Thinking this, Zhao Lianyun suddenly heard a voice coming from the darkness.
That voice was calling her name with all its strength: "Zhao Lianyun... Zhao Lianyun..."
"Who?"
"Who is calling me? Calling my name?"
"Why does this voice feel so familiar?"
"Ah, I remember now. Isn't this my own voice from before?"
At that thought, Zhao Lianyun suddenly recalled a scene from the past.
It had been during the Imperial Court contest. Zhao Lianyun's father had died in battle, and she was to be used as a political bargaining chip and married off in an alliance. Relying on Ma Hongyun, Zhao Lianyun resisted that fate. In the blink of an eye, she had fallen from a pampered young lady into a lone, destitute orphan.
One day, Ma Hongyun dragged her to a valley.
"Look, I found you a wonderful place!" Ma Hongyun looked extremely happy.
Zhao Lianyun looked around and found nothing but an ordinary little valley. She could not help curling her lips. "What's so special about this? Isn't it just a broken valley? There isn't even any scenery."
"How could that be?" Ma Hongyun widened his eyes. "Valleys are very rare in our Northern Plains. And I'll teach you something: if you shout your own name toward the valley, the valley will answer you. Like this!"
As he spoke, Ma Hongyun took a deep breath, then shouted toward the valley, "Zhao Lianyun!"
An echo swiftly came from the valley: "Zhao Lianyun!"
Zhao Lianyun rolled her eyes helplessly. "Fools really do have more joy. What's so strange about an echo? I've never seen anyone as foolish as you!"
"Hahaha." Ma Hongyun rubbed his hair. "Everyone says I'm stupid. Of course I'm stupid. How could I possibly be as clever as Miss Xiao Yun?"
"But when I was unhappy as