The bright moon hung overhead, and the stars glittered brilliantly. The breathtaking sea of sky made one reluctant to leave.
Bells rang out leisurely through the hazy night and the cool evening breeze. Yang Ming and Liu Erlong bade farewell to Dean Flender and walked across the quiet campus grounds.
The scenery was lovely, the night intoxicating. One could think about anything or cast everything aside. A gentle breath seemed to carry a faint floral fragrance, distant and delicate yet refreshing to the heart. This was the finest time of the year, for winter was too dry and cold, autumn too desolate, and summer too hot. Only in spring, when the trees were lush and the flowers had yet to bloom fully, were body and mind most at ease, especially at night, as the darkness deepened.
After a long silence, Yang Ming suddenly spoke, breaking both the stillness of the night and the wordless stalemate between them.
"Teacher Liu Erlong, you deliberately sent Dean Flender away to speak with me alone. Is there something you wanted to discuss?"
Yang Ming stopped and turned to look at the mature woman beside him.
She was a beautiful woman who appeared to be in her thirties. Her simple blue-green cloth dress did nothing to conceal her grace. A cloth kerchief held up her dark hair, and her somewhat pale face bore exquisite, captivating features. Her brows and eyes were picturesque, and her large black eyes sparkled with life. Beneath her dress rose peaks upon peaks and surging waves; her mature, voluptuous allure was something no ordinary young girl could match.
A woman in her thirties had passed through spring's romance, autumn's maturity, summer's heat, and winter's stern chill. Through the cycling seasons, she had left behind a girl's shyness and youth's radiant beauty,