The time to retire for the night soon arrived, and the villa grew eerily quiet, as though every sound had vanished. Su Bai chose the room next to Master Wu Heng's. Its balcony overlooked the lake and garden, offering a lovely view.
Fortunately, Su Bai wasn't banished to the basement during his downtime just because he was the gardener. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief-staying next door to the "Master" made him feel a little more secure.
Su Bai had planned to use the evening's free time to talk to Wu Heng again.
But just as Su Bai opened his door and was about to step outside, Feng Ling suddenly appeared in the corridor, blocking his path.
"Su Bai, where are you going?" Feng Ling stared intently at him, even raising a hand to wag a finger in front of his face. Her tone was utterly serious. "You must stay in your room tonight. Don't leave, and don't let anyone else into your room. Trust me!"
Then Feng Ling held out her little finger and looked at Su Bai intently. "Come on, pinky promise! Promise me you won't leave your room or let anyone else inside!"
Her earnest expression caught Su Bai off guard.
Although Su Bai had some confidence in his ability to stay safe, Feng Ling's rare look of seriousness convinced him to do as she asked. He glanced toward Wu Heng's room and sighed helplessly, then hooked his little finger around hers to seal their promise.
Only after Feng Ling left, thoroughly satisfied, did Su Bai close the door. He sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and began a rather boring session of Meditation.
Time passed slowly in the silent night. As he meditated, Su Bai's thoughts gradually settled, and drowsiness began to creep