Shen Xihe gazed at him quietly for a moment before answering honestly, "Yes."
Anyone treated sincerely by another person would feel touched—unless they were enemies, even strangers would be affected.
That single word "yes" made Xiao Huayong's eyes crinkle with contentment.
Under the gentle night sky, amid the flickering lantern lights, their eyes met—his overflowing with tenderness, hers softened with warmth.
"The lanterns are falling! The lanterns are collapsing!" Just then, sharp cries erupted from outside.
Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong turned abruptly to see a row of towering lantern trees toppling over. The dense crowd scrambled to avoid the collapse, crashing into one another. Some were pushed down, and screams of panic and pain pierced the sky. The fallen lanterns ignited flames that illuminated countless terrified faces.
Shen Xihe keenly noticed that someone was causing chaos. She pointed at those who were deliberately pushing down the crowd, causing casualties, and knocking over the lantern stands, saying, "Your Highness, that person!"
Xiao Huayong followed her pointing finger and spotted someone quickly fleeing the chaotic scene. "Youyou, do not leave this place."
"Your Highness, be careful." Shen Xihe grabbed the sleeve of Xiao Huayong, who was about to turn and leave, her voice filled with concern.
Xiao Huayong flashed her a joyful smile, delight evident in his eyes, then nodded and hurried off.
Shen Xihe wasn't worried about Xiao Huayong's capabilities but feared that someone had set a trap for him. His high-profile visit to the Eastern Tower was likely known to many, and the fact that the incident occurred nearby made it impossible for her not to suspect foul play.
She nodded to Mo Yuan, signaling him to take some men and follow.
Outside, chaos still reigned. Shen Xihe did not leave immediately but looked down at the crowded streets and alleys. The neighboring streets had also descended into disorder due to the fire sparked by the fallen lanterns.
With sharp eyes, Shen Xihe spotted Bu Shulin in the distance. She also noticed that amid the crowd retreating in panic, several figures were pushing against the flow, moving purposefully toward Bu Shulin. Their hands hung at their sides—from afar, Shen Xihe couldn't tell if they held weapons, but their posture was highly suspicious.
"Moyu, Worldly Son Bu!" Shen Xihe pointed toward Bu Shulin's location.
Moyu immediately headed toward Bu Shulin. The Golden Guard had already arrived to maintain order, so Moyu couldn't scale roofs or walls—doing so would risk being mistaken for an assailant and shot down by archers from above. Instead, she descended the building and pushed through the crowd toward Bu Shulin.
Bu Shulin had been feeling somewhat listless that day. During the lively Lantern Festival, even her usual companions had gone off chasing after young ladies. She had wanted to accompany Shen Xihe, but Shen Xihe had plans with the Crown Prince, and Bu Shulin didn't dare intrude.
On such a festive and bustling day, she found herself alone, wandering the streets with little enthusiasm. When the sharp cries first rang out, she felt relieved it wasn't her misfortune—until the chaos quickly spread to her area. The panicked crowd surged without order, causing collisions and knocking over stalls in the overcrowded streets.
As a member of the Golden Guard, she showed her badge and tried to calm the crowd, but their fear was uncontrollable. Just then, a chill ran down her spine. Instinctively, she turned and narrowly avoided a hand gripping a dagger. She immediately seized the wrist.
The assailant was clearly trained, with considerable strength. With a swift twist, the dagger was redirected toward her face once more.She had to brace herself by pressing against her opponent's hand, leaning her upper body sideways as her feet slipped, her entire form gliding out before spinning around to face the assailant head-on.
Before she could clearly see the attacker's face, a chill ran down her spine—another ambush was coming from behind. Bu Shulin's expression turned stern. She seized the blades of two attackers thrusting at her from front and back, yanking them forcefully while leaping upward.
The two nearly stabbed each other due to her brute strength, but their skilled reflexes allowed them to evade just in time.
As Bu Shulin landed, she kicked the back of the knee of the one facing away from her, knocking him down. Just as she prepared to deliver a decisive blow, the assailant behind her launched another sneak attack, forcing her to grab the fallen man and pivot, using him as a shield against the incoming blade.
His companion retracted the blade at the last moment before it could pierce his ally's chest. Seizing the opportunity, Bu Shulin lifted her leg and kicked forward, sending the man flying into the densely packed crowd. Despite some intentionally clearing space for the fight, several bystanders were struck and fell.
This gave the assailants an idea. One immediately raised his dagger and stabbed toward innocent civilians. Bu Shulin's gaze turned icy. Abandoning the restrained attacker, she lunged forward, extending her arm to block the assailant's wrist just before the dagger could reach a civilian. With a twist of her hands, she flipped the man over, forcing him to yield to her momentum to avoid injury.
Meanwhile, the attacker she had released closed in again. Neither of the two could gain an advantage against Bu Shulin. At that moment, a child was pushed into the fray, wailing loudly. Bu Shulin pinned one assailant, executed a swift scorpion kick to sweep the other off his feet with a blow to the head, and pulled the child to safety.
The pinned man broke free and slashed, injuring the child. Bu Shulin had no time to release the child, so she dodged while holding him tightly.
With the child in her arms, her movements were restricted, and she couldn't set him down. The two assailants gave her no chance to disengage, repeatedly aiming vicious strikes at the child. Bu Shulin shielded the boy, evading each attack, but the assailants would twist their wrists at the last moment to redirect their blades toward her.
Each strike missed her by a hair's breadth. As the two coordinated more seamlessly, Bu Shulin gradually lost the upper hand. From a distance, the child's mother cried out, and the boy sobbed in response, leaning toward her voice.
Just then, an assailant thrust his dagger. Bu Shulin pulled the child close with one arm while blocking another diagonal strike from the second attacker with her other hand. The first assailant, missing the child, swiftly plunged his blade into Bu Shulin's side.
A sharp pain shot through her, and the child struggled frantically in her grasp. As another blade came at her, a long sword suddenly intervened, deflecting the attack. The sword flicked, sending one assailant stumbling back. Seizing the opening, Bu Shulin kicked the nearby attacker away.
Turning, she saw Cui Jinbai engaged in combat with the assailants. Her eyes held complex emotions, but there was no time to dwell. Setting the child down and ignoring her bleeding wound, she lunged forward, pinning the kicked assailant—who had just risen—with her knee. Gripping his hand, she forcefully twisted it, dragging the blade across his throat. Blood sprayed, and he collapsed silently.
"Murder!"—the crowd erupted into greater panic.A great deal of blood loss had drained Bu Shulin's strength. She watched as the panicked crowd scattered in all directions, creating an even more uncontrollable chaos. Amid the jostling masses, a flying dart suddenly shot toward Cui Shaoqing, who was locked in combat with the assailant.
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