Just as Murong Qiqi was closing her eyes to rest, she was jarred by the sound of approaching footsteps. With a steady demeanor, she opened her eyes and pulled on a sleep robe from a clothes rack by the shore. No sooner had she draped herself in it than a figure dressed in black appeared before her.
The stranger wore a baby-faced mask -- a powdery white face with a sweet, red-lipped grin, cheeks adorned with fiery red rouge, and a pair of sharp eyes concealed behind black eyeholes.
"Who are you and what's this charade for?" Murong Qiqi asked, her hand discreetly finding a pair of golden wires.
The intruder seemed surprised at stumbling upon the hot spring, and upon seeing Murong Qiqi's face, appeared momentarily stunned, whispering "Mingyue..." The intruder's voice was hoarse and shaky, as if struggling to control an intense emotional propensity.
