Fortune Across the World

Chapter 38: The New Year and Farewell Dreams (Part 2)

As night fell, Ding Qiyu led Lian'er to the stone bench in the courtyard and presented a gift wrapped in red silk with a playful air of mystery. "Your gift! I put a lot of thought into it—open it and see!"

Lian'er, suppressing her happiness, gave a mock eye-roll at Ding Qiyu's smugness. Carefully unwrapping the silk, she revealed the object inside. In the dim courtyard light, she scrutinized the beige "giant corn" on the table, unsure of its beauty but not wanting to disappoint Ding Qiyu. She feigned delight, "Hmm... it's beautiful, I like it!"

Ding Qiyu raised an eyebrow, sensing her insincerity, as the mechanism hadn't been revealed yet. "Ahem, you haven't seen the magic yet. Light the red candle at the base," she said, handing Lian'er a lit candle.

"Hmm? Oh, okay!" Lian'er blushed, realizing it wasn't just a big corn after all…

Lian'er inserted the candle into the hollow base, lighting the edge candle. The flame ignited two adjacent red candles, illuminating the upper spindle. Now Lian'er saw it was a lotus bud-shaped lantern. The candlelight brought out the pink hue of the petals, making them appear lifelike. Suddenly, a "click" sounded as the mechanism activated, and one by one, the petals unfurled like gentle hands, revealing the cherished treasure within—a wooden girl figure emerged from the lotus center, hands behind her back, with one foot playfully raised, looking lively and spirited.

A tear slipped down Lian'er's cheek.

"Do you like it?" Ding Qiyu asked softly.

Lian'er wiped her tears and threw herself into Ding Qiyu's arms, hugging her tightly and nodding, "I like it! I love it! Absolutely love it!"

Ding Qiyu stumbled back a couple of steps before steadying herself, amused by Lian'er's tears of joy. She hugged Lian'er's waist, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around, laughing, "Why are you crying if you like it? My little crybaby, haha!"

Laughter filled the courtyard.

In the lakeside pavilion, Lu Weixi eagerly awaited nightfall. With Qing'er's help, she moved Ding Qiyu's gift to the terrace next to the study. Unwrapping the silk, a note fell out. Lu Weixi picked it up and read, "Please light the red candle in the center. Make sure it's the center one!" She glanced at the intricately shaped object beside her, likely a lantern, and followed the instructions, lighting the central candle.

The flame traveled along the wick to the left, igniting the left side of the lantern. The left half lit up, revealing a figure of a woman playing a qin on a crescent moon. As the light brightened, a clear, melodious tune began to play, seemingly flowing from the woman's strings. It was Bandari's "Moonlight," though Lu Weixi didn't know the piece, she found it soothing and beautiful, like gentle hands plucking at her heartstrings. After a few notes, the right side illuminated, revealing a boy beneath a willow, gazing at the woman on the moon. Although the details were subtle, his posture conveyed his admiration. The left side music paused, replaced by the right—still "Moonlight," seamlessly continuing with a different tone, as if the boy's heart harmonized with the woman's melody on the moon. Together, they played the entire piece, leaving the onlookers entranced.

Qing'er, recovering from her amazement, exclaimed, "Wow! Miss, Ding Qiyu's lantern is incredible! Not only is it lifelike, but it also plays such lovely music!"

Lu Weixi nodded slightly, gently touching the boy under the willow with her fingertip, smiling joyfully, like a celestial beauty beneath the moon.

Seeing Lu Weixi's reaction, Qing'er silently gave Ding Qiyu a thumbs-up—this young master certainly knew how to win hearts. Yet, how could someone so clever sometimes be adorably foolish?

Though adept at charming, Ding Qiyu's sincerity shone through. She had poured her heart into these lanterns. Using the candle's heat to drive the mechanism, she meticulously calibrated Lian'er's petals to open in perfect sequence. For Lu Weixi's, she experimented with various materials to achieve the right tone, carefully selecting notes and arranging the metal pieces in a spiral. The mechanism struck the pieces in sequence, creating a complete "Moonlight." Clearly, her efforts paid off, as the recipients were unlikely to forget this special night.

With the Lantern Festival over, the New Year celebrations wound down. On the twentieth day of the first month, Ding Qiyu was set to depart with Lu Weiming. In the days leading up, Aunt He and Lian'er worked tirelessly to prepare clothes for Ding Qiyu, ignoring her assurances that there were enough. They feared she wouldn't care for herself alone. "Sewing tightly before departure, fearing a delayed return"—Ding Qiyu felt this deeply, reminiscent of her mother before her first college trip. Her mother had laid out all her clothes, explaining she needed to reinforce every button since Ding Qiyu couldn't sew herself. That day, she quietly accompanied her mother, who indeed reinforced every button.

The night before departure, Lian'er prepared a table of Ding Qiyu's favorite dishes, along with a small jar of wine, to bid her farewell.

The three sat at the table as usual. Seeing the spread, Ding Qiyu's eyes lit up, "Wow, such a feast!" Yet, beneath her cheerful facade, she felt the sadness of parting, determined not to let it show.

Lian'er smiled, "We have wine too! Can you drink, Ah Yu?" Her eyes were a bit swollen from crying in the kitchen, worried about Ah Yu's meals away from home.

"Uh, honestly, not really..." Ding Qiyu admitted. She had never been fond of the social "drinking culture," valuing quantity over camaraderie, which left her with a poor impression of alcohol. Yet, this was a family farewell, and she didn't want to dampen Lian'er's spirits. "But I'll try," she added, raising the cup to her lips.

The clear wine burned her throat, mingling with the bittersweet taste of parting. The sensation was oddly invigorating, tempting her to experience the age-old notion of drowning sorrows in drink. As the meal progressed, Ding Qiyu drank quite a bit, ignoring attempts to stop her. Her speech slurred, thoughts slowed, vision blurred, and steps wobbled—a full display of inebriation emerged.

Returning from the kitchen, Lian'er found Ding Qiyu slumped at the table, eyes closed and unmoving, regretting the wine suggestion. Who knew she'd be unstoppable once started? Luckily, the packing was done earlier. Lian'er sent Aunt He to bed and struggled to support the tipsy Ding Qiyu to the east wing.

Settling Ding Qiyu by the bed, Lian'er fetched warm water to wash and clean her up, removing her outer garments. By the time she finished, Ding Qiyu was fast asleep, and Lian'er was exhausted. After catching her breath, she tucked Ding Qiyu in and left the room. Lying in her own bed, she found herself unable to sleep. The overwhelming sense of loss surfaced in the dark, tears flowing freely. The once warm bed now felt cold, and she longed for Ah Yu to hold her, gently wiping away her tears, calling her "little crybaby."

Unable to rest, Lian'er dressed and quietly returned to Ding Qiyu's room, sitting by the bed, gazing at her. She couldn't resist tracing her features—brows, eyes, nose—eliciting adorable expressions from Ding Qiyu, finally bringing a smile to Lian'er's face. Then, unexpectedly, Ding Qiyu's hand caught hers, pulling her into an embrace. The fall made Ding Qiyu murmur, yet she remained asleep. Lian'er lay there, face burning, enveloped in Ding Qiyu's warmth, the scent of wine in her breath, and found herself drunk on the moment.

In her dreamy haze, Ding Qiyu felt a warm, soft presence in her arms, as if wrapped in a pleasant dream, feeling utterly content.

As Lian'er's heartbeat steadied, she calmed down, the sense of longing once again overshadowing all other feelings. Greedily savoring the warmth she cherished, she focused on Ding Qiyu's moonlit face, memorizing every detail. So, in the half-year without Ah Yu, she could slowly reminisce and hold onto these memories...

[End of Volume One: Peaceful Dreams]