By this time, it was already dark out. Torches had been lit all across the palace, and as the temperature had dropped significantly, there was no one anywhere outside who didn’t have a reason to be there.
Qing Xue knew that Bai Ruyi must still be at Kazane’s residence, waiting for him to bring him word of his mother. Even so, the first place he went to was their own residence. There was a chance Bai Ruyi had already gone back there, but if he hadn’t, he could at least retrieve cloaks for them both. He didn’t want him to feel cold on their way back.
For whatever reason, he felt a distinct pang of disappointment when he found the place dark, cold, and desolate. Before getting their cloaks, he spent some time lighting up lamps and braziers in preparation for their eventual return.
When he
