Qing Ruo remained to serve at Kyushu Fragrant Chamber.
Clearly, Qing Ruo was somewhat surprised when they arrived at such an early hour.
"Your Highness, Consort."
Ye Ting Lan nodded, leaving only a "No need to follow" before striding directly into the room, with Feng Yin Wan trailing close behind.
Feng Yin Wan was not unfamiliar with Kyushu Fragrant Chamber, but upon entering, she noticed something was amiss.
Looking around, she had to accept a fact—
This room... only had one bed!
It was a simple residence for a prince, so the space was naturally not large.
But with two people and one bed, how was she supposed to sleep?
While she was still dazed, the door was knocked. Qing Ruo had brought the washing essentials and, as she entered, reminded them, "It's late, Your Highness and Consort should retire soon."
These words were practically a death sentence.
A slight twitch flickered at Feng Yin Wan's temple; she didn't move.
Perhaps her reaction was too dull, and Qing Ruo, thinking she was unfamiliar with the palace, paused after setting things down and spoke again.
"Consort, would you like this servant to stay and attend to you?"
The attendance she spoke of was for helping her with washing and preparing for bed.
Feng Yin Wan couldn't wait to refuse and immediately waved her hand, "No need, I can do it myself!"
That's what she said, but she showed no intention of moving. Qing Ruo hesitated, glancing at her, while Ye Ting Lan spoke.
"You may go."
With his command, Qing Ruo naturally obeyed. She bowed slightly and turned to exit the room.
The moment the door closed, the atmosphere became silent again, filled with a hint of... awkwardness.
They were both silent.
Feng Yin Wan knitted her brows, seriously contemplating how to manipulate Ye Ting Lan to get him to sit on the cold bench elsewhere, leaving her the sole occupant of the bed.
But before she could figure it out, he seemed to read her mind and walked over to the chair by the side and sat down.
"It's getting late, you should rest."
This meant he was yielding the bed to her.
Upon hearing this, Feng Yin Wan's eyebrows lifted, and she didn't intend to be polite.
Qing Ruo was still guarding outside. Only when the candlelight in the room was extinguished did she quietly withdraw.
The room was dark. Feng Yin Wan closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep, but with someone sitting beside her, the more she wanted to sleep, the more she couldn't, feeling genuinely uncomfortable.
On the bed, her rustling movements as she turned over were subtle, while Ye Ting Lan, sitting upright beside her, made no sound.
After struggling for a long time, she opened her eyes in frustration.
"Ye Ting Lan?"
She called out tentatively, and a response came almost immediately.
"I am here."
His voice, hidden in the dimness, seemed even deeper in her ears.
Feng Yin Wan's beautiful eyes flickered slightly, and some of her anxiety subsided.
"Tell me about that person."
Although the Empress Dowager had dealt with Su Xi, the other person had not yet been caught, and it was clear that their skills were far superior to Su Xi's.
Such a master had been hidden in the palace without a trace. If not for the absolute necessity of obtaining the Hundred Wood Spirit Rhinoceros, they would likely not have revealed themselves tonight.
The thought alone felt like a significant hidden danger.
After a moment of silence from the other side, Ye Ting Lan's voice, with a hint of muffled frustration, came out.
"I clashed with him, and I did not gain the upper hand."
Objectively speaking, with Ye Ting Lan's skills, few could truly defeat him.
Even he said so, which meant the situation in the palace was likely more complicated than anticipated.
Feng Yin Wan stared at a corner of the bed curtain, her gaze silently fixed. She didn't notice the silent, intense, and complex gaze that fell upon her.
He began to hesitate, wondering if it was right to involve her in this matter.