Yun Ying stared blankly at the newcomer, her brows faintly knitted.
Joy filled his face. He stepped forward and seized her hand. "Miao Feifei, it's me, He An! Don't you remember me? Watermill Head Village... we played together as children, went to school together... and Da Zhi, too. You..."
Yun Ying hastily pulled her delicate hand free, flustered and at a loss. "I... I'm not Miao Feifei. You must have mistaken me for someone else..."
Seeing this, Qu Yong explained, "Senior Sister Yun has cultivated in the Vertical Sword Sect for many years. She actually joined before I did. Junior Brother He An, you must be mistaken."
"You two carry on. I've just remembered something I need to do. Please excuse me!"
An inexplicable panic seized Yun Ying, and she turned and hurried away.
He An watched her retreating figure disappear. The image of the cheerful, radiant girl in his memories overlapped with hers, then drifted apart again. Doubt crept into his heart. Had he really mistaken her for someone else?
Qu Yong looked thoughtful. Senior Sister Yun was always gentle and composed. Why had she lost her composure just now?
"The world changes; Azure Sea becomes mulberry fields. Perhaps Senior Sister Yun no longer remembers the past. Or perhaps... she has some hardship she cannot speak of. Please forgive her, Junior Brother," Qu Yong said consolingly.
"You're quite right, Senior Brother. Seeing an old friend filled me with such joy that I forgot my manners!"
He An straightened his expression and adjusted his robes, then bowed deeply to Qu Yong. "I've long admired your great name, Senior Brother. Meeting you today fulfills a lifelong wish!"
"Junior Brother... you're far too kind!" Qu Yong bowed in return.
They sat on stone stools in the courtyard, and He An took Lu