The night was sweltering, the sky thick with dark clouds. After leaving Fangfei Courtyard, Prince Yan returned to Liuli Pavilion, where two tiger guards at the entrance bowed in greeting.
Prince Yan raised his hand, signaling the servants to remain silent so as not to disturb Shen Wei inside.
He wanted to see how his Weiwei spent her evenings alone when he wasn't around.
Delicate palace lanterns hung from the eaves of Liuli Pavilion, their pearly light spilling through the paper shades, casting a soft glow. Wind chimes dangled at the corners, tinkling gently with each breeze.
Another gust swept through—*ding ling ling*—the brass chimes sang once more.
Shen Wei had already finished her dinner and was now lounging in the waterside pavilion to escape the heat.
Prince Yan moved silently, peering through the translucent gauze curtains at Shen Wei, who sat in a rattan chair chatting with Cai Lian.
