Chan'er walked briskly toward the Imperial Kitchen, pausing deliberately at the entrance to look around. Once she had confirmed the position of the third stone, she went inside to collect the morning meal. Upon exiting, she feigned exhaustion and sat down to rest, taking the opportunity to slip a note behind the stone. Not long after she left, the new palace maid, Ziyuan, approached the stone, retrieved the note, and slipped away unnoticed.
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, three days had passed—the day they had agreed upon.
Bai Wutong sat at her desk, studying by candlelight. A book of folk tales lay on the table, but she had no interest in it, her attention frequently darting nervously toward the window.
Chapter 56