Once the excitement died down, everyone went their separate ways.
Some said they were going to tidy their dorm rooms and put away the things they had brought back from home; there were still unopened local specialties in their bundles, and everything needed to be sorted out.
Some went to clear away the clutter that had accumulated in the corners of the training grounds over the past few days, grabbing brooms and heading straight out.
A few others slung their arms around one another's shoulders and said they were going to see what good dishes the dining hall had today, claiming the journey back had left their bellies so empty they were practically stuck to their spines.
The people in the lounge left in twos and threes until it was empty. Their laughter gradually faded, their footsteps scattered along the corridor, and in the end, only Lin Chen and Zhu Zhuqing remained seated there.
Quiet settled around them. Afternoon sunlight slanted through the window lattice, falling across the floor and stretching their shadows into two long lines.
Plates of pastries that had yet to be cleared away still sat on the table. A half-full cup of tea glowed softly in the light, and a few pastry crumbs clung to the edge of a plate.
The warmth of the earlier bustle seemed not quite to have dispersed, yet also seemed to have been gently swept away by the breeze outside. Only the two of them breathing softly remained in the room.
Without realizing it, Lin Chen leaned closer to Zhu Zhuqing. She did not move away, and they sat shoulder to shoulder, nestled against each other, quietly chatting about this and that.
They went from the dangers of hunting Soul Rings in the Star Dou Great Forest to the peculiarities of