Fan Xian ran like the wind all the way, only daring to stop and look back once he was far beyond the Imperial City.
All was silent behind him. Moonlight spilled over the empty street, with not so much as a ghost in sight.
Panting heavily, he braced himself against the base of a wall, his chest heaving.
No one followed me out?
He frowned, thoroughly puzzled.
Yan Xiaoyi's arrow clearly skimmed right past me. He should have spotted me, so why wasn't there any movement at all?
Out of caution, however, he did not dare go straight to meet the others. Instead, he took a wide detour, winding through the streets outside the palace several times. Only after confirming he had no tail did he make his way back to Chen Pingping.
Deep in the alley, Wang Qinian was still guarding Chen Pingping. The locksmith who had copied the key was long gone.
Chen Pingping sat in his wheelchair, a thin blanket draped over him.
When Fan Xian appeared, no obvious expression crossed his face. His gaze merely swept over him, and only after confirming he was unhurt did he give a slight nod.
"Looks like it's settled." His voice seemed to carry a trace of relief. "I should go back and rest too. Ah, I'm getting old. I can't stay up late anymore!"
Fan Xian wanted to say something, but stopped himself.
Chen Pingping patted Wang Qinian. "Take me back!"
"Oh!" Wang Qinian exclaimed, as though waking from a dream, and hurriedly wheeled Chen Pingping away.
The wheelchair rumbled into the distance and disappeared into the night.
Fan Xian watched in the direction Chen Pingping had gone. He knew the man must be curious about what Ye Qingmei had left behind. Yet in the end, he had not