Lin Feilu was momentarily stunned as she broke out in a layer of cold sweat. She didn’t know what else she could do when a voice echoed from behind her, “Uncle Ji! No!”

The sword intent that bound her intensively suddenly disappeared, and Lin Feilu fell to the ground as if she had collapsed. Just before she tumbled to the floor, she was caught in mid-air.

The familiar scent of a light bamboo fragrance wrapped itself around her. Lin Feilu slowly turned her head and saw Song Jinglan in his night outfit.

Before she had the time to speak, he had already leaned over and picked her up before he strode into the house.

She could only see his tense chin and slightly sullen side profile from her angle.

Walking into the house, Lin Feilu could only see a person standing in the corner of the house in the quiet moonlight. Like a ghost, there was no sound coming from him at all. The door behind him slammed shut without any assistance from the wind.

Song Jinglan carried her to the couch and put her down before he held her wrist to check her pulse. Finally, he put his lips together and smiled warmly as he said warmly, “It’s alright now.”

Lin Feilu’s body was still somewhat drained— her legs were still weak from the fright, and she couldn’t help but look at the silent shadow standing in the corner.

This…is the power of a master!

Song Jinglan turned around and said in a helpless tone, “Uncle Ji, she is still a little girl.”

Jiliang replied with an expressionless face, “In the middle of the night, anyone approaching you would have harbored no good intentions.”

Lin Feilu couldn’t help but retort, ”What do you mean ‘in the middle of the night’? It’s just past evening(1)!”

(T/N: Specific term is Xu Shi, which typically refers to a time between 7 pm to 9 pm)

Jiliang glared at her coldly. His eyes were like a chilly blade under the dark moon as it emanated no warmth. Lin Feilu decided to stay quiet as she lowered her head cowardly when she saw his expression.

Sir, you’re right, I’m wrong; I’ll shut up.

Song Jinglan smiled helplessly, “Uncle Ji, don’t scare her.”

After speaking, he squatted down in front of her and held her cold fingers in the palms of his hands. Lin Feilu felt as if a steady stream of hot air had poured into her body from her fingertips, gradually dispelling the weakness she had just felt under the coercion of sword intent as her limbs finally regained their strength.

She looked at the serious and focused young man in front of her with slightly lowered eyes before she asked unhappily, “Where have you been?”

Song Jinglan raised his eyes, and the moonlight reflected a bit of its serenity in his gaze, “I went out to settle some issues.”

She asked again, “Where did you go? Were you outside the palace?”

In fact, she merely asked this casually, not expecting an answer at all. She knew that Song Jinglan would not tell her anything as he shouldn’t be telling her anything.

Unexpectedly, Song Jinglan replied with a nod, “Mm, I went out of the palace to meet up with someone.”

Lin Feilu was stunned, “You can leave the palace? Has no one found out?”

Song Jinglan smiled and didn’t reply. He held her soft fingers and asked in a low voice, “Is it better now?”

She pulled her fingers out of his palm and replied in a muffled voice, “Mm.”

He stretched out his hand to straighten the strand of stray hair on the corner of her lips for her before standing up, “Why are you here at this hour?”

Lin Feilu raised her head. She noticed that the black shadow that stood in the corner just now had disappeared without leaving a single trace! She was completely awed by this master, but she took out the lantern in her arms after a while, “It’s the Qiqiao Festival, so I came here to release these with you.”