Big Yage left, and Chen Ke closed the door. With nothing to do tonight, he was staying here overnight. For someone who didn't need to sleep, the night stretched endlessly.
Diana placed the Holy Diamond on the table. She went to take a shower in her room, while Parker lay on the couch reading Dickens's "Oliver Twist." Lucina complained of a headache and went to sleep in her room, leaving Chen Ke with nothing to do.
Throughout the long night, Chen Ke left the house alone and made his way to the riverbank behind it. He sat by the river, staring blankly at the flowing Taist River.
The moon hung in the black night sky like a luminous pancake. The sounds of the rushing river mingled with the calls of insects. Occasionally, a steamboat chugged past on the surface of the water, its engine sputtering. Mostly, though, it was just rubbish floating past in front of Chen Ke.
