The lantern-lit streets of New Harmony City were a tapestry of color, scent, and laughter. From the moment Qiao Zhi and Gu Yangjin, two devoted wives, slipped through the gates of the Grand New Year's Festival, bundled in simple cloaks to hide their faces from the adoring crowds, they felt as if they'd stepped into a living painting. Every building was draped in scarlet banners, every balcony hung with strings of fiery lanterns that swayed gently in the winter breeze. The air smelled of spiced wine, sweet sesame candy, and the distant crispness of frosted air.
They had arrived just as dusk fell. Qiao Zhi tightened the hood of her cloak around Gu Yangjin's shoulders, pressing close enough for Gu Yangjin's warmth to seep into her bones. She laughed, her breath a swirl of vapor, and leaned her head against Qiao Zhi's chest. "I can't believe how busy it is tonight. Feels like the whole city came out to play."
