Day One of recess felt almost embarrassingly ordinary.
Jin Yue appreciated that.
The river ran quietly along the training grounds' outer edge, and he sat beneath the same low branch he had chosen the day before. His fishing rod rested lightly between his fingers, line cast into calm water, a thin book open across his knee.
The world, for once, was not collapsing.
He preferred days like this.
Around noon, the bell for meal distribution echoed across the grounds.
Jin Yue reeled in his line without urgency, securing the rod before walking toward the dining pavilion where participants were already lining up in loose clusters.
Recess meant fewer restrictions.
Conversation was louder.
Laughter easier.
Huo Zhen was already ahead in line, animatedly describing something exaggerated. Mu Qing stood beside him, occasionally correcting details. Yun Ke observed everything with detached calm. Ba Ryou stood steady, arms folded loosely.
Jin Yue joined them without announcement.
