Duke Zhao Mansion, Chaohua Courtyard.
Bright sunlight refracted through the window lattice. Zhao Shijie, who had only been asleep for a short while, opened his eyes. His first instinct was to tighten his arms, pulling the woman in his embrace closer.
The soft, perfectly proportioned body he remembered had, in the span of just a few short years, withered away in his arms, growing thinner and weaker day by day.
And he was utterly helpless.
A pang of pain shot through Zhao Shijie's heart.
He closed his eyes, his lips tracing a path up the neck of the woman in his arms.
As his warm breath drew near, Chen Minrou's brows knitted slightly, and she turned her head away to avoid him.
His lips met empty air, but Zhao Shijie wasn't surprised.
"I know you're awake," he said, lifting his chin to gently nuzzle the corner of her forehead. He coaxed in a low voice, "The weather is lovely today, and the mansion is bustling. Shall we go for a walk in the courtyard?"
Chen Minrou said nothing.
