After Dressing Up As a Little Fulang

Under the watchful eyes of many maids and servants, Zang Ya led An Yun through the long, twisting corridor, finally exiting the Zang Mansion.

Once outside, An Yun realized that compared to the quietude within the mansion, there was a lively excitement in the outside world.

A door separated two distinct realms.

At this moment, many people were heading toward a certain place, lanterns in hand. The cheerful words exchanged among them and the smiles on their faces were unmistakable.

Zang Ya paused at the entrance, first took a rabbit lantern from the attendant beside him, and handed it to An Yun. Then he picked up a tiger lantern for himself.

The rabbit lantern resembled a small rabbit with big ears, red eyes, and red lips, looking particularly cute. In contrast, the tiger lantern featured only the head of a tiger and its ears, exuding a sense of dominance.

An Yun looked at the palm-sized rabbit lantern in his hand, then at the tiger lantern Zang Ya was carrying, which was more than four times its size. He blinked, realizing that if the tiger were alive, the rabbit in his hand might not be enough for it to eat in one bite.

An Yun glanced around, then returned his gaze to the lantern in Zang Ya’s hand. His eyes were drawn to it, and he felt that the craftsmen of this era were truly exquisite in their work; even the lanterns were perfectly made.

Noticing An Yun’s gaze, Zang Ya mistakenly thought he wanted the tiger lantern. After a moment’s thought, he comforted him, “You are weak, and this lantern is heavy. Your hands will get sore after holding it for a while. I’ll carry it for you.”

An Yun blinked, feeling that Zang Ya’s tone was reminiscent of someone coaxing a child.

His eyes shifted back to Zang Ya, observing the young master’s demeanour. An Yun was unsure how to tell Zang Ya that he didn’t want the tiger lantern; he simply found it pretty and was drawn to it for that reason. Moreover, the tiger lantern looked quite heavy at first glance, and An Yun wasn’t one to push his preferences.

An Yun smiled brightly at Zang Ya, like spring flowers blooming in the warmth of the season. In a gentle tone, he said, “I will listen to the young master; I will just hold the rabbit lantern, but it’s a hard work for you.”

Zang Ya stared at An Yun’s smile, remaining silent for a long moment before responding, “It’s just a lantern. Where is the hard work? It’s nothing!”

Despite his words, An Yun inexplicably felt that Zang Ya seemed happy in his heart, and even the expression on his face became a bit gentler.

.

Zang Ya held An Yun’s hand, and the two of them, each carrying a novel lantern, headed toward the busiest street in the city with attendants following behind them.

Before arriving, An Yun had imagined the Qiqiao Festival to be just a street with a few sparse lanterns and some scattered stalls on either side.

However, when they reached the venue, he discovered that the place was entirely different from what he had envisioned. A large area of the inner city had been transformed into a vibrant venue, bustling with people and traders alike.

An endless stream of attendees filled the space, everyone holding lanterns in their hands, and the noise was particularly lively.

Everywhere An Yun looked, there were crowds of people, and overhead hung grand curtains of lanterns, creating a breathtaking scene.

An Yun was instantly captivated by the sight. Then he noticed the attendant next to him paying the guard and felt a spark of curiosity.

He leaned closer to Zang Ya’s ear and asked doubtfully, “Does everyone who comes here have to pay?”

When Zang Ya heard An Yun’s words, he turned around and saw An Yun’s face close to his. The bright light illuminated An Yun’s features, highlighting even the fine hairs on his skin. His sparkling eyes made him look particularly lively.

The distance between them was so close that it felt as if they could kiss if they lean in even slightly.

Zang Ya looked at him without answering. After a moment’s contemplation, he thought about how An Yun was his pet.

Recalling how An Yun often hugged, kissed, and rubbed his Persian cat, Zang Ya thought of something. The Persian cat was An Yun’s pet, and An Yun was his. If An Yun could kiss the cat, then Zang Ya could naturally kiss An Yun.

Before An Yun could react, Zang Ya leaned in and kissed him, even giving him a playful bite.

Afterward, Zang Ya evaluated the experience and found that the taste was better than he had imagined—soft and smooth.

An Yun was taken aback, his eyes widening slightly.

Zang Ya looked at him, noting how An Yun resembled the Persian cat more and more. The cat had the same expression when it saw something it liked. It seemed An Yun also enjoyed the kiss.

Zang Ya pulled back quickly after the brief touch, then replied nonchalantly, “Yes, you have to pay to come in here. It’s considered a cleaning fee, and each person pays one copper.”

An Yun stared at Zang Ya, who was relaying this information with a serious expression as if nothing had happened. If it weren’t for the lingering sensation of being bitten on his face, he would have suspected the kiss was merely an illusion.

“Let’s go! The parade will start soon. If we don’t head in now, we might miss it.” Zang Ya glanced at the still-dazed An Yun and led him inside as if nothing were amiss.

An Yun was held by Zang Ya, his heartbeat quickening and echoing loudly in his ears, still racing from the kiss.

Soon, the sounds of people’s exclamations reached them, and from the corner of his eye, An Yun saw bouquets of flowers blooming against the dark sky.

He instinctively looked up and witnessed a shower of fireworks bursting in the sky. They were of various colours, grand and vibrant, especially beautiful against the night.

The explosive sounds of the fireworks matched An Yun’s own racing heartbeat.