The snow had just cleared.
White ice crystals hung from the branches outside the window. Thanks to the indoor temperature-control system, Tu Shenyi did not feel the slightest chill. Instead, he felt as though he were admiring a beautiful scene.
He pulled the curtains open a crack, but then heard Karen's languid voice. "Don't. It's too bright."
Tu Shenyi glanced back. A ray of sunlight now fell onto the carpet at the foot of the bed, stretching in a straight line toward the door. Karen was curled up beneath the covers like a cat.
"Sorry, I forgot."
Tu Shenyi smiled apologetically and drew the curtains shut again, plunging the room into darkness. He switched on the desk lamp, slipped beneath the covers, embraced Karen's cold body, and kissed her forehead before asking, "Can you really only sleep during the day?"
"Staying up during the day is bad for the body." Karen yawned and hooked her arms around Tu Shenyi's neck, making herself more comfortable.
Tu Shenyi shook his head, then suddenly laughed. "I thought you would sleep in coffins during the day... Well, that's what the books say."
"Some people really do have that particular preference." Karen did not even want to open her eyes anymore, speaking as if in a dream. "It's not that we can't walk around during the day. If it's overcast, I can still spend a few hours outside. If the sun is blazing, the time is even shorter. If we stay out too long during the day, our skin will be burned. Given even more time, we might even burst into flames..."
"That sounds terrifying." Tu Shenyi shook his head and glanced at Karen in his arms.
He found that her breathing had already become completely even. It seemed she had truly fallen asleep. Tu