When dawn arrived the next morning, the atmosphere inside the room had already become calm once more. Neither of them spoke much while preparing quietly.
After washing up, they shared breakfast one final time inside the inn, the same peaceful domestic atmosphere from yesterday returning briefly despite the danger waiting ahead.
Lu Jinchen still peeled food for her patiently. Xia Yuqing still scolded him for treating her like she was fragile. And for a short moment, it almost felt like they were an ordinary couple again.
Once everything was prepared, the two of them left the inn together. The morning streets were still relatively quiet. A thin layer of mist lingered faintly in the air while the pale early sunlight stretched across the stone roads of the city.
Shopkeepers had only just begun opening their doors, and the distant sounds of vendors preparing for the day drifted softly through the streets. However, the moment Xia Yuqing stepped outside, her footsteps paused slightly.
