Han Yu froze, hidden in the shadows.
Through the open window, he could see her clearly.
Li Mei sat alone at her desk, a small oil lamp flickering weakly beside her.
She was writing something slowly in a thick, worn book.
Her movements were sluggish, weighed down by something heavier than fatigue.
Han Yu's breath caught in his throat when he heard her murmur to herself,
"Han Yu... you idiot... Why didn't you wait...?"
She paused, her hand trembling slightly over the paper.
A soft sigh escaped her lips, carrying a sorrow that cut deeper than any sword.
"I was away... and you just... left," she whispered, blinking rapidly. "Died…"
Han Yu felt his chest tighten painfully.
She hadn't forgotten.
She still remembered.
Even after nine months.
For a long moment, he stood there unmoving, his heart a chaotic mess.
'I was ready to disappear. Ready to abandon everything...'
'But if there's even one person who remembers me...'
Han Yu clenched his fists.
