Chapter 46 Celebration

"Why is Lord Ke staring at me like this?"

Jing Hu knew she was reasonably attractive, but having seen Ke Mingxu’s visage, her own yet-to-fully-blossom face was hardly worth mentioning at all.

What she had just said came straight from her heart, without a shred of falsehood.

She explained to him further, "If my mother had not become the Prince's secondary consort, then naturally, there would be no me in this world."

"But if there isn't, so be it. If I had never existed in this world, unaware and unfeeling, I naturally would not have felt any sadness."

If she did not exist in this world, he would have missed out on a great deal of amusement over the past half-year. And if she truly were his younger sister, that would also be quite good.

He no longer dwelled on his previous thoughts. "The little Princess said she wanted to celebrate my birthday. Then, how shall we celebrate?"

The little Princess looked up at the man of her heart, unable to keep the blooming smile from her face.

"I am going to perform the Whirl Whirl Dance for Lord Ke!"

Since he was willing to learn the Tiele language, he presumably did not look down upon those northern nomads, and perhaps he would also be interested in their culture and customs. After all, with wars fought year after year, the common folk of Yan and Liang had no desire for it, and presumably, the ordinary people of Tiele did not wish for it either.

War was cruel, but the common people were innocent.

The Whirl Whirl Dance was a dance of the Western Regions, which the Tiele people naturally knew how to perform as well. She had once learned it from the female instructors in the palace's Directorate of Music; back then, she had merely thought it fun and had not taken it seriously. Having recalled it over the past half-month, she had frequently entered the palace to seek guidance.

The attire she wore today was nomadic garb. The upper garment appeared unremarkable, save for the fact that her arms looked somewhat unusually bulky today.

The lower hem of the skirt, however, could be detached. Once the two panels of the outer skirt were removed, a completely different scene was revealed underneath: layers of silk and gossamer in seven brilliant colors.

Having stripped away the skirt, she unfastened the buttons on her sleeves, and the moment they were loosened, long, flowing cuffs cascaded down.

She wore few ornaments in her hair today, merely a pearl floral hairpin and a single gardenia flower.

Taking a few steps back to put some distance between them, she exchanged a glance with him for a moment before spreading her sleeves and beginning to dance beneath the moonlight, drifting like falling snow and whirling like frost-shaken wind.

They had wandered rather far, having long since left behind the lights kindled by mortal hands, and she was draped in nothing more than the moonlight's shadow. There was no music around them, yet the music played within his heart.

He had seen others perform the Whirl Whirl Dance before, and the skill of those professional dancers was naturally far beyond what she could compare to. But their dances were meant to please everyone present, and lacked any genuine sincerity.

She, however, was different. Her gaze upon him was always full of earnestness, as if the heavens and earth were so vast, yet she could see him alone.

When she grew older and performed this dance before a crowd, who knew how many youths of Yanjing would be captivated by her.

Growing tired from the dance, she simply sat down upon the small grassy slope before her. Still gazing at him, she gently patted the patch of grass beside her.

He walked over involuntarily and sat down next to her.

"Lord Ke, how was my Whirl Whirl Dance?" Her breathing had yet to even out, and her bright, sparkling eyes awaited his reply.

He was reminded of that night at the palace banquet when she had praised his appearance. "It is the finest I have ever seen in this world."

The little Princess smiled, feeling somewhat abashed. She hugged her knees and curled up into herself.

Ke Mingxu misinterpreted the gesture. "Are you feeling cold? It is already October, and the autumn wind is rising. You should have worn a cape." In order to dance, she was dressed somewhat lightly.

"No, no." Jing Hu hurriedly waved her hands. "I just finished dancing, I don't feel cold at all."

Then, thinking better of it and feeling she might be inconsiderate, she asked, "Is Lord Ke feeling a bit cold?"

The next moment, she took the initiative to reach out and embrace him. "I am very warm, I don't feel cold."

He seemed to freeze instantly.

Her heart was also beating like a battle drum. In truth, she felt a little improper acting this way; unlike the previous few times, she had done this today without thinking it through at all.

Yet, now that she was already holding him, she could not bear to let go.

After a moment of silence, Ke Mingxu gently lowered her hands. He did not look at her. "I do not feel cold... Let us sit quietly for a while longer, and then we should head back."

Jing Hu felt a twinge of disappointment, but it was quickly replaced by joy—this was only the first time, after all.

Just now, she had been silently counting numbers in her heart, and she had counted all the way to thirty-two before he made her let go. The second time, the third time—each time would be better than the last.

Sense told her that her Lord Ke must be feeling rather awkward right now, and she ought to be the one to break the tension.

Looking back over her shoulder and seeing no large, jagged stones behind her, she simply lay down, gazing up at the stars in the sky.

"Does Lord Ke know how to read the stars?"

He answered her, "I only know a smattering of it. However, my teacher was very fond of it, and in the summers past, he would often take me and Yuanfang out to stargaze."

Jing Hu looked at him. "Why don't you lie down on the grass and look at the stars with me, Lord Ke? It is completely different from looking at them while sitting." She teased him, "You needn't worry about soiling your clothes, Lord Ke. If the worst comes to the worst, I'll wash them for you."

He remained still and silent for a long while. Just as she was about to call out to him again, he complied and lay down beside her.

He was so close to her that the scent of pine and cypress enveloped her.

Jing Hu's spirits lifted once more. "When I was in Jiangnan, a cousin of mine also taught me how to read the stars. But though I just tried my hardest to find the stars he once pointed out to me, aside from the Big Dipper, I don't seem to be able to find a single one."

Ke Mingxu then said, "When he taught you the stars before, was it also during this season? If the season is different, the stars you can see will be different as well."

"What you say is true, but the Big Dipper can be seen in all four seasons; only the direction of the ladle's handle changes."

She hurriedly chimed in, "I know, I know. When the ladle points to the east, it is spring throughout the world. When the ladle points to the south, it is summer throughout the world. When the ladle points to the west, it is autumn throughout the world. When the ladle points to the north, it is winter throughout the world."

She was still like a child; having mentioned a sliver of knowledge she possessed, she could not help but blurt it out, silently seeking his praise.

Ke Mingxu gave a faint smile. "What you say is correct. If you know anything else, you might as well tell me all of it."

Jing Hu thought for a moment. "The Big Dipper is made up of seven stars, which are Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, and..."

Try as she might, she could not remember the last two stars. She only remembered this much because her eldest cousin, Xu Min, was an eccentric who loved stargazing above all else.

Once, when she had accidentally made a mistake and broken her grandmother's favorite Ru-ware brush washer, he had forced her to memorize these names, and only when she could recite them all would he agree to cover for her.

What a mess of strange names it was; she had memorized them for half a day until she could rattle them off backward, yet now she could not recall them.

"They are Mizar and Alkaid," he softly explained for her.