In the evening, as night became deeper.
The hustle and bustle of the market fell silent with sunset, and household lights gradually flickered on in the twilight.
Chen Ye, after a busy day, finally clad in chills, pushed open the gate of his small courtyard.
The yard was quiet; Qing Jun was probably tired from playing with Yuanyuan and had been coaxed to rest early by Granny Li.
The paper on the windows cast a dim yellow light, faintly revealing Zhiwei's small silhouette hunched over the table.
"This girl, hard at work again?"
Chen Ye felt relieved, took off his cloak, and quietly returned home.
But when he opened the door, the sight before him caused his heart to sink sharply.
Zhiwei was not reading or cultivating.
Her small body was curled on the chair, back facing the door, with her shoulders trembling slightly.
The thick cotton coat that Chen Ye had just bought for her was casually thrown aside; she wore only a thin inner garment.
