Even without his mentioning Elder Situ, Zhen'er, standing beside him, was already staring straight at Situ Gu, reacting as though the sight had suddenly struck her.
At first, Situ Gu had not noticed Zhen'er. He had been studying Shi Chun instead. He had received the letter and read its contents, so his gaze searched and scrutinized. Where was the hostage you took?
When Shi Chun spoke to the woman beside him, Situ Gu's heart jolted. His gaze instantly fell on Zhen'er, uncertainty and astonishment flickering in his eyes. Zhen'er?
The Zhen'er he knew was merely a Divine Fire Sprite that had awakened intelligence, whereas the person before him now had a woman's body.
Their eyes met, one pair scrutinizing in startled doubt, the other revealing a grumbling sort of displeasure.
Zhen'er? Young Master Nan was startled too. His eyes immediately darted over to inspect her. This was the hostage Shi Chun had taken? What was going on? Why did she not look like a hostage?
Shi Chun was just about to cup his hands in greeting to Situ Gu when Zhen'er abruptly spoke from where she stood. "Little Gu."
At those words, Situ Gu felt his whole body tingle, as though a thunderbolt had split open the crown of his head. It had been a very, very long time since anyone had called him "Little Gu." That single address truly drew countless images from the depths of his mind.
Back when he first met that Divine Fire Sprite, how could his age compare with that of a sprite that had lived for countless years? Having somehow learned human speech and worldly principles, the sprite learned his name and began calling him "Little Gu," treating him like a little brother.
Although the name was not particularly flattering, at his age then,