Lin Jianyi stood to the side, not saying a word from beginning to end. He merely watched Xu Wuyi quietly, his gaze calm and profound.
After a moment, he spoke, "I'll be going now."
Xu Wuyi looked at him, gave a slight bow, and thanked him once more.
Lin Jianyi waved his hand and turned toward the alley's entrance. His steps were slow, but after just a few strides, he vanished from sight.
Zhao Cizhou also took his leave. He patted Xu Wuyi on the shoulder, told him to "properly stabilize your realm," and then departed.
Only Feng Zhuohua and Xu Wuyi remained at the courtyard gate.
Feng Zhuohua was in no rush to leave. Instead, he leaned against the doorframe, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. The smoke drifted upward lazily in the afternoon sunlight, partially obscuring his face.
Xu Wuyi watched him, waiting for him to speak.
Feng Zhuohua took a few more puffs before snuffing out the cigarette and flicking the butt into a nearby trash can.
