The afternoon at Sun Moon Lake was very quiet.
The ginkgo leaves had only just begun to yellow. Every now and then, a few were swept down by the wind, spiraling onto the lake and sending out faint ripples.
Jiang Che left Azure Fighting Hall and strolled unhurriedly along the gravel path by the lake, one he had walked for years.
Before he reached the bench where they had agreed to meet, he ran straight into a group of younger girls pouring out from the direction of the gymnasium.
There were seven or eight of them, dressed in new student uniforms and clutching their newly issued textbooks.
The girl at the front, with her hair in a bun, was the first to recognize him.
In an instant, she seemed to have been frozen in place, standing there stiffly as her mouth opened and closed, then closed and opened again.
Then she let out a brief scream, forcefully muffled.
"It's Senior Jiang Che!"
The entire group swarmed around him.
Some dug notebooks out of their backpacks, some fumbled frantically for pens, while others held up their phones but did not dare actually take pictures.
Surrounded by them, Jiang Che showed no impatience.
He merely took the pen and signed several notebooks thrust toward him.
"Alright, I have something to do."
He returned the pen to the girl with the bun. His tone was not cold, but there was no unnecessary small talk either.
The younger girls reluctantly made way for him. He had only taken two steps when, from the corner of his eye, he spotted someone standing beneath the largest ginkgo tree by the lake.
Long black hair, a turquoise headband, a white short-sleeved shirt, a dark blue pleated skirt, and white knee-high socks.
She stood there with a plain