Liang Wan retraced her steps. When she reached the rockery, Qiuxi was still hiding by the long corridor. From afar, she could still hear the boisterous laughter and revelry from the outer courtyard.
Seeing Liang Wan return, Qiuxi waved at her.
Liang Wan ducked and slipped into the rockery. She took out the sedative she had prepared earlier from her robes, lit it, and hid behind a large boulder.
She had just concealed herself when she heard the sound of flowers and grass being trampled. The footsteps were drawing closer and closer.
Liang Wan pressed her back tightly against the stone wall, not daring to make the slightest sound for fear of alerting the newcomer.
"Aweng?"
'It really is Cui Hao. He actually came!'
She heard him call out her name a few times, followed by some rustling from within. In less than a quarter of an hour, all went silent. Liang Wan covered her nose and mouth, tiptoed into the rockery, and extinguished the sedative.
