Dugu Yan spoke up from the side to comfort her. "Zhu Qing, don't mind him. A man like that is a bastard. He isn't worth getting this upset over!"
Zhu Qing took the handkerchief, gripping it tightly between her fingers until the edges were wrinkled.
She sniffed, her voice slightly hoarse. "I'm not crying. What is there to cry about?"
That was what she said, but the sobs in her voice were impossible to hide, and her steps slowed by half a beat.
The night wind swept through the treetops, rustling softly.
Zhu Qing took a deep breath, folded the handkerchief, and stuffed it into her pocket. When she looked up, most of the moisture in her eyes had already faded, though they were still a little red.
"Let's walk faster. It's dark."
She quickened her pace, her voice returning to its usual coldness. Yet the faint redness at the corners of her eyes still betrayed the grievance she had suffered moments ago.
Xiao Wu and the others hurried to catch up, chattering as they changed the subject and talked about the new desserts they had seen earlier, trying their best to bury that bit of unpleasantness.
By midnight, only Xiao Wu's even breathing remained in the dormitory.
Moonlight filtered through the windows and scattered mottled silver radiance across the floor.
Zhu Qing lay awake for a long time. In the end, she quietly rose, moving as lightly as a fallen leaf.
She threw on a coat and stepped barefoot onto the cool floor. When she pushed open the dormitory door, the hinges gave only an almost inaudible creak.
The night wind was especially cold, making the back of her neck tighten slightly. She gathered her clothes around her and walked toward the woods at the edge of the academy.