After a long while.
Only then did the two of them part. They seemed to have both regained their composure. There were no intense movements, only a silent gaze shared between them as they sat on the garden's only two stone benches.
"Little Arthur, all these years... where did you go?"
"By accident... I ended up in a dangerous place." Chen Rui steadied his emotions and quickly arranged his words in his mind. "Fortunately, I was lucky enough to survive, until I gained the ability to leave that place..."
"By accident?" Veronica looked at him with concern. "What exactly happened back then?"
Chen Rui shook his head. "At the time, I fell into a dangerous place. Although I woke up, I lost many of my memories."
Veronica gazed deeply at Chen Rui, an indescribable emotion flowing through her blue eyes. She raised a hand as if to touch his face, then lowered it again. "Perhaps... you should not have come back."
"Why, Teacher?"
"This is not a place that can make you happy. Perhaps it holds even more danger." Veronica's gaze dimmed as she lowered her head and sighed softly. "Perhaps Teacher has said something she should not have, but before Little Arthur, who is like my own younger brother, Teacher has always been unable to control her emotions. Even now, it is still the same."
Little Arthur? Younger brother?
Scenes from those days at Starlight Academy surfaced in Chen Rui's mind once again. This mature and beautiful teacher had always been Arthur's most doting elder sister. Unfortunately, in Arthur's heart, she was far more than merely a sister.
Veronica herself should have known that as well.
"Teacher..." Chen Rui looked at Veronica, pondered for a moment, then said, "Do you want to leave this place?"
Veronica raised her head