With that, she turned and walked towards the living room, her small, silent footsteps disappearing into the golden morning light.
— — — — — —
Finally, Shen Xiao inhaled a deep, silent breath and rose slightly, shifting his weight just enough to sit upright on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped faintly beneath him as he adjusted his posture, his tall frame hunched forward in the dim morning light filtering through the thin curtains.
He glanced down at his hands. Crimson smears darkened his knuckles and the side of his palm where her blood had dried, cracking slightly when he flexed his fingers. His dark shirt was rumpled, streaked faintly with dried brown where her tears and blood had stained it the night before.
For a moment, he simply stared at his hands, his expression blank and unreadable.
