Ling Hua woke from her sleep to find it was already night; hunger had roused her.
She opened her eyes, rocked on the bed, and felt that this nap was the most comfortable and sweetest she had ever slept, from childhood to now. Yan Qing hadn't carried her on his back to the inner courtyard; he had held her in his arms, and that was enough to make her happy for several days. Even her dreams were filled with sweetness.
After rolling around, she reached out to shake the bedside bell.
Liuli was jolted awake from under the begonia tree and hurriedly ran into the room, still holding the Sword Manual in her hand, her mind filled with swirling sword lights that she couldn't quite put to rest.
Ling Hua, rubbing her stomach, said to the rushing Liuli, "I'm hungry."
She had fallen asleep at noon without eating, and nobody had called her for a meal.
