Morning air greeted them the moment they stepped out of Lin Tian's courtyard. He felt the cool breeze touch his face and it cleared the last warmth from the room behind them. He did not look back, but he knew why the room had felt warmer.
Bai Xueya walked beside him.
Their sleeves brushed once as they moved down the path. Lin Tian kept his hands relaxed at his sides and pretended not to notice, though his mind marked the moment anyway.
Servants were already at work across the compound. Two rounded the corner ahead with robes stacked high in their arms. The girl in front spotted Xueya first and froze. Her foot slipped on the stone, and the robes tilted.
Lin Tian stepped forward without thinking and caught her elbow before the stack fell.
"Careful," he said, keeping his voice calm.
