It was a few minutes past midnight when Mei Mei made it home. When she stepped out of her car, the sharp chill of the wind slapped her face. For a hot day, it was surprisingly cold in the night. Even the stars blinked in disbelief, their shimmer dimmed by misty clouds that had no business being in the sky.
The neighborhood was quiet, all the dogs seemed to be caught off guard by the sudden drop in temperature and decided to stay indoors. As she made her way to the gate, Mei Mei saw Tangning's cat which was out on the prowl running back into the house. According to Tangning, it had a habit of staying out all night and returning in the morning. It appeared that the cat had reconsidered that decision this night.
She did not miss the presence of vehicles that belonged to the Imperial command lined up on the streets close to the house. In the vehicles, imperial soldiers were watching the neighborhood.
