She came out of a small alley and walked along the street, walking alone among the joyful and laughing crowd during the festival. She appeared calm, but in reality, her entire body was stiff due to eager anticipation and nervousness, with her heart pounding in her chest.
Soon she arrived near the City God Temple square, where a lively lantern festival was held every year. Yu Yi wore a veil, unafraid of being recognized by acquaintances. She walked slowly among the crowd watching the lanterns, searching for her family’s whereabouts. It was around this time that they would come near the rabbit lantern.
Soon, she truly found them.
Her father looked just like in her memories, hands behind his back, looking leisurely and carefree, walking side by side with her mother. Hong Rui and Hong Zhi walked behind them, talking happily. Hong Min was only six years old at this time, holding Yu Wan’s hand with one hand and pulling Shen Nanny with the other, skipping between them.
Immediately after, she saw herself – her fifteen-year-old self. She affectionately linked arms with Yu Xin and held Yu Yue’s hand, turning to Yu Yue to discuss a riddle.
Yu Yi’s tears burst forth, burning as they flowed down her cheeks. This was the last Lantern Festival she spent with her father and brothers. The next year, shortly after the New Year, the imperial decree for house arrest arrived.
After that, her family was destroyed, separated by life and death, and she never saw them again.
Chapter 153: Difficult to Let Go
Yu Yi followed her long-missed family from a distance for a short while, suppressing her impulse to approach them, then turned and left the crowded lantern festival. Although she could return to the past, her own time remained synchronized with the time management bureau’s standard time, so she couldn’t stay long and had to return before Meng Qing discovered her absence.
Finding a deserted place during the festival was not easy. Yu Yi walked quickly through a small alley and finally found a section with no people. She looked front and back, then quickly opened Lin Bai’s terminal and returned to her room in the bureau.
