When morning came, Shen Jingwei was back to his usual self. He smiled and laughed along with others, as if he did not cry himself to sleep the previous night.
Most people wouldn't think that something was off.
Yan Renzhong was not most people.
He could sense distance, aloofness, emanating from Shen Jingwei, like the chill wind that swept across a desolate plain.
Though he might not have openly expressed it, his desire to keep Yan Renzhong at arm's length was unmistakable. It was as if an invisible wall had sprung up between them, a barrier that Yan Renzhong could sense but could not breach.
The second person who took note was Wen Guilin.
"What happened last night?" She inquired as soon as she managed to corner Yan Renzhong in his dressing room.
Yan Renzhong spared her a brief glance before adjusting the gauntlets on his wrists.
"... Nothing."
"Nothing?"