Hu Xiaotian did not return to the Purple Orchid Palace until nightfall. Nothing seemed amiss inside. Xi Yan floated down from above, landing as silently as a soft feather. Her lovely face brimmed with resentment as she reproached him, "What took you so long? Do you really not care whether I live or die?"
Hu Xiaotian grinned, revealing a neat row of teeth, and handed her the pastries he had brought. "Fill your stomach first. We can talk afterward."
Xi Yan was indeed rather hungry. She took the pastries and began eating. Seeing Hu Xiaotian sitting beside her, watching her, she picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth, then asked softly, "How are things outside?"
"I'm afraid we can't use that secret passage anymore," Hu Xiaotian said. "Hong Beimo already knows about last night. Fortunately, he probably won't dare make it public, but we can't rule out the possibility that he'll station guards in the passage."
Xi Yan nodded.
Only after she had eaten her fill did Hu Xiaotian ask, "Why did you come to the Kang Capital? And why did you disguise yourself as Murong Zhan?"
Xi Yan blinked her bright eyes. "Your wedding is such a momentous occasion. Of course I had to come and join the fun."
For some reason, her words stirred a trace of guilt in Hu Xiaotian. After all, he and Xi Yan had bowed to Heaven and Earth together. But remembering her background and methods immediately brought him back to his senses. The Xi Yan before him was clearly an enchantress who acknowledged no ties of kinship; she had made him suffer badly enough in the Yong Capital. He gave a bitter smile. "An order from above cannot be defied!"
"So Long Xuan'en forced you to marry?" Xi Yan said.