TRBDM -Chapter 114 Just Stay With Me

“Then thank you, Fourth Brother.”

Dou Shuyao didn’t refuse, smiling as she took it.

The street performance on the other side hadn’t finished yet, and Xie Yu ran back to watch again. Before leaving, he winked at the two of them: “Sister-in-law, whatever you and Elder Sister buy today, Third Brother and I will pay for it. Remember that—”

Dou Shuyao was momentarily stunned, then smiled knowingly.

For the first time, she felt a sense of “care” that belonged to a younger brother.

“Sister, I’m really happy for you,” Dou Shuxin said sincerely. “The two younger brothers of the Xie family are really thoughtful.”

“Yes, having brothers like them is a blessing.”

Dou Shuyao, who rarely felt happiness, had recently been feeling overwhelmed by it.

The happiness felt almost unreal.

Her heart remained unsettled, afraid that the dream would shatter the moment she woke.

The flower vendor handed them the flowers they had chosen: “Madams, please accept them.”

Dou Shuyao took the fresh flowers and picked a pure white gardenia, tucking it into Dou Shuxin’s hair.

Then she went to Xie Wanrou and pinned a white-and-pink peony in her hair.

She herself wore a yellow jasmine.

Xie Lan and Xie Yu, having finished watching the performance, turned around and saw the three sisters adorned with flowers in their hair. They couldn’t help but gush in admiration.

“Sisters, you look so beautiful.”

After speaking, Xie Lan awkwardly scratched his head.

“Yes, the sisters are far prettier than the flowers in their hair,” Xie Yu said cheerfully, his tone even higher than Xie Lan’s.

“Today the two younger brothers are really sweet with their words; it’s so pleasant to hear.”

Xie Wanrou handed each of them a small bag of pine nut candy. “Have some candy.”

“Thank you, Elder Sister.”

The group wandered outside for quite a while, buying many small but mostly ornamental trinkets.

Around noon, they picked a noodle shop at random, eating and drinking leisurely, enjoying themselves thoroughly.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was evening, the night of the Full Moon Masquerade.

The streets of the capital were brightly lit, and citizens wearing all sorts of masks walked along the main roads.

“Sister-in-law, Elder Sister, these masks are from Fourth Brother and me. Try them and see if you like them.”

Rabbit, fox, and white cat — three ordinary but well-crafted masks.

The craftsmanship was delicate, clearly showing that Xie Lan had spent considerable time selecting them.

“They’re beautiful. I like them,” the three of them said in unison.

Xie Lan and Xie Yu chose Black and White Wuchang (grim reaper) masks, respectively.

Everyone, spirits high, put on their masks and continued to stroll.

The Full Moon Masquerade at night had several times the daytime crowd, and the street vendors’ stalls were even more colorful and varied.

Xie Wanrou was drawn to an antique stall and stopped by.

Her eyes immediately caught an icy-blue translucent jade flute.

The flute’s body was smooth as jade, giving off a soft glow, with a slender white snake coiled around it, and a string of tiny bells hanging from the end.

She reached out her hand, but before she could touch it, a hand with clearly defined joints snatched it first.

Xie Wanrou followed the pale hand upward and saw a man wearing a silver-glass lion mask, dressed in a white robe, exuding an ethereal elegance.

His eyes were deep, as if she had seen him somewhere before.

Although Xie Wanrou liked the flute, since he took it first, it naturally belonged to him.

She lowered her gaze, preparing to leave.

But the crowd behind was thick, and despite several attempts, she couldn’t get free.

Instead, she was shoved forward by someone reckless from behind, losing her balance.

The next moment, the man in white holding the jade flute suddenly appeared in front of her, steadying Xie Wanrou before she could fall.

“Thank you for saving me,” Xie Wanrou said, still shaken.

The man said nothing.

Xie Wanrou took a small step back, putting some distance between them.

“Miss Xie,” the man spoke, his voice oddly familiar.

“Lord Jiang?”

Xie Wanrou looked up in surprise. Upon a closer look, she realized it was indeed Jiang Yuelin.

Jiang Yuelin removed the mask from his face and smiled faintly. “I recognized you the moment I saw you. I’ve been standing beside you for quite some time, but you were so focused on choosing that you didn’t notice me at all.”

“Ah… sorry… there were so many people, I wasn’t paying attention.”

Xie Wanrou’s face flushed slightly beneath her mask. She was thankful for it; without it, the situation would have been downright embarrassing.

“Here.” Jiang Yuelin held out a jade flute. “Since you had your eye on it first, I won’t take it from you.”

Xie Wanrou took the jade flute. Their fingers brushed lightly for an instant before quickly pulling away.

“Thank you for letting me have it, Lord Jiang.”

She asked the vendor how much it cost.

The vendor said the young master had already paid for it.

“Then…” Xie Wanrou looked at Jiang Yuelin again. “Lord Jiang, this jade flute… it’s yours.”

“I’m giving it to you.”

“….”

She felt awkward accepting a gift out of the blue.

Before she could refuse, Jiang Yuelin said, “If you want to thank me, make me your honey puff pastries and iced snow yuanzi again. Ever since I had them that day, I’ve been craving them. I went to several dessert shops, but none are as good as yours.”

Jiang Yuelin appeared elegant and carefree, yet he was extremely picky about food.

He seemed to eat everything, but in truth, he disliked most things equally.

The only exception was the desserts Xie Wanrou made.

She had made three kinds, and Jiang Yuelin loved each one so much that he sometimes let a few spoil rather than eat them all at once, regretting it afterward.

“Would you exchange the jade flute for pastries made by your own hands, Miss Xie?”

Jiang Yuelin’s eyes were sincere. Xie Wanrou, caught off guard, nodded in a daze.

After a while…

“Lord Jiang,” Xie Wanrou said, holding the jade flute tightly, “I should take my leave. I need to find my third brother and the others.”

Jiang Yuelin didn’t respond, only curling the corners of his mouth as he watched Xie Wanrou struggle in the crowd, barely able to move.

She disliked touching strangers, so the situation left her completely vulnerable.

Jiang Yuelin couldn’t bear to watch. He reached out and blocked the crowd for her. “It’s too crowded. I’ll see you out.”

Xie Wanrou didn’t want to trouble him, but she had no choice and whispered her thanks.

Jiang Yuelin put his mask back on and stayed by her side.

He was tall, and under his protection, no one could even brush past Xie Wanrou.

“Young master, please wait.”

A young woman blocked their path. “Please accept my flower.”

She wore a half-mask, and the exposed half of her face was flushed.

During the Flower Morning Festival, a girl could present a flower to a young man she fancied. If he accepted it, it meant he reciprocated her feelings.

Every year at the festival, many couples met this way and eventually married.

Xie Sheng and Shen Zhizhi had met in this exact manner.

“Sorry.” A cool, distant voice rejected her.

Two simple words were enough.

The girl left, dejected.

Along the way, several girls tried giving flowers to Jiang Yuelin, which wasted a lot of time.

Xie Wanrou felt as if she were disturbing him.

“Lord Jiang, there aren’t many people here now. I can go find my third brother and the others myself.”

“Miss Xie, look around—how do you expect to find Third Master Xie in this crowd?”

Xie Wanrou stood on tiptoe and scanned the crowd, but it was all a sea of heads. She couldn’t tell anyone apart.

“So… just stay with me.”