The two, both teacher and student, as well as close friends, walked silently one behind the other.
They passed through the lakeside corridor, traversed the apricot leaf avenue, went by Zibei Pavilion at the foot of Book Mountain, and through Kong Valley where red maple leaves abound... During this time, they passed unpopulated forest trails and water pavilions hosting literary gatherings; both silence and noise seemed unrelated to them, Zhu Yourong and Zhao Rong continued on their way, with the female teacher ahead not speaking and the male scholar behind not asking.
Only the autumn wind lifted their clothing hems, and fallen leaves rested on their shoulders, a tacit silence lingering in their hearts.
Only after quite some time of quietly walking did Zhao Rong pass by her shoulder and from afar caught sight of a corner of the eaves of Yilan Pavilion nestled among green leaves.
