Creak—!
"..."
Zijuan pushed open the wooden door to the study, carrying two cups of spirit tea. She set one on the small table beside Daiyu and the other on the desk, then tiptoed quietly out without disturbing the two women who were reading.
It was still early. The morning sunlight passed through the soft gauze curtains over the carved lattice windows, its harsh brightness filtered away until only a gentle warmth remained, spilling over the brocade carpet and the two readers, Daiyu and Tanchun.
"..."
In the elegant study, Tanchun sat quietly reading. Whether it was poetry, classics, or cultivation notes, no one could say.
At any rate, she sat behind the desk by the window, where the Four Treasures of the Study were laid out, quietly absorbed in her book.
As for Daiyu, she lay on a soft couch with thick brocade padding near the window, reclining against it and letting the sunlight fall over most of her body.
"..."
A light, thin quilt that could barely keep out the chill covered her. She wore a simple moon-white jacket, with a pale green Hangzhou-silk vest loosely draped over it. Her long black hair had not been carefully combed; it was loosely gathered with a plain white jade hairpin, while a few strands fell over her shoulders.
Her face was pale with the unmistakable pallor of someone recovering from illness, and her lips had lost some of their color. A lingering weariness and weakness hung between her brows, like a pear blossom beaten by rain or a willow bent by the wind.
Still, though her eyes lacked their usual sparkle, they remained clear.
She lay on her side, basking in the sun as she quietly read an old book, just like Tanchun at the desk.
Ever since returning from