Be Gentle, Immortal Master

He didn't exaggerate at all—the endless choices displayed in front of us dazed me. The tent closest to us had a handful of tables laden with dried fruit, nuts, and pastries of all kinds. The next one over featured flower vases in myriads of shapes and colors, filled with early plum blossoms and silverbud willows. The farther shops were draped in the brightest silk, walls covered with rows of robes and dresses suitable for the grandest gatherings of the new year.

No wonder the streets were so busy today. The tents must have been set up just for the holiday, as everything was catered specifically to the end-of-year shopping. Back at home, my parents used to prepare candies and cakes for New Year as well, and silverbud willows were a must for decorating the house during this season. The memories stirred up a wisp of nostalgia in me. "We should get something for the cabin," I said as we strolled through the dazzling trinkets and wares. "It's a bit too empty … Enough for a comfortable living, of course, but I like it busy and bright for the festivals."

Bai Ye smiled. "Then we should get something red. We already missed it for our wedding … And now is a good time to make up for it."

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I giggled at his suggestion, and I knew he must be already imagining us tumbling under a pile of red blankets. "No need for more bedding," I said before he voiced those thoughts. "But those might be nice to have." I pointed at a stall selling firecrackers and door couplets.

The woman sitting behind the table came up to us immediately with the brightest smile as we approached. "Door couplets?" Her sharp eyes had already figured out what we wanted. "You have the air of a scholar, Mister. You must see that all my couplets are done with professional skills and taste!"

The air of a scholar? I glimpsed at Bai Ye, and I suppose that I had to admit the woman was right. His graceful mien was too out of this world. Being a merchant, a court figure, or anything else simply wouldn't befit him at all. I secretly compared the image of him holding a book versus a sword in his hand … Surprisingly, I couldn't tell which one I loved more.

"How do you like this one?" the woman continued, handing us a set and reading it out loud. "Heaven gains its age and people gain their wisdom. Spring fills our land and blessings fill your house. Horizontal scroll is: fortune on every doorstep."

"That was quite well written," I marveled. She didn't lie about the quality of the prose, and from the bold handwriting, I could tell that the calligrapher was quite an experienced one as well.

"Every scroll is one of a kind," the woman said proudly. "This particular calligrapher's writing has been very popular this year. They are almost sold out!"

I smiled in response and kept browsing through the rest of her samples. That one was well-done indeed, but not quite to my liking. A door couplet was meant to carry our wishes for the new year, and I didn't think those lines quite cut it. Though I couldn't really put my finger on precisely what I was looking for either …

"What do you think of this one?" Bai Ye picked up a different set and passed it to me. "Winter ends in splendid mountain and river valleys. Spring starts with fragrant peach and plum blossoms. Horizontal scroll: ring out the old, ring in the new."

"I love it!" I exclaimed. The references to nature made it sit perfectly with our cabin in the woods, and the horizontal scroll summed up everything we needed for a new life ahead of us. "You always know exactly what I want." I couldn't help but give him a big hug.

The woman laughed at my gesture. "I envy you young couples. I'll make it cheap for you and hope I can share some of that sweet fortune too!" Please visit 𝒇𝚛𝙚𝙚𝘸𝙚𝗯𝓃𝗼ѵ𝚎𝘭. c𝑜𝘮

Slightly self-conscious at what I had just done in public, I let go of him and grinned. Bai Ye wore a wide smile on his face and paid for the scrolls. As we ambled off, he clutched my hand. "You should do that more often," he whispered in my ear and gave me a light peck on the cheek.

"B-Bai Ye!" I giggled, though I gave him a little glare as a rush of heat burned my face. "There are so many people here! They'll see!"

This wasn't like Seventh Sister Day at Silver Gate anymore. On the day of lovers, people were more accepting and used to seeing couples showing affection in public, but on a normal day, in the capital city where everyone couldn't care more about being cultured … Most would frown upon "undignified" behavior like this.

"So what?" Bai Ye replied nonchalantly, holding my hand tighter. "Let them see. If they judge, that just means they are jealous."

Well, I should've known there was no point discussing modesty with him. I gave in defeatedly. "What should we get next then?" I asked.

The smile over his lips widened some more. "I smell candied hawthorns," he said. "We can get some and—"

"No!" I rejected the idea immediately, giving him another glare as I knew he was purposefully trying to tease me again. "My teeth will rot if I eat too much candy."

He raised an eyebrow, halting his footsteps and making me stop with him. "You don't have cavities, do you?" he asked with a serious expression. Not giving me any time to answer, he lifted my chin with his forefinger, and he kissed me.

"…" Least expecting him to be doing this in front of such a busy crowd, I froze, my mind turning blank without knowing how to respond at all. His tongue slipped into my mouth, gliding over my teeth and tasting me thoroughly. When he released my lips, I was still standing there stupefied.

"Qing-er," he breathed with a smirk.. "Your teeth feel perfect to me."