Clip-clop, clip-clop...
By the time he left the Imperial Palace, night had fallen. Beneath the fine, drifting rain, the streets were exceptionally quiet, with only the occasional clink of cups passing between guests in the roadside restaurants.
Ye Jingtang rode Big Black Horse, wearing a rain cloak and holding an oil-paper umbrella. After surveying the street, he headed toward the West Market alone.
There were few pedestrians because of the light rain. Ye Jingtang pondered the Dragon-Mingling Diagram along the way. Passing a roast chicken shop, he stopped to ask the proprietor for a roast chicken, intending to reward Niao Niao for her hard work throughout the journey once he returned.
But as he stood holding his oil-paper umbrella and watching the elderly proprietor work, footsteps suddenly sounded in the alley beside him.
Tap, tap~
Ye Jingtang turned his eyes and saw a beautiful Ice Lump in a white dress emerge from the shadows, an oil-paper umbrella in her hand. Looking toward the distant glow of the lights, she asked:
"What took you so long?"
Quite surprised, Ye Jingtang looked around before approaching her:
"How did you find me?"
"Yunli came over earlier and said you were back. I waited outside the palace gates especially."
Xue Baijin glanced back at the fragrant roast chicken:
"You like eating these things?"
"It's for Niao Niao. We used to eat them together all the time."
Thinking the street was no place to stand talking, Ye Jingtang gestured inside the shop:
"Have you eaten? Why don't we have a meal together and talk things over?"
Xue Baijin did not refuse. She closed her oil-paper umbrella, propped it outside the door, and sat down in the empty shop, asking:
"How are your injuries?"
Ye Jingtang took the tea from the proprietor, sat down at the