Pei Ye probably saw such an expression on the scholar's face for the first time. Even though it was subtle and quickly faded, his gaze fell on the note he held in his hand and he quieted down for a full three breaths.
"...Thank you," Zhu Wen nodded.
His voice and tone did not waver, but Pei Ye inexplicably felt that the shadow under the lamp seemed somewhat diminished. The nearly fifty-year-old scholar bowed his head, straightened the note with care, folded it nicely, and put it into the pot containing dried flowers.
He wrapped his cotton robe tighter around himself, leaned down to wipe the ink stains off the wooden board, and while Pei Ye was about to move the desk back, he turned his head and said, "No need. Today we covered four hours, tomorrow afternoon after your sword practice, you can come here again for an hour, and you can do the same for the next two days."
"Oh, okay."
Pei Ye glanced at the desk, "...I'll clean the brush holder for you."