Looking at Each Other in Silence

Tea room.

Yun Shengyan brewed a cup of tea for Gu Lingying.

"Qingyu Tea, the genuine article from Yingyun Mountain. Its tea liquor is rich, its aftertaste tranquil, its fragrance exuberant, and its flavor sweet, mellow, fresh, and crisp."

Gu Lingying savored the tea and said with a smile,

"It's been a very long time since I last saw you."

Yun Shengyan said,

"Yes, I returned to the Aurora Empire. It's been two years."

Gu Lingying set down her teacup. Her gaze fell upon the guqin in the room, and she stared at it absently. "I haven't been here in two years."

"Yes, two years."

Yun Shengyan sighed. "In these two years, I haven't heard another performance as brilliant as the duet you played with... with that Baili Qingfeng, the Thunder Sect Master. But considering his current status and how busy he must be with a thousand matters demanding his attention, he probably doesn't have much time to devote to music, that minor pursuit, anymore."

"Is that so..."

A trace of gloom clouded Gu Lingying's expression.

"How have you been these past two years?"

"Pretty well."

Gu Lingying's tone was flat and calm, without the slightest ripple.

"Fortunately, you came back now. If you had returned any later, I'm afraid you wouldn't have seen me, and you wouldn't have found the Shuiyun Yayun shop either."

"What happened?"

"We couldn't keep it running. These days, everyone's attention has been drawn to the rise of martial arts, and the programs with the highest ratings are all focused on the martial arts industry. Take I Am a Martial Artist four months ago. They invited seven famous Level 3 Warriors and had them draw lots, allowing them to use only fist techniques, swordsmanship, saber techniques, and spear techniques to determine who was superior. It