Long Xi was lying in Mo Kun's arms, and Mo Kun was gently caressing her hair.

“Look, there are painted pleasure boats,” looking up at the lake, he said.

There were several painted pleasure boats on the lake. Rowing the boats were some young girls in beautiful clothes.

The visitors were in high spirits. And they decided to enjoy the scenery and the beautiful black chrysanthemums in the boats.

It reminded Long Xi of the lines in Peony Pavilion: “In windy strands of rain, painted pleasure boats nod in misty waves. Maidens s.h.i.+elded by brocaded screens are blinded to such glorious scenes!”

One of the boats was extraordinary. The bow was shaped into an upper body of a lion, gold in color, with sharp eyes and a straight nose, hair upright, and mouth open, looking magnificent.

There was a fan-shaped window on the painted cabin. Looking from outside, the visitors in the window were like portraits on a piece of fan-shaped canvas. Looking out from inside the cabin, the scenery outside was like a flowing landscape painting.

There were six people on the boat. One of them was a man, probably in his 40s, quite skinny, grey-haired, and wearing a double-breasted military uniform. He had sharp eagle eyes, high cheekbones, and his face was covered with wrinkles carved by time.

Next to him, there was another middle-aged man, stocky, with a round face, sober eyes, big nose, and full lips. He had a jackal-like head and eyebrows like needles.

And there was a beautiful woman sitting on the right side of the eagle-eyed man.

She wore a light-blue floppy straw hat, and her pretty face was hidden behind a veil, adding to the air of mystery.

She wore a dress that was the same color as her hat. Her curly hair was long and silky. The peony pendant on her neck was s.h.i.+ning in the sunlight. It was made of pink diamonds of different sizes. And the sapphire earrings on her ears were sparkling.

She was quiet, lost in her thoughts.

Long Xi found that the woman looked like Xiaolu's mother Fan Qianqian, but she couldn't see her face clearly because she didn't raise her head, her face was cover with a veil, and it was at a long distance.

There was also a muscular man sitting on the right side of the eagle-eyed man. Long Xi found his figure and clothes were just like the man with slanted eyebrows, who had stared at her, but she was not sure.

Next to him was a man wearing a long, white, gauzy robe and an apricot jacket. Looking from his back, he was as graceful as an opera player in old times.

There was an eagle flying in the sky.

When the boat turned around, Long Xi could see the face of the muscular man. She was right. That was the man with slanted eyebrows. He seemed to be lazy and too tired to lift his eyes.

He didn't seem to appreciate the beautiful view around him, only occasionally raising his eyes to cast a bored glimpse at the black chrysanthemums on the lake.

The young man next to him was quite handsome and charming, looking gentle and elegant. He looked very familiar, but Long Xi couldn't remember who he was.

“Who is that in the long gauzy robe, he seems familiar?” Long Yu asked.

“He is Yun Dieyi, the leading player in the Phoenix Kunqu Opera troupe, playing the young female character,” Mo Kun answered.

Long Xi said, “Oh, I remember him. Last time when granny watched Kunqu Opera on TV, there was a young female character performer. It was him. He was brilliant! The voice and the way he looked simply blended in with the character. Today, he's not wearing makeup, I couldn't recognize him. Brother Kun, you are so busy with your work, and have no time for TV, how do you know him?”

Mo Kun smiled and said, “He is now the most popular young female character actor of Kunqu Opera in Suzhou. He was born to sing Kunqu Opera. After years of studying, he can now perform well. And he is the head of the Phoenix Kunqu Opera troupe.”

Mo Kun smiled mysteriously, it was he who invited Yun Dieyi here, as one of the surprises for Long Xi tonight. He knew that she liked the Kunqu Opera Peony Pavilion. But he didn't know the people around Yun Dieyi. They either came together, or happened to meet each other on the same boat.

After a while, Long Xi and Mo Kun arrived at the “Star-picking Building”.

They made their way to the hall on the second floor.

The hall was decorated in cla.s.sical style, with tables made of rosewood, bead curtains, and drapes. It looked like a room for banquets in ancient times.

Looking at the banquet hall from above, it looked like a completed jigsaw puzzle. And all the puzzle pieces were banquet tables and chairs in different shapes—rectangular, square, triangular, and round. There was a shape of a large s.h.i.+p in the center of the hall, surrounded by the shapes of b.u.t.terflies, birds, flowers, bridges, and houses.

“We will have your birthday party here this evening. The elements we used in this room come from two ancient paintings, “Swallows” and “b.u.t.terflies”. Interesting, isn't it? We don't need any seating plan. The guests can choose their own seats. They have already arrived,” Mo Kun said to Long Xi.

He clapped his hands three times.

Long Xi's granny came out from behind the bead curtain, accompanied by a group of friends and relatives.

Grandma was dressed up today, looking much younger. That was also Mo Kun's arrangement, apparently.

Her granny's hair was done up in a cla.s.sical style, with a white jade hairpin. She wore a pair of fan-shaped enamel earrings, a necklace made of eight precious stones, and a pair of agate bracelets. She was in a yellow dress and a short coat embellished with pearls. Her shoes were embroidered with golden dragons and phoenixes. These clothes, shoes, and jewelry were gifts from Mo Kun.

Standing next to her granny were her old neighbor and good friends, Auntie Wu, Auntie Chen and, Auntie Lu.

Standing behind granny were the folks of the Intoxicating Aroma Village, including the Zhaos and the Longs.

There were two groups of people coming out through the drapes—headmaster Deng Chao and Mrs. Lin, and Long Xi's cla.s.smates, Xiaolu, Yu Lanjie, and Yan w.a.n.gchuan.

There were Zhu Junyao, Niu Xi, Granpa Shu, and Feng Zihao. Long Xi first met them in Mount Xiao Emei. Zhu Yuyao was holding Dong'er's hand. In the face of so many people, Dong'er was a little shy. So she lowered her head, pretending to play with her handkerchief.

Long Xi was moved to tears. This was the best birthday party she had ever had.

As a host, Lord Mo Kun arranged the seats and tea for the guests.

A dozen beautiful waitresses came in through the curtains along with ancient Chinese music and served Longjing tea and preserved fruit platter, including lychee, longan, raisins, carambola, and so on. They all dressed up as maids in Tang dresses.

Then, the maids served some peach preserves with carved flower patterns, which was delicious and good-looking! It also had the meaning of long life.

Mo Kun clapped his hands as a signal, then ancient Chinese music started to play from behind the bead curtain.

As two maids rolled up the crystal bead curtains, Yun Dieyi came out in costume, along with the music, playing the female character.

He danced with a black paper fan, moving his fingers gracefully into the shape of an orchid, and started to sing: “Originally beautiful purples and brilliant reds bloom in profusion.”

Granny liked Kunqu Opera. So she knew its name upon hearing it. “This is an excerpt from Soap Robe in the chapter Garden Sauntering from Peony Pavilion!”

The female character Du Liniang was performed well by Yun Dieyi. Her body was lithe, her figure was elegant, and the expression in her eyes was beautiful.

Her voice was sweet, better than a nightingale's. Her singing style was characteristic, touching and full of emotions.

“…Yet to a crumbling well, faded walls, such splendor is abandoned. But in this glorious season, where are sounds of joy in this garden…” She turned away and then back with a big birthday peach bun surrounded by many small peach buns, which meant a good wish of having many children and grandchildren.

That was magic added into the opera show. The audience cheered at the surprise.

“Mornings take wing, evenings unfold, beyond green arbor, rosy clouds soar. In windy strands of rain, gilded pleasure boats nod in misty waves. Maidens s.h.i.+elded by brocaded screens are blinded to such glorious scenes!” She bowed to Long Xi and handed her the peach bun while singing.

Long Xi smiled and took the peach bun.

“Du Liniang” swung her long sleeves and said to Long Xi with a cadence, “I wish you the best.”

Applause and cheers erupted from the audience.

“Du Liniang” organized her sleeves and made her exit along with the music.

It was Mo Kun's turn then. He smiled and stood up. “Long Xi, as your fiancé, I wish you happiness and a long life. I've written a poem for you.”

“Wow, I am all ears, I can't wait to listen to your poem!” Long Xi said with a naughty smile.

Mo Kun read slowly: “My girl isn't humankind…”

The guests were looking at each other, puzzled.

Granny looked puzzled as well.

Long Xi looked at Lord Mo Kun with interest, waiting for him to finishes the sentences.

Mo Kun smiled naughtily. “…To me, she is more glorious than an angel.”

Oh, that was it.

Xiaolu applauded. “Big Brother Kun, you are not only a scientist, but also a poet. That's awesome. How I envy you!”

“I'm flattered,” Mo Kun said to Xiaolu.

Long Xi winked at Mo Kun, he knew it meant “thank you”.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

The guests had some preserved fruit while listening to Kunqu Opera.