He tried to find even the slightest trace of a joke on the other man's face:
"It was that man who sat around the fire that night and told everyone about his experiences escorting shipments! The tall one with a scar on his face!"
Chen Zhiyuan grew even more suspicious. "Brother Fang, don't joke around. Our caravan came out of Fang Family Village,
and everyone traveling with us was either a village neighbor or a household servant. When was there ever someone who escorted shipments? The wind and snow were too fierce that night,
and everyone was exhausted, so we fell deeply asleep early on. Who would have had the energy to tell stories? In weather like this, talk like that is downright frightening."
Since he was fairly familiar with Fang Yuan, Chen Zhiyuan spoke with less formality and more ease.
No?
That person... didn't exist?
Fang Yuan stared fixedly into Chen Zhiyuan's eyes, trying to find some trace of concealment or jest, but all he saw was pure confusion.
He wasn't pretending.
He truly didn't remember!
"Brother Fang? Are you all right?" Seeing him remain silent for so long with such a frightening expression, Chen Zhiyuan could not help reaching out, intending to pat his shoulder.
Fang Yuan suddenly came back to himself. He forcibly suppressed the stormy waves in his heart and waved a hand.
"No... I'm fine. Perhaps... perhaps I've been traveling about for days and became muddleheaded. Maybe I remembered wrong. Brother Chen needn't worry."
He did not dare investigate any further.
Before he understood what was happening, he could not drag Chen Zhiyuan—or anyone else uninvolved—into this.
Chen Zhiyuan was half-convinced, half-doubtful, but seeing that Fang Yuan did not wish to say more, he could not press him further. He could only say,
"Then Brother