Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Amidst the bustling crowd, the Pei family initially paid no mind to the words.

The little lord had been calling Pei Yue "Uncle" and the young madam "Mother" for as long as anyone could remember—ever since she first entered the Pei household. Over time, everyone had grown accustomed to it, treating it as the most ordinary and natural thing.

It wasn’t until they noticed the elder’s poorly concealed look of shock that they realized something might be amiss.

This… might indeed invite some speculation…

Pei Yue cleared his throat lightly. "The child is young and often mixes up titles. There’s no need to mind it, sir."

The elder immediately took the cue. "Ah, I see," he said, brushing the matter aside and focusing instead on asking Pei Ze what kind of dough figurine he wanted.

His quick acceptance, however, carried an unspoken implication: "No need to explain, I know you’re just making up an excuse, and I’ll just pretend to believe it."

The full moon shone brightly overhead, casting its silvery glow over the bustling streets lined with dazzling lantern towers. Behind them, the crowd suddenly erupted in cheers and surged toward one direction.

Pei Yue frowned, no longer bothering with the misunderstanding. He tightened his grip on Ming Tang’s wrist, pulling her closer and shielding her in front of him.

Fortunately, the commotion lasted only a moment. Perhaps because the crowd had shifted elsewhere, the space around them became less cramped.

Pei Yue’s commanding presence naturally drew attention, and without the thick crowd obscuring him, onlookers quickly noticed him.

A group of Ming family juniors, out enjoying the festival, spotted them from afar and immediately recognized their aunt’s family. They made their way through the crowd to greet them.

Given the throng, they kept greetings short with just a simple bow.

Feeling the firm grip on her wrist and noticing the elder’s slowed movements, Ming Tang suppressed a laugh and instructed them, "Louder. Greet me again, and Auntie will buy you all dough figurines."

*If it were just the little cousin who liked these things, fine, but at our age, we’re not interested…*

Ming Xia glanced at his excited little cousin but obediently led his siblings in greeting their aunt again. "Good evening, Auntie, Uncle!"

The chorus of young voices startled some passersby, and the elder, who was carefully shaping the dough into human figures, heard every word.

Only then did he truly believe it was a case of a child mixing up titles.

For some reason, he felt a wave of relief.

It was good that such a well-matched pair were properly married.

Having seen too many unhappy couples in his lifetime, the elder found his wrinkles softening at the sight of a loving pair on this festive night. He placed the dough figurines—crafted in the likeness of the three—into a small box and held it out for Pei Ze, who had been eagerly reaching for it. "Little lord, do you like them?"

Still in Nanny Zhou’s arms, Pei Ze craned his neck to peer into the box, then turned to look at Ming Tang and Pei Yue standing behind him. His eyes widened in amazement as he pointed at the box. "Uncle and Mother got tiny!"

Ming Jin leaned in to peek and gasped. "They look just like Auntie and Uncle! And the little cousin too!"

The elder had already learned to ignore the odd titles. Chuckling, he boasted while advertising his skill, "Of course! I’ll have you know, old as I am, I can capture a likeness with just one glance!"

Pei Yue gave a slight nod and signaled Fu Feng to step forward with payment. "Please make one for each of them as well."

Ming Xia was about to protest that they were too old for such things when Ming Wan subtly tugged his sleeve. He swallowed his words and waited.

A few moments later, his uncle turned to his aunt and said, "I’ll leave a few guards here with Ming Xia and the others. Let’s move ahead."

Ming Xia: *…So Uncle just finds us a nuisance and is making up an excuse to send us away.*

Priding himself on being perceptive, he quickly played along. "Uncle, we’d actually like to get some sweet dumplings at the Tang family’s stall too."

Pei Yue glanced at him, a faint smile appearing as he nodded. "Go ahead and enjoy yourselves. I’ll pay for everything tonight. Fu Feng will accompany you to handle the payments."

The group cheered softly, nearly shooing their aunt and uncle away in their excitement.

Only Fu Feng, left behind with a few words, grumbled to himself: *I’d much rather follow the Crown Prince and young mistress to see the festivities…*

Watching Pei Yue effortlessly send Ming Xia and the others off, Ming Tang shot him a sidelong glance before lightly brushing her fingertip across his palm. She leaned in and asked with a smile, "Think they’re cramping our style?"

The tingling touch made Pei Yue instinctively tighten his grip, closing around her finger. With perfect seriousness, he replied, "They’re kids who love to roughhouse. They wouldn’t enjoy the same things we do."

"I see." Ming Tang nodded, accepting the explanation.

Walking side by side, their gazes fixed ahead, they might have seemed like mere acquaintances—if not for their tightly clasped hands. Yet a quiet understanding lingered between them.

Having been warned by the elder that the dough figurines were fragile, Pei Ze, afraid of damaging them, handed the box to Hong Ying with serious warnings. Nestled in Nanny Zhou’s arms as they moved forward, he marveled at the countless wonders around him but still managed to steal glances at Hong Ying and the precious box.

As they neared the tallest lantern display, Ming Tang stopped and turned to Pei Ze. "Let’s watch from here, alright? It’s too crowded—we wouldn’t want your figurines to get crushed."

Pei Ze immediately glanced anxiously at the box and nodded. "Here is good."

No sooner had they settled than fireworks exploded over the rooftops behind the lantern tower. Intricate, glittering designs bloomed across the sky, drawing gasps from the crowd below.

Having missed the New Year’s Eve fireworks, Pei Ze had been heartbroken. Now, finally seeing them again, he wriggled with excitement in Nanny Zhou’s arms, as if wishing he could fly up for a closer look.

But Nanny Zhou, having carried him all this way, was weary. His sudden movements made her arms tremble, and Pei Ze slipped dangerously low.

"Young master!"

Before the cry had fully left her lips, Pei Yue had already reached out, gripping the back of Pei Ze’s clothes and lifting him effortlessly.

In an instant, Pei Ze went from being cradled to hanging upside-down, blinking in confusion at the blur of clothing and feet below. Straining to look up, he met Pei Yue’s amused frown.

"Sit properly."

*Sit where?*

The thought had barely formed when he was lifted high—perched atop Pei Yue’s shoulders, now the best view in the crowd.

Pei Ze gasped in delight. "Wow—so many heads!"

Then, looking down at Ming Tang, now much shorter than him, he bragged, "A Ze is taller than Mother now!"

His clear, childish voice rang out during a pause between fireworks, carrying far enough to draw glances. Spotting the handsome noble with a delicate child on his shoulders and a gentle, smiling woman beside him, onlookers smiled warmly at the touching sight.

Pei Yue steadied Pei Ze with one arm but frowned slightly, his eyes narrowing at a man in the crowd who was staring fixedly at Ming Tang.

The man, scholarly and refined in appearance, was none other than Chen Wenyao. Beside him stood a woman in red—likely his new wife.

Without a word, Pei Yue shifted subtly, blocking Ming Tang from view. Then, straightening, his smile faded, his eyes turning icy and sharp.

A man who had seen bloodshed and wielded blades daily, his aura when angered was enough to make most flinch.

Chen Wenyao flinched back as if struck, his gaze dropping in defeat. A bitter resentment churned within him: *Why does he, even in such a ridiculous pose, still exude such unshakeable poise? Had I been born into a family like his, wouldn’t I too be the one looking down on others?*

And Ming Tang… In that brief glance, she had seemed even younger than he remembered, her face glowing softly like jade under the lantern light. She had been looking up at Pei Yue with a fond smile—just as she had once smiled at him in their newlywed days.

The memory had faded now. Chen Wenyao could barely remember when exactly "mutual respect" had become the only phrase left to describe their relationship.

Wu Shi, who had been looking up at the fireworks, noticed his absent-mindedness, and the joy of having won a major victory in the Chen household and spending the Lantern Festival with her husband was now overshadowed by unease.

With a hint of dissatisfaction, she tugged at Chen Wenyao's sleeve as if to remind him, "Husband, what are you thinking about?"

Chen Wenyao snapped back to attention and smiled, "I was just thinking how bright the moonlight is tonight. It’d be better enjoyed somewhere quieter. It's too noisy and crowded here."

"The Lantern Festival is for viewing lanterns. Who cares about the moon that comes every month?" Wu Shi disagreed. "Husband, do you not enjoy watching the lanterns with me?"

"Of course not," Chen Wenyao denied immediately, calming Wu Shi down, though he sighed inwardly. He turned his attention back to the dazzling display of lanterns.

Ming Tang remained completely unaware of what Pei Yue had done beside her. She only felt his grip on her hand tighten slightly. Tilting her head to glance at him, she found nothing amiss and shrugged it off.

As the fireworks display neared its end, the crowd started thinning out. Those on the inside pushed their way out to explore other attractions, inevitably leading to shoving matches with those on the outskirts.

A disturbance gradually broke out in the crowd. Pei Yue frowned, set Pei Ze down, and glanced at Ming Tang. "I'll go maintain order."

It was rare for them to have such an outing, yet they had to encounter this kind of trouble. Pei Yue couldn’t help feeling annoyed. However, it would take time for the city guards to arrive, and since the disturbance was right before him, he couldn't just ignore it. If the situation escalated, the surging crowd could lead to a disaster.

Ming Tang understood. "Go ahead. I'll take care of A Ze."

"Take care of yourself too," Pei Yue said before swiftly leading his men to break up the fight.

Ming Tang looked around, picked up Pei Ze, and retreated with Nanny Zhou and the others to the steps of a nearby shop.

They’d barely stepped aside when she spotted a child slipping from a man's arms. The child, about five or six years old, seemed to be asleep, yet the man appeared oblivious, continuing to push forward in the crowd.

Seeing the child about to fall to the ground, Ming Tang frowned deeply and ordered the guards to intervene. The guards immediately stepped forward, took the child from the man, and pulled the man out of the crowd.

The man suddenly realized, bowing and thanking them profusely. "Thank you, thank you! I didn't notice just now—I almost dropped the child."

As he spoke, he reached out to take the child back from the guard.

Having done a good deed and received sincere thanks, the guard felt a warm glow and was about to hand the child back when Ming Tang suddenly said, "Wait!"

She couldn't quite explain why, but she felt a faint sense of unease. Unable to shake it, she scrutinized the man and the child closely.

Hearing her command, the guard stopped dead and took three steps back with the child in his arms.

The man, now empty-handed, stared, stunned before shouting, "Why are you stealing my child? Help! Someone's stealing a child here!"

People love drama. At his cry, those who had been eager to move on stopped in their tracks, eagerly looking around. "Where? Who's stealing a child?"

The guard, holding the child, was stuck in a bind.

The man, acting frantic for the child's safety, yelled, "Give my child back now!"

He had a plain, trustworthy face, was tall and sturdy, and wore the plain winter clothes typical of a modest household in the capital. In contrast, Ming Tang and her entourage—with maids, attendants, and guards—clearly belonged to a wealthy family.

The child in the guard's arms was also dressed in ordinary cotton clothes, stood out awkwardly beside Ming Tang's group, clearly belonging with the man.

However, the capital's residents liked to think they were fair-minded folk under the emperor's rule. Hearing the man's words, they didn't immediately side with him. Someone spoke up, "Brother, this lady has a child of her own. Why would she steal yours? It must be a misunderstanding. Just take your child back."

The man grimaced. "I nearly dropped the child, and this kind guard helped hold him. I thanked him and was about to take my child back when this lady stopped him. Does she want a reward?" He dug into his pocket and pulled out two copper coins. "I'm poor—this is all I have."

His explanation of the events and display of his humble circumstances made his story seem more credible to the onlookers. Some even whispered to each other, "No wonder they look rich—they even squeeze the poor over trivial matters."

Ming Tang had already figured out what felt off. Unfazed, she ordered the guards, "Seize him!"

The guards immediately subdued the man, pinning him down. The man's face twisted in fury, and the crowd gasped in shock—who did these rich folks think they were?

Just as they were about to voice their outrage, Ming Tang spoke, "If you're so poor, why is this child wearing shoes made of kesi silk? Did you spend your entire fortune on a pair of fancy shoes for him?"

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Pei Ze, sensing the change, joined in the excitement. Mimicking Ming Tang's earlier stance, he tilted his chin up and commanded, "Seize him!"