That day, the Jia Residence girls had stayed at the banquet in Xue Baochai's Hengwu Court until a quarter past nine at night before finally dispersing. By the time Daiyu, Tanchun, Zijuan, and Xueyan returned to Xiaoxiang Lodge, it was nearly midnight.
Even after they got back, they couldn't go straight to their rooms and rest.
Having returned with the smell of wine on them, they naturally still had to bathe and change, then drink some hangover soup. They'd been at it for nearly two hours, and still hadn't finished.
Well?
More than an hour later, the night had grown deep. It was past midnight.
The candles were still burning in the main hall of Xiaoxiang Lodge. Several spiritstone lamps cast a gentle glow, brightening the room.
Outside, moonlight flowed like water over the bamboo grove and plantain trees. The spiritual spring gathered by the courtyard's formation continued to burble, while the occasional chirp of a night insect made the grounds seem even more serene.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Lin Daiyu, Tanchun, Zijuan, and Xueyan paid no mind to what was happening outside. They were gathered around a small rosewood table, lounging or sitting as they chatted quietly.
Besides a few cups with dregs of tea, the table held a small pot of hangover soup. A faint, sweet fragrance of ginger mingled with tea in the air.
All four wore traces of weariness, but their minds were still clear. The alcohol hadn't quite worn off, and they had only recently returned from the lively banquet, so they hadn't fully settled down yet. They had simply decided to stay up a little longer before returning to their rooms.
"Mmm..."
"This feels so nice!"
Daiyu wore a moon-white sleeping robe, her black hair loose over her shoulders and lightly pinned up with