Ji Feihua narrowed his eyes toward the Imperial Palace. Snow swirled thickly through the air, obscuring even the outline of the Imperial City. "On snowy days, the world always feels indescribably lonely," he said. "As though everything has suddenly vanished, leaving only you, all alone."
Hu Xiaotian raised his bowl of wine. "I'm still here beside you, my lord. You aren't alone!"
Ji Feihua's eyes, bright enough to rival the stars, settled on Hu Xiaotian's face. After studying him for a while, he shook his head and sighed. "But aren't you lonely too?" His gaze fell on the elderly couple still working nearby, and he lowered his voice. "They may not speak, but they understand every glance and gesture they exchange. In a whole lifetime, how many people can sustain each other like fish sharing moisture in a dried-up pool, and remain companions into old age?"
This isn't like you, Hu Xiaotian thought. You're Ji Feihua, a ruthless titan who dominates the Imperial City. Why have you suddenly become so sentimental? Could Wen Ya's entry into the palace have provoked you?
"Do you still have any family, my lord?" Hu Xiaotian asked.
A trace of desolation flashed through Ji Feihua's eyes and vanished. He shook his head, then immediately nodded instead. "This Imperial Palace is my home, and His Majesty is my family..." He drained his bowl again, then declared in a ringing voice, "So nothing that happens in this palace escapes my eyes."
Hu Xiaotian's heart trembled. Ji Feihua seemed to be hinting at something. Had he discovered what Hu Xiaotian had done?
Without any warning, a figure suddenly dropped from the end of the bridge. Hu Xiaotian jumped in fright. Looking closely, he saw someone hanging there, hair disheveled, his body swinging in midair and his hands flailing.