The house had long fallen into silence by the time Zi Han glanced at the clock again.
1:00 AM.
The second hand ticked steadily, each movement making the quiet feel heavier.
For a moment, she told herself she was overthinking it. Ming Ye wasn't exactly someone who needed supervision, and he had made it clear he was going out.
She had tried to convince herself to sleep, tried to believe that Ming Ye would return eventually, that there was nothing to worry about, but the unease in her chest had refused to settle.
After a moment, she pushed the covers aside and stood. "I'll just check," she murmured under her breath.
If he had come back, she would at least confirm it.
If he hadn't—
She didn't let the thought finish.
She slipped on her slippers and stepped out of her room, not even making it three steps when she saw Ming Ye sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall just beside her door.
