Earlier, on a street in T5 City.
Liu Di had condensed that massive saber, its aura grand and imposing, shaking heaven and making ghosts weep as it crashed down.
Of course, he had not wanted to hurt anyone. He had only meant to scare Gu Xiao.
That unstoppable blade wind destroyed nothing, yet somehow sliced through the jade hairpin atop Gu Xiao's head.
Only then did Liu Di understand.
No wonder that jade hairpin had looked so utterly out of place on the scruffy Gu Xiao. It had turned out to be a gift from Miss Ning Xiang.
How had he so conveniently broken the girl's token of affection?
Liu Di looked awkward and deeply guilty.
Then he looked at Gu Xiao.
The brat's expression practically spelled out a few words: "Hmph, now you've caused trouble. Let's see how you explain yourself!"
The air fell silent for a moment.
Liu Di suddenly stretched out his hand, a whole white jade hairpin lying flat in his palm.
Gu Xiao snatched it away. At first, he could not bear to put it down, but then his expression turned doubtful. "But I remember—"
Ning Xiang took the hairpin and was about to arrange Gu Xiao's hair when her hand paused slightly. She held it up to the sunlight beyond the window and inspected it carefully.
After a moment, the woman in purple said in confusion, "It looks very similar, but this is not that hairpin. The one I gave Young Master Gu had the character 'scholar' carved onto it. I wished that Young Master Gu would rekindle his love of learning, read widely, and become a true gentleman of letters."
Liu Di froze.
The one in Ning Xiang's hand was merely a replica Liu Di had imagined from memory. The scene had flashed