Decius waited until his wife was fast asleep before climbing out of bed. He got dressed again, then glanced at his beloved on the bed. As if he had made up his mind about something, he quietly slipped out of the room.
He crossed the dark front hall, doing his best not to wake the slaves sleeping there. Only after he left his own Domus did he breathe a sigh of relief. He looked around to make sure no one was following him before heading south along the street. He did not go far, as nearly everyone living in this area was part of Rome's upper-class nobility.
This was more or less the most expensive neighborhood in all of Rome. Money alone was not enough to buy a house here; one also needed status. Decius's family had only moved here after rising to prominence, and their Domus was relatively small.
The place Decius was heading to, however, was far more luxurious. Its owner was evidently quite well known even in the Senate, so Decius first straightened his clothes before approaching the door.
However, before he could knock on the door of that Domus, a familiar voice sounded behind him.
"Speaking as a friend, I truly wouldn't advise you to do this."
Decius jumped in fright. Once he realized whose voice it was, he nearly lost his soul.
"Y-you, when did you get here?"
"I've been here for a while," Zhang Heng said. "I have to say, the surroundings here are pretty nice. I like that little fountain outside your house. It's quite cute."
"But why didn't I see you?" Though Decius tried his best to remain calm, his heart was pounding wildly.
"Because I didn't want to scare you. Though judging by the result, I still did." Zhang Heng sounded