In the early winter afternoon, despite the sun still shone brilliantly, the air filled up with a hint of cold that couldn't be dissipated.
Upon leaving the bustling crowds of Pedestrian Street and turning into a narrow alley nearby, what came into Zheng Qing's view was no longer the lush greenery he saw on his first arrival, but fallen leaves splashed with golden red all over the ground.
The alley was still deep and tranquil as before. However, the moss-covered corners of the walls were losing their dampness in the dry, chilly air; the spaces between the cracked blue stones underfoot no longer echoed with the sound of insects. The setting, flanked by the silent tall wall on the left and the peaceful buildings on the right, took on an air of desolation and solitude.
The young scholarship student tread on the dry leaves, sprinting all the way, and soon arrived at a familiar black gate.
Compared to his first visit, the Abnormal Life Research Institute appeared much cleaner now.
