As night deepened, everyone celebrating on deck had returned to their posts, but the festivities inside the deckhouse continued. Soft, graceful music could faintly be heard:
"Dum, dum~"
"Twelve jade towers in the heavens, three thousand cassia seeds within the moon~ Deep into the night, the Phoenix Strings rang out, startling the sand gulls into scattered flight..."
Outside the room at the rear, Ye Jingtang quietly closed the door. Hearing the clear, lilting voice in the distance, he could not help smiling before turning toward the hall at the front of the deckhouse.
The night was quiet, and there were few people on deck. Only She Long and Shang Jianli remained diligent in their duties, making their patrol rounds.
Given the bad impression his pool of wine and forest of flesh had made, Ye Jingtang had not intended to show himself. But as he approached the hall, he noticed a person and a bird sitting at the very front of the deck.
Zhe Yunli sat on the edge with her legs dangling, fishing rod in hand. Judging from her profile, however, she seemed distracted. Who knew whether she was pondering her lifelong marriage prospects?
Niao Niao, who had been dragged outside, looked to have digested its meal by now. It lay beside her, peering down into the water and chirping occasionally, presumably reminding Poached Egg that there were fish below.
Seeing this, Ye Jingtang first leaped down onto the deck and quietly approached Yunli from behind. He leaned over to look at her cheek, then, when she failed to react, whispered:
"Hey."
"Hss..."
Zhe Yunli had been staring blankly at the river, completely unaware that someone had approached from behind. The sudden sound beside her ear made her shrink her neck in fright. She quickly turned and only relaxed