Before he even drew near, several clear, pleasant female voices drifted over on the bright moonlight, gentle yet lively, breaking the silence of the night.
Following the voices, Xiao Ling looked up and saw five figures seated together in an exquisite pavilion in front of the main hall, chatting and laughing beneath the brilliant moonlight.
Light purple gauze curtains hung around the pavilion, swaying gently in the breeze and making the figures within appear even more graceful.
He was intimately familiar with two of them: Qing Lin and Xiao Yi Xian. Qing Lin wore an emerald-green dress and toyed with a lock of her hanging hair, a lively glimmer in her eyes. Xiao Yi Xian, dressed in white robes as pure as snow, wore a faint smile on her lips as she spoke in a soft, pleasant voice.
Besides them, three other familiar beauties were in the pavilion. Yun Yun wore a plain-colored long dress, her bearing elegant and otherworldly, her every word gentle and refined. Beside her, Nalan Yanran wore a light-blue fitted outfit, standing tall and straight. The youthful immaturity had faded from her brows, replaced by a steadier, more capable air.
What surprised Xiao Ling slightly was Ya Fei, whom he had not seen for a long time. She wore a crimson gown and a jade hairpin at her temple. Her beauty remained as captivating as ever, and as she chatted and laughed, her eyes shimmered with a distinct charm.
The five women sat around a stone table laden with tea and fresh fruit. Their laughter drifted away on the evening breeze, creating a warm and peaceful scene.
Xiao Ling's footsteps were light, but as he approached, the sound of his steps on the bluestone path became increasingly distinct. The five women chatting in the pavilion soon