"You didn't even tell me."
Xing Zhi turned and put the teapot back on the stove. "What would I tell you for?"
"So we could meet. I haven't met her yet," Zhu Gaoyang said. "Our Dragon Lord Dongting and Cloud Lang Mountain... right? Besides, isn't she challenging swordsmen across the world with Sword Inquiry? Surely she'd want to meet the Senior Brother of our Sword Lineage."
"You've already met," Xing Zhi said mildly.
"Oh? When?"
"When we entered the County Office, you were lying naked under the pear tree. We all saw you." Xing Zhi glanced at him. "Including Ming Qitian."
"..."
Pei Ye watched Zhu Gaoyang's pale face grow even paler, then turn green, his thin lips pressed tightly together.
"No," Pei Ye could not help comforting him. "You weren't completely naked. Uncle Chang covered you with a little red floral quilt, about..."
He placed one hand at the top of his thighs and the other at his navel. "This whole stretch was covered."
"..." Zhu Gaoyang glanced at him, seemingly not particularly grateful.
"Hahahaha." Pei Ye laughed aloud.
"Enough." Xing Zhi laughed too. "Who knows whether she even noticed you? You're always taking yourself far too seriously."
Zhu Gaoyang gave a long sigh. "You're gloating now, but when she comes to Dragon Lord Dongting to pursue Sword Inquiry someday, this might leave me a head shorter before we even fight."
"One more head won't make much difference anyway," Xing Zhi said.
Zhu Gaoyang stopped responding to her and turned to Pei Ye, holding out a jade pendant. "This is for you."
Pei Ye looked. It was the very pendant Zhu Gaoyang had entrusted to him in the mountains.
"What do you mean?"
"It's a custom in our Chu Lands. New friends exchange jade."
"I don't have any jade