Anning's pov
I stared at the ceiling of my room, one hand slapped over my eyes as I let out a small smile.
Nine months.
It felt impossible that so much time had gone by. When Wanqing first left, I had chosen to believe it would only be for a few days.
A short trip, maybe some business she had to go to in place of her father or maybe she just left to cool down after our fight.
I had even prepared a half hearted apology in my head for when she returned. But days turned into weeks, and weeks blurred into months.
Now here we were.
At first, I thought I was going to die. Every corner of the residence reminded me of her.
The infirmary we had argued in last time before she had gotten whipped and the glare she would have given me if I walked without lowering my gaze.
I had devoted myself to work just to get her out of my head. Scrubbing floors till my hand bled, carrying pails of water till my muscle ached.
