The vendor making the sugar art was clearly a master craftsman, appearing to be over fifty years old. The molten sugar he worked with gleamed like golden glass, radiating a warm, gentle light.
On his stand were adorable candy sculptures of animals and elegant flowers. Each piece of sugar art was exquisitely lifelike, glowing with a translucent, honey-gold brilliance.
Seeing the curious gaze of the beautiful girl in front of his stall, the old man chuckled warmly.
"Little lady, if you like one, go ahead and take it. Or, tell me what you want, and I'll make it for you on the spot."
Bibi Dong turned around and waved to Gu Han, who was still paying for the masks at the previous stall.
"Junior brother, come look! These sugar artworks are so pretty!"
Gu Han placed a gold soul coin on the vendor's table and walked over to Bibi Dong's side. He sniffed lightly and could clearly smell the sweet, fragrant scent of sugar. With a smile, he asked the vendor,
"Sir, would you mind if we tried making one ourselves?"
Bibi Dong's eyes lit up with excitement and anticipation as she turned to the vendor.
"Uhh… sure, why not."
There was no way the vendor could refuse such a request from such a beautiful girl staring at him with sparkling eyes. Besides, even if they didn't do well, it wasn't his responsibility—and as long as they paid, letting young folks have some fun was no trouble at all.
Under the vendor's guidance, Gu Han's hands moved skillfully. Drawing from memory, he shaped a candy version of the golden monkey holding a staff—Sun Wukong. Though it wasn't perfect in detail, the figure was still quite recognizable.
"Ah! Junior brother, that's Sun Wukong, right?"
Bibi Dong's eyes sparkled. The majestic golden monkey, the phoenix-winged cap, golden armor, and the iconic golden cudgel—these elements matched the image of the Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, Sun Wukong, from Journey to the West, a tale her junior brother had once told her.
Gu Han smiled gently and nodded.
"Yeah. Still a few imperfections, though."
The vendor scratched his head.
"Sun Wukong? Who's that? Some kind of famous hero?"
"I want to try too!"
With interest piqued, Bibi Dong took up the tools and mimicked Gu Han's work. After several failed attempts, she finally succeeded. Her face beamed with joy as she held up her candy creation proudly.
"Junior Brother, look! I did it!"
"Haha, both of you are quite talented. Normally it takes people ages just to get the basics of sugar sculpting."
The vendor smiled appreciatively and mentally recorded the image of the monkey figure, planning to try crafting one himself later. He didn't know why, but there was something awe-inspiring and larger-than-life about that monkey.
"Thank you for letting us try," Gu Han said, handing over ten gold soul coins. "Just a small token of appreciation—please don't refuse."
"Oh, no need…"
Though the vendor said he couldn't accept it, his hands were already tucking the coins into his coat. Ten gold soul coins—he could barely earn that much selling sugar art for an entire year after expenses.
Bibi Dong pulled Gu Han's arm and ran through the sea of lanterns. The smile on her face was radiant and sincere, free of pretense. So natural, so beautiful, it made it hard to look away.
She bought a sky lantern and dragged Gu Han up to a nearby arched bridge. Then, she pasted two hand-drawn portraits—hers and Gu Han's—onto the lantern's paper.
"Junior brother, the vendor said if we make a wish to the lantern and release it, it'll come true. Let's make a wish."
"Alright. You go first, Senior Sister."
"Mhm… I wish… I could always be with my Junior Brother."
Bibi Dong wasn't a timid girl. At this moment, she mustered her courage and openly revealed her heart, gazing at Gu Han with hopeful eyes.
Gu Han smiled. Her feelings were completely transparent tonight—how could he not understand?
"I wish the same—that I can always be by Senior Sister's side."
Joy bloomed across Bibi Dong's face. So, her junior brother had liked her all along.
Hmph! I knew it. With my charm, how could I not win over a little junior like him?
The two of them released the sky lantern together—the one bearing their portraits. Beneath the night sky, countless lanterns floated upward like drifting fireflies.
Each lantern glowed with a warm light, slowly rising into the heavens. As they ascended, they seemed to merge with the night, like stars joining the sky.
Those lights carried the hopes and dreams of every young couple watching from below.
Bibi Dong clung gently to Gu Han's arm, resting her head against his shoulder. Together, they watched the lantern they had released, now just one glowing dot among the starry sky.
Hidden nearby, the Spirit Hall ghostly protector assigned to guard them couldn't help but smile fondly. He had watched these two grow up under his watchful eye. Both were outstanding—a perfect match. Seeing them come together now truly warmed his heart.
The senior and junior sat close together, neither saying a word, quietly savoring a moment of deep emotional significance.
The shimmering lights above seemed to become the perfect backdrop to their story.
After a long while, Bibi Dong finally lifted her head slightly and looked up at Gu Han. He met her gaze, lowering his head ever so slightly.
"Junior brother… do you think Master would disapprove of us?"
Gu Han smiled and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Senior sister, I promise you—no matter who tries to stop us, we won't be separated."
"Besides, do you really think Master would object?"
Bibi Dong thought about it, then shook her head.
"No… Master's always been good to us. And there's no rule in Spirit Hall saying senior and junior disciples can't be together."
Over the years, Gu Han had come to see that Qian Xunji wasn't nearly as unreasonable as the original story made him out to be. On the contrary, he'd treated both of them with genuine care. Whenever he had something good, he always shared it with them.
He'd given them a lot of freedom in their training, only stepping in if they made serious mistakes. Sometimes, he even supported their ideas.
In the original timeline, Qian Xunji opposed Bibi Dong's relationship because of Yu Xiaogang's background.
After all, Spirit Hall had finally produced a once-in-a-century genius, and she was being courted by a disciple from an outside sect—a man whose soul power couldn't even break past Rank 29. Who wouldn't object?
Bibi Dong had the talent of a future Super Douluo, with twin martial souls. In terms of combat potential, she was destined to surpass ordinary Titled Douluo.
As for those rumors that Qian Xunji only took her as a disciple with impure intentions—
Well, they sounded reasonable on the surface.
But Gu Han found those claims groundless.
If Qian Xunji truly wanted to claim her, he wouldn't have bothered going through the motions of discipleship—he could've just raised her as a child bride. Taking her as a disciple would've been unnecessary.
And let's be honest—arranged upbringing like that was hardly unusual in the Douluo Continent, especially among noble families. It was basically the norm.
Besides, after years of close observation, Gu Han had seen nothing but sincere care in Qian Xunji's actions—like that of an elder to a beloved junior. Not even a trace of improper intent.
He wasn't sure how Qian Xunji would react to their relationship, but one thing was certain—it wouldn't be anything like the over-the-top rejection shown in the original story.
After all, Gu Han was also a disciple of Spirit Hall—one with extraordinary potential. Qian Xunji had witnessed that firsthand.
The odds of him objecting were slim.
~~~
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