It was almost six o'clock by the time Xue Yang got home.
As November approached, the days darkened with exceptional speed. By six, the sky was completely pitch-black, as if devoured by darkness. The north wind howled mournfully. Xue Yang pulled his clothes tighter and quickened his pace toward home.
The apartment he rented was down a small alley. Although the alley was not long, it had no streetlights. Consequently, when looking out from the apartment, a stretch of the path was particularly dark. Only by gazing into the distance could one see the myriad lights of the city.
For someone afraid of the dark, however, this patch of blackness was enough to inspire terror.
This was also the first time since Lin Xi had come to stay that Xue Yang had been this late getting home.
She was curled up on the bed, wrapped tightly in a blanket, not daring to leave even a sliver of a gap. Even so, she was scared out of her wits.
