"Yu Xiaogang?"
Bibi Dong's brows drew together slightly.
That name brought back some unpleasant memories.
When she was young, she and Yu Xiaogang had discussed theories at length, and she had even fallen for him.
Yet her teacher, Qian Xunji, had always stood in their way.
Then that dark incident happened.
"Bring him in."
Footsteps drew closer.
Yu Xiaogang entered Pope's Palace, and Bibi Dong's gaze froze for a moment.
The visitor looked travel-worn, dressed in a plain gray robe. His hair was cut short and neatly, yet noticeably streaked with gray.
"Is this... Xiaogang?"
Bibi Dong nearly thought she had mistaken him for someone else.
The spirited young man in her memories and the dispirited middle-aged man before her seemed like two entirely different people.
She was lost in thought for a moment before slowly speaking.
"Xiaogang, you've grown old."
Yu Xiaogang stood in the center of the hall and looked up at Bibi Dong on her high seat.
That face was still soft and beautiful. Time had left few traces on her; if anything, it had added a deeper charm.
"Bibi Dong."
Yu Xiaogang's voice was somewhat dry. "You're still as beautiful as ever."
"Hmph. You should address me as His Holiness the Pope."
Bibi Dong's voice turned cold again, and that trace of melancholy vanished without a trace.
Yu Xiaogang's pupils constricted slightly as he lowered his head.
"Yes, Your Holiness."
"What do you want with me?" Bibi Dong asked from above.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang again after so many years, Bibi Dong found her heart unusually calm.
There was even a faint hint of disappointment.
What she had once admired was Yu Xiaogang's spirit.
But the man before her had not only changed drastically in appearance; even his vigor seemed to have been completely worn away.
"I