Night was approaching, and the moon had risen above people's heads. The boat carrying them was moving slowly. Soon, smoke rose from the boat. It turned out that the boat family had started making dinner.
Dongfang Yi followed Situ Qing into the cabin. As soon as they entered, they saw the little boy they had met in the afternoon. The little boy ran over and hugged Situ Qing's leg as soon as he saw him. He seemed to like Situ Qing very much, but his eyes were on high - alert when he looked at Dongfang Yi.
Situ Qing found this scene quite amusing. He kept winking at the woman beside him, as if showing off how popular he was. Dongfang Yi just rolled her eyes at him and then looked around the cabin.
The cabin was small but very cozy. The dim yellow light made the whole room warm. The coal in the stove beside was still sputtering with sparks.
Before long, a woman in a khaki linen dress walked out of the inner room, holding a wooden spatula for cooking. As soon as she looked up, she saw her son hugging someone's leg.
"Da Li! Come back quickly. Don't scare the guests," the woman said in a slightly scolding tone.
After seeing Da Li running back to her side, she gave an embarrassed smile and said, "My son is too naughty. Please forgive him, guests."
"It's okay. Da Li is very cute," Situ Qing said with a smile, his peach - blossom eyes curving slightly.
Dongfang Yi clearly saw the woman's face flush suddenly. She couldn't help rolling her eyes at the man beside her and thinking, "What a seductive demon! He doesn't even spare a decent woman!"
"Guests, please have dinner with us later. Don't mind our simple home - cooked meals," the woman suddenly said.
Both of them nodded in agreement. Then the woman went back to the inner room to continue cooking.
Dongfang Yi and Situ Qing stood together at the bow of the boat. The night wind was cold. Dongfang Yi shivered and wrapped herself tightly. Situ Qing saw her state and said, "If you're cold, go back to the cabin."
But Dongfang Yi shook her head and said, "This is the free cold wind." After saying that, she blew her nose hard.
Actually, she didn't want to feel the so - called free cold wind. Instead, she was missing Helian Qi at this moment and was inexplicably attached to him.
She knew it was wrong and that her behavior was self - degrading, but she just couldn't control herself. So she could only let the cold wind blow on her, hoping it could blow away her unpromising heart...
Situ Qing looked at her somewhat desolate side - face. He felt helpless but could only accompany her to enjoy the wind by the river.
After a while, they heard the woman in the cabin shouting out, "Dinner's ready!"
Dongfang Yi then entered the room, and Situ Qing followed closely behind.
At the dinner table were Da Li and his father, who seemed to be a taciturn man. The woman was putting the last dish on the table.
"People from all over are guests. As long as we sit at the same table for dinner, we're a family," the woman said as she sat down.
Da Li beside her clapped his hands and said, "Guests, all guests. Family, a family." A rare blush appeared on the man's dark face. Then he picked up his chopsticks and said, "Let's start eating!"
For a moment, a harmonious atmosphere filled the whole cabin. The dinner table was lively, and everyone chatted merrily...
Most of the questions were about what Dongfang Yi and Situ Qing did, where their homes were, what they were going to do in Nanwu, and finally, when they got married.
Dongfang Yi, who was burying her head in eating, coughed violently when she heard this question. She quickly waved her hands and shook her head to refute, "No, no, no. We're not... cough, cough..." Unfortunately, her words of refutation were interrupted by her coughs.
Situ Qing helped her calm down and started to reply for her, "Yes, yes. We're really not in that kind of relationship..."
Dongfang Yi, who was being helped to calm down, nodded in agreement gratefully after hearing what he said.
But unexpectedly, the words he said next almost made her spit out old blood.
"Although we're not married yet, Xiao Dong is already pregnant. We're going to Nanwu this time to get married."
Dongfang Yi stared at the man beside her who was full of lies in disbelief with wide - open eyes. She was just about to say something to refute him when he covered her mouth with one hand and dragged her to stand up.
"We're full. Thank you for your hospitality. The food is very delicious," Situ Qing bowed slightly to them and then dragged Dongfang Yi out of the cabin.
Even after they left the cabin, they could still hear the woman inside laughing and saying, "These young people are really in love. Hahaha."
"Situ Qing!!!" Dongfang Yi roared at him as soon as they got out of the cabin.
Situ Qing laughed heartily and ran to the bow of the boat. He looked back cheekily and said, "My lady, you're pregnant. Don't get angry."
This made Dongfang Yi punch him wildly. But after a while, she found that he stopped talking and resisting.
The man just stared blankly outside the boat with an extremely enjoyable smile on his lips. Just as Dongfang Yi was about to scold him again, she saw him put his finger to his mouth and softly shush, saying, "Look, we've arrived at Jiangbei in Nanwu."
Dongfang Yi looked in the direction he was looking. She saw a brightly - lit area. Many pink lotus lanterns were floating on the water near the shore. Colorful ribbons were hanging in front of every household, and some had lanterns as well.
Dongfang Yi could feel how lively the street was even from the boat. There were people everywhere. Some were wearing masks, some were carrying lanterns, and there were also the cries of peddlers from the stalls...
"What day is it today?" Situ Qing suddenly asked.
Dongfang Yi just scratched her head and said uncertainly, "Um... It's probably entered the twelfth lunar month. The tenth or eleventh? I'm not sure..."
"It's the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month," Situ Qing said haltingly.
Dongfang Yi was just about to say that since he knew, why did he ask. But then she saw the man leaning on the bow of the boat. His side - face was full of desolation. The river wind had messed up his hair. There was a deeper mist in his eyes, but the corner of his mouth was still curved.
What kind of person was he? Dongfang Yi wondered. Although she didn't know what he was sad about, why did he still smile when he was so sad...
"Stop smiling..." Dongfang Yi frowned and said to him.
"I lost something on this day," Situ Qing suddenly turned back and said to her. Through the moonlight, it seemed that she could see something glistening in his eyes.
Was he... crying?
What did he lose? His country? His dynasty? Was the previous dynasty destroyed on this day? But looking into Helian Qi's eyes, with that hurt look...
"Let's go... Let's go ashore," Helian Qi put on his usual smile again and said.
Dongfang Yi said hello to Da Li and his family in the cabin and then followed him off the boat.