Guan Lu led Luo Jiangyan and Yue Quan through several courtyards to a secluded pavilion in the back garden of the residence.
Flowers and trees flourished outside the pavilion, and a few red maples burned like flames in the evening glow. Tea and snacks had already been set out on the stone table inside. A faint spiritual aura rose from the tea, carrying the fragrance of the Alliance's finest Bihai Qing tea.
Luo Jiangyan and Yue Quan hadn't had any in a long time, and couldn't help drawing in its fragrance.
"Sit down. It's quiet here!" Guan Lu gestured for them to take their seats, then sat down on a stone stool herself.
The three women sat around the table, and for a moment, silence fell.
Yue Quan was the most carefree of them, so she spoke first. "Lu Lu, I heard the Mechanical Empire has been hunting you down... Are you all right?"
"I'm doing well!" Guan Lu poured herself a cup of tea. Through the curling steam, her features looked gentle. "Elder Zhong arranged for us to hide on an abandoned Alliance mining planet. Every day, besides cultivating, I sometimes think of home, and of you all. I wonder how you're doing now."
Luo Jiangyan pressed her lips together and asked softly, "Lu Lu, you saw Fang Mo..."
She didn't finish, but her meaning was clear.
Guan Lu's hand paused with the teacup, then she set it down gently. She lifted her eyes and looked from Luo Jiangyan to Yue Quan, her gaze clear and resolute.
"I know what you want to ask!" Guan Lu's voice was calm and unflinching. "Yes, you know I like Fang Mo. I've liked him for a long time, ever since he studied martial arts at my family's Martial Hall. I loved watching