After mailing her letter, Sutan became incredibly busy. Between the film studio’s remake of *Journey to the West* and the upcoming Jingbei Cultural and Art Troupe programs, she was constantly on the move. She left early and returned late every day, sometimes not getting home until the middle of the night after filming. Whenever she returned, however, the lights in the courtyard were always on, which eased the fear Sutan otherwise felt in the dark.
May was just around the corner, bringing the sweet scent of blooming locust flowers to the courtyard.
At five o’clock, Zhao Yang returned from work. He was surprised to see Sutan already home. She was in the courtyard tuning her suona; hearing him enter, she put the instrument down and called out, "Brother Zhao."
Chapter 85