The laughter in the courtyard came to a halt.
The village chief took a sip of plum wine and muttered, "Who's here at this hour!"
He was about to stand up from the table.
Ji Xizhi was sitting closest to the door; she stood up first and said to the village chief, "I'll go open the door."
The village chief, being seated inside, found it inconvenient to get up and responded, "Alright, alright, thank you, Zhi Zhi, my dear girl."
Ji Xizhi stood up and went to the courtyard door, where the knocking had already stopped.
She reached out and gently pulled the latch.
The warm orange light suddenly slipped out through the crack in the door. As the gap widened, it illuminated the area in front of the door.
The soft light settled on a tall man dressed in a pure black work uniform. The man exuded a cold aura, yet was enveloped in the warm light. His stunning face mixed both coldness and warmth, like a snow lotus blooming alone on a mountaintop, absolutely unique.
