After speaking, Wen Yantong asked the stall owner standing next to them, "Am I right?"
The stall owner wiped the sweat off his brow with trembling hands, "This..."
Mu Yang was dubious, so he asked, "Say it. Is he right or not?"
The stall owner replied awkwardly, "It… isn’t right..."
"Why is it wrong? Then what is the answer to this question?" Wen Yantong was discontented, "Didn’t my analysis make a lot of sense?!"
Mu Yang nodded, "I think it made sense, but the stall owner said it’s not quite right, so this game could be slightly rigged."
Wen Yantong raised her chin, "Then where did I go wrong?"
The stall owner answered, "...Actually..."
Mu Yang interrupted suddenly, "I know!"
He pointed at the word dragon(龙) on the lantern, and happily exclaimed, "This idiom must mean that Lord Ye likes to eat dragon!"
Wen Yantong frowned suspiciously, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Mu Yang asked, "Have you heard of Wolong(卧龙)?"
Wen Yantong was stunned when she heard that. Wasn’t Wolong Zhuge Liang’s nickname? Does Lord Ye like Zhuge Liang[1]?
...What kind of obscure mess was this?!
But then Mu Yang continued, "Wolong is another word for angleworm, and it can only be dug out in wet ground. I think Lord Ye should like to eat angleworm. The answer to the problem is ‘A delicacy and fine taste’."
Wen Yantong suddenly understood that Wolong was actually referring to earthworms. She had almost forgotten this other address. Zhuge Liang's reputation was just much more renowned, so when Mu Yang mentioned Wolong, she subconsciously thought of him.
Wen Yantong couldn't help shivering at the thought of a man surnamed Ye feasting on a plate of earthworms. She questioned with an disgusted expression, "Do you think angleworms are a delicacy?"
Mu Yang answered, "Lord Ye loves to eat, he must think it's a delicacy."
Though disgusted, Wen Yantong managed to grin back, and asked the stall owner, "Is he right?"
The stall owner was put at an extremely difficult position. He wiped his face, which was full of sweat in the cold winter of the twelfth lunar month. "This... it’s not quite right either."
Mu Yang clicked his tongue, "He’s wrong, and now I’m also wrong. You better tell us the right answer, if it doesn't make sense, I will give you a beating."
This threat frightened the stall owner, and he hurriedly pleaded, "Mercy! Mercy! This commoner can only make ends meet with this stall. Young Masters, please have mercy on this commoner."
Mu Yang pointed to Wen Yantong, "Then who do you think is right?"
"It's all right!" The stall owner replied anxiously, "They all make sense."
Mu Yang was not happy, "How can there be different answers? How is this lantern riddle considered legit?"
Seeing that the stall owner was terribly frightened, Wen Yantong quickly held Mu Yang back, "Let's go and ask the Little Marquis and Fifth Highness, they must know the answer."
Mu Yang felt her suggestion was feasible, so he immediately clapped his hands together and said, "Okay, let them judge which of us is right."
Chi Jingxi and Cheng Xin were standing at the other end of the booth. When the two were walking there, they passed Fu Zixian. Fu Zixian saw their aggressive momentum, so he put down his lantern riddle, stopped them and asked, "What are you doing?"
Mu Yang dragged him in, "Perfect timing, you can also help judge."
Fu Zixian was confused, and was helplessly dragged away forward. Wen Yantong explained to him, "Young Master Mu and I had a disagreement over a lantern riddle, so we want you to see who is right."
Fu Zixian followed them to Chi Jingxi's side. Mu Yang handed the lantern to Chi Jingxi, and then repeated what he said earlier.
Chi Jingxi first looked down at the lantern, and while listening to Mu Yang's words, a look of surprise slowly appeared in his eyes. Before Mu Yang finished speaking, he slapped him on the head, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Wen Yantong was taken aback and took two steps back.
Mu Yang covered his head, feeling aggrieved, "Am I wrong?"
"Where did those years of studying go? You don't even know what this idiom means?" Chi Jingxi scolded angrily, "If your father heard it, he will give you a beating."
Mu Yang muttered, "My father might not even know what this riddle means."
Wen Yantong almost couldn't help laughing out loud. Mu Yuan's level of education was really not as high as Mu Yang's.
Cheng Xin laughed for a while, "Only you would think of such things."
Mu Yang didn’t think it was fair for only him to be beaten alone, so he turned around and threw Wen Yantong under the bus, "Wen Yantong also analyzed it with me. He said that the answer is ‘The addiction of Long-yang’, is he right?"
Chi Jingxi looked at Wen Yantong all of a sudden. Wen Yantong secretly rejoiced that she took two steps back just now. Chi Jingxi's arms should not be that long to be able to reach her here.
Who knew that as soon as Chi Jingxi stretched out his hand, he grabbed her clothes and pulled her directly towards him.
Wen Yantong was shocked.
Long– Daddy long arms?
Chi Jingxi didn't look like he was going to raise his hands as he just asked, "You said it was ‘The addiction of Long-yang’, why?"
"There’s— there's no reason." Wen Yantong shrank her neck, terrified, "I think I made a mistake, I don’t think my answer is right either."
Chi Jingxi's sight fell on her timid expression and fell silent.
"Beat him, beat him..." Mu Yang muttered softly on the side.
After a moment of silence, Chi Jingxi sighed, "You two might as well go back to wash up and sleep, wandering outside is a waste of time."
"Then what is the correct answer?" Wen Yantong asked.
"Mouth says yes, heart no (duplicity)." Cheng Xin explained with a smile, "This riddle is quite simple, you two shouldn't have gotten it wrong."
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Footnote:
[1] Zhuge Liang - Zhuge Liang was a Chinese statesman and military strategist. Many might recognize him from a recent anime Ya Boy Kongming!
Kongming is Zhuge Liang's courtesy name