Morning reached Lin Tian's room slowly.
It crept across the wooden floor first, thin and warm, then climbed the edge of the bed as if it was careful not to wake anyone too abruptly. Lin Tian's breathing steadied as he surfaced from sleep, awareness returning in layers instead of all at once.
His body felt… different.
The soreness in his limbs was there, but it was the honest kind, the kind that came after effort rather than damage. His meridians felt warm and quiet, no longer churning or overdrawn. For the first time since the system awakened, there was no pressure in his chest, no unstable pulse demanding attention.
He opened his eyes.
Bai Xueya lay beside him.
She was turned slightly toward him, her back curved in a soft line that caught the morning light. The blanket had slipped low during the night, resting across her hips and leaving her bare shoulders and back exposed. Her white hair spilled over the pillow and down her arm, strands clinging faintly to her skin.
