Making her way in careful concealment all the way out of the bedchamber, Qin Yao had just slipped to the foot of the white jade steps when she noticed a figure standing without a sound in the shadows around the corner.

She gave a startled fright before she recognized the person as Chang Rong, and let out a long breath of relief.

Chang Rong turned and saw Qin Yao and quickly moved to meet her. “Miss Qu.”

Qin Yao nodded. “Where is the Young Lord?”

Chang Rong smiled. “Waiting in the grove. Please follow me.”

As he spoke, he made no effort to lower his voice — not the slightest attempt at concealment. Qin Yao was initially concerned about drawing the attention of palace attendants, but then she thought: the Imperial Guard fell under Lin Xiao’s command. Wherever the Imperial Guard was, that was Lin Xiao’s domain. Chang Rong was Lin Xiao’s close personal guard — he had no reason to conduct himself with any furtiveness.

With that settled in her mind, Qin Yao felt somewhat less restrained, though she still kept her own voice low.

As they walked, Chang Rong fell into easy conversation with Qin Yao, bringing up their joint effort to capture demons on the two previous occasions, and asking after the wellbeing of Qing Xuzi and A’Han. His manner was warm and forthcoming.

Qin Yao couldn’t help but glance at him.

Chang Rong paused, touched his face, and said, “What is it, Miss Qu?”

Qin Yao smiled. “Nothing.”

It was simply a little strange to see Chang Rong treating her so readily like one of his own. Not so long ago, he had been cool and indifferent toward her and had frequently regarded her with a guarded, appraising eye. Perhaps it was the shared experience of facing the Luo Cha together — there was a kind of bond that came from having weathered hardship side by side.

Qin Yao was never the sort to put on airs. Feeling the warmth and sincerity in Chang Rong’s manner, she set aside any lingering wariness and engaged in easy conversation with him, and the two chatted and laughed all the way to the small grove.

Lin Xiao was crouched at the edge of the spring with the Chixiao Sword in hand, gazing intently into the water’s depths. Wei Bo stood at his side.

“Young Lord, Miss Qu is here,” Chang Rong announced.

Lin Xiao turned his head and rose. Qin Yao saw at once that he had changed out of his everyday clothes into a military officer’s uniform. His figure was naturally tall and upright, and now, clad in a purple robe with silver armor, he carried even more of a commanding, formidable presence than usual.

“Ah-Yao.” Lin Xiao walked toward her and looked her over. “You may need to change into different clothes — to keep people from recognizing you as a student from the academy.”

Qin Yao paused for a moment, then immediately understood that Lin Xiao was worried that if she used her methods openly, it might expose her identity and cause trouble later. She nodded. “All right.”

Wei Bo held out a bundle he had been carrying. “Miss Qu — here are the clothes.”

Without waiting for Lin Xiao to give any order, he and Chang Rong exchanged a glance and stepped away immediately.

Qin Yao opened the bundle and found inside a set of men’s casual clothes, neatly folded, with a headband and shoes and socks included as well.

Holding the clothes, she looked around for a moment, trying to find somewhere she could change in private. She turned her head and saw Lin Xiao still standing nearby watching her, with no apparent intention of stepping away, and said with some puzzlement, “Young Lord — I need to change.”

Lin Xiao cleared his throat, took a couple of steps away, and turned his back. “This spot is too close to where you found the water creature just now. I’m worried that if you’re left alone here, the malevolent creature may suddenly return. I’d rather stay and keep watch over our surroundings — it’s safer than letting that thing ambush you.”

Qin Yao’s face flooded red. It wasn’t that she doubted Lin Xiao’s character — but her face simply wasn’t yet thick enough to change clothes in anything close to proximity to a man.

She turned and looked at the spring, her heart pulled in every direction. She had already delayed too long; if she let more time pass, that creature might well have already emerged from the water and be making its way to harm people in the bedchambers.

“All right.” She finally decided to stop wasting time on what served no purpose, and replied in a low voice, “I’ll come out when I’m done.”

Hearing the words she tried to deliver with calm composure, yet which still let through a faint trace of shyness, Lin Xiao felt a simultaneous surge of tenderness and affection. Though it was out of genuine concern for Qin Yao’s safety that he had decided to remain, he had nonetheless felt a flicker of apprehension before he spoke — afraid she might misread his motives and begin to harbor ill feelings toward him.

But Qin Yao was truly unlike any woman he had ever known. She was entirely open and unshadowed — not the slightest bit coy or contrived. Though she was perceptive to a remarkable degree, once she had given someone her trust, she gave it wholly and wholeheartedly, without needless suspicion. In this she surpassed a great many men in the world.

Moments later, a soft rustling sound began behind him. He listened. His throat moved. His entire body felt faintly stiff. Fortunately, it was not long before Qin Yao said from behind him, “I’m done.”

Lin Xiao turned around and saw Qin Yao walking toward him, busily trying to arrange the oversized clothes on her frame — tugging at her sash at one moment, straightening her headband at the next, and then doing her best to roll up the sleeves that slid down over her arms. The effect was both charming and somewhat comical.

Lin Xiao watched her approach until he could hold back no longer, and reached out to straighten her headband. Qin Yao gave a small start — and then, forgetting to step back, held her ground.

Lin Xiao tidied her headband and crown hair, then lowered his head and patiently helped her fold and roll her sleeves one by one. He spoke quietly, “I’m sorry — this was short notice, and this was all I could find.”

Qin Yao let him roll her sleeves, her eyes drifting unconsciously along with the movements of his long, fair fingers. Her heart was beating with unnatural speed — nearly leaping out of her throat. She found it strange that Lin Xiao was standing this close, and yet he hadn’t heard the sound of it.

Lin Xiao’s ears grew warm in successive waves. More than once, his fingers accidentally brushed against Qin Yao’s arm, and each time his breath momentarily caught. He longed to gather her into his arms then and there and pour out every word in his heart — but he held it back, and held it back again, until his throat was parched. Though he deeply admired Qin Yao, he respected her equally. Until he was certain of her feelings, how could he presume?

What should have taken no more than a quarter of an hour seemed to stretch on for a full year. Lin Xiao finished helping Qin Yao get sorted, his face slightly flushed, and said, “Shall we go?”

Qin Yao, for the first time, found she couldn’t meet his gaze with her usual ease. She was quiet for a long moment before she gave a soft nod. “Yes.”

No sooner had she taken a step than she suddenly remembered she had left the clothes she had changed out of by the spring’s edge. She quickly turned back, picked them up from the ground, and put them back into the bundle.

The two of them walked side by side in silence. When they reached the edge of the grove, Chang Rong and Wei Bo were nowhere to be seen — but at the far end of the path ahead, a figure was approaching. Both Lin Xiao and Qin Yao looked toward him at the same moment.

“Commander Xu?”