6:00 AM, 31st August, 2031.
The hotel room was cloaked in darkness, the heavy curtains shutting out the early morning light.
Outside, the world was still and quiet, with the sun not expected to rise until 8 o'clock.
Inside, however, the atmosphere was one of heavy intimacy, filled with the remnants of a night that had reshaped their lives.
Wang Xiao lay in the faint light, his gaze fixed on the sleeping beauty resting atop him.
Mei's eyes were swollen and red, the aftereffects of tears and exhaustion, her long lashes flickering subtly, as though even in sleep she couldn't escape the echoes of what had happened.
Her body, warm and soft, rose and fell gently with her breaths, her chest pressed against his.
Despite all she had endured, there was a quiet glow to her face, a subtle brightness that only enhanced her beauty, even in her helplessness.
