Taking a deep breath, Wil stepped through the narrow gate, the gravel crunching faintly beneath his boots.
He raised his hand and knocked softly on the wooden door of the ground floor.
No answer at first.
Then, after the shuffling of feet, a distant TV being muted, and the click of a bolt, the heavy door creaked open.
The woman on the other side was… not what he expected. It was someone he didn't recognize.
She was large, wide-shouldered, with pale skin and curly blond hair pulled into a loose bun. Her eyes, sharp and shrewd, sized him up instantly.
Her robe looked well-worn and dotted with biscuit crumbs. She held a ceramic mug in one hand and leaned on the doorframe like she was expecting a delivery, not a stranger.
Wil offered a small, polite nod. "Good evening. Is this where Xu Luoyang lives?"
She blinked. "Luoyang?"
He nodded. "Yes."
She nodded. "Yes." But then her eyes narrowed slightly. "What's your relation to her?"
