Mother gave a soft cough. "Everything has to be copied. Everything..."
Father saw Mother's expression. It seemed that he recalled something, and suddenly burst into laughter. Seeing that we were all looking at him, he quickly composed himself and said, "Alright, everyone disperse."
I immediately lowered my head and rushed past Father. As I passed by Yu Chi Cheng, he suddenly grabbed my hand. I looked up at him, only to see him smiling gently at me. He asked, "Xi He, is your hand alright?"
I shook my head hastily and said, "Thank you, Brother Yu Chi!" Then I broke free from his hand and ran away in a hurry. Along the way, I could still faintly hear Mother saying, "Since those kids picked peaches for us, why don't we all try the new peaches of this year?"
Aunt and Uncle replied, "That's wonderful!"
I silently shed tears in my heart. It turned out that the peaches we picked at the risk of our lives were ultimately for others. This must be God punishing me for secretly eating the crystal pipa dew specially made for Mother last time. That's why this happened...
Woo woo woo...
...
After my brother and I escorted Xi Yao and Zi Zhen back to the palace, we returned to the Twin Hall. We told the maids to grind ink and fetch paper. We were extremely busy.
My brother summoned ten maids who could write. He gave orders in an overbearing manner, "Each of you copy the Palace Rules ten times. Hand them in to me the day after tomorrow, in Xi He's handwriting."
These ten maids were trained by my brother before. He had them imitate my handwriting. So when I heard my brother's order, I was very happy. I kindly asked, "What about you, brother?"
My brother replied, "Of course, you use my handwriting and write fifty copies with me."
I frowned at him. "Fifty copies..." And in my brother's handwriting...
"I have no other choice. No one else can imitate my handwriting. I can only count on you." My brother patted my shoulder rather heroically. But I said, "Fifty copies are too many!"
My brother said, "It's already very good that I've reduced it by half for you."
I thought about it and agreed. So I negotiated with him, "How about forty copies? Your writing speed must be faster than mine as I'm just imitating."
My brother pondered for a few seconds and finally agreed. "Okay."
So our twelve - person copying team started to imitate and copy.
...
In the past two days, because of the copying, I basically had no time to wander around. So I didn't see Yu Chi Cheng. The next time I saw him was on my way back after submitting what my brother and I had copied to Father.
He was strolling under the moon. Suddenly, he told me that he was going back to the Northern Cold Region.
When I heard this news, I was extremely happy. I thought that I wouldn't have to worry about being bullied by him anymore. But unexpectedly, he seemed a bit sad under the moon. I really couldn't laugh in front of him.
So I held back my laughter and imitated his sad expression. I asked, "When will you come next time?"
Yu Chi Cheng smiled and stroked my head. "I don't know. I'll be very busy after I go back. Maybe by the next time I see you, you'll already be a married woman."
"Disgusting!" I slapped away his hand. But he didn't mind. He just smiled. "By the way, the gift I promised you before can be shown to you now. Can you find a darker place?"
I immediately hugged myself tightly and asked, "What do you want to do?"
Yu Chi Cheng smiled gently. "If I say I'm going to do something bad, are you scared?"
I immediately replied, "I'm so scared. I'm really scared!"
He smiled. Knowing that I was acting, he ignored me. He waved at me and said, "Come with me!"
So I followed him to the Huiyang Palace.
He stopped outside the door and said to me, "Wait for me while I go in to get something."
So I don't know what came over me. I really waited for him under the moonlight for a long time.
When he came back and saw that I was still there, he heaved a big sigh of relief. In his hand was a brocade box.
What kind of shady thing was this? I sized him up and down impatiently. "Hurry up!"
But he rushed over, grabbed my hand and ran. "Come, show me the way."
His hand was warm and dry, making me forget the coldness of the night breeze.
I had no choice but to step forward and lead him on a trot to the forest where the moonlight couldn't reach.
"Okay, this is the place. What on earth do you want to show me?" I stopped, looked around and then at him. Thinking that he wanted a darker place, I thought that there might be a shiny night pearl in the brocade box.
Unexpectedly, he opened the box. There was indeed some light in the box, but it wasn't as dazzling as a night pearl. Instead, there were small spindle - shaped glowing cocoons. I couldn't help but ask curiously, "What are these?"
"Keep watching." Yu Chi Cheng took out a fire starter from somewhere. He waved it above the brocade box. Just when I thought he was going to burn those things, he suddenly stopped and put out the fire starter. Then I saw the most mysterious thing in history happen.
Those small spindle - shaped glowing cocoons actually moved. Then something seemed to be breaking through the cocoons.
"These... aren't they butterflies?" I was shocked. There were actually glowing butterfly cocoons in the world. So was it going to be said next that these butterflies would also glow after they came out?
I was curious and patiently waiting. As expected, what climbed out of the cocoons were really butterflies. But the light on them wasn't very strong, and each butterfly drooped its wings listlessly. They were not as beautiful as I had imagined.
I couldn't help but feel disappointed. But Yu Chi Cheng was looking at them patiently. Then he said, "These are firefly butterflies. Their birth is cursed by God. Because they are beautiful, they are destined to die gloriously."
"Like fireworks and the epiphyllum?" I looked up at him seriously. His face was unclear in the darkness, but I could feel his burning gaze. He suddenly asked, "If a love is destined to be written with beauty and tragedy, would you still dare to love?"
"Why not?" When he said this, I thought of my mother. Mother said that if you like someone, you must never change your original intention and bravely pursue it.
At that time, I didn't understand what true love was. I just took everything for granted. It wasn't until later when he asked me again, "If a love is destined to be written with beauty and tragedy, would you still dare to love?" that I truly realized that the bond between him and me had been planted many years ago.
Just as we were lost in our own thoughts, most of the butterflies in the brocade box had broken out of their cocoons. Some firefly butterflies started to try flying, but they fell down as soon as they took off.
At this time, Yu Chi Cheng was even more unhurried. He simply placed the brocade box on the ground and pulled me to sit down.
The strong butterflies kept trying to fly. Each time they tried, the light on them became brighter. After countless attempts, they finally flew gloriously with their wings.
I watched as countless firefly butterflies danced in front of me. I was speechless. Every time they flapped their wings, the fluorescent light on their wings became brighter. Until -
A group of firefly butterflies illuminated the faces of Yu Chi Cheng and me. Only then did I see someone's focused expression.