The towering treetops slowly emerged from the night as time passed, until at last they came into sharp focus.
The night passed quickly.
Morning.
Sunlight fell gently, and the ginkgo trees shimmered, their leaves dancing in the breeze.
Amid a sky full of swirling yellow leaves, a figure hurried in, strode across the courtyard, and entered the bedroom.
"Cough, cough, cough..." The moment he turned past the screen, Pei Ling could no longer hold back a fit of violent coughing. He immediately removed the mask from his face, and spots of blood had already seeped from the corner of his mouth.
He staggered a few steps, braced himself against the table, and sat down. Then came a heart-rending fit of coughing, as though he were about to hack up his innards. "Cough, cough, cough, cough..."
After a long while, Pei Ling lay weak and limp across the table. His lapel, the tabletop, the floor... all were mottled with the blood he had coughed up.
Pei Ling took a deep breath. Once he had regained a little strength, he had no time to think and forced himself to the bed. He did not even have time to remove his filthy outer robe before collapsing onto it.
Almost the instant he lay down, sleep and exhaustion surged over him like a tide, and he fell fast asleep.
The palace lanterns, changed at some point, burned quietly. Their dancing flames cast a hazy glow, bathing the room in dim yellow light.
After what seemed like a long time, an unhurried knock suddenly sounded outside the bedroom door.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Pei Ling woke with a start. He immediately picked up the mask in his hand, ready to put it on at the first sign of trouble.
Staring at the screen blocking the door,