Library Cart Full of Novels in Xian Seminar Room

Warm late-afternoon light falls through sheer curtains, illuminating a metal return cart overflowing with cracked-spine novels. The books stack haphazardly, their worn covers displaying faded Chinese characters alongside English text. Behind the cart, a wooden seminar table holds scattered notes and papers, suggesting recent study. Shadows stretch along the pale walls, indicating the low angle of the sun in early summer. The shallow depth of field keeps the cart in sharp focus while blurring the background documents. One bookmark peeks out from the top pile, its red ribbon frayed at the edges.