The study's courtyard.
The blue Ghost Lotuses in the pond slept quietly.
This was the first time the Duke had returned to this place since the day Yu Zhizhi left.
He pushed open the study door. The room was pitch black inside.
The desk, unused for several days, had been tidied by the servants. Scrolls were neatly arranged, a long, slender pipe rested on a low shelf, and a deep blue Luck Bag dangled from it.
The study was silent, without a single sound.
The Duke walked toward the back courtyard.
Mist drifted over the pond. The rose-twined iron cage to the side had not yet been dismantled, and inside lay the soft bedding the little female used to cover herself with.
On a small table sat the dessert plate from her last meal.
The Duke stared for a long time.
He could almost hear the little female's voice coming from behind him—
"You're back~"
