"Hey! Xu Jingxi! Wait!" Liang Yici ran after him, only to see him quicken his pace and head back the way he'd come.
She stopped, staring blankly at his retreating figure until he disappeared around a street corner.
Second Master Xie walked to her side, also glancing in the direction Xu Jingxi had gone.
"Let me take you home. Your mother was delayed by some business in the palace. I'm afraid she won't be back for a while," he said.
Liang Yici lifted her head, staring at him resentfully.
"How could you possibly know my mother's movements so well?"
"I'm telling you, stop pestering her. She and my father were deeply in love. Even though he's dead, I will never allow you two to be together."
With that, Liang Yici blew a whistle. Her horse galloped out from the shadows. She vaulted nimbly onto its back, then cracked the whip and rode off.
Second Master Xie watched her ride away, lost in thought for a moment.
