Too Close? Then Let's Get Even Closer

In the end, Xiao Yan managed to coax Zi Yan to sleep.

He could not help but shake his head lightly before slipping out the door on tiptoe.

There was no need to worry too much. Once she woke up after a good sleep, she would surely be refreshed again.

Xian'er and Nalan were probably cultivating right now... A hint of eagerness rose in Xiao Yan's heart. If that was the case...

Alone in her courtyard, Yao Wan sat beneath the moonlight, her pale golden eyes slightly narrowed as though, in a moment of daze, she had dreamed a very brief yet exceptionally long dream.

It was not until the courtyard gate creaked open and a set of footsteps she knew all too well approached that Yao Wan gradually came back to herself. She instinctively turned around and caught sight of the figure slowly walking toward her.

Yao Wan had spent far less time at Starfall Pavilion than she had in her own home within the Yao Clan, and this courtyard had not been specially prepared for her by Xiao Yan.

She had merely picked a residence she found pleasing among the many courtyards behind the main hall.

After all, she was not that particular a person, nor did she need to use such pointless matters to make Xiao Yan prove anything to her. It was dull, tedious, and proved nothing at all.

Under the moonlight, there was no overwhelming beauty in sight—only a wisteria vine blooming like rain. In the evening breeze, its petals swirled through the air, carrying a heart-soothing fragrance.

Taking a faint breath of it seemed enough to clear one's mind, making it hard to tell whether one was drunk or still dreaming.

"What are you doing here so late at night?"

With that murmured