Shen Yinning looked at him.
A year had passed since they journeyed from Gan State to the Capital.
The shy, introverted, refined, and scholarly Ganzhou County Magistrate of old had indulged himself in the Imperial Court's offices and the Capital's pleasure districts. Now, he looked noticeably heavier, his belly full of indulgence, and even his face had morphed into an oily roundness, revolting to behold.
Shen Yinning withdrew her gaze, chuckling softly, "A pillar of support? Master Gao, don't you know that when a person is at the end of their rope, their only pillar of support is themselves? Master Gao, I'm afraid you will never be my pillar of support."
The laugh reached Gao Zheng's ears, its sting akin to humiliation.
It felt as though he was reduced to half the stature of Shen Yinning.
