The ink stain where the pen had stalled on the paper was long dry. Under the pressure of Shen Yuan's hands, Li Zhi lay back comfortably in her chair, like a cat that had melted in the spring sun.
Her tense spine, once taut as a drawn bow, finally relaxed. As she sank limply into the back of the chair, its legs scraped against the floor tiles with a lazy CREAK.
"All done."
"Mmmph—"
A contented sound escaped the young woman's lips.
As Shen Yuan took his hands away, Li Zhi stretched her arms, her long legs straightening out completely.
As her lounge pants pulled taut, they revealed delicate ankles that were finally stretching out after being curled up for so long.
Her ten toes, previously curled up inside her cotton slippers, now wiggled slightly under her white socks in the sunlight, like the prelude to a butterfly testing its wings after emerging from its chrysalis.
"That felt good."
