"Hoo… hoo…"
Rui Ye blew hot air into his palms, though it did little to warm him up.
The night was so cold that each breath he took seemed to be laced with ice, freezing his nose and airways, and the tips of his fingers went painfully numb. In his haste earlier, he had only donned his red cotton jacket and had forgotten to grab any gloves or hat, which resulted in his current predicament.
But he didn't have the luxury to regret it now. He had a more pressing matter to be worried about—
Mother had not returned yet!
Rui Ye had been waiting for her so that they could have dinner together, like they always did. Yet he waited and waited, and there was still no sign of Mother Rui anywhere! He had clearly felt so famished earlier, but now he couldn't even muster any appetite. His stomach was twisted into knots, and his heart beat erratically, seemingly as if it was going to jump out of his throat in anxiety.
