By the time they returned to Jingjie City, most of the lights in the streets and lanes had gone out.
At the entrance to the imperial palace, Ye Jingtang stood outside the gates, holding an oil-paper umbrella over Yu Hu's head.
"It's late. Go back and get some rest. You're not well, so stop staying up so late."
The Empress walked into the gateway, then turned to look Ye Jingtang up and down before waving a hand.
"All right, you should head back too. With so many beautiful women waiting alone in their empty chambers, I doubt you're in any mood to come in and sit."
Ye Jingtang felt that Yu Hu was only saying that because she didn't dare let him inside. He shook his head with a smile.
"Then I'll be off?"
The Empress nodded slightly and stood there to see him off.
After a moment's thought, Ye Jingtang stepped forward and once again defied his sovereign, taking a nibble at her red lips. Before Yu Hu could retaliate, he hurried toward the rain-shrouded streets.
"Put it on my tab. Next time, I'll bring you a fine poem to repay the debt. I'm off."
The Empress narrowed her eyes, looking rather dangerous. But after watching Ye Jingtang disappear into the night, she still raised a hand to touch her lips gently. Then she looked back at the towering, cage-like Palace Pavilions, sighed inwardly, and walked inside alone...
After all the commotion that had lasted most of the night, the family banquet had long since ended. Even the streets near the carriage firm had gone dark, with only a few entertainment houses still giving off faint sounds.
Ye Jingtang walked toward their lodgings beneath his umbrella, recalling the unexpected and unusual experience of the evening. As he was