At the question, she suppressed her embarrassment. A smile curved her lips as she clung tightly to Mo Xie, as though afraid he might run away.
"Little brother, we haven't seen each other in so long. Didn't you miss your big sister?"
Mo Xie pursed his lips and left the question unanswered. He gave the alluring woman clinging to him an exasperated look, then glanced at her veil.
"If you're calling me your little brother, why are you still wearing a veil?"
Asharuiya covered her mouth and laughed, her voice as sweet as ringing bells. Glancing aside, she said with a smile,
"I'm a saintess of the Parthenon Temple. If someone recognized me, wouldn't that hurt my reputation?"
You mean being seen with me would hurt your reputation?
Mo Xie raised an eyebrow and looked around. Several curious and envious gazes quickly turned away.
Many of the women nearby had seen Mo Xie in action. Their hearts were already aflutter, and their admiring gazes carried traces of envy and jealousy—both directed at Asharuiya. They wished they could take the veiled woman's place and receive their leader's favor.
Mo Xie looked back at her, his expression serious.
"So... how did you know I was here? Don't tell me it was a coincidence."
Asharuiya pressed her curvaceous body closer, making its softness even harder to ignore. Perhaps hoping to ease the tension, she said,
"I'm an information broker. Of course I have ways of finding out where you are."
Mo Xie stared into her eyes. After a moment of silence, he said slowly,
"You came to me because of... Ye Xinxia, didn't you?"
Silence fell, and an odd tension settled over them.
Asharuiya stared at Mo Xie, stunned. She lowered her eyes, a flicker of hurt passing through them.
*Do I really