Time until the Eastern Emperor Bell rings: 104 years
Black crows circled overhead. On the marble ground, a beautiful woman in a smoky blue qipao stood before an artificial rockery, holding the hand of a teenage boy.
Behind them, a young man in a Western-style vest glanced at his pocket watch. The monocle on the bridge of his nose reflected a faint gleam as he looked behind him, as if waiting for someone.
The hazy drizzle soaked the boy's traditional jacket. He looked up at the beautiful woman beside him in confusion and asked:
"Chief Official, why are we standing here?"
Gongyang Wan answered calmly, "Waiting for someone."
"Who?"
"You don't need to know."
"Oh..." The boy nodded, glanced at his drenched clothes, and spoke again. "Chief Official, why aren't we using umbrellas?"
"What? You can't even endure a little wind and rain?" Gongyang Wan said coldly. "To become truly strong, you must undergo the baptism and tempering of wind and rain... If you can't even stand getting wet, you'd better go home now."
The boy opened his mouth, but ultimately lowered his head in silence and said softly:
"I'm not afraid of wind and rain... I'm just afraid your clothes will get wet, Chief Official, and that you'll catch a chill."
Gongyang Wan glanced at him without saying anything.
"He's here."
The young man with the monocle suddenly spoke as he looked in a certain direction.
Gongyang Wan turned her head. In the gray drizzle, a Figure in black held an umbrella in his right hand and slowly walked across the wet marble path. The lowered brim obscured his face, making it impossible to see clearly.
His footsteps made no sound at all. Like a ghostly phantom in the rain curtain, he silently arrived before them.
"Greetings,