The night deepened, heavy with dew, and moonlight flowed like water.
The Imperial Prison had fallen silent even earlier than usual tonight.
The jailers guarding the cells at the entrance sprawled drunkenly over a rough wooden table, still muttering, "Drink! I can still... still drink..."
"Bring... bring more wine!"
"Keep... keep going, hic..."
Among the men drunk out of their senses, only one still had clear eyes. "Heh... Brother Zhao, Brother Wang, neither... neither of you can outdrink me..."
After a long while without a single curse in reply, Mu Hui shrugged, mockery in his eyes, then rose and headed deeper into the prison.
The farther he went, the longer and quicker his strides became.
Only when he approached the final corner in the depths of the prison did he slow down and straighten his clothes.
"Jinrou, I'm here!" His voice was gentle, utterly unlike the manner he had adopted while carousing with the jailers.
Inside the dark, damp cell, Xie Jinrou lifted her head. The room's sole sliver of moonlight fell across her cheek, making Mu Hui's heart beat faster.
She smiled sweetly. "Brother Mu, I've been waiting so long for you."
That smile left Mu Hui briefly dazed, and his movements as he unlocked the door suddenly grew urgent. "I'll get you out right now!"
Only after the two fugitives had receded into the distance did Lu Yao emerge from the dim shadows, followed by the jailers who had seemed dead drunk just moments earlier.
"Boss, you really called it. Mu Hui always seemed so honest and well-behaved. Who knew he'd have the nerve to do something like this?"
Zhao Ye smacked his lips. Remembering how he had sworn two days earlier that Mu Hui was not that sort of man, his weathered face reddened. "But... how