"Know her? We don't just know each other—we're practically inseparable!"
Yun Shining answered, then continued:
"Our mothers were close friends before they married, and they stayed in touch afterward. For certain reasons, Qing Yu grew up at Cloud Cloud Manor."
Qing Yu nodded and picked up where Yun Shining left off.
"Boss is a year older than me. I was only five when I arrived at Cloud Cloud Manor, and I was timid back then. Other children often bullied me, so Boss took me around to beat up every last one of them.
"Later, we became obsessed with martial arts and kept encouraging each other. Sadly, I was always a little worse than Boss. Aaargh! I really want to try being the boss for once!"
Qing Yu sounded rather helpless.
"Hmph, just be a good little underling."
Yun Shining patted his shoulder with a faint smile.
Nice try! Want to be the boss? Not a chance!
"After I turned twelve, my parents finished dealing with their business and took me back to Green Mountain Sword Manor. I barely got to see Boss after that."
Even as he spoke, Qing Yu felt a little wistful.
"Back then, he clung to my father's leg, saying he didn't want to leave me and begging my father to adopt him. His parents were furious and gave him a mixed-doubles beating on the spot."
Yun Shining still found it hilarious whenever she recalled it.
"Boss, could you stop digging up my embarrassing past?"
Qing Yu's face darkened with exasperation. He wished he could plug Yun Shining's mouth.
Although they saw each other less often, they remained as close as ever.
This time, Qing Yu had heard that Yun Shining had "run away from home." After asking around extensively, he learned she was in Capital City