Suddenly, I felt like everything had been in vain.

After dinner, I went straight to bed.

In the middle of the night, I was woken by a crashing sound from the living room.

Arthur had night blindness, so I always leave a light on for him when he comes home late.

I thought this gesture would make him feel the warmth of home, but he never seemed to care.

Tonight, before going to bed, I turned off all the lights.

Without that worry on my mind, I slept more soundly than ever before.

Arthur walked into the bedroom, switched on the bedside lamp, and said in a slightly irritated tone, "Why didn't you leave the light on? I almost fell just now."

I simply replied, "Hmm," without offering any explanation.

In the past, I would have responded with ten sentences for every one of Arthur's, but not anymore.

Perhaps sensing my indifference, he initiated a conversation. "Aria was there when you called today, so I couldn't talk much about our private matters."

I nodded. "Indeed."

He seemed surprised by my calmness, his gaze lingering on my face for a moment. After a pause, he added, "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

I shook my head. "No."

Arthur got into bed from the other side, pulled back the covers, and turned his back to me.

His voice was devoid of any warmth.

"That's good."

I took some time off from the department, planning to rest for a few days.

I would use this time to gather myself and then move out.

At noon, I received a call from Arthur.

"Charlotte, don't go home after class, go directly to the restaurant," he said, then sent me the location of a restaurant.

I had come across this restaurant online before, and a long time ago, I begged Arthur to go there with me.

He refused, saying he couldn't handle spicy food.

I carefully tried to persuade him, "How about we order two dishes, and you can have the non-spicy one?"

He ran his hand through his hair, his tone impatient. "You need me to accompany you for everything. Can't you eat by yourself? Is this how you teach your students?"

He was genuinely angry.

So, I never brought it up again.

When I arrived at the restaurant, there was a strange woman beside Arthur.

Arthur stood up and introduced her, "This is my junior, Aria Clementine. Aria said she wanted to meet you."

So, it seemed I had to rely on another woman to get to eat here finally.

Aria beckoned to me. "Charlie, come on, we're just waiting for you."