Chapter 544: The Matchmaker Boat at the Matchmaker Temple
Chapter 544: Chapter 544: The Matchmaker Boat at the Matchmaker Temple
Shen Ningning was surprised. "Oh? Miss Meng, you came to the Matchmaker Temple too?"
Meng Wanning smiled, her expression betraying nothing.
"I originally came out with my older brother and his wife, but it was so crowded that I got separated from them. Just then, I happened to see Miss Ye, and when I heard the Princess was here as well, I came over to say hello."
After she finished, she pretended to have just noticed Xu Jingxi. "Oh, Third Young Master Xie is here as well. Are all of you here to enjoy the lanterns? I wonder if I might tag along?"
"My brother and his wife are heading to the Matchmaker Temple as well, so we’re going the same way."
Shen Ningning saw the frustrated look on Ye Shangyi’s face and knew she must have already tried to refuse, but failed.
There was nothing to be done. The Matchmaker Temple was open to the public; Shen Ningning couldn’t very well stop Meng Wanning from coming in.
So, she could only nod. "Alright, no problem."
Xu Jingxi’s expression was placid, betraying no particular emotion. He simply said, "Since everyone is here, let’s go inside."
The Matchmaker Temple was quite expansive, encompassing half a lake. To reach the hall to worship the Matchmaker and draw a fortune slip, one had to cross by boat.
However, because of the special festival today, the temple’s attendants, in honor of the Matchmaker, had replaced the usual boats with small skiffs that seated only two.
Right now, a cluster of them was moored by the lake.
Many couples were queuing up, waiting to cross the lake to the brightly lit Matchmaker Hall at its center to pray for fortune slips and offer incense.
Shen Ningning glanced over. The line was a dense, teeming mass of people, with no end in sight.
She frowned. "On second thought, I’m not going. You all go ahead. It’s too crowded. I’ll wait for you here."
Lu Shaoyuan quickly said, "We’re already here. If you’re worried about getting tired, I can stand in line. You go find a place to rest over there."
Meng Wanning’s eyes shifted, and she suddenly said, "Why don’t we have my maid wait in line for us? We can go look at the lanterns over there first and then come back."
It was a good, time-saving idea, but Shen Ningning hesitated.
Unexpectedly, that simple-minded girl, Ye Shangyi, immediately agreed.
"That’s a great idea. Thank you for the trouble, Miss Meng."
"It’s no trouble at all. We’re all friends. Miss Ye, please don’t be so formal with me," Meng Wanning said with a beaming smile.
Shen Ningning sighed to herself.
’Can Changyi really not see that look of sheer determination in Meng Wanning’s eyes whenever she looks at my Third Brother?!’
However, Meng Wanning’s maid frowned. "Miss, I have no problem waiting in line, but you see, the attendant over there only allows two people per boat. How should I make the arrangements?"
"We should decide the pairings in advance, so I don’t give the wrong names and cause a problem when you and the others return."
Shen Ningning said instinctively, "That’s simple. For example, Xiao Wei and I can take one boat, Changyi and my Third Brother can take another, and then Miss Meng can go with her own maid."
Lu Shaoyuan’s dark eyes widened in alarm. "What about me?"
"You’ll go with Lord Pei," Shen Ningning said, shooting him a covert glance.
Lu Shaoyuan remembered Shen Ningning telling him that Ye Shangyi’s goal today was to get some time alone with Xu Jingxi.
No matter how much he wanted to be in the same boat as Shen Ningning, it was impossible now.
He could only nod silently. "I’ll go with your arrangement."
But Meng Wanning gave a dry laugh. "The Princess’s arrangement is certainly practical. However, today is a special festival. The boats are meant for male-female pairs. Even strangers will pair up for good luck."
"It doesn’t matter much for me; I can just sit with my maid. But it would be better if you, Princess, Miss Qi, and the others formed male-female pairs."
Lu Shaoyuan pressed his lips together. He wanted to agree with Meng Wanning’s suggestion, but he didn’t dare say a word.
He watched Shen Ningning nervously with his dark eyes, waiting for her to decide.
"Well then..." Shen Ningning glanced at Ye Shangyi and Xu Jingxi. "Third Brother will still go with Changyi, and Xiao Wei can... go with Lu Shaoyuan."
At this, both Lu Shaoyuan and Pei Yin fell silent.
Qi Xiuwei smiled gently. "I think that’s a fine idea."
Ye Shangyi secretly snuck a couple of glances at Xu Jingxi beside her, only to see that his expression remained mild, showing neither support nor disapproval.
She hesitated for a moment, afraid that agreeing so readily would make her feelings too obvious.
So, she couldn’t help but say, "How about... we draw lots?"
Meng Wanning’s eyes had darkened ominously at Shen Ningning’s words, but when she heard Ye Shangyi, she immediately chimed in.
"Miss Ye is so clever. That’s an excellent idea."
Shen Ningning’s eyes widened as she stared at Ye Shangyi. "You really want to draw lots? What if you end up with Lu Shaoyuan?"
Lu Shaoyuan protested, "Getting paired with me isn’t some shameful fate!"
Shen Ningning shot him a sidelong glance, and Lu Shaoyuan immediately corrected himself. "It’s just... I’m not particularly willing."
Unexpectedly, Xu Jingxi also spoke up, his tone placid. "Let’s do as Miss Ye suggests. Drawing lots isn’t any trouble."
Overjoyed, Meng Wanning urged her maid, "Go over there and borrow some paper and a writing brush from the attendants."
The maid scurried off.
Shen Ningning secretly tugged Ye Shangyi’s sleeve.
The young princess lowered her voice, her bright eyes filled with exasperation.
"You’re going to be the death of me!"
"Don’t be mad, Ningning. I just feel..." Ye Shangyi whispered, glancing at Xu Jingxi, who was speaking with Pei Yin. "I feel like Xu Jingxi doesn’t want to be in a boat with me. You suggested it twice, and he didn’t react at all."
Shen Ningning gave an elegant eye-roll.
"’For a block of wood like my Third Brother, silence means consent!’"
The maid brought paper and a writing brush. Meng Wanning tore the paper into strips, writing the last character of each man’s name on one before folding them up.
Shen Ningning, fearing Meng Wanning would try some trickery, watched her like a hawk. Fortunately, she didn’t do anything.
When she was done, Meng Wanning took out her personal sachet, placed all the folded slips of paper inside, and handed it to her maid.
"Go and hold our place in line. We’ll be back in a bit."
"Yes, Miss."
Shen Ningning watched the maid’s retreating back, then her gaze shifted to Meng Wanning, who wore a subtle, almost imperceptible smirk.
It was as if she already knew she was guaranteed to draw Xu Jingxi.
The group went to look at the lanterns. In the bustling crowd, Lu Shaoyuan stuck close to Shen Ningning’s side.
He pointed to the Lamp King hanging at the highest point—a Seven-Colored Treasure Lamp. The hexagonal lantern was adorned with tassels that shimmered with a thousand points of light.
Against the night sky, it spun gently, its radiant light seeming to float. It was truly a beautiful sight.
Seeing Shen Ningning stare at it for a long while, Lu Shaoyuan asked, "Do you like it? Should I go get it for you?"
Shen Ningning mumbled, "To win the Lamp King, you have to write an exceptional couplet and defeat all the other scholarly challengers. Do you think you can manage that?"
"Hmph! Don’t underestimate me. Just you wait!" Lu Shaoyuan hurried away.
Qi Xiuwei took the opportunity to walk over to Shen Ningning’s side. "Ningning," she said with a smile, "I know Lu Shaoyuan can’t compare to the Crown Prince, but he’s quite a good man. He’s impatient with everyone else, but he’s always so attentive to you."
Nearby, Pei Yin listened intently, his gaze feigning interest in the surrounding lanterns.
He heard Shen Ningning say, "Lu Shaoyuan is a great person."
’Pei Yin made a mental note. He thought of the task Lord Lu had given him and how he would report this back later.’
But in the next moment, Shen Ningning added, "But my Brother is better. The two of them are completely different. Just you watch. Lu Shaoyuan won’t be able to win the lantern, and then he’ll try to just buy it with silver."
Qi Xiuwei tilted her head curiously. "And what if the Crown Prince were here?"
"My Brother would make it so no one else dared to even enter the competition. In the end, the Lamp King would have no choice but to be mine." Shen Ningning couldn’t help but laugh as she said this.
’Mo Lingwei’s methods were always so simple and brutish.’
Qi Xiuwei couldn’t help but chuckle as well.
A short while later, Lu Shaoyuan returned, just as predicted, with a long face.
"What’s wrong? Did you lose to someone already?"
"There are too many people writing couplets. Inside that three-story pavilion, there are over a hundred people in line competing for the Lamp King. I offered three thousand gold pieces for it, but the attendant refused me. He said it wasn’t for sale at any price."
Qi Xiuwei secretly gave Shen Ningning a thumbs-up.
Her guess had been spot on.
Shen Ningning laughed. "Oh, well. It’s not like I truly wanted it anyway."
As she spoke, she turned her head, only to see that Ye Shangyi had vanished. In her place, Meng Wanning was hovering around her Third Brother, fussing over him with a beaming smile.
Shen Ningning’s beautiful eyes flew wide.
’Where was Changyi?!’