I was sleeping peacefully when Piao suddenly burst in, her voice cutting through the calm like a sharp bell.
"You shouldn't still be sleeping, don't you know what day it is?"
I slowly rubbed my eyes, trying to pull myself out of the haze. "What's the matter?" I asked, sitting up little by little.
"You forgot, didn't you? Today is the festival!" she declared, already folding my bedsheet as if the day had been waiting only for her.
Ah… so that festival. The one Qian had mentioned. The day meant for *fun*… or at least, that's what he called it.
"But isn't it at night? We still have plenty of time," I said, confused.
"Exactly why we need preparations," Jun's voice joined from the doorway as he stepped in.
"Yes, yes- we need to get you dressed, fix your hair, and much more," Piao added quickly.
Something about the house felt different that morning.
It wasn't just busy yet it was alive.
Every corner was filled with motion. Children, men, women, each lost in their own little world of preparation for the night ahead. Some argued over outfits, others debated plans, while a few simply laughed for no reason at all, as if happiness itself had spilled into the air.
And yet, amidst all that chaos, no one was truly alone. There was always a smile, a tease, a shared joke drifting between them like warmth.
Piao insisted I wear a hanfu: a traditional outfit meant for nights like this. I barely understood what she was saying, so I simply nodded to everything.
The morning slipped away faster than I realized.
Soon, it was almost time.
The house had transformed completely, bright, glowing, almost unreal. Even the children looked like tiny stars running through light itself.
Piao spent every moment preparing me. The hanfu looked complicated, almost impossible at first, layers upon layers of fabric and knots. But once it was finally set in place, I caught a glimpse of my reflection.
And froze.
It wasn't me… not entirely.
It looked like someone else was standing where I stood.
Piao stared at her work with unmistakable pride.
Jun entered and for a moment, his expression softened in a way I had never seen before. His eyes lit up.
"You look beautiful, Lue… my son."
Then he hesitated, as if something in him caught.
"You too, da-" I began.
"Complete it," he interrupted gently, almost quickly. "You look good."
I looked away.
He seemed slightly disappointed, yet he couldn't stop looking at me, as if memorizing the moment. Then Piao left to prepare herself.
When she returned…
Even the room itself seemed to pause.
Piao was radiant. Not just beautiful- unfairly so, like the world had chosen her for light that day.
Jun stood still.
Completely still.
His world had clearly stopped moving.
"Beautiful, Piao," I said quietly, almost instinctively, before turning and stepping out of the room.
As I walked through the hallway, the house no longer felt like a house.
It felt like it was glowing from within.
And then-
The brightest presence of all stepped into the corridor.
Qian.
Like the world paused just to make sure it was real.
He wore a blue hanfu, the color deep and calm, perfectly matching with his eyes. His black hair was tied neatly, but a few loose strands escaped, softening the formality just enough to make it feel… natural. Not rigid, not forced, just perfectly his. secured with a white hairpin that somehow made him look less human and more… inevitable. Like he didn't belong to this world, but the world still obeyed him.
For a moment, everything stopped again.
The laughter, the noise, even the festival outside,gone.
There was only him.
He walked toward me slowly, and each step felt louder than it should have been.
"You look…" he paused, eyes scanning me carefully, as if measuring something unseen. "…perfect."
My breath caught.
Before I could answer, he leaned slightly forward, his fingers gently reaching up to adjust the ribbon in my hair.
Too close.
"Then tell me," he asked softly, "how do I look?"
The question hung between us, heavier than it should have been.
My thoughts tangled. Words failed me.
How could I describe him?
He looked like-
Like the way Piao appeared in Jun's eyes.
"I… couldn't quite find the words," I murmured at last.
"Good…"
It felt insufficient, small, almost meaningless but it was all I could manage.
For a fleeting moment, something unreadable passed through his eyes.
"Is that so?" he said softly.
Then, as if it mattered little, he stepped aside with effortless grace. "Well then- shall we go? The festival has already begun."
"But what about Piao and-"
Before I could finish, his fingers closed gently around my hand.
Not forceful. Not hurried.
Yet there was no room left to refuse.
He simply led the way.
The moment we stepped onto the streets, the world I once knew… disappeared.
Light spilled everywhere, lanterns swaying like captive stars, their glow painting the night in gold and crimson. Voices rose and fell in waves, laughter intertwining with distant music, the air thick with warmth, life, and something almost dreamlike.
I stood there, unmoving.
Lost.
Not in the crowd.
Not in the festival.
But in the feeling of it all.
My hand was still in his.
Steady. Certain.
As if, amidst the endless motion of the world, that single point of contact was the only thing that remained real.
And for the first time…
I could no longer remember what my world had felt like before this one.
I looked at Qian, he was just as lost as me, his eyes... can even blind the bright lanterns...