Moon Sea (2)

Late at night on Misty Spirit Peak, even the wind seemed weary. Only the faintest, gentlest currents of air remained, circling along the eaves of the blue-gray halls, sweeping up a few prematurely fallen dead leaves before slowly settling upon the osmanthus branches in the courtyard.

The entire mountain peak was startlingly silent. There were no chirping insects, no roaring beasts—only the wind passing through the forest leaves, sifting out a fine, scattered rustle.

True Person Yu Qing stood before Shen Yuxi's door, his fingertips resting on the cool wooden panel. After hesitating for a moment, he gently pushed it open. Only an everlasting lamp was lit inside. Its warm yellow light filtered through the thin gauze shade, blurring into a hazy halo that fell over Shen Yuxi's sleeping face.

The young man lay on his side, the loose hair at his forehead damp with night sweat and stuck to his smooth temple. Weariness still lingered between his brows, yet the lamplight softened the sharpness of his features. His chest rose and fell faintly with each breath, every movement slow and steady.

A brocade quilt wrapped around Shen Yuxi's shoulders and neck, steeped in an inescapable medicinal scent—rich, faintly bitter, and mingled with a trace of light fragrance. Day after day, it had seeped into the threads, becoming the most constant scent by the young man's side.

That was true. Ever since he had come of age, every stay he made at Misty Spirit Peak had been to recover from injuries. Never mind the bedding; this little room itself was probably soaked through with bitterness by now.

True Person Yu Qing walked over softly. When he sat at the bedside, he deliberately lowered his weight with extreme care. The instant he touched the bed, it was almost impossible to feel