The Emissary of the Night

Wanwan and Xia Zhihuai sat by the roadside, heartily enjoying bowls of noodles and sipping broth. Meanwhile, Huang Xikong had already arrived at Xia Zhihuai's residence in S City.

Upon discovering that they were not home yet, he felt a slight unease. By this time, they should have been back.

Huang Xikong placed the takeout box he had brought on the coffee table in the living room and opened the balcony door, gazing out at the S City, now shrouded in night.

After a moment, he remembered his phone and dialed Xia Zhihuai's number.

Xia Zhihuai, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his stomach, answered the call. Wanwan had just finished her noodles and was wiping her mouth with a tissue Xia Zhihuai had handed her.

She then passed the used tissue back to him, a routine so familiar that Xia Zhihuai took it and tossed it into the nearby trash bin without a second thought.