Singing drifted up from the well: "And you were like a boundless net, so easily trapping me within its heart. The deeper I sank, the more lost I became; the farther I walked, the longer the road grew. How could you bear to leave my heart in pain..." Hu Xiaotian's singing was karaoke-standard at best, but even without a microphone or reverb, the well's natural amplification brought every shade of sadness out of his low voice. Singing while clinging to a well wall was no easy feat, after all. Hu Xiaotian distinctly felt himself go off-key on the last line, and his face grew hot. He inwardly cursed himself for being utterly shameless-even Heavenly King Zhang's love songs had been dragged into this. Was this song a little too far ahead of its time? Once he finished, Eunuch Hu began to regret it. If Long Xiyue couldn't take it, wouldn't his attempt to pat the horse's rump land on its hoof instead?
As it turned out, music could cross borders and eras alike. Hu Xiaotian hadn't sung particularly well, but the song suited the moment. At the last line, Long Xiyue let out a long sigh and removed the silk net covering the well's mouth, granting him passage.
Surprised and delighted, Hu Xiaotian swiftly climbed out of the old well. When his head emerged, he remembered to survey his surroundings warily. Only after making sure there was no one in the courtyard besides Long Xiyue did he boldly leap out.
The moon was dark, the wind high, and the night bitterly cold. Draped in a red cloak, Long Xiyue stood alone in the inner courtyard of the Purple Orchid Palace with a palace lantern in her hand, looking all the more forlorn. As a rule, women who appeared delicate were