight sky slowly descended, the snow covering the eaves had melted, and this bustling city revealed its original appearance again.

Tomorrow is the Shangyuan Festival, and the lights have already been hung on the street at this moment.Several bright lamps stand side by side, surrounding the whole building, bright and majestic, and the warm light seems to be able to shine directly into people's hearts.

Street vendors closed their stalls one after another, but the restaurants standing on the street were bustling.

Ling Youyao walked along the long street, as if deliberately slowing down, stopping and stopping all the way, not talking, just listening to the hustle and bustle around.

Yinzhu and Lubao looked at each other, even Xia Cheng, who was always talkative, couldn't say a word at this moment.

A stage was set up in the West Market, surrounded by bonfires, it was warm, and everyone sat around talking and laughing.The main character appeared on the stage, and the melodious and long tune played, Ling Youyao was attracted and stopped to watch.What is sung on the stage is a dream in a garden, but a few lines make people linger in their dreams.Looking for spring in the garden, are you looking for the obsession in your heart or the infatuation that you can't give up?
She thought she would be that outsider, but the world is unpredictable, so she was asked to enter the play without knowing it.

At this moment, a clear voice suddenly sounded from behind: "We will set up a stage every year during the Shangyuan Festival in Xishi, but today is too late, and the show will be over after singing."

Ling Youyao was startled suddenly, and when she turned her head to see Shen Xuhuai, a look of astonishment flashed across her eyes: "My lord, why are you here?"

Shen Xuhuai didn't seem to see the disappointment that flashed in her eyes, and his smile was still gentle: "I was passing by here and saw you here alone, so I wanted to come and have a look."

"Oh, I just saw that a stage was set up here, so I came to take a look out of curiosity." She lowered her eyebrows, her tone unconsciously carrying a hint of sadness.

Hearing this, Shen Xuhuai's throat was a little sore. Although he had doubts about Ling Youyao's identity, seeing her sad because of Fu Mingjue, he still felt unspeakably uncomfortable.

He looked at the opera singers on the stage with deep and long eyes, and said slowly: "In the past, every Lantern Festival, I would always take you to the Baihualou to listen to the opera. It’s just that you were ignorant of the world at the time, and didn’t understand the deep meaning. But now, it seems that you already understand.”

"Yes," Ling Youyao admitted frankly, "I understand."

In the past during the Lantern Festival, Ling Qingyan would always take her to Dingguohou's Mansion, and call Shen Xuhuai and Qiong Yu to listen to the opera in Baihualou.

Among them, Ling Youyao is the youngest, and everyone always takes care of her more.When guessing lantern riddles, Ling Qingyan would drag Shen Xuhuai to compete to see who could guess more correctly.The result can be imagined, Ling Qingyan loses every year.And Ling Youyao doesn't care about her brother's winning or losing at all, anyway, the final reward will always fall into her hands.

She still remembered that Ling Qingyan deliberately teased her at that time, saying that she would be sent to Dingguo Hou's Mansion to be his daughter.Before she could speak, Shen Xuhuai said, "It's enough for me to have Qiong Yu as a younger sister, Yao'er is fine."

When Ling Youyao heard this, she thought it was Shen Xuhuai who disliked her, so she was so angry that she didn't talk to him for several days.

Later, it was Shen Xuhuai who came to coax her with a handful of candied haws, and the two reconciled.But it was also that time, when she saw the young man's eyes full of doting and doting, but the tips of his ears were faintly pink, and she said to her softly: "Yao'er, am I better than Qingyan to you? If so, then when you grow up marry me, okay?"

At that time Ling Youyao was eight years old and didn't understand the meaning of marriage. Seeing the sincerity of the young man and thinking that her brother always thought she was stupid, she nodded and agreed.

A childhood joke made Shen Xuhuai persistent for many years, if Fu Mingjue hadn't appeared, Ling Youyao thought, maybe she would have married Shen Xuhuai?
The drama on the stage has ended, and the lights are on all over.

Shen Xuhuai looked at the audience leaving one after another, as if he had foreseen his future self, he sighed softly: "So, the person who let you understand this is Fu Mingjue, right?"

Ling Youyao was stunned suddenly, and when she met those clear pupils, all her thoughts were seen through at this moment.

Before she could answer, Shen Xuhuai continued: "Even though I don't want to admit it, the look in your eyes at this moment has told me everything. Yao'er, you have him in your heart."

— is a statement of facts, not an inquiry.

He broke Ling Youyao's mind calmly in this way, with a calm face, but no one saw his hand hidden under the sleeve, tightening and loosening.

When the lanterns come on, the flow of people is like weaving.The two stood silently in this bustling area, looking out of place.

After a while, Ling Youyao turned around slowly, and whispered, "Yes, you hit the spot."

Hearing her confession, Shen Xuhuai felt a sudden pain in his heart, his seemingly calm eyes could no longer conceal the pain in his eyes.He watched Ling Youyao's slender back quietly, and said unwillingly: "You know that he will marry you because of Qingwei, why do you still get stuck in it?"

Ling Youyao froze, she pursed her lips, unable to speak a word.

What Shen Xuhuai said was correct, she clearly knew everything, but she still indulged herself into falling.She could not refute, and had nothing to say.

The atmosphere was slightly stagnant, Shen Xuhuai looked at her faintly trembling fingers, and said: "You have Fu Mingjue in your heart, I don't care, what I care about is—whether you are still the Yaoer I have always liked"

These words were like a stone slamming into Ling Youyao's heart, her face showed shock, the light in her eyes suddenly dissipated, as if she had been greatly frightened, she froze in place and remained motionless.

She knew everyone, everything about the future or the past, except Ling Qingwei and Fu Mingjue.She thought she hid it well enough, even hiding it from Fu Mingjue.She was used to being the second young lady of the Ling family, and she was also used to being Princess Jing.After getting used to it for a long time, even she herself can't tell who she is.

Now that Shen Xuhuai suddenly asked a question, she actually felt guilty of being exposed.

But all of this is not what she wants. If she can, she would rather be that ordinary person.

The cold wind hit, curling up her soft hair, her jet-black eyes stared blankly at the brightly lit long street in the distance, her slightly pale face showed no expression.After a long while, she mustered up the courage to say, "My son, I."

But Shen Xuhuai interrupted her: "Sorry, I shouldn't have said this to you. It's getting late, you should go back earlier."

Ling Youyao was taken aback for a moment, but when she turned her head to look at him, she found that he had gone a long way.Shen Xuhuai had clearly noticed her identity, but his heart softened after all.

She looked at the thin and slender figure from afar, with a soft voice that sounded like she was talking to herself: "My lord, I am no longer the Yaoer you like."

The voices of people on the street remained the same, and no one heard her whisper.