He Yi waited for a while until he saw a light turn on in a room on the ground floor, and he paced along the perimeter.
The outer boundary of the courtyard was a circle of black iron railings, enclosing a yard barely wide enough to park a single car.
The brightly lit room had a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows with the curtains drawn, and figures could be vaguely seen moving inside.
He Yi sat on a municipal flowerbed half a person high, staring steadily through the iron railing.
He felt restless enough to want a cigarette, but he hadn't brought any.
After some unknown length of time.
As He Yi was lost in idle thoughts, suddenly, the curtains inside were whipped open with a swish, and the young girl stood before the window, smiling at him mischievously.
He Yi smiled too, though the smile did not reach his eyes.
Qin Jiujiu stared at him for a moment, then her smile faded, and she turned to throw on a coat and went out the door.
When she walked up to him, He Yi reached out his arms and pulled her close, sitting on the flowerbed with his legs parted to cage her between them, his line of sight falling right at eye level with her.
The young girl was wearing light pink silk pajamas, the soft curves of her chest faintly visible through the fabric.
He Yi's gaze flickered for a second, and he reached out to pull her coat tighter around her.
"Why haven't you left yet?" Qin Jiujiu asked.
"I couldn't bear to leave," He Yi said with a chuckle.
Qin Jiujiu stared at him. "Then why are yo…
Chapter 31