Liang Wan returned the way she came. When she reached the rockery, Qiuxi was still hiding by the corridor. From afar, the laughter and boisterous drinking from the outer courtyard could still be heard. Seeing Liang Wan return, Qiuxi waved at her. Liang Wan hunched over and slipped into the rockery. She took out the sedative she had prepared earlier from her robes, lit it, and hid behind a large rock.
No sooner had she hidden than she heard the sound of trampling on flowers and grass. The footsteps were slowly approaching her. Liang Wan pressed her back tightly against the stone wall, not daring to make the slightest sound for fear of alerting the newcomer.
"Awan?" It was indeed Cui Hao. He really came! He called out softly a few times, followed by a brief RUSTLE inside. In less than a quarter of an hour, all movement ceased. Liang Wan covered her mouth and nose, tiptoed into the rockery, and extinguished the sedative.
