In the dark of the night, a ring of dimly lit candles graced Zhu Qingyue's courtyard in an arc of flickering warm yellow, the flames wavering with the occasional breeze.
Luckily, the weather was perfect for eating outside, neither too hot nor too cold. The commonly seen mist on top of the floating sect island had mysteriously dissipated. It was a rare and beautifully clear night with a brilliant array of stars shining high above.
The table in the yard was already set for dinner. An assortment of small porcelain plates with pickled vegetables, stuffed dumplings and two rice bowls were laid on top of the stone surface along with the accompanying sets of chopsticks. In the middle, several cups were placed beside a large steaming teapot.
The exquisite meal and carefully arranged cloister was concealed from prying eyes by the dense foliage and the camphor wood slatwall panels surrounding it.
An agitated man with a pair of phoenix eyes blazing like the morning sun was waiting impatiently by the entrance to the courtyard. His broad shoulders were stiff and his mouth stretched into a thin line while counting the seconds as they passed by.
A gentle wind blew through the scene and few stray leaves fell from the tall trees, decorating the strikingly handsome man's loosely tied silver hair with hints of green and yellow.
Inside the residence, the twin servants who had assisted in cooking the meal and preparing everything for Her Ladyship's arrival, stood on their tiptoes, sneaking a peek at their lord pacing back and forth by the doorway.
They simply couldn't help themselves. Their expressionless, peerless, domineering Sovereign Lord looked no more superior than a young maiden anxiously anticipating the night of her betrothal. The Heavenly Realm's warden appeared to be so out of character that, had they not known better, the Xiao twins would have assumed he had been replaced with an imposter.
The Fox Lord might have been tense and unsettled, unbefitting his godly entity, but he was still as breathtakingly beautiful as ever. He was wearing what could be mistaken at first glance for a plain black robe. Upon closer inspection, however, one could see the shimmering quality of the fabric and the golden embroidery sewn into the cloth in the shapes of complicated mandala patterns.
The bewitching facial features, so ravishing they could easily outshine even the goddess of beauty herself, along with his ivory skin, lean form and tall stature, made Bai Qingyue a truly unforgettable sight for any person, mortal or immortal who would dare lay eyes upon him.
Suddenly, the Fox Lord froze in place. Only his face turned slowly, almost mechanically so, towards the entrance as his keen hearing picked on the sound of Li Meirong's approaching footsteps.
Finally. Finally, she arrived! He had nearly burst into flames from all the waiting.