The flames on the other side of the lake alarmed the people at the banquet.
Yu Shu's arm was hugged by the timid Xin Liu. She was puzzled as she looked at the strange scene of the lake burning in the distance. She was not as panicked as the other female guests. According to what she thought, the banquet hosted by Noble Consort Xue was in the garden of the Xiang Prince. No matter how much trouble there was, there shouldn't be such a big commotion.
In the waterside pavilion, Noble Consort Xue pinched her scarlet fingernails. She took in the expressions of the people in the greenhouse on both sides and pursed her lips.
This silent chuckle was like a signal. The flames burning far behind her actually exploded with a boom in the next moment. The sky was filled with sparks jumping, as if they had grown wings. They floated in the air and slowly landed on the surface of the lake. They stopped and flashed, from far to near, piece by piece.
"Hua!"
There was another commotion in the crowd. Not long after, there was the first exclamation of surprise!
"Ah! It's hibiscus. No, it's lanterns. There are so many lanterns! "
Very quickly, everyone could see clearly that the resplendent firelight that was constantly approaching was actually innumerable hibiscus lanterns. The golden and enchanting petals and the fiery red stamens were as if someone had scattered them from the sky. One by one, the lanterns floated on the surface of the water, blooming piece by piece, gradually lighting up the entire Steady Wave Lake, illuminating the night sky.
Xin Liu's shock turned to excitement. He let go of Yu Shu and leaned against the railing. He stretched half his body out, wanting to see the floating hibiscus flowers in front of her.
"Lotus room, lotus room. Your hands are long. Quickly come and help me fish one."
Yu Shu was urged by Xin Liu. With great difficulty, she managed to fish up a floating lantern from the nearby water. She shook off the water droplets on her hands and gave it to Xin Liu. Miss Ning immediately came over.
"It's so light. No wonder it can fly."
"That's strange. This lake is at least 20 to 30 zhang wide. How did these lanterns fly over from the other side?"
"Yi, this wick can't be blown out?"
The two studied it for a while. They couldn't see any clues so Xin Liu gave it to Yu Shu.
"Take a look at the lotus room."
Yu Shu held the lantern that was about the size of two of her palms in one hand. She saw that the wick was a small tube that was filled with thick wax oil. She tried to blow on it twice, but she couldn't extinguish the wick. The flame jumped playfully and seemed to be brighter.
"It's filled with Saigon Water Wax. It won't go out even in the face of wind, but it will help to increase the flame. However, it needs to be lit with a special hemp lamp thread soaked in vegetable oil."
It was unknown when Xue Rui had arrived behind Yu Shu. His eyes silently swept across her face and landed on the lantern in her hand. With a few simple words, he pointed out the strangeness of the wick.
The rest of the people in the greenhouse heard his words and looked over. Soon, the young ladies of other families walked over with light steps.
"Mr Xue is indeed knowledgeable. I wonder how this lantern could fly so far from the other side of the river. Can you explain it clearly?"
The female guests at the banquet tonight were all beautiful. They didn't have much confidence and didn't dare to speak up.
Yu Shu glanced over. The woman who was obviously hitting on Xue Rui was not much different from Situ Qinglan. She had a pair of phoenix eyes and looked very bright when she looked at people.
She couldn't help but turn her head to look at Xue Rui. In front of her was a handsome man who was gentle and elegant. She had to admit that he was very attractive. She was used to seeing this kind of man so she didn't think it was rare.
Just when Yu Shu felt a little uncomfortable, she saw Xue Rui look back at her and then shake his head to the woman with phoenix eyes. He said politely and modestly,
"Forgive me for my lack of knowledge. It's hard to say."
There was disappointment in the woman's eyes, but she didn't give up. She pointed to the railing by the water and said awkwardly, "I also want to take a lantern to have a look, but I'm afraid of the water. Can you do it for me?"
This request wasn't going too far, and if Xue Rui were to refuse, then it would be unbecoming of him. But in an occasion like tonight, if a man and a woman were to interact with each other, it would be noticed by others, and it would be difficult to avoid being implicated.
Xue Rui hesitated for a moment. Just as he opened his mouth, he was interrupted by the person beside him.
"There's no need to go through so much trouble. This lantern is for Miss to enjoy."
It was Yu Shu. She held up the ready-made lantern in her hand and walked to the woman.
A smile appeared in Xue Rui's eyes, and he took half a step back.
The woman with phoenix eyes hesitated. She glanced at Xue Rui. Seeing that he had no intention of coming forward, she was tactful and took the lantern from Yu Shu's hand. She thanked her and left.
Xin Liu curled his lips at her back and said to Yu Shu in dissatisfaction, "You gave my lantern to her. What am I supposed to play with?"
From Xin Liu's point of view, the lantern that Yu Shu fished for her belonged to her. But she was still sensible. She didn't make a fuss earlier and only complained now.
"I'll compensate you later," Yu Shu rolled her eyes at her. She turned to Xue Rui and said, "This lantern is floating far away. It's not easy to fish. Big Brother, let's go over there and find a few lanterns near the water."
Xue Rui of course agreed. The two walked out of the greenhouse together.
At this time, everyone at the banquet was admiring the sea of flowers on the lake. There were also many men and women who ran to the bridge to fish for lanterns.
Xue Rui had just announced in front of everyone that Yu Shu was his sworn sister. Therefore, the two of them walked side by side. The man was handsome and the woman was beautiful. Although they were eye-catching, no one would think too much about it. They didn't know if this was a good or bad thing.
The two of them strolled along the lake. Xue Rui walked on the side near the water. Yu Shu walked on the inside. She turned her head and saw his bright smile. She snorted and said,
"Attracting bees and butterflies."
Hearing this, Xue Rui switched the fan in his right hand to his left. He lowered his sleeves and looked forward. He looked like a gentleman. But in the dark, he quietly grabbed her finger and held it in his palm. He said in a low voice,
"Don't wrongly accuse me. I don't like to attract bees or butterflies. I only want to pick your lotus chamber."
As he said this, he turned to look at her. Her cold and elegant face was shining with a jade-like luster. Her cheeks were pink, revealing her blush.
Yu Shu couldn't listen to his sweet talk. She felt her ears go soft. She pinched his palm and said angrily,
"You still dare to say that? You gave me a random nickname back then, and now everyone is calling me by it."
"I thought about it for a long time. How can it be a random name? Lotus chamber, lotus chamber — like the lotus heart chamber, passing through the seven apertures, containing bitterness. Like a quiet room, calming my heart. Isn't it good?"
Yu Shu just said it casually. She didn't expect that the name Xue Rui forced on her had such a deep meaning. Hearing him say it without hesitation, she could tell that he had thought about it deeply.
She was proud of herself. But she deliberately waved her hand at him perfunctorily and said,
"It's not bad … Forget it. Since it's called like this, I'll just make do with it."
Speaking of which, Xue Rui hadn't seen her Abacus Seal yet. He didn't know that she had used the word "lotus chamber" as her seal.
For a Master Yi, the seal registered in the Celestial Commissioner's seal was equivalent to the person's reputation in the past and future. It had a special meaning.
"By the way, I forgot to ask you. You got your Abacus Seal a long time ago. Didn't you say it was carved from a royal ivory seal? Let me see."
Xue Rui's thoughts were aroused by the words' Lotus Room 'as well, and he intentionally or unintentionally asked her.
Yu Shu reached out to touch her waist. She shook her head and said to him, "I changed my clothes today. I didn't bring it with me. I'll show it to you tomorrow."
Seeing this, Xue Rui faintly expected her to use the word "lotus chamber" as her seal. But now he was not so sure.
He wanted to ask her, but he was afraid that the result would be disappointing. So he just smiled and gave up. He didn't have much hope in his heart. He thought that based on her strong character, she wouldn't use the name given by others.
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