When Shen Fei pushed open his door early the next morning, the light in the courtyard was still gray and dim.
The cold glow of the lighting ore fell evenly across the bluestone paving, leaving only faint shadows in the corners and beneath the corridor pillars.
He stood in the doorway and flexed his wrists. The lingering ache in his meridians after last night's cultivation had faded, replaced by a sense of fullness that felt just right.
He walked to Xiao Ning'er's door and knocked twice.
The knocks carried through the quiet courtyard. They were not loud, but enough for anyone inside to hear. There was silence behind the door for a few seconds, then footsteps sounded, and the door was pulled open from within.
Xiao Ning'er stood behind it. Today, she had changed into a light gray training outfit, her hair loosely tied back with a plain cloth ribbon. A slight flush still lingered on her face after she had finished regulating her breathing and concluded her practice, and she looked a little more refreshed than she had last night.
She paused when she saw Shen Fei at the door, then asked, "Need something?"
"I wanted to go for a walk," Shen Fei said casually. "I've been stuck in this courtyard for days. It's getting stifling. Want to come out for some air?"
Xiao Ning'er looked at him without answering immediately. She had already more or less put last night's incident out of her mind. It had rankled at the time, but after a night's sleep, she had long since turned the page.
She nodded, went back to grab a light jacket and draped it over herself, then stepped out and closed the door.
They crossed the courtyard side by side toward the gate.
As they passed the main