Nightfall, with a slight chill.
The heavy rain showed no sign of stopping.
It poured without end.
Yet in Shuzhou's scorching summer, such rain was still bearable—better than being baked beneath the blazing sun.
Especially when the night wind blew.
Fine droplets mingled with the breeze, bringing a gentle, moist coolness.
And within Chunhe Garden, the wind carried more than that—it also bore the fragrance of Purple Bamboo, flowers, and grass.
Like perfume bestowed by nature itself, the air and their clothes were filled with that fresh, sweet scent.
At this moment, the hour of the Rooster had not yet passed halfway.
Chen Yi had already changed into a light set of black clothes. They were not the silk brocade he usually wore, but rough linen whose coarse fibers could be felt beneath his fingers.
These were night-traveling clothes he had specifically instructed Wang Ji to prepare.
There were ten sets in all, hidden beneath a false board under his bed for use when he went out.
He had no choice but to prepare them.
On his previous excursions, his clothes had inevitably been left with traces.
Some garments, dry to begin with, had been drenched by rain. Some had been damaged during fights. Others had been tainted by the smell of blood.
Even if Xiao Die did not ask, she would eventually notice something amiss.
Especially that torn garment Chen Yi had thrown away—it had made Xiao Die think a thief had entered the garden.
Had he not found an excuse to brush it off, armored soldier guards might already have been patrolling outside Chunhe Garden.
"If only this rain could keep falling until the Mid-Autumn Festival... no, that would be bad."
Fully dressed, Chen Yi watched the rain outside his window and could not help feeling "anxious" for