At noon the next day, the sun had risen to the middle of the sky, and Xiulote awoke in a daze. At that moment, he sat blankly on the cotton blanket, glanced at the bite mark on his chest that had already scabbed over, then looked at his wife, who was curled up like a young girl, and for once felt a rare sense of peace inside.
"Alisa, my love..."
Xiulote sat quietly for a while, watching his unparalleled beautiful lover. After a moment, he lowered his head and gently kissed the tear-streaked corner of her eye, then kissed her still unhealed lips.
"My wife... all these years, you've been enduring so much..."
