Bab 149: The Last Night

I left Bai Ye by himself afterward so that he could get everything in order. There must be a lot for him to prepare, and I didn't want to take up all his time with my trivial needs. When afternoon slowly drew into evening and candlelight started flickering from his window, I finally made my way across the garden to his room.

He was reclining in bed, reading a book. The concentrated look on his face made me pause in the doorway, and I wasn't sure if I was interrupting him at a bad time. Just as I was about to pull away, he looked up. "Come," he stretched out an arm towards me.

The smile curling his lips was more tender and loving than I had ever seen, and I was dazed for a moment, forgetting to move. Candlelight sheened on his cheeks, gilding his sharp features with a gentle warmth. I suddenly wanted to just stand there forever, watching him, as if that could stop time from passing by and stop him from leaving me when the sun rises again in the morning.