The moon was up in the willow branches.
On the riverbank of Lin'an, the withered willows swayed in the wind, the cold wind howling outside as if it were a ferocious beast trying to break through its cage. The windows of the corridor rattled loudly in the wind.
Lin Jiaojiao hadn't gone to bed yet. Perhaps she had slept too much on the boat and wasn't sleepy at all now, sitting by the table and occasionally picking up a dried fruit to eat.
Neither wanting to sleep nor feeling inclined to idleness, she wondered when Shiyi would return and how his investigation was going.
Xuemei yawned, then took an almond and asked after chewing it, "Your Highness, do you want to rest?"
"You can go and rest first. I'll stay up for a while, and I'll call you if I need anything," she replied.
Xuemei hesitated for a moment. Although it wasn't very late, it wasn't early either. She was exhausted, and sitting there without talking made her even sleepier.
