Chapter 188: Xiang Lamps Convey Thoughts, Old Matters Can Rest

Chapter 188: Xiang Lanterns Carry Thoughts, Old Matters Laid to Rest

Xiaoxiang Tower.

Drunken crabs marinated in huadiao wine, steamed roe-filled crabs, spicy stir-fried crabs, crab meat lion's head meatballs, crab yolk tofu... By evening, a table full of various crab dishes was laid out.

He Zhao also ordered wine. Parting weighs on the heart, and that night, he drank heavily—until he was even spinning Qin Jiao around in circles inside the private room.

"Little Qin Jiao! I really can't bear to leave you!" At this moment, He Zhao held Qin Jiao's hand, teary-eyed. "I could just cry."

"Yeah, I know."

Qin Jiao let He Zhao hold his hand while casually picking the chilies out of his bowl.

Putting that many chilies in there would make anyone cry from the heat.

After drinking, He Zhao's face was all flushed. He looked at Qin Jiao first, then his gaze shifted to Xiao Baiyu. "Little Qin Jiao, though I can't bear to leave you, I'd hate even more to leave my senior brother."

"Mm-hm, I know."

Qin Jiao thought to himself, I know you've got Divine Doctor Xiao on the brain. Last time we had hotpot, you were still going on about wanting to show him the "dancing beef."

"But you're just as important to me too, Little Qin Jiao!" He Zhao declared with great conviction. "To prove I'm telling the truth, I've decided to pass on a few more of my hard-won secrets!"

"Huh? What kind of secrets?"

When He Zhao spoke, Qin Jiao didn't think much of it at first, until his eyes met He Zhao's shifty gaze.

"You've gotta learn to bribe the Prince of Lingnan—call him 'big brother' in a soft voice, touch him a lot. No guy can resist that..."

Qin Jiao: (!!!)

The nonsense He Zhao had spouted last time he was drunk suddenly hit Qin Jiao's mind like a lightning bolt!

He's not about to say it, is he? Just as Qin Jiao's guard went up, he heard He Zhao start talking: "Little Qin Jiao, don't be afraid of drinking. Wine is actually the best helper for... mmph!"

"Okay, okay! Cut it out!"

Qin Jiao swore this was the fastest he'd ever moved in his entire life!

The second He Zhao mentioned drinking, Qin Jiao knew he was definitely going to bring up Xie Nai's blackout after drinking. Good thing he was quick enough to cover He Zhao's mouth, or else he might as well just jump into the Fengwu River and drown himself!

"Qin Jiao, mm! What are you doing?"

He Zhao glared at him.

I'm trying to share my wisdom with you, and you're trying to smother me?

"No! Don't you dare say it!" Qin Jiao's voice was firm, and his look at He Zhao was stern and unwavering. "I don't wanna know! I don't need to know! He Zhao, you're drunk!"

He Zhao thrashed in indignation: "You? Mmmph..."

Why won't you let me say it!

Xiao Baiyu was just as confused as He Zhao. "What's going on? What was Zhou Zhou about to say?"

Xiao Baiyu had been talking with Xie Nai by the window, and now that they were done, they came over together to see what the fuss was about.

"What's going on?"

Xie Nai also looked at Qin Jiao. Qin Jiao wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but he felt like Xie Nai's look right now was "loaded."

Qin Jiao: ...

This was awkward as hell.

"Nothing, we're just fooling around." Qin Jiao shut his eyes, forcing himself to "compose himself." When he opened them again, the young master managed to force a very strained smile. "Zhou Zhou's drunk. Divine Doctor Xiao, please take him to get some rest."

"Mmph, I'm not..."

He Zhao tried to argue further, but Qin Jiao promptly stuffed a crab roe meatball into his mouth. "There. Divine Doctor Xiao, please take him away now."

"Well..." Xiao Baiyu saw that He Zhao seemed to really want to speak, and couldn't help saying, "Maybe we should just let Zhou Zhou finish what he was saying?"

"No, no, no." Qin Jiao refused while shoving both He Zhao and Xiao Baiyu toward the door. "It's getting late. You two should head back and get some rest."

"Hey, mm, Qin... Jiao!"

He Zhao kept protesting, but Qin Jiao turned a deaf ear. After successfully shoving the two out the door, Qin Jiao slammed the door shut with a "bang"!

"Phew—"

A huge weight lifted off his chest. Qin Jiao leaned back against the door and wiped at the cold sweat that wasn't even there, thinking to himself:

Divine Doctor Xiao, trust me—if you'd let He Zhao finish, all four of us would be screwed.

The kind of screwed where we'd never see each other again, ever.

Qin Jiao leaned against the door, breathing a little heavily, while Xie Nai was right there watching him. Qin Jiao hadn't drunk much that evening, but after the little tussle with He Zhao, a faint flush had crept up the young master's cheeks.

"Qin Jiao." Xie Nai called his name.

"Hm?" Qin Jiao responded, then looked at Xie Nai. "You coming over?"

Xie Nai's answer was to get up and walk straight over to Qin Jiao. And he wasn't alone—the resplendent Prince of Lingnan had a scrappy steamed crab clinging to the hem of his robes as he came over.

Seeing this, Qin Jiao couldn't help but snort with laughter. Xie Nai was puzzled, and following Qin Jiao's gaze, he finally noticed the steamed crab on his robe hem.

"Looks like this isn't the place to talk." Qin Jiao smiled and plucked the steamed crab off Xie Nai. "Let's find somewhere else to talk."

Qin Jiao casually took Xie Nai's hand and led him out. "Your Highness, come with me."

The drizzle had just stopped, and the damp air was filled with the scent of snowball flowers. Qin Jiao led Xie Nai through the flower beds, brushing through crystalline raindrops, winding around the damp paths, until they finally reached a U-shaped river bend.

This was a peaceful river bend Qin Jiao had found earlier. Even when the Fengwu River had been churning with towering waves a few days before, this spot stayed calm and still thanks to its geography—not even a single lotus in the bay had been bent or broken.

The river bend wasn't big. A patch of lotuses swayed gently in the night breeze, their round green leaves spreading out slowly, splitting the small bend in two.

On the left side of the bend was a small painted boat, strung with all sorts of lanterns. The soft candlelight made the lotus blooms and wind-touched leaves look especially lovely. On the right side of the bend was a bustling "sea of floating lights on the water."

The night was like silk, and countless Xiang lanterns floated on the water, scattered yet orderly. The wind rustled through the silence, and amid the drifting lights, Xie Nai blinked, thinking he'd stumbled into a celestial river of stars.

"What's this?"

Xie Nai looked at Qin Jiao, confused.

"Sixth Brother, come this way."

Qin Jiao didn't say much, just took Xie Nai's hand and kept walking.

By the time they reached the river bend, Xie Nai noticed that Luo Bei and Luo Yue were also there. A river breeze stirred gentle ripples, and the two were crouching by the water's edge, setting a river lantern adrift.

Upon seeing Xie Nai and Qin Jiao arrive, the two immediately stood up. "Young master, Your Highness, you made it."

"Mm, thanks for all your hard work." Qin Jiao smiled at them.

"Don't mention it, young master. It's our duty." Luo Yue scratched his head, then looked at Xie Nai. "Your Highness, we'll take our leave now."

With that, before Xie Nai could even ask, Luo Bei and Luo Yue took off one after the other. And so, on the quiet shore, only Qin Jiao, Xie Nai, and the dazzling sea of lanterns were left.

"Young master, what's all this?"

Xie Nai wasn't slow on the uptake; he'd already figured out that Qin Jiao had quietly arranged all of this for him.

"It's nothing." Qin Jiao shook his head with a smile. "I just wanted to set a lantern adrift with you, Your Highness."

As he spoke, Qin Jiao took a river lantern from the bamboo basket on the ground and handed it to Xie Nai.

The young master's gaze drifted softly over the sea of lanterns in the distance. "These are Xiang lanterns. The folks in Xiaoxiang Prefecture often use them to honor the dead. Sixth Brother, you should set one adrift too. Even though the Crown Prince's poisoning case has been solved, I can tell your heart still isn't fully at peace."

Even though Xie Nai had seemed as aloof and composed as ever these past days, Qin Jiao knew the heavy stone in his heart hadn't been fully lifted.

Over the past week or two, Xie Nai would sometimes stare at the river in silence, and at other times unconsciously rub the Fengxue Bracelet on his wrist—which was basically one of Xie Shu's keepsakes.

As they say, losing a loved one is like a shadow that blots out the sun—it never fully lifts in one's lifetime.

Even someone as strong as Xie Nai couldn't just move on overnight. After all, that was his elder brother—the one he'd looked up to and respected since he was a kid. Three years could wash away a lot of memories, but it could also make others cut even deeper.

It was good to hold onto memories, but Qin Jiao didn't want to keep seeing Xie Nai so weighed down by grief.

It hurt him.

"Qin Jiao."

By then, Qin Jiao had already set his own Xiang lantern adrift on the water. Xie Nai stood there, holding the plain white lantern, his gaze dark and locked on Qin Jiao.

"Most of these Xiang lanterns were folded by me, Luo Bei, and Luo Yue, and some were also folded by Lord Shen, Divine Doctor Xiao, and He Zhao. Oh, and Sister Congshuang and Military Doctor Hou pitched in too..."

As he spoke, Qin Jiao turned to look at Xie Nai. The sea of lanterns on the river reflected the shimmering light in the young master's eyes. In the gentle breeze and quiet night, Xie Nai heard Qin Jiao say to him:

"Sixth Brother, the Xiang lanterns carry your thoughts, and the past can rest. The Crown Prince will receive your remembrance."

As Qin Jiao's words fell, a breeze swept across the river, and the Xiang lanterns in the bay swayed gently, like brilliant stars. At that moment, Xie Nai crouched down and set the lantern in his hand onto the water.

Elder Brother...

Xie Nai's gaze followed that lantern as the wind carried it into the vast river, until it vanished into the pitch-black night...

When he turned back, Qin Jiao handed him another new Xiang lantern.

"Here, Sixth Brother, release a few more."

"Alright."

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