Three months. Whenever I thought about this deadline, I felt anxious and restless. I knew I couldn’t delay any further and must notify An Jin to prepare, but I didn’t know how to approach him.
After more than a month passed, I finally couldn’t bear it. On a dark, windy night, I secretly slipped to the door of his room. His room was still lit. I hesitated for a moment, raised my hand to knock, but then heard a woman’s voice from inside.
So late, and there’s a woman in his room?!
I was furious, pacing around in anger. Just a month or two after separating rooms, he couldn’t resist the loneliness and was cheating? After careful consideration, I realized this was a family scandal that shouldn’t be exposed to outsiders. I needed to find a trustworthy and discreet helper to catch him in the act.
Yuanxiao seemed quite willing to take on this task. After being pulled from its nest to An Jin’s window, it resolutely took several steps back, scratched the ground with its right hind leg, started running, and leaped – only to get stuck in the window, letting out two miserable howls.
I covered my face, feeling utterly embarrassed.
The door suddenly burst open, and An Jin stood in the doorway, blocking the light from inside, his expression somewhat unclear.
“A Yao…” he called out, his tone strange. “Is it really you?”
I held my head high, coughed coldly, and ignored Yuanxiao’s cries for help, moving slightly towards the doorway. “I saw Yuanxiao running in this direction, so I came to check.”
Moving closer, I tried to casually peek inside through the gap between his body and the door, but to no avail.
He shifted, blocking my view. “A Yao, you’ve come to find me?”
He smiled at me, then seeming to realize his smile was too bright, tried to suppress it, which only made his expression appear somewhat stiff.
I pointed towards the window. “I said, I’m here to find Yuanxiao.”
“Okay, come in and we’ll talk,” he stepped aside.
I rushed in without thinking.
Indeed, there was a woman standing by the window, staring blankly at Yuanxiao’s half-stuck body. But—
“Que’er?” I said in surprise. “How is it you?”
