Chapter 191: Of One Mind

Su Chen’s heart filled with delight when she accepted the lantern. He spoke gently, "Where are you headed, Miss? Allow me to accompany you."

Gu Fei hesitated for a moment.

’Her rational side told her she should part ways with Su Chen right now. They should go their separate ways.’

’After all, they weren’t people who walked the same path in life.’

’But under this moonlight, in this gentle glow of the lanterns, on a night such as this, with a young master as refined as jade beside her... she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of selfish desire.’

’If one lived too rationally, wouldn’t life be missing so much joy?’

’In her past life, she had died at only twenty-four, without ever having had a chance to fall in love.’

’Let’s just treat this as creating a beautiful memory. When her hair is white with age, she can bask in the sunset and reminisce about this very moment.’

She gave a small nod and a smile. "I was planning to go take a look at the Jinshui River. I’ve always heard that the painted boats on the river are lovely, but I’ve never seen them for myself."

A smile bloomed on Su Chen’s face, as bright and clear as the moon in the distant sky.

The two of them walked forward side by side.

Lian’er silently followed behind them.

Zhang Ze and Chen Hu walked behind Lian’er.

They hadn’t walked far when they came upon a teahouse with many lanterns hanging out front. Red slips of paper dangled beneath them, and a crowd of people stood gazing up.

Gu Fei stopped to look at the red paper as well and saw that they were lantern riddles.

She tilted her head back to read the words. The riddle read, "What has an eye, but cannot see?" Beside it, a smaller line of text said, "Guess a single word."

’What could it be?’

Gu Fei couldn’t figure it out at first and frowned in deep thought.

Su Chen, next to her, was stunned. He didn’t know Gu Fei could even read!

As far as he knew, women from farming families were illiterate.

Knowing a few simple words was one thing, but solving riddles was a word game for the literary elite. This could only mean that her knowledge wasn’t just limited to a few simple words!

Gu Fei, unable to figure it out, turned to Su Chen for help. "I can’t get it. What do you think it is?"

Su Chen couldn’t think of it either at the moment, mainly because his mind wasn’t on the lantern riddle.

He looked at Gu Fei with shining eyes, wondering what other surprises she had in store for him.

Suddenly, Gu Fei’s eyes lit up and she clapped her hands. "I’ve got it!"

Su Chen smiled. "What is it?"

Gu Fei said with a hint of pride, "A needle!"

Seeing Su Chen staring at her blankly, as if he hadn’t understood, she explained, "You see? The ’eye’ of a needle! It has an eye, but it can’t see!"

’It’s just a clever brain teaser!’

All Su Chen saw was that delicate, fair hand waving before his eyes, her fingertips as slender and tapered as spring onions. It was hard to imagine that a hand like this could also wield a blade.

Gu Fei saw he seemed to be in a trance and waved her hand in front of his face a few times. "Young Master Su, do you still not get it?"

Su Chen snapped out of it and nodded, his smile gentle. "I understand now. I just never imagined Miss Xiao Fei was so sharp-witted."

A little fawn seemed to leap in Gu Fei’s heart. ’It feels so good to be praised by this handsome young man!’

Su Chen suddenly looked up at another lantern riddle. "I’ll guess one, too."

Gu Fei looked up at the riddle as well. "What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?"

This one was easy. Gu Fei had the answer in an instant. She and Su Chen exchanged a glance, their eyes twinkling with shared amusement, each knowing the other had already solved it.

Gu Fei’s eyes curved into crescents. "Let’s say it together."

"Short!" the two said in unison, then broke into laughter together.

A kindly older man nearby reminded them, "You know, if you solve a riddle, you can take down the red paper and go inside to claim a prize from the Shopkeeper."

Gu Fei and Su Chen both waved a hand in dismissal. "That’s alright."

The two couldn’t help but look at each other and smile again.