The Riddle of the Hovercraft

They found themselves in a secluded, less-trafficked area.

Qin Yan, having brought Xiao Li to this quiet spot, immediately relaxed, a palpable sense of relief washing over his entire being.

Little Li leaped from Qin Yan’s embrace, then transformed into her human form, gazing at the somewhat weary Qin Yan before her. “Master,” she began, “those two women are truly a handful!”

“It’s a good thing you’re so clever, allowing me to escape that hellish scene.” Qin Yan chuckled softly, reaching out to playfully pinch the adorable face of the little loli before him.

“What does ‘hellish scene’ mean?” Little Li tilted her head, then continued, “Master, you’re a man, pulling and tugging with them on the street like that. They truly have no regard for your reputation!”

“Are you lecturing me on male virtue now, are you?”

As Qin Yan heard this, the hand pinching Little Li’s cheek tightened involuntarily. The little loli immediately let out a soft ‘ooh’ sound, then her gaze seemed to catch sight of something behind Qin Yan.

“Master, they’re coming back, Meow~!”

“What?!”

Qin Yan glanced behind him, indeed seeing the figures of Yu Qingxuan and Xiao Miao. Upon seeing them, Little Li swiftly reverted to her tanuki form, burrowing back into Qin Yan’s embrace.

Her grand plan to aid her master had utterly failed!

She had no desire to get entangled in such affairs, for after all, she was merely a tanuki.

“Junior Brother, how did you vanish in the blink of an eye?”

Yu Qingxuan walked up to Qin Yan, speaking aloud.

“Qin Yan, Little Li should be all right now, shouldn’t she? Come on, let’s go solve some lantern riddles.”

Xiao Miao also spoke.

Having only just breathed a sigh of relief, they had now found their way back to him. Qin Yan steeled himself for what was to come, resolving that even if it meant his death today, he would see it through to the end.

****

At the entrance of an inn.

The shop’s doorway was adorned with festive lanterns and decorations, with numerous lanterns hung, each bearing a riddle for passersby to guess. Amidst the boisterous chatter of the shopkeeper, the entrance was also surrounded by a throng of people.

The shopkeeper took down a lantern and announced, “Four corners whisper softly, speaking without sound. Though people are not face to face, every word is sincere.”

This riddle sparked a flurry of discussion among the onlookers, and the three of them stood within the crowd. Yu Qingxuan wore a pensive expression, and Xiao Miao was no different. This was an opportunity to showcase her intellect, and if she answered correctly, it would undoubtedly make Qin Yan, who stood beside her, see her in a new light.

Soon, Yu Qingxuan displayed a confident expression and declared, “Shopkeeper, I guess the answer is a letter!”

Previously, she and Qin Yan had exchanged letters, a very formal method of communication where the sentiment of ‘seeing one’s face through their words’ could not be more apt. This perfectly fit the riddle: speaking without sound, yet every word sincere.

“This lady has guessed correctly!” the shopkeeper exclaimed, his face beaming with joy. He then asked for Yu Qingxuan’s name and instructed a young assistant nearby to record it.

“It’s rare to have such an enthusiastic crowd, and I won’t let anyone guess in vain. For every correct answer, I’ll award one point to the solver. The person with the highest score will receive a free grand banquet from our establishment, or they can convert it into cash—a full ten taels of gold!”

This announcement instantly sent ripples of excitement through the crowd, for ten taels of gold was no small sum.

“Please look at the next question!”

The shopkeeper took down another lantern and continued, “Green in youth, yellow in old age, tapping and clattering they come in pairs. When one day they fall ill, they are cast aside for new, tied by the roadside.”

Xiao Miao looked at this riddle; the gold was secondary to her concerns. She certainly did not want to fall behind Yu Qingxuan in Qin Yan’s eyes.

As she listened to the riddle, Xiao Miao glanced at Qin Yan. This was not because she believed the answer was the young man before her, but rather because the riddle seemed to echo something that had happened between two people.

Yet, Qin Yan had not abandoned her, Xiao Miao, even when she had ‘fallen ill one day’.

“It’s straw sandals,” Xiao Miao stated succinctly to the shopkeeper.

“Young lady, congratulations, you’ve answered correctly! Please write down your name and receive one point!”

The shopkeeper’s face was alight with joy. As he watched the increasing crowd, he thought to himself that this significant expenditure was precisely to boost his inn’s reputation.

Yu Qingxuan looked at Xiao Miao beside her, equally determined in her heart. The two of them had each answered one riddle correctly, proving to be evenly matched. It was no longer about the other participants; it had become their personal arena.

Witnessing this, the shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his brow, though this competitive spirit only encouraged more people to join the spectators, eager to see who would answer the next question, or ultimately, who would emerge victorious.

Qin Yan watched this scene unfold. If he knew that the two women were so fiercely competing, with him as the underlying reason, he wondered what his thoughts might be.

Ultimately, their scores ended in a tie. The shopkeeper had run out of riddles, and the large crowd surrounding them awaited her announcement. She could only grit her teeth and declare, “Since both of you ladies are so exceptionally talented, it’s truly impossible to declare a clear winner. Our establishment simply does not have any more riddles for you to solve. Therefore, you shall both be awarded joint first place, and each of you will receive the prize!”

A full twenty taels of gold was divided between Yu Qingxuan and Xiao Miao in this lantern riddle competition.

Upon hearing this, both Yu Qingxuan and Xiao Miao displayed expressions of dissatisfaction. Were they exerting themselves for mere gold? Clearly, their sole intention was to outshine each other in Qin Yan’s eyes, and being so evenly matched only left them feeling utterly dejected.

“Alright, alright, today is a happy day. The two of you shouldn’t be angry. Let’s go collect the rewards together.”

Qin Yan, having perceived the brewing tension, had no desire to spoil the current atmosphere. He took hold of the two women, one on each side, and followed the shopkeeper to collect their rewards.

“Junior Brother, who do you think is more formidable, me or Xiao Miao?”

Having left the inn, the three continued walking along the bustling street. Yu Qingxuan couldn’t help but ask.

Xiao Miao, hearing this, also turned to look at Qin Yan.

This was a truly deadly question. Qin Yan felt a trickle of sweat run down his back. He then devised a clever solution, saying, “How about I give you a riddle? Senior Sister and Xiao Miao can guess together, and whoever wins will be the most formidable.”

“Junior Brother, tell us.”

“Qin Yan, tell us.”

The two women spoke almost in unison.

“A boat that breathes air, soaring through clouds and mist above the ground. It can traverse both land and water, most suited for marshy terrain.”

Qin Yan declared loudly, a hint of cunning in his eyes.

“Is it a flying boat?”

Yu Qingxuan was the first to ask.

Qin Yan shook his head at this answer. A flying boat, which was essentially the spiritual stone technology of this world, was a giant vessel that flew through the air. While it certainly fit the second line, it didn’t fit the others.

Xiao Miao pondered for a long while, unable for the life of her to think of anything that fit all four lines. She could only tentatively suggest, “A car?”

Yu Qingxuan asked curiously.

Xiao Miao remained silent.

Qin Yan merely shook his head with a smile at Xiao Miao. No, it wasn’t a car.

The two women were left scratching their heads in frustration by Qin Yan’s riddle. Qin Yan could barely suppress his laughter watching their expressions of intense thought. The ultimate answer was something called a hovercraft—it would be a miracle if they could guess it!