The moon was bright, the stars sparse.
Around the lakeside camp, Black Bureau personnel worked in pairs, probing and digging through the yellow sand with rods and shovels, searching for traces of the stone stele.
After Ye Jingtang left, the young women lost interest in admiring the scenery and returned to their respective tents to rest.
Since it was not yet bedtime, Hua Qingzhi did not turn in. She merely sat inside her small triangular tent, secretly took out the pouch she carried, and retrieved a piece of jade to play with.
It was a Small Jade Turtle that Ye Jingtang had bought back in Yun'an as a little ornament for Niao Niao. Later, when Hua Qingzhi visited to give him a brush, Ye Jingtang had given it to her in return.
By the moonlight, Hua Qingzhi gently stroked the little turtle, a symbol of longevity, and recalled the moments they had shared since meeting.
Unfortunately, this time she had barely begun reminiscing when she suddenly felt a night breeze blow into the tent:
Whoosh~
Then the light abruptly dimmed, and a handsome young man in black robes appeared right before her, almost pressing his face against hers.
?!
Caught completely off guard, Hua Qingzhi almost cried out. Once she recovered, she hurriedly hid her hand behind her waist. Before she could speak, her body grew light, followed by a powerful thrust against her back that pressed her firmly against the man's chest. The surrounding scenery instantly blurred as they accelerated.
"H-hey?"
Utterly bewildered, Hua Qingzhi clung tightly to Ye Jingtang's waist and back and asked helplessly,
"Young Master Ye, what are you doing?"
Afraid that someone from the great tomb might emerge, notice something amiss, and alert the snake by disturbing the grass, Ye Jingtang had made the round