Later in the evening, Yan Hongsha and the others finally returned in a noisy bunch. They all went to the room to play with Yue Xiao Feng for a while. Mu Dai seemed somewhat absent-minded. When she asked where they had been, Yan Hongsha rambled on about a whole bunch of things – nothing more than how fun the ancient city was and how they had wandered around.

Mu Dai responded casually.

Yan Hongsha probably noticed something was off and waved her hand back and forth in front of Mu Dai’s eyes: “What’s wrong? You seem so dazed.”

Cao Yanhua said: “Oh my, Sister Hongsha, what do you understand? My little master is about to become a bride after all – her mindset is different.”

Yan Hongsha rolled her eyes at him: “I don’t understand, but you do? You talk as if you’ve been a bride before.”

But this excuse was clearly all-purpose. No matter how strangely Mu Dai behaved, others only responded with knowing, kind smiles. Yi Wansan even teased Yan Hongsha: “No eye for detail. When you become a bride in the future, you’ll understand.”

Yan Hongsha was rendered speechless by his comment, but felt unconvinced inside: How come everyone acts like they’ve been through it all?

Yan Hongsha and the others were the last batch of guests to return late. After they went upstairs, the courtyard quieted down. Mu Dai heard Brother Mao closing the main gate – the wooden door panels creaking and groaning, holding one’s breath in suspense, then landing with a bang as the bolt fell. In the old agricultural days, ordinary families would wait for this sound of the door closing to truly end their day.

Mu Dai also turned off the lights. Yue Xiao Feng lay properly with the blanket pulled up to his chest, blinking in the darkness.

Children’s eyes, not seeing filth, inexperienced in worldly affairs, untainted by dust and frost, bright like little stars.

He said: “Pocket Auntie, I miss Mommy.”

Mu Dai said: “Mommy misses you too.”

“Mommy tells me stories and pats me.”

Mu Dai also began telling stories, while gently patting him.

She told the story of Laozi passing through Hangu Pass, how the green ox that carried him out of the pass ran wild and only behaved after being fed three chocolates. Later, Yin Xi drove a little train chasing from behind, saying: “Master, master, you should seal the seven fierce bamboo slips…”

Yue Xiao Feng fell asleep.

Mu Dai sat quietly in the darkness, listening to Yue Xiao Feng’s soft breathing.

Then, very carefully, she lifted the blanket and got out of bed.

Ji Tangtang had said the little guy was very well-behaved – let him pee before sleeping and he wouldn’t get up at night. He slept deeply and quietly until dawn, no trouble.

But Mu Dai was still worried he might roll around and fall off the bed at night, so she moved chairs to block both sides of the bed and piled pillows beside him.

Only then did she very carefully open the door and come out.

The night air was cool and crisp. The small study in the center of the courtyard glowed with moonlight through its glass. Mu Dai held her breath and slowly went upstairs. The wooden stairs creaked with each slightly heavy step, as if they knew her thoughts.

Reaching the second floor, she remembered Luo Ren was in the third room on the right. She went as quietly as possible. In the night, she could hear the sounds of guests sleeping in their rooms. Passing the second room, she heard Cao Yanhua cough and mutter irritably as he turned over.

She reached Luo Ren’s room. No lights were on, and the door was slightly ajar, like an inviting gesture.

Mu Dai bit her lips, her heart beating like a drum, and suddenly sighed at herself.

From childhood, she had been educated by Hong Yi and her master to be a lady, with heaps of principles about self-respect and propriety. She had never imagined that one day she would sneak into a man’s room in the middle of the night, and moreover, be quite willing to do so in her heart.

She deserved to be despised, she thought.

After despising herself for a few seconds, she didn’t turn back from her lost path but pushed the door and entered the room.

People always have some desire and longing to willingly sink into depravity. In the silent night, they’re ashamed to speak of it, but also don’t want to say one thing while thinking another.

Being a master after all, she knew in just one second that Luo Ren wasn’t there.

Somewhat unwilling to accept this, she walked a few more steps inside and felt the bed. The sheets were ice cold, the blanket neatly folded. Mu Dai lay down on the bed, suddenly got angry, and kicked the blanket off with one foot, cursing in her heart: Little Luo, liar, bad guy!

After a while, she got up, carried her anger, and called Luo Ren.

He answered quickly and chuckled on the other end: “Oh, you went.”

Mu Dai blushed and said: “I’m going back to sleep.”

“Come out, I’m outside.”

“Brother Mao already locked the door.”

“Is that supposed to stop you?”

Then he hung up. Mu Dai gripped her phone, feeling very embarrassed: In the middle of the night, meeting my boyfriend, not only coming up empty but also having to climb roofs and scale walls – how proactive am I?

After sulking for a while, she still did as told.

Whether it was because of the fierce bamboo slips or not, her usual lightness skills came effortlessly. She stood up from the inn’s sloping roof ridge and saw the ancient city’s long, quiet alleyways glowing with bluestone slab colors in the night, and also saw Luo Ren at the end of the alley, leaning against a lamppost with a cigarette between his fingers.

Luo Ren also looked up at her. The thin smoke was tinged yellow by the lamplight. Through this layer, she stood up on the roof ridge, her long hair flowing with the wind, her clothes blown tight against her body, outlining her slender waist.

She came down quickly, feeling somewhat awkward, and took a long time to walk that short distance.

When she got close, she talked about anything but the matter at hand: “Don’t you dislike smoking?”

Luo Ren stubbed out the cigarette on a nearby retaining wall, pulled her into his arms, lowered his head, and spoke to her with his lips against hers and nose.

“I don’t touch it much when sober, but sometimes, it helps set the mood.”

He spoke subtly yet more directly. The faint tobacco scent brushed against her lips, mingling with her breath. Mu Dai’s voice trembled slightly as she asked: “Aren’t we getting married tomorrow? Why is it today?”

If it were her, no matter how much she wanted it, she would be willing to wait for some important day.

Luo Ren said: “I’m in a good mood today.”

Mu Dai glared at him. He laughed and finally told the truth.

“Weddings are festivities for others. Shen Gun pulled so many people from all directions for me. Tomorrow there will be all kinds of procedures, ceremonies, various antics, toasts, wedding chamber pranks, eavesdropping through walls – how can I concentrate then?”

“Hongsha and the others disappeared for so long today – did you really think they went shopping?”

“That little brat doesn’t seem like he’s leaving anytime soon either. If he starts making a fuss tomorrow night, I’ll have a headache.”

Mu Dai laughed. Luo Ren always had his reasons, and she always had nothing to say.

She gripped the corner of Luo Ren’s clothes, her palms slightly sweaty, paused, then whispered: “Then why come out?”

Luo Ren looked up at the inn’s gate and main door: “Brother Mao’s inn is good in every way except one thing.”

“What?”

“No soundproofing.”

His room had Cao Yanhua on one side and Yan Hongsha on the other. Cao Yanhua’s snoring sounded like it was right beside him. Staying in that room, he would have been out of his mind.

The Peak Hall Room was popular for good reason – it was the only guest room downstairs, brick and tile construction with good soundproofing. However, Yue Xiao Feng was currently sleeping spread-eagle inside.

He pulled Mu Dai: “Let’s go.”

Where? Mu Dai didn’t ask. Luo Ren always had arrangements, just like how he handled Ge Er – he put in some thought, but afterward only said it was okay, everything was resolved.

Mu Dai let him lead her by the hand, walking over high and low bluestone steps and bright or dim alleyways. Sometimes when they encountered interesting shop fronts, they would stop to look. When they saw exaggerated advertising slogans, they would mock them. She felt this was nice too – she would be willing to keep walking like this.

Then they arrived.

Compared to Brother Mao’s central location, this was on the periphery, quite remote. With fewer people staying at the inns, the proprietors racked their brains and took a different route, hoping for long-term rentals. They were all small independent courtyards, carefully designed.

Luo Ren led her into one. The courtyard wasn’t large, with a small path paved with cobblestones. Half the courtyard was converted into a water pool with an artificial mountain over a person’s height. There were dim lights by the pool, and a waterfall hung down from the mountain with the sound of trickling water. On the mountain were residents – lifelike clay figurines scattered about: some hunting, some burning fires in huts, some herding cattle, some holding oil-paper umbrellas, and some bowing.

Mu Dai’s steps felt a bit unsteady as she entered the house to the sound of the clear water. The door closed, and moonlight only painted a silver shadow under the window sill. Mu Dai said: “Aren’t we turning on the lights?”

“Turn them on then off – what a hassle.”

True enough. She swallowed and clenched her hands. With her eyesight, she should have been able to see things quickly, but at this moment, she suddenly lost her composure and only felt darkness. The room was large and cold, and their breathing touched in invisible places. She vaguely saw Luo Ren’s silhouette. He had taken off his shirt and came to embrace her.

Mu Dai gasped as she touched his burning body. She didn’t know where to put her hands but felt his strong muscles and bones enveloping her softness without gaps. His forearm lifted under her hips, steadily holding her upright, their lower bodies pressed together in undisguised exploration and invasion.

Mu Dai’s mind exploded. She had always thought she and Luo Ren were already intimate enough, just not having crossed the final threshold of human relations. Now she realized that compared to this final barrier, what they had experienced was like a dragonfly touching water.

Her voice trembled as she said: “Little Luo, talk to me. I’m… a bit nervous.”

Luo Ren chuckled softly and carried her further inside. Without her center of gravity, Mu Dai could only hold onto his neck. In her panic, she was suddenly laid down on the bed. The bed was very large. With her back against the soft mattress, it seemed like her whole life had lost its foundation.

He stood by the bed, then like Mount Tai pressing down, covered her completely.

Mu Dai bore his male form and weight, feeling very small, small enough to be sheltered and hidden by him. She couldn’t catch her breath as the surrounding oxygen suddenly became scarce. She didn’t know how Luo Ren helped her remove her clothes. Cold air suddenly invaded, and her exposed skin rose with fine tremors.

Luo Ren said: “I’m with you, but I won’t talk.”

Not talk to her? Then what to do? Mu Dai opened her eyes and turned to look at the light seeping through the window, hoping to use this ray of light to get through the whole process, but was pulled back harshly by her body’s reactions.

Luo Ren’s hands were unrestrained on her body, like offense and defense, specifically attacking her most sensitive and vulnerable parts. She had no space to retreat or escape, wanting to curl up to the smallest size but forced to fully unfold before him. His arm crossed behind her back, forcing her upper body to arch up. He buried his head in her chest, sucking and biting, while his other hand slipped to her thigh side, teasing the final gateway.

Mu Dai cried out involuntarily, almost struggling as she spoke intermittently. Around the bed, her broken low murmurs scattered.

No, really no.

Little Luo, can we do this next time?

How long? How much longer?

Then there were no more words. She couldn’t speak, her throat dry. Those sentences she wanted to say became silent words, bouncing up high then hitting back on her body. Her fists clenched empty air, near-silent moans lingering in her throat. She instinctively grabbed the bed sheets, and the neatly spread bedding was pulled askew by her grip, twisted into a ball. Her long hair was pressed under her body. Sometimes when it was pulled, she surprisingly didn’t feel pain. Her body began to burn, dense sweat appearing on her neck and waist. Luo Ren’s breathing was also heavy and turbid, every part of his body hard as iron.

She remembered clearly – at one moment, he gripped her waist with both hands and dragged her fiercely toward him, driving straight in.

The world was like standing on a balance board that thunderously snapped in half. Everything collapsed, shattered, turning into gentle ash that rained down on her torrentially.

For a few seconds, she lost consciousness, only knowing her back arched away from the bed, taut as iron, motionless.

Luo Ren also didn’t move, his arm supporting her back, waiting for her to soften naturally.

As he wished, she finally slowly melted down, with the first thread of sound, like ice layers melting into spring water. Without struggle, her eyes reflected moonlight, spreading into a pool of confusion. Her neck tilted back slightly, a beautiful curve with the rise and fall of breathing.

City walls crumbled, defending troops scattered – a rich, undefended territory for his disposal. This world overturned, letting him remake it at will: dismantling, building, tearing, swallowing, chewing.

How much longer? Just beginning.

…

Mu Dai woke up in the dawn light.

She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but this dawn carried golden light. The ambiguous scent in the air was pervasive, dry without moisture. Luo Ren seemed to have woken before her. Hearing her movement, he got up to look at her.

The blanket was pulled away by him, exposing her snow-white but mark-covered shoulders. Black hair scattered across her chest. The golden dawn made her skin appear slightly pink and translucent.

This world had been reshaped overnight – it felt somewhat unreal.

Mu Dai wanted to pull up the blanket, but Luo Ren wouldn’t let her. His arm slipped under her waist and he covered her body, looking down at her from above. His gaze traveled down from her neck, paused, then he lowered his head to kiss her flat abdomen.

The phone’s speaker suddenly rang: “Hello?”

It was Cao Yanhua’s voice. Luo Ren had actually dialed the phone.

This sudden voice from the outside world was completely out of place in this room. Mu Dai’s body tensed and she was so panicked she didn’t dare breathe. But Luo Ren only smiled, brought the phone to his ear, and said lazily: “Are you up? Go check on that little guy Yue Xiao Feng. He’s alone in the room – I’m afraid he’ll make a fuss when he wakes up.”

Cao Yanhua was puzzled: “Yue Xiao Feng? Isn’t he sleeping with my little master?”

Luo Ren made an affirmative sound. Like a kiss but not quite, with light warm breath and tongue tip, he traveled from her abdomen upward, past the soft side of her breast, to her collarbone, to her ear.

Mu Dai bit her teeth tightly, her body flushing with a layer of pink, trembling as he progressed.

He said: “No, last night I took Mu Dai out to look at the stars.”

Really? Little Mao Tou was alone in the room?

Although the night had been quiet with no sounds of Yue Xiao Feng crying or fussing, to be cautious, Cao Yanhua still got up frantically, hurried out of bed, put on one shoe, couldn’t find the other, looked around, and somehow it had been kicked to the door.

So with one bare foot, he hopped step by step to put on his shoe, feeling angry at his disappointing behavior.

Such a grown man! Instead of seizing the time to do proper business, what was this middle-school nonsense of stargazing!