Qinghai, Kekexili jurisdiction.
The cold moon hung high, its silver light dimmed as the sunset clouds at the distant horizon were being devoured bit by bit by the dark blue of the night.
A hint of crimson light waxed and waned in the night. There was no wind tonight; only the temperature, following the seasonal shift, rendered the earth beneath even chillier than before.
There, in the yard, stood a tall, dark figure who tilted his head up ever so slightly to gaze at the stars twinkling in the night sky, listening to the incessant chirping of insects in the wilderness.
It was his second night back.
Everything was as usual, business as usual. If not for experiencing it firsthand, some things would feel like a dream.
At this moment, the door, fastened with cotton strips, was pushed open.
A figure seemed to be suddenly thrust out from inside. Sang Nian staggered forward a few steps before he managed to stop himself; eventually, he turned to Lu Xiao with a forced chuckle and said,