CHAPTER 53: CUTE RABBIT?

"Wh— what are you talking about! I just... he looked cute, that’s all. Like a little rabbit."

Yuanfeng’s lips twitched. Cute rabbit?

That boy’s expression had been as calm and unreadable as a mountain. If anything, he looked like a wolf cub pretending to be tame.

But he didn’t say it aloud. He only smiled lightly and took her small hand into his. "Alright, alright. Shall we go look around now, Miss Rabbit-charmer?"

Huaijin’s eyes curved into crescents as she nodded eagerly. "Let’s go!"

The festival grounds were lively, full of students from the three most prestigious schools in the city: the Yunhua Academy, Xingcheng Primary, and Brightway Elementary.

The air carried the scent of roasted chestnuts, fried dough, and sweet lotus pastries, mingling with laughter and the distant melody of flutes from the performance stage.

Colorful lanterns swayed overhead, each shaped differently, rabbits, dragons, peonies, and moon palaces glowed softly in the golden evening light.

Huaijin’s eyes sparkled as she gazed around, completely enchanted. She tightened her hold on Yuanfeng’s hand, her small fingers curling around his larger ones.

"Father, look! They have a paper lantern painting over there! And sugar art!" she said excitedly, pointing toward a row of art stalls.

"Want to try?" Yuanfeng asked indulgently.

"Mn!"

They went from stall to stall, Huaijin trying everything that caught her eye.

She painted a little bunny lantern, though her strokes were wobbly, the rabbit had an oversized head and tiny limbs that somehow made it adorable.

The crafts teacher who oversaw the activity couldn’t resist taking a photo for the exhibition wall.

Then they watched a sugar artist pour melted caramel onto a marble slab, swirling it into the shape of a phoenix.

Huaijin clapped her hands in delight. "Wow! It’s so pretty! Father, buy one for me!"

Yuanfeng paid without hesitation, smiling with joy. The phoenix-shaped sugar art gleamed in the lantern light, golden and delicate.

But while she was busy licking her sweet, Huaijin’s mischievous eyes wandered to the stage area where the dance competition was about to start.

"Father, let’s go see that," she said, tugging his sleeve.

"The dance competition?"

"Yes! Chi Yuanying and Liang Lingzhi are both performing. I want to see who trips first!" she said with a gleeful grin.

Yuanfeng almost laughed out loud. His daughter’s pettiness was too cute. "You’re supposed to cheer for them, not curse them."

"But they’re both annoying," Huaijin muttered under her breath. "Always acting like princesses and talking about who’s prettier. Hmph! I hope their hairpins fall off mid-dance."

The competition was being held on a raised stage decorated with red lanterns and banners embroidered with golden moon motifs.

The music started, a soft, elegant guzheng tune that matched the grace of the performers.

First up was Liang Lingzhi, who was wearing a pink hanfu with glittering floral embroidery.

Her movements were delicate, graceful, and clearly well-practiced. The audience clapped politely.

Then came Chi Yuanying, Huaijin’s cousin, dressed in icy blue silk. Her dance was a little stiff, but her beauty and the halo of her family name drew louder applause.

Huaijin watched with an unimpressed expression, her chin resting on her palm as she sat on a nearby bench. "They’re both so dramatic. I can’t tell if it’s a dance or a duel."

Yuanfeng sat beside her, arms folded, quietly observing the two little girls twirling and glaring at each other between steps.

"It’s just rivalry," he said casually.

"Over a boy!" Huaijin snorted. "They’re fighting over someone who isn’t even half-grown yet! Look, he’s sitting in the audience blushing like a tomato!"

Following her finger, Yuanfeng spotted a small boy sitting near the front row, clutching a bunch of flowers awkwardly while both girls danced in his direction.

He was clearly terrified, unsure whom to cheer for.

Yuanfeng coughed lightly, hiding a smile. "Ah, young love."

"More like young stupidity," Huaijin muttered, earning a soft chuckle from her father.

As the music reached its crescendo, Liang Lingzhi tried to outshine Yuanying by performing a spin, but her sleeve caught on one of the stage lantern strings.

The silk tore audibly, making her lose balance. The audience gasped, and though she quickly regained her footing, it was too late; the moment was ruined.

Chi Yuanying seized the chance to end her dance with a flourish, her fan snapping open as she bowed gracefully.

"See?" Huaijin whispered, eyes sparkling with mischievous delight. "Told you someone would trip!"

Yuanfeng gave her a sideways look. "You shouldn’t sound so happy about it."

"But it’s funny!" she said with a giggle, kicking her feet playfully. "Next time, maybe both will trip together."

Her laughter drew the attention of some nearby students, who recognized her as the girl who’d been selling mooncakes earlier.

A few of them waved at her cheerfully. "Hey! Mooncake girl! Your desserts were amazing!"

Huaijin blinked, then smiled proudly. "Thank you!"

Yuanfeng’s chest warmed at the sight. His daughter was glowing, confident, happy, and full of spirit.

For the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of peace watching her laugh so freely under the lanterns.

As night deepened, the festival lights grew brighter, painting the world in gold and crimson hues.

Huaijin and Yuanfeng wandered through the stalls one last time, sharing a skewer of grilled squid and some sweet plum tea.

She leaned lightly against him, tired but content. "Daddy, next year, I’ll make even more mooncakes. Maybe I’ll add new flavors, like rose or sesame!"

"Ambitious," Yuanfeng said softly. "I’ll help you again."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The little girl smiled, her eyes glimmering like the full moon overhead. The wind carried laughter, music, and the faint sweetness of mooncakes, the scent of her success.

And as Yuanfeng looked down at his daughter, who was scribbling "Next year’s ideas" in a small notebook while humming happily, he couldn’t help but think that this festival wasn’t about school rivalry or performances at all.

It was about this, his daughter growing, dreaming, and shining brighter than all the lanterns in the night sky.