Eventually, the rain ceased and a black canvas filled with stars and a bright crescent moon took the place of the previously cloudy night sky.
Nocturnal birds left their nest and started hunting, their cries few but loud. Two small bats joined them, flying in circles above the Crown Prince's manor as they gorged themselves on small insects.
Inside Ji An's bedroom, Ji Mo Yuan spoke the last words of a story and looked at his son with a soft expression. The boy's eyelids had long since been shut and a light snore could be heard here and then.
Ji Mo Yuan brushed a lock of hair behind his son's ear, his every movement gentle and loving, and as light as possible in order to not wake up the child. Bending down carefully, he kissed his son's forehead and whispered, "Goodnight, An'er."
