“Must you leave before sunrise?” Xiao Qiao asked, her breath tickling the nape of Shangxiang’s neck.

In the darkness, Shangxiang’s hand found Xiao Qiao’s; she lifted it to her lips and brushed it with a gentle kiss, before answering, “If I am to successfully sneak into Cao Cao’s camp, I must do so while it is still dark.”

Turning around to face her lover, Shangxiang pressed her forehead against Xiao Qiao’s, adding, “But I promise you, this will help us prevail, and when I return, we will watch the sun rise on a changed world together.”