Moonlit Reunion

From that night onward, the white walls of the study became home to numerous shadow insects. Invisible during the day, they transformed into various shadows at night—flowers, birds, insects, fish, plants, trees, and animals—creating a lively spectacle.

An ordinary person might be frightened out of their wits by these sudden appearances of shadows in the dead of night, but Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu treated them like shadow plays for entertainment. Occasionally, Wu Zhen would even weave stories around these shadows, narrating them with great enthusiasm while Mei Zhuyu simply praised the tales from the sidelines.

Some days later, Wu Zhen suddenly became very busy. Mei Zhuyu noticed she was nowhere to be seen every day, not even going to the Ministry of Justice. One morning before leaving, he couldn’t help but ask, “Is the Demon Market keeping you occupied lately?”

Wu Zhen shook her head with a laugh. “No, it’s not the Demon Market. It’s Cui Jiu—you know, that always-smiling gentleman who often hangs out with me. He’s getting married in a couple of days and asked for my help since he’s swamped.”

Mei Zhuyu knew Cui Jiu. Among the group of young men and women who followed Wu Zhen, he was the most amiable and smooth-talking. Satisfied with the answer, Mei Zhuyu nodded and left for work.

Three days later, on the day of Cui Jiu’s wedding, Mei Zhuyu happened to be on leave. Early in the morning, Wu Zhen dragged him to the Cui residence. The household was bustling with joy for the occasion, servants beaming as they decorated the halls and tents. Wu Zhen, acting as if she owned the place, took Mei Zhuyu to see the wedding tent set up in the Cui courtyard.

“Look, it’s smaller than the one we had at our wedding, right? Back then, I personally oversaw the servants setting it up and made sure they made it bigger.” Swinging the riding crop she often carried, Wu Zhen grinned.

Mei Zhuyu wasn’t well-versed in these customs and rituals. During his own wedding with Wu Zhen, his emotions had been so tumultuous that he remembered almost nothing—except the way Wu Zhen had smiled at him. Now, as Wu Zhen spoke, he studied the tent carefully, trying to recall their own. Yet all that came to mind was Wu Zhen in her bridal attire, suddenly breaking into a smile under the candlelight. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t picture the tent, but he nodded anyway, agreeing with her.

“Come on, let’s find Cui Jiu. The guy’s been nervous for days—no idea where he’s hiding now. What a coward!” Wu Zhen’s tone was mischievous, brimming with playful malice.

Soon, Mei Si, Zhao Langjun, and others arrived at the Cui residence together. Spotting Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu, they ran over, laughing. “Where’s Cui Jiu? Today’s his big day—we’ve got to congratulate him properly, haha!” Their tone matched Wu Zhen’s in its scheming delight.

“No idea where he’s gone,” Wu Zhen replied, flashing her bright teeth in the sunlight. She waved her hand. “Let’s all search and drag him out!”

With cheers and shouts, the group soon unearthed Cui Jiu from behind some bushes in a corner. They hauled him before Wu Zhen, where he stood surrounded, wearing a pained smile. Everyone clapped him on the shoulders, teasing, “Cui Jiu, remember what you promised? No backing out now!”

Cui Jiu’s expression grew even more miserable. He clasped his hands in a pleading gesture. “Brothers, spare me, please.”Everyone burst into laughter. Zhao Langjun patted him sympathetically and said, "We'd like to let you off, but unfortunately, your wife won't have it. Ninth Brother, you might as well resign yourself to your fate."

Another round of uproarious laughter ensued from the crowd.

The reason for Cui Jiu's grimace had its origins in a certain incident. The lady Cui Jiu was to marry was none other than Sun Niangzi, one of the two young women who often joined Wu Zhen and her group for fun—the one skilled in blending fragrances. Cui Jiu and Sun Niangzi were childhood sweethearts, their families well-matched, and they had been betrothed since early on. They got along splendidly, always playing together since childhood, and that remained true even now.

Two autumns ago, Wu Zhen and her companions went hunting in the Western Hills. Cui Jiu made a bet with his fiancée, Sun Niangzi: whoever bagged the better and more game would win. The stakes? If Cui Jiu won, they would marry that winter. But if Sun Niangzi won, their wedding would be postponed by a year, and during the ceremony, Cui Jiu would have to wear the bride's green gown—meaning the couple would swap their wedding attire.

Cui Jiu was no slouch in archery and horsemanship; in fact, among their group, he was second only to Wu Zhen. When he made the bet, he was brimming with confidence, certain he would win and bring his bride home soon. However, there were those who loved stirring the pot. Upon learning of the wager, Wu Zhen quietly rallied some help for Sun Niangzi, assisting her in hunting down a massive tiger, decisively crushing Cui Jiu's hopes.

Thus, a bet was a bet. Today, Cui Jiu had to don the bride's long gown. As he was still making a last-ditch effort to resist, Wu Zhen waved her hand again and commanded, "Drag him away and get him changed!"

At her order, Cui Jiu, looking utterly defeated, was carried off by his so-called friends to change. Wu Zhen, in high spirits, then took Mei Zhuyu to the Sun residence to see Sun Niangzi.

The Sun residence stood right next to the Cui family home. Past a long stretch of wall, one would find a gate leading into the Sun estate. Sun Niangzi's room was filled with laughter and chatter. When Wu Zhen entered, she saw Sun Niangzi standing gracefully in place, surrounded by a circle of young women teasing her.

Dressed in a man's wedding robe, Sun Niangzi looked even more elegant and refined. Normally bold and outgoing, the faint blush of shyness on her cheeks was a rare sight. Spotting Wu Zhen, her eyes lit up, and she asked with a smile, "Sister Zhen, how did it go?"

Wu Zhen tapped her riding crop against her palm. "Don’t worry, he’ll wear it without a fuss."

Sun Niangzi giggled, lowering her head. Her expression was a mix of anticipation and deeper, though well-concealed, bashfulness. She refrained from asking further about Cui Jiu’s plight.

After chatting with Sun Niangzi for a while, Wu Zhen stepped outside again. She and Mei Zhuyu stood in the garden, watching the servants bustling about. Even in the sweltering summer heat, the air seemed thick with joy and festivity.

Wu Zhen tugged Mei Zhuyu over to a wall and suddenly pointed at it with a laugh. "On the other side of this wall is the Cui residence. When Cui Jiu and Sun Niangzi were kids, they used to climb over this wall to visit each other. Actually, Cui Jiu was quite timid as a child—always crying. He’d cry if he fell, cry if someone scolded him loudly, and he was too scared to climb such a high wall. So most of the time, it was Sun Niangzi who climbed over to see him. She was fearless back then, bold as brass—a bit like me in my younger days."

Mei Zhuyu: That’s truly impressive.With a low chuckle and a sigh, Wu Zhen's voice carried a hint of nostalgia. "I don’t know when it happened, but both of them have grown up. Now, unlike when they were kids, it’s always Cui Jiu who stands in front to protect Sun Niangzi whenever something happens."

Watching the two little brats fall in love was quite amusing. When Sun Niangzi, with her tiny bottom sticking out, climbed over the wall to peek at the tearful little Cui Jiu, Wu Zhen squatted atop the wall, cheering the little girl on. Otherwise, who else could Sun Niangzi have learned her wall-climbing skills from?

After chatting for a while, Wu Zhen turned to Mei Zhuyu, who stared back at her for a long moment before finally saying, "When they were little, you weren’t much older yourself."

Wu Zhen laughed playfully, slinging an arm over her husband’s shoulder. "I’m five years older than them. What’s wrong with saying I watched them grow up?"

Mei Zhuyu: "…" Though Wu Zhen was indeed a few years older than them, lately he’d been feeling more and more that deep down, she was still just a willful little girl at heart.

Lost in thought, he suddenly reached out and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek, murmuring softly, "There’s nothing wrong with that."

Wu Zhen narrowed her eyes at his calm expression and clicked her tongue suspiciously. "Why do I feel like you’ve been humoring me a lot lately?"

Mei Zhuyu: "…" Sensing danger, Mei Zhuyu wisely chose silence over honesty.

That day, after the lively celebration of the childhood sweethearts’ wedding, the crowd finally dispersed—thanks to Wu Zhen’s rare moment of mercy—allowing the newlyweds some time alone.

Once the festivities died down, the group gathered to drink. Mei Si suddenly set down his cup and sighed. "Cui Jiu is married now. I heard his family has already arranged for him to join the Court of State Ceremonial after the wedding. He won’t be running around with us anymore."

"Yeah, after Sister Zhen got married, she rarely hung out with us. Now Cui Jiu’s leaving too. Things are bound to get even duller," Zhao Langjun added gloomily, downing a large gulp of wine.

The group of young men, who had been in high spirits just moments ago, now brimmed with melancholy. Only Wu Zhen set down her cup and said nonchalantly, "What’s the big deal? At your age, you’ll all get married, enter court service, and start doing proper work."

These young men came from illustrious families, generations of officials, and had been groomed since birth to follow in their elders’ footsteps. No matter how wild or carefree they fancied themselves in their youth, the time would come when they’d have to grow up and shoulder their responsibilities.

Wu Zhen was a unique presence in this circle. As a child, she loved gathering friends and roaming about, and over time, she naturally formed a group of companions from similar backgrounds and ages. But as the years passed, these friends began starting families and careers, leaving less time for play and fewer opportunities to meet.

Yet, as these peers of hers took on their duties, they entrusted their younger siblings, cousins, and nephews to her care. So, after bidding farewell to friends her own age or older, Wu Zhen found herself leading a new generation of youngsters, showing them the ropes of fun.

From childhood to adulthood, her life was always bustling, never lacking for company.Though many dismissed them as a group of idle young nobles, the fact that family heads allowed their children to run wild with Wu Zhen showed their tacit approval of her influence over these youths. Truly incompetent good-for-nothings—hopeless cases who couldn't be helped up even if propped against a wall—would never have been able to keep pace with Wu Zhen.

Wu Zhen had watched countless friends come and go, relationships fading from closeness to distance. Since early days, many had loved accompanying her, clinging to her side, but gradually they all found their own paths. Wu Zhen never minded—when friends arrived, she'd drink and revel with them; when they departed, she continued living her merry life unperturbed.

But these inexperienced young lads lacked Wu Zhen's detached magnanimity and would inevitably wallow in melancholy for a time.

Wu Zhen offered no lengthy counsel, simply ambling home hand-in-hand with her husband, leading their horses.

Perhaps influenced by Mei Si's earlier words, Mei Zhuyu broke his usual reticence to offer an uncharacteristically lengthy observation: "Everyone has their own path. Your friends are good people—even if contact becomes rare, they'll remember you." As he spoke, he recalled that rainy day when they'd visited that household, the two people who'd been so delightedly surprised to see Wu Zhen.

Noticing the faint concern and comfort in her husband's eyes, Wu Zhen chuckled helplessly and sighed, "Do you take me for a child? I'm not given to Mei Si's brand of sentimental melancholy. Honestly, I'm glad when married friends stop seeking me out—you've no idea how tiresome they can be."

At that moment, Mei Zhuyu assumed she spoke in jest. Little did he know the very next day would reveal exactly what Wu Zhen meant by "tiresome."