By the time Fan Dazhi returned to his lodgings after seeing He An off, darkness had fallen completely. No lamp burned inside; only cold moonlight filtered through the window lattice, casting a few lonely streaks of light and shadow across the floor.
He lay on his back on the cold bed, gazing around the empty room. Thinking of how He An's departure had left him utterly alone, he felt an inescapable sense of loss well up within him and let out a long sigh.
These past few days, aside from the two hours each morning and evening he spent waiting for He An outside the Teaching Pavilion, he had devoted almost all his time to one thing-keeping Linu company.
At the thought of that lovely, graceful figure, the clouds of gloom on Fan Dazhi's face vanished in an instant, replaced by an irrepressibly foolish grin. Even his perpetually somewhat bewildered eyes began to sparkle.
He rolled over lazily and gathered Little Black Cat, who was curled up asleep like a ball of fur beside him, into his arms. His fingers absently combed through the cat's sleek, glossy coat, which felt like the finest silk.
"Little Black, Little Black," he whispered, as though sharing an earth-shattering secret, his voice brimming with undisguised joy and simpleminded delight. "Linu... Linu let me hold her hand today. When I kept her company on the swing, I even sneaked... an arm around her waist..."
His cheeks grew warm as he savored the memory. "Her hands were so soft, and her waist was so slender... I really, truly like her. Do you think she... likes me a little too? Mm... she must. Otherwise, why would she let me into her bedroom and sew clothes for me herself?"
Roused from a pleasant sleep, Little Black Cat reluctantly