The Male Lead's Harem Belongs to Me (GL) - Chapter 40
The deep autumn sky darkened early. Before Jiang Han and the others had dinner, it was still bright, but after dinner, the sky outside was already dark, with only a faint blue light.
For tonight’s Lantern Festival, they dressed up for a long time before going out. Jiang Han and Liu Shuwei both wore light blue lace dresses, looking like a pair of beautiful sisters, each one more gorgeous and beautiful than the other.
Chang Qianjiao, sticking to her style, wore a bright red dress, while Gu Hanyun and Yu Weiwan wore light yellow. Each of them had their own charm, and any one of them would be stunning, let alone all of them together.
The maids behind them laughed and teased, “Princess and the concubines look like five sisters if you don’t look closely.”
Jiang Han raised an eyebrow, smiling, “We are sisters from different fathers.”
They all laughed, teasing Jiang Han. Soon, they got into the carriage and went to the center of the city.
The Lantern Festival was a folk festival, originating from the founding emperor of Qi. It was said that when he repelled the Xiongnu foreign tribes, he was inspired by the folk lanterns and used a strategy to defeat them.
So, to commemorate this event, he designated that day as the Lantern Festival.
When Jiang Han and the others got off the carriage, the scene before them was dazzling. Although they had expected it, they couldn’t help but be shocked when they actually saw it.
All kinds of lanterns were lined up, illuminating the sky above the capital like daylight. Although they were called lanterns, they were actually various items with candles in them. The crowds coming and going were endless, everyone with a smile on their face. Various vendors were everywhere, making sugar paintings, clay figurines, selling masks… In short, the scene was very lively.
The appearance of Jiang Han and the others attracted some attention, but most people were focused on their own fun.
Gu Hanyun looked around, taking a deep breath, saying, “This is amazing! Sister Jiang, I want to make that clay figurine!”
Jiang Han, watching Gu Hanyun like a wild horse, hurriedly reminded, “Don’t run around, you’ll get lost.”
Liu Shuwei said from the side, “Sister, let her go. We can just meet under the tree by the lake before Hai hour.”
Jiang Han hesitated, saying, “Okay, then let’s go see the clay figurine together first, and then split up?”
Liu Shuwei smiled slightly, “Okay.”
The others had no objections, so they went to the clay figurine stall together. The clay figurine maker was an old man. When he saw the five beautiful women, he quickly said, “Ladies, do you want to make them yourselves, or should I make them?”
Jiang Han’s eyes lit up, “We can make them ourselves?”
Seeing Jiang Han’s eagerness, Gu Hanyun immediately thought of the painting incident last time, hurriedly saying, “No, old man, please make them for us.”
Jiang Han looked at Gu Hanyun accusingly. Gu Hanyun said, “Sister Jiang, you can make them yourself, but this time we’ll make ourselves.”
Jiang Han: “…” I feel like this child is saying something else, like she’s scolding me.
“Then forget it,” Jiang Han sighed, “Please make them, old man.”
The clay figurine maker said, “Okay, lady, I’ll make them from left to right according to your standing order, okay?”
Jiang Han didn’t care, so she let him do it. Soon, the old man started making the clay figurine, looking at Yu Weiwan. He made them very quickly. Before they could react, Yu Weiwan’s clay figurine was finished.
Gu Hanyun stared in disbelief, “That was too fast, right?”
She took the clay figurine in her hand, comparing it to Yu Weiwan, sighing, “It actually looks very similar.”
The old man chuckled, “Of course, I make a living from this.”
Gu Hanyun didn’t speak again. The old man made them very quickly. When it was almost Jiang Han and Liu Shuwei’s turn, Liu Shuwei suddenly said, “Old man, you can make single ones, can you make two together?”
The old man replied while making the clay figurine, his speed not affected at all, “Of course, who do you want to be with?”
They looked over, seeing Liu Shuwei saying, “With the lady in the blue dress next to me, make two copies.”
The old man agreed. Gu Hanyun said sourly, “Weiwei, you’re not with me, wuwu, I’m so sad.”
Liu Shuwei said, “If Gu Gu wants, we can make one together later.”
Gu Hanyun thought carefully, “Forget it, I can’t stay at one stall. There are other places waiting for me. Let’s do it next time.”
A light flashed in Liu Shuwei’s eyes. She smiled, not speaking.
After paying, they went their separate ways. Gu Hanyun was attracted by the big boat on the lake, disappearing in a flash. Chang Qianjiao and Yu Weiwan also went to other places, leaving only Jiang Han and Liu Shuwei.
Jiang Han handed the two clay figurines to Chun Zhu, turning to Liu Shuwei, saying, “Let’s…”
“Let’s go together,” Liu Shuwei suggested, looking at Jiang Han.
The night breeze blew, leaving ripples in Liu Shuwei’s eyes. Jiang Han was stunned, quickly agreeing, “Okay.”
A light flashed in Liu Shuwei’s eyes. She gently cupped her hands, breathing on them, saying, “It’s so cold.”
Jiang Han stood in front of her, tucking her clothes, saying, “It won’t be cold if you keep your clothes tight.”
“My hands are cold,” Liu Shuwei whispered, raising her eyelashes.
Jiang Han coughed lightly, naturally putting down her hands, hesitating for a moment, then grabbing Liu Shuwei’s hands in her palms. Her soft, smooth hands felt like a cloud in her hands. Jiang Han tried to ignore the strangeness in her heart, turning her head, asking nervously, “Is it still cold?”
At the moment she turned her head, fireworks exploded in the distance, reflected in Liu Shuwei’s eyes. Liu Shuwei smiled, saying, “Not cold anymore.”
On the other side, Yu Weiwan and Chang Qianjiao were separated by the crowd. Chang Qianjiao had no choice but to follow the crowd. Suddenly, there was a commotion in front of the crowd. Soon, Chang Qianjiao knew why.
In a crowd of people walking forward, a man in a red robe was pushing against the crowd, looking back as he pushed, as if there was something terrible behind him.
Chang Qianjiao recognized him at a glance. It was the lecher from last time. She looked around, seeing a richly dressed woman with a group of guards, looking for the lecher.
Chang Qianjiao had an idea. She pushed against the crowd, “accidentally” sticking out her foot as Rong Shaoqing passed her. With a “ouch” sound, Rong Shaoqing fell face down.
“Who is it? Do you have three feet? How do you walk?” Rong Shaoqing, lying on the ground, looked up, seeing the woman who had just passed him in the crowd.
It wasn’t because of any special telepathy, but because the woman’s red dress was too eye-catching in the crowd. He glared at her, about to run away when the woman turned back, looking at him gloatingly.
Rong Shaoqing was instantly furious. He gritted his teeth, standing up, suddenly having an idea. He grabbed Chang Qianjiao’s arm, saying affectionately, “I finally found you, beauty.”
Chang Qianjiao immediately realized what he was trying to do, shouting, “Help! There’s a hooligan!”
This shout immediately alerted the richly dressed woman to their location. Seeing Rong Shaoqing grabbing a woman’s hand, and the woman shouting for help, she was furious.
You, Rong Shaoqing, don’t want me, you want to snatch a civilian girl.
Rong Shaoqing glared, covering her mouth, pulling Chang Qianjiao away, seeing the woman walking towards him angrily.
Chang Qianjiao wouldn’t let him succeed, dragging him back, shouting, “Help! There’s a hooligan, he’s trying to run away after being a hooligan!”
Rong Shaoqing: “!” Damn it!
As they were struggling, the richly dressed woman approached with her people. She asked her men to grab Rong Shaoqing, then turned to look at Chang Qianjiao, saying arrogantly, “Okay, you can go. I’ll deal with him.”
Chang Qianjiao knew she was the Fifth Princess, not wanting to argue with her, so she said yes, turning to look at Rong Shaoqing, who was being held down, giving him a victorious smile.
Rong Shaoqing: “…”
Rong Shaoqing gritted his teeth, wanting to bite her if he wasn’t being held back. This woman, he would take revenge next time he saw her!
At the same time, Gu Hanyun paid to get on the boat, leaning on the railing, enjoying the lake view with the evening breeze. Just then, fireworks bloomed, and the myriad colors were reflected on the water, then instantly dissipated when they touched the surface.
Gu Hanyun was mesmerized, her eyes filled with wonder. As she was about to praise the scene, she heard the sound of stringed instruments coming from the opposite direction. She looked over, seeing a luxurious boat sailing towards them. The boat was filled with richly dressed men and women, clearly wealthy and noble.
A woman was dancing on the bow of the boat, her graceful figure as light as a butterfly in the moonlight. The figure looked somewhat familiar. When the woman turned, Gu Hanyun’s eyes widened, recognizing her.
It was her Sister Kui’er.
Before Gu Hanyun could express her surprise, a drunken man stood up on the opposite boat, clearly heading towards Lin Kui. Gu Hanyun became anxious, but the two boats were far apart, and she couldn’t reach them. She could only watch helplessly from her boat.
The two men beside her had also seen this scene, but instead of feeling sympathy for what Lin Kui was about to endure, they chuckled and talked about it.
“That’s the courtesan. Look at her figure, she’s indeed a beauty. It’s a shame she’s about to be taken advantage of by that drunkard.”
“Pfft, what drunkard? The people on that boat are all wealthy and noble. If a brothel girl can hook up with one of them, it’s a blessing.”
“That’s true.”
Gu Hanyun was furious, rebuking them, “Even brothel girls have dignity. Besides, that courtesan is a ‘clean’ courtesan. You should be helping to save her, not adding insult to injury.”
The two men sneered at Gu Hanyun, “Help? Not to mention whether the courtesan wants help, the people on that boat are all nobles. Who dares to offend them?”
Gu Hanyun ignored them, looking towards the opposite boat. She saw the man reaching Lin Kui’s side, about to touch her. The crowd watched, but no one dared to intervene.
As the boats drew closer, Gu Hanyun could finally shout loudly, “You lecher, let go!”
Lin Kui was startled by the familiar voice, turning her head, her eyes showing surprise and bitterness. What could she do? In Seven Treasures Pavilion, she could rely on the guards and the people behind her, but on this boat, she was helpless. The man in front of her was the Third Prince, someone she couldn’t afford to offend. She could only shake her head gently at Gu Hanyun.
Gu Hanyun gritted her teeth. The man, hearing her words, didn’t let go. Instead, he glanced at her, his eyes lighting up. He said to the guards beside him, “Go, bring her here too!”
Gu Hanyun saw the whispering and mocking faces around her, then saw Lin Kui grabbing the man’s wrist, smiling gently at him, “If Third Prince wants someone else to serve with me, I won’t allow it.”
The Third Prince sneered, “Whether she comes or not, you’ll be with me. Do you think you can escape?”
Gu Hanyun gritted her teeth, “Even if you’re the Third Prince, what about it? There are so many people in broad daylight. Do you really want to forcibly take a civilian girl?”
Gu Hanyun wasn’t stupid. She knew she couldn’t win, so she used the crowd to put pressure on him, hoping he would be wary.
However, the Third Prince laughed as if he had heard a great joke, “Puhahahaha, so many people in broad daylight? Ask them, who saw anything?”
Gu Hanyun turned her head, but everyone immediately lowered their heads, avoiding her gaze. Gu Hanyun felt disappointed. Just because he was a prince, he could act lawlessly? There were so many people on the boat, but no one dared to speak up against him.
The Third Prince, seeing the reaction of the people around him, continued to laugh. But the next second, his laughter stopped. A voice came from behind him, filled with a smile, but it made him tremble.
“Third Brother is so powerful in public? I wonder what Father would think if he knew.”
Accompanying the voice was a noble young man. He gently waved his folding fan, walking straight to the Third Prince, Qi Fan, smiling, “Greetings, Third Brother.”
Qi Fan, looking at the overly handsome young man, involuntarily released Lin Kui’s wrist, saying, “So it’s Fourth Brother. I didn’t know you were on this boat. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Qi Ru chuckled, his eyes glancing at the interaction between Gu Hanyun on the other boat and Lin Kui on this boat. His mind raced. He looked at Qi Fan, saying, “I just found out Third Brother was here. What a coincidence. I haven’t had a drink or played chess with Third Brother in a long time. How about we do that today?”
Qi Fan was still thinking about Lin Kui, but seeing Qi Ru’s attitude, he hesitated. Just then, Qi Ru spoke again, “If it’s inconvenient, then forget it. I’ll play with Father another day.”
Qi Fan’s face changed, hurriedly saying, “Convenient, very convenient. I’d love to play chess with Fourth Brother.”
He patted Qi Ru’s shoulder, acting like a good brother. Qi Ru smiled slightly, “Third Brother won’t blame me for interrupting your fun, right?”
Qi Fan waved his hand, “No, of course not.” Having grown up in the palace, Qi Fan could tell that Qi Ru meant he shouldn’t think about keeping Lin Kui. He didn’t know why, but a woman wasn’t worth risking the emperor’s anger.
Gu Hanyun’s heart slowly calmed down, looking at Qi Ru’s departing back, her eyes filled with gratitude. At the same time, another thought took root in her mind.
If the Fourth Prince hadn’t shown up, Lin Kui would have been in danger. She was fine, she could use the prince’s name to protect herself, but what about Lin Kui? If she was strong enough, strong enough to make the princes wary, could she protect Lin Kui?
But she was trapped in a small mansion, without power, relying on the prince’s name to protect herself. Gu Hanyun looked at Lin Kui’s beautiful face, and the thought that had never moved before began to crack.
••••
Jiang Han and Liu Shuwei stood on the bridge, their maids having left them to enjoy the festivities. They watched the boats passing by, holding hands, chatting.
Jiang Han, looking at the water, suddenly remembered the question Liu Shuwei hadn’t answered that day. She turned to look at her, asking, “So, why were you in the water that day?”
Liu Shuwei paused, then looked into Jiang Han’s eyes. Her bright eyes were filled with confusion and the tension she didn’t realize she had. She looked at her, then lowered her eyes, not asking how Jiang Han knew. She simply said softly, “Because I didn’t want to marry the prince.”
Jiang Han heard an answer that was both expected and unexpected. She couldn’t help but squeeze Liu Shuwei’s hand, asking, “Why? Why didn’t you want to marry the prince? Don’t you like him?”
Liu Shuwei looked up, meeting her eyes, then smiled lightly, “Who said I liked the prince?”
Jiang Han’s mind went blank for a moment. Her mouth moved faster than her brain, “Then who do you like?”
Author’s Note:
Liu Shuwei: You…
Jiang Han (excited and thrilled): Really?
Liu Shuwei: Guess.
Jiang Han: …Wuwu, you’re playing with my feelings.
T/N: Hmm… it looks like everyone has their own partners! What about me!? QAQ