When Su Qinglan woke up, the first thing she noticed was the silence. The cave was unusually quiet.
She blinked a few times, trying to adjust her sleepy eyes to the faint morning light streaming in through the entrance. Her body still felt warm from the heat that was glued to her all night, and then, checking on him, her hand reached to the side...only to touch cold, empty stone.
Her eyes fluttered open wider.
She turned to the other side, reaching out again, but that spot too was empty. The beast hide was still crumpled beside her, but the warmth was gone. Hu Yan was gone.
Su Qinglan sat up in an instant, sleep vanishing completely from her eyes. Her heart gave a sharp jolt as she whispered softly, "Hu Yan…?"
No answer. Only the faint echo of her own voice came back.
She turned her head quickly toward the far side of the cave where Xuan Long usually rested, but that space was empty too.
Her breath hitched. "What… where did they go?"
