A blonde maiden was leaning prettily against the doorframe. The warm winter sun shone through her silky hair, gilding her with a halo of gold.
Those emerald eyes held both the joy of reunion after a long separation and a hint of sly amusement at the sight of his dazed appearance just now.
Looking at the leather hair tie binding her full head of golden hair, He Xi failed to react for a moment.
He even instinctively checked his status panel, confirming whether someone had cast some kind of illusion spell on him.
Only when the smiling eyes at the door curved into two crescent moons did he speak uncertainly. "Isla?"
The smile on Isla's lips deepened. She straightened up from the doorframe and took two steps toward him, sunlight casting a long shadow behind her.
"Long time no see, He Xi."
"Mm, long time no see." He Xi's thoughts were still a little muddled. "Why did you come back?"
"The academy gave us a break for the Winter Festival, so I wanted to come back and visit Teacher Edwin." As she spoke, her gaze swept around the room.
"Winter Festival..." He Xi murmured. Only then did he realize a crucial question. "Didn't that pass several days ago? You... have you been back for a while?"
Seeing that she merely smiled and nodded without explaining, the string in He Xi's mind finally snapped into place with a click.
His mailbox was so clean that there was not even a speck of dust inside.
He asked tentatively, "So... I didn't receive any letters because you wrote to me, then took them away yourself?"
Isla's eyes blinked mischievously. Completely ignoring his blunt guess, she tilted her head and said in a perfectly matter-of-fact tone, "Are you planning to leave me standing at