Meng Yao does not forget about it.

She oversees settling the prisoner into a cell and posting his guard herself. She makes sure that their guests are being taken care of and that Huaisang is settling back in comfortably. She begins composing a letter to Zewu Jun. 

That evening, Xue Yang's arrest is celebrated with a banquet. There is plenty of alcohol, as always, and Meng Yao is quite certain that the guard captain will drink his fill. Several hours after dark, she ventures into the central courtyard and seeks him out.

He is suuuuper drunk, and in fact when she finds him he is too busy vomiting into some bushes to immediately notice her. 

Of course he is.

Meng Yao stands patiently beside him and bows. "Excuse me, Da-ge, are you well? Sect Leader Nie has requested your presence."

"'M fine," he growls, swiping the back of his wrist over his mouth. "Whasshewant?"

Repulsive as ever. "We have received word of threatening movements from Wen Ruohan. Sect Leader Nie wishes to discuss preparations."

"Fine," he mumbles, turning to follow her. 

She leads him to the throne room, all the way up to Nie Mingjue's table.

The sect leader is not present.

He frowns and looks around. "Wherisshe?"

Meng Yao sits delicately on Nie Mingjue's desk and looks up through fluttering eyelashes. "Forgive this humble servant for making you wait; someone must have called her away for a moment. But surely Da-ge can think of a way for us to spend the time?"

His eyes travel up and down her body and he steps towards her.

She shivers. Parts her lips, deliberately uncrosses her legs.

He strides towards her and grabs her breast through her clothing. "Little whore," he growls in her ear.

She whimpers and leans back over the table, spreading her legs slightly further. "Da-ge, you're so forceful..."

He says something else offensive and reaches for the ties to her dress. 

What a consistently foul person. 

Meng Yao would love to hear footsteps by now, but no matter. While he fumbles at her clothes, she can reach back and start disheveling her hair.

"Oh, but maybe we shouldn't..." (Halfhearted. It's not like this drunken lout will appreciate any nuances of her performance at the moment.)

He says something extremely offensive about her mother and the apple not falling far from the tree. 

(Is that the faint sound of footsteps? Hard to tell over this lout.)

You know what, she doesn't give a fuck anymore if those are actually footsteps, she isn't waiting any longer. Meng Yao tosses her head back and screams, high and piercing.

Then she drives her knife up into the man's stomach.

The door swings open. 

Nie Mingjue takes in the scene and sees exactly what Meng Yao intends her to. 

She is at the other woman's side in an instant, shoving the body of her subordinate off of her friend and tugging her clothing shut. 

"Sect Leader," Meng Yao sobs, peeling herself up from the desk and bowing with badly shaking arms. "I -- I'm sorry -- I have b-brought impropriety into your throne room -"

"Don't be ridiculous," Nie Mingjue says flatly. 

“I should not have gone alone with him,” she whispers.

"Meng Yao, we both know you didn't do anything wrong," she says, exasperated.

She bows her head and leans forward, just in case Nie Mingjue might feel inclined to embrace her. 

See, this is a helpful way to be a sneaky social weasel! Hug. 

Meng Yao clings, and shivers pitifully. "Though I wish this incident had been no trouble to you, I am glad Sect Leader Nie is here," she murmurs.