Mercury Spills Everywhere

On the stone steps of the mountain path leading down from Ziyun Pavilion, moonlight poured like mercury onto the bluestone steps. Yang Ning and Xu Yinyin walked side by side, their figures stretching long in the moonlight.

"It's so late, you should go back and rest. I'll go find Qiao Bin, we can just go together," Yang Ning still wanted to struggle a bit.

Hearing the name "Qiao Bin," Xu Yinyin was instantly angered. Everything that happened in front of the main hall a few hours ago was still vivid in her mind. She absolutely couldn't let this Senior Disciple Brother get ahead of her this time.

She pretended to be nonchalant, hands behind her back, and spun around lightly, "I can't sleep anyway~" She suddenly bent down, tilted her head to look at Yang Ning's face, her eyes sparkling slyly, "I remember the boss is afraid to go down that tunnel, right? It's perfect, I'll accompany you down~"

Yang Ning scratched his head. He had originally planned to get Qiao Bin's Senior Disciple Brother token, then use sleeping incense to drug the guarding disciples, and then enter Zhaoyu Tower to administer the medicine.

He hadn't expected to be spotted by Xu Yinyin at Ziyun Pavilion. Faced with her confusion about Yang Ning not being familiar with Zhaoyu Tower and unable to find the mole corpses alone, Yang Ning had no choice but to fabricate a lie, claiming he was going to find Qiao Bin so they could go together.

But now, Xu Yinyin was actively coming forward to join him, completely disrupting Yang Ning's plan.

Lost in thought, Yang Ning shook his head inwardly. When he turned his head, he saw Xu Yinyin give him a playful smile, blinking her bright eyes at him.

Yang Ning sighed inwardly: Forget it, plans are no match for changes. We'll take it one step at a time. At least with Xu Yinyin accompanying him to Zhaoyu Tower, he would have a convincing alibi no matter what happened. He just needed to find a way to get rid of her later...

Just as Yang Ning was contemplating how to get rid of Xu Yinyin later to administer medicine to the mole, a water flask was suddenly thrust in front of him. He looked closely and saw it was Xu Yinyin holding it out.

"What is this?"

"Pfft--" Seeing Yang Ning's confused expression, Xu Yinyin couldn't help but laugh, "Look at your chapped lips, it's clearly from a fever. Drink some hot water quickly."

"Ah, thank... thank you so much." Yang Ning took the water flask, somewhat dazed.

Xu Yinyin stood beside him with her hands behind her back, hopping and "complaining," "You know, the moment I went upstairs to boil water, you secretly ran out. You have a cold, yet you're still so troublesome... Oh, right!" She suddenly remembered something and quickly handed over the lid, "You can use this..."

Yang Ning had already cupped the flask and taken a direct sip. Their eyes met in the night. Yang Ning asked confusedly, "What's wrong?"

Xu Yinyin's face instantly flushed crimson. Silhouetted against the moon, she looked particularly captivating. She hastily turned her face away, her heart pounding: She hadn't found a suitable container in the room earlier, so she used her usual practice water flask to hold hot water. She had intended to pour it into a cup on the first floor, but she forgot about it the moment she left Ziyun Pavilion.

She had been so busy talking that she forgot to give the lid to the boss. Now, it was like something out of a storybook... that "indirect kiss"...

She shook her head vigorously, feeling extremely annoyed: So embarrassing! It's all your fault, Xu Yinyin, you're so foolish!

"What's wrong with you?" Yang Ning, using the moonlight, noticed that even the roots of her ears were red.

"N-nothing, it's nothing!" Xu Yinyin turned her head, fanning herself vigorously with her hand, "It's too hot, too hot... This weather is just too hot!"

"Is it?" Just then, a cool breeze blew past, making Yang Ning shiver involuntarily.

"You have a cold, of course you feel cold," Xu Yinyin said, fanning even more energetically.

"Oh," Yang Ning shrugged, raising the water flask and taking another sip from the opening.

"Did you add sugar to this?"

"No?" Xu Yinyin shook her head blankly.

"Why is there a hint of sweetness..." Yang Ning murmured, then tilted his head and took another large gulp.

After a few mouthfuls of water, Yang Ning asked, "Where's the lid?"

Xu Yinyin quickly took back the water flask, "It's fine, just give it to me."

Yang Ning nodded, handed the water flask back, and continued walking in the direction of Zhaoyu Tower.

Xu Yinyin, however, stopped in place, staring blankly at the flask opening. She looked up at Yang Ning. Seeing that he wasn't paying attention, she quickly took a small sip, licked her lips, and whispered in confusion, "Strange, I only put water in it, why is it so sweet... like honey..."

At this moment, Yang Ning, who was walking ahead, noticed Xu Yinyin hadn't followed and stopped, turning back to look.

Xu Yinyin looked up at Yang Ning. They stood on the stone steps leading down from Ziyun Pavilion. Behind Xu Yinyin was Ziyun Pavilion bathed in moonlight. Behind Yang Ning was the all-white Zhaoyu Tower, with a full moon hanging above its spire.

A gentle breeze blew, rustling Yang Ning's white robe and Xu Yinyin's pink skirt in the night.

Xu Yinyin's face was illuminated by the clear moonlight. Yang Ning, with the moon behind him, cast a shadow on the ground, creating a play of light and dark.

Xu Yinyin was stunned by the picturesque scene. Yang Ning waved at her. In the moonlight, he looked graceful and elegant, like a handsome young man stepping out of a painting.