Xiaotuan trembled all over. Well aware of Madam's methods, he already felt a chill even before meeting her. Xiaotuan silently lamented, "You poor thing, now you can't run away and need to let Madam have her way with you. This person is wearing a mask, obscuring his face, but to have offended Madam so gravely, it must be him. I wonder what face lies beneath that mask."
Now, about that mysterious courtyard.
Zhou Ping'an had been waiting for two hours and was feeling weary, his waist sore and uncomfortable all over. Mist surrounded the area, gradually growing colder, obscuring his vision, and Xiaotuan's figure disappeared, leaving him in solitude.
Zhou Ping'an mused, "This is truly strange, no wonder that person..." He could no longer sit still, though the scenery was beautiful, he had grown tired of it. He wandered around, observing other views.
The day gradually drew to a close.
