"I know you..." He Nu said, though the grip of her hand loosened. "You were bad." She tilted her head, a trace of irritation on her face. "You used to hit people all the time at the academy."
The scolding from many years ago struck Shangguan Ru. Her heart pounded violently, and she nearly lost control of her qi. Forcing herself to calm down, she continued channeling it to break through her sealed acupoints and said softly, "You remember the academy? I don't think I ever saw you there."
"I heard about it. Everyone said you liked hitting people. Except for the flatterers, everyone had to steer clear of you." He Nu's left hand barely exerted any force now, but she still kept it around Shangguan Ru's neck.
Shangguan Ru gave a bitter smile. Back then, she had thought everyone in Stone Fortress liked her, including the servants, because all she had ever seen were smiling faces and people scrambling to flatter her. It took her years to understand that, for those whose lives hung by a thread, every action was a means of struggling to survive, and none of it was sincere.
She understood that now, but hearing someone say it to her face for the first time still felt like having cold water thrown over her. "Yes, I was bad," she said in an even gentler voice. "I'll mend my ways from now on. Can you forgive me?"
He Nu released her left hand and shook her head in distress. "We've never met. Why do I recognize you?"
Tie Linglong couldn't break through her sealed acupoints and could only stand where she was, watching He Nu's back. A chill crept through her. She couldn't understand what the two of them were saying, but she guessed the academy must