Lianhua waved her hand limply. "Until next time."
He walked out of the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him. He made his way down the hall, past Mei's closed door, and descended the stairs, letting himself out of the mansion.
A few minutes later, the front door opened again and Renzhi stepped in with his tie loosened and his forehead creased with frustration.
He tossed his briefcase onto the sofa and trudged up the stairs. He entered the matrimonial bedroom without knocking, expecting to find his wife asleep.
Instead, he found Lianhua sitting up in bed, wearing a silk robe with her hair slightly damp and her cheeks flushed.
The room was dimly lit with light coming from only the bedside lamp. The portrait on the wall seemed slightly darker in spots, but he didn't notice.
"Lianhua?" he voiced with a tired tone. "You're up?"
She smiled with a calm expression. "I couldn't sleep this time. Was busy. You haven't been home in days... work?"
