Moonlit Reunion

The small boat drifted into a broader expanse of water—a little lake encircled by trees. The lake was shaped like a full moon, and countless lanterns hung from the surrounding branches, illuminating this small space almost entirely. The scattered lights on the trees resembled stars in the sky, their reflections shimmering on the mirror-like surface of the lake, creating another inverted heaven. Standing amidst it all, one felt as though the sky and earth had merged into one, with nothing but bright lanterns stretching as far as the eye could see.

Even Mei Zhuyu was momentarily stunned by the sight before turning to look at Wu Zhen beside him. She wore a smug expression, her eyes and brows brimming with delight, as if saying, "Are you pleased with what you see?" Mei Zhuyu chuckled softly, shaking his head, then wrapped an arm around the back of her neck, pressing her forehead against his chin and nearly enveloping her in his embrace. He murmured, "I should have known you'd prepare something like this."

Wu Zhen scratched his chin playfully with one hand, pushing him away slightly as she raised an eyebrow. "What, don’t like it? I put a lot of thought into this."

Mei Zhuyu gazed at her. "I do."

"I love all of it," Wu Zhen said before being pulled back into his arms.

The night was as still as water. Bundled together under a large fur cloak in the center of the lake, the two quietly admired the surrounding lights until, one by one, the bright lanterns gradually burned out and extinguished. The distant horizon slowly took on the pale blue hue of dawn, like a beautiful dream brightening into reality.

And when the sky fully brightened, the scene revealed another kind of beauty. The surrounding trees were covered in a layer of white frost, resembling jade trees and jasper branches, their reflections shimmering in the clear, translucent lake under the daylight, pristine and untouched by even a speck of dust.

Wu Zhen had fallen asleep at some point, cradled in Mei Zhuyu’s arms, her head completely buried in the fur cloak. Warm and comfortable, she couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes, only vaguely sensing the arrival of dawn. She yawned, lifting a corner of the cloak to peek out, exhaling a visible puff of white breath as she moved.

Mei Zhuyu, who had been gazing at the horizon, looked down at the stirring in his arms.

He hadn’t rested all night, yet his spirits remained high. The strands of hair on his forehead, his eyebrows, and even his eyelashes were dusted with frost, making his eyes appear even more serene and tender.

Wu Zhen reached up to wipe the frost from his brows, then playfully nipped at his slightly pale lips. They were cold, like biting into snow.

"Why didn’t you rest inside the cabin? You sat out here all night?"

"Hmm," Mei Zhuyu responded, brushing away the tiny droplets of water—melted frost—from his lashes.

"Your hands and feet must be stiff. How foolish," Wu Zhen remarked.

Mei Zhuyu didn’t reply, only smiled faintly. The beautiful scene she had prepared for him—he had wanted to savor it a little longer, and before he knew it, dawn had arrived.

Gently stroking Wu Zhen’s belly, Mei Zhuyu suddenly said, "The child will be born soon. I’ve heard childbirth is excruciating for women. When the time comes, let’s switch—I’ll endure it for you."

Wu Zhen fell silent, studying his face for a long moment before finally smiling. "Alright."

Yet, though Wu Zhen agreed generously and readily at the time, two months later when the child was born, she showed no intention of keeping her promise.On the day the child was born, the bright sunshine dispelled some of the winter chill. Wu Zhen seemed to have a premonition and decided not to go out, choosing instead to stay home and bask in the sun. In the morning, when Mei Zhuyu left for work, she waved at him cheerfully with a smile, showing no signs of anything unusual.

Not long after Mei Zhuyu left, Wu Zhen pressed her fingers to her temples, stood up from her chair, and announced, "Get ready, I'm going into labor." She then cursed under her breath, likely from the pain.

By the time Mei Zhuyu returned home from work as usual, the child had already been born.

"Congratulations, Master! The mistress has given birth to a young master!" The maids beamed as they delivered the happy news. Daoist Mei froze for a moment before rushing into the room. But when he pushed open the door and stepped past the screen, the first thing he saw was Wu Zhen sitting upright on the bed, her hair disheveled, gulping down wine in large mouthfuls. She showed no signs of the weakness expected after childbirth—in fact, she looked positively radiant.

The anxiety and worry on Mei Zhuyu's face instantly dissipated at the sight before him. Wu Zhen tilted her head back and finished the jar of wine, as if quenching a years-long craving. With a satisfied sigh, she praised, "Good wine!"

When she turned and saw Mei Zhuyu standing dumbfounded at the door, she felt a flicker of guilt, but it quickly vanished as she justified herself with a grin. "After giving birth, I finally got to satisfy my wine craving. Don’t worry, I didn’t drink much—just one jar."

The wine jar was painted with a small plum blossom, and Mei Zhuyu remembered it was one they had brought back from the plum garden. Wu Zhen had repeatedly insisted on saving it for the child’s full-moon celebration. So when exactly had she hidden this jar under the bed?

Noticing his gaze fixed on the wine jar, Wu Zhen tossed the child toward him to divert his attention. "Come look at the baby. I don’t know how it happened, but he’s kind of ugly."

Mei Zhuyu snapped out of his thoughts and, without pressing further about the wine, hurried to the bedside to peer at the child nestled beside Wu Zhen. Wrapped snugly in swaddling clothes, the baby’s lips moved slightly as he slept soundly, his tiny body not even half the length of Mei Zhuyu’s arm. Just as Wu Zhen had said, the child was wrinkled and reddish—indeed, not particularly handsome.

But Daoist Mei didn’t mind at all. He bent down and gently touched the baby’s soft cheek, withdrawing his hand almost immediately as if afraid of breaking him. Then he turned to Wu Zhen, snatched the wine jar from her hand, set it aside, and planted a firm kiss on her forehead before pressing another to her lips, his expression fierce.

"You broke your promise. Were you lying to me before?" Mei Zhuyu demanded sternly.

Wu Zhen showed no fear. Instead, she playfully cupped his face and grinned. "That wasn’t lying—that was coaxing you."

Mei Zhuyu stared at her, speechless at her lack of remorse. Finally, he wiped her cheek and murmured, "You’ve worked so hard."

Wu Zhen clasped his hand against her face. "And you’ve worried and toiled too."

The utterly forgotten child suddenly let out a loud cry, shattering the tender moment between his parents. Wu Zhen’s expression instantly turned blank as she picked up the baby and shoved him into Mei Zhuyu’s arms. "We agreed beforehand—I handle the birthing, you handle the child-rearing. He’s all yours now, husband."

Mei Zhuyu: "……?" When did we agree to that?The child was born as the weather was about to warm. By the time the peach and pear blossoms by the Jade Belt Pond had bloomed into a sea of flowers, he had grown into a jade-like doll. Even his mother no longer disliked him as much as before and often carried him out to meet people.

The once slender and dashing beauty who used to ride through the streets of Chang'an in Hu-style men's clothing now reappeared in the city's lanes and alleys on horseback, frequenting the entertainment houses once more. Only this time, she brought a child along.

The entertainers who were familiar with Wu Zhen had barely begun to catch up with her when their attention was completely stolen by the child in her arms.

"Ah! What an adorable child! Is this yours?"

"Even at such a young age, the little lord is already so exquisite—no doubt he'll grow into a handsome gentleman!"

"Second Lady, he's so cute—let me hold him, won't you?"

"Me too!"

"Let me!"

"Be careful, don’t drop him!"

A crowd of entertainers clamored to see the child, even dropping the instruments they held. Two silk scarves were torn off in the chaos, but no one cared. Wu Zhen stood at the back, arms crossed, waiting. She thought to herself that while the child looked cute, any crying baby could drive a person to despair. Silently, she counted—and sure enough, by the count of three, loud wails erupted from the crowd, startling the ladies.

"Ah! Why is he crying? Ruiniang, did you hold him too tightly?"

"No way—maybe he's hungry?"

"How do we make him stop crying?"

"Should I sing a little tune to soothe him?"

"That makes sense—let’s try it."

Surrounded by the group of entertainers, the wailing infant gradually quieted as a gentle-looking lady sat nearby, cradling a pipa and singing a soft melody. His big, black grape-like eyes blinked as if he were listening intently.

Wu Zhen had been watching, expecting them to be scared off by the crying baby. But when she unexpectedly discovered that singing and playing music could calm him, she was overjoyed. From then on, she visited the entertainment houses even more frequently. The more he listened, the pickier the child became—if the singing wasn’t good enough, he wouldn’t hesitate to keep crying.

The child was bright and precocious, speaking early. After spending months in the entertainment houses with his mother, his first word wasn’t "mother" or "father"—it was:

"Reward!"

At the time, Mei Zhuyu was holding the child while Wu Zhen sat across from them, playing the pipa. She rarely had the mood for it, but since the pipa had been a recent gift from Mei Zhuyu, she occasionally played a tune or two.

Just as she finished a piece, the child in Mei Zhuyu’s arms uttered that single word: "Reward!" At first, Mei Zhuyu didn’t quite grasp what his son had said, but Wu Zhen understood immediately. Smiling broadly, she replied, "Thank you for your generosity, little lord!"

Only then did Mei Zhuyu realize what the word had been. When Wu Zhen listened to performances, she often rewarded the entertainers if they sang well. Had their son already picked up this habit at such a young age?

If Wu Zhen continued teaching him like this, things could take a bad turn. Mei Zhuyu recognized the severity of the situation.

Taking a deep breath, he glanced at the child’s mother, deciding it wasn’t his place to scold her. Instead, he lifted his son to face him directly.

The little boy burst into tears, frightened by his father’s stern expression.Wu Zhen: "Oh, the child is still young. Why are you being so harsh on him?"

Mei Zhuyu: "I haven't even said a word yet." Though his tone remained unchanged, Wu Zhen could hear the grievance in his voice.

She immediately switched sides, saying to Mei Zhuyu, "No, no, I wasn't talking about you. Come on, scold him however you like—I promise I won't favor this little rascal." Then she gave her son's chubby bottom a smack and put on a stern face, saying, "Don't you dare bully your father!"

The toddler didn't understand, but that didn't stop him from sensing impending doom.