A thin layer of morning mist hung over Bai Manor as the first light of dawn appeared beyond the rooftops.
The estate was still quiet.
Most of the servants had yet to begin their morning duties, and only the occasional chirping of birds could be heard from the trees.
Dew covered the leaves and roof tiles, catching the pale light as the sky slowly brightened.
Inside the guest room, Shen Qinglan was still asleep.
After everything that had happened the day before, exhaustion had finally caught up with her.
The poison had been treated and the wound on her arm carefully bandaged.
Once she fell asleep, she barely stirred for the rest of the night.
Bai Yanzhou, however, hadn’t slept much at all.
He was still by the window, leaning against the wooden frame with his arms folded across his chest.
He had originally planned to leave once he was sure Shen Qinglan was all right, but after she fell asleep, he decided to stay a little longer.
A little longer somehow became the entire night.
When Bai Yanzhou opened his eyes again, he noticed the pale morning light outside and frowned.
It was already dawn.
He straightened and rolled one shoulder, trying to ease the stiffness from spending so many hours in the same position.
Why had he stayed so long?
He couldn’t really say.
Perhaps he had simply wanted to make sure the poison wouldn’t cause any more trouble.
He had been the one who brought her back, after all.
Leaving immediately after that didn’t seem right.
His gaze wandered toward the bed.
Shen Qinglan had pulled the blanket halfway over her face in her sleep.
Only her closed eyes and the top of her nose were visible.
Bai Yanzhou watched her for a moment, then looked away.
Whatever the reason, she was fine now.
It was time for him to leave.
He closed his eyes briefly, intending to rest for only a moment before going, when footsteps suddenly sounded outside the courtyard.
Bai Yanzhou opened his eyes.
The footsteps were firm and quick, coming directly toward Shen Qinglan’s room.
Before he had time to think about who it might be, instinct took over.
He slipped out through the window and landed silently on the roof.
His drowsiness disappeared at once as he looked down into the courtyard.
“Lan’er?” Bai Yanzhou paused.
“Lan’er, are you awake?” He recognized the voice immediately.
Shen Mo’an.
The tension left his shoulders.
So it was only her brother.
Bai Yanzhou rubbed his brow, feeling slightly ridiculous.
He had spent too many years traveling through dangerous places.
Even now, the sound of someone approaching quickly was enough to make him react before thinking.
He was about to leave when he suddenly realized something.
He was standing on the roof outside Shen Qinglan’s room.
At dawn.
And Shen Mo’an was directly below him.
Bai Yanzhou looked down at the courtyard, then at the roof beneath his feet.
This was not a good place to be found.
He turned to leave.
“Who’s there?!” Bai Yanzhou stopped.
Of course.
Shen Mo’an had already looked up.
Before Bai Yanzhou could move, Shen Mo’an pushed off the ground and landed on the roof in front of him.
Several tiles shifted beneath his feet.
The two men stared at each other.
Shen Mo’an recognized him almost immediately.
“Bai Yanzhou?” His surprise lasted only a moment.
Then his gaze moved toward the room below.
When he looked back at Bai Yanzhou, his face had darkened.
“Why are you here?” Bai Yanzhou didn’t answer.
It wasn’t because he had anything to hide.
The problem was that every possible explanation sounded worse than the last.
He could tell the truth.
He had come to see Shen Qinglan the night before and stayed because he wanted to make sure she was all right.
That would only make Shen Mo’an angrier.
He could say he happened to be passing by, but no sensible person would believe he had somehow ended up on this particular roof at dawn by coincidence.
Saying he had only come to check on her wasn’t much better either.
Shen Mo’an would inevitably ask when he had arrived.
Last night.
And when had he left?
He hadn’t.
Bai Yanzhou decided it was probably better not to say anything.
Unfortunately, his silence only made Shen Mo’an more suspicious.
“Why aren’t you answering me?” Bai Yanzhou sighed.
“I was thinking.” “Thinking about what?” “How to answer without making you want to hit me.” Shen Mo’an’s expression darkened even further.
Bai Yanzhou glanced at his clenched fist.
Apparently, that hadn’t worked.
“You stayed here last night?” There was no point lying now.
“Yes.” Shen Mo’an stared at him.
“All night?” Bai Yanzhou hesitated.
That brief hesitation was enough.
Shen Mo’an took a step toward him.
Bai Yanzhou immediately understood where this was going.
If he explained himself, Shen Mo’an would probably still hit him.
If he kept quiet, he would definitely get hit.
Either way, the outcome didn’t look promising.
He was also far too tired to argue this early in the morning.
So instead of explaining, Bai Yanzhou simply stood there and waited.
Shen Mo’an looked even more irritated by his calmness.
“You spent the entire night outside my sister’s room, and you have nothing to say?” “I do.” “Then say it.” Bai Yanzhou thought for a moment.
“She slept well.” Shen Mo’an’s face went blank.
Bai Yanzhou knew immediately that he had chosen the wrong answer.
Shen Mo’an’s fist tightened.
Right.
He was definitely getting hit.
Strangely, as Bai Yanzhou stood there waiting for the inevitable, his thoughts wandered back to the previous night.
He had only gone to see Shen Qinglan because she had woken up.
Then there had been the conversation, her ridiculous plan to disappear, and the roasted goose they had eaten while talking.
One thing had somehow led to another, and before he knew it, he had spent the entire night there.
Now he was standing on a roof at dawn with Shen Mo’an looking as though he wanted to throw him off it.
Bai Yanzhou suddenly thought of the goose.
The golden, crispy goose he had roasted with his own hands.
There had been nothing wrong with it.
It had tasted excellent.
But somehow, everything had started going wrong after he roasted it.
Bai Yanzhou sighed.
Of all the decisions he had made last night, roasting that goose was beginning to feel like the worst one.
All this trouble over one stupid goose.