Lin Yuan approached Gu Yi step by step. He only wanted to confirm whether the person before him was the one he had yearned for day and night.
"You..." The instant Gu Yi saw Lin Yuan, his heart leaped into his throat.
His legs felt as though they were filled with lead, and he could not move a single step.
"Miss Yiyi, do you know me?" Lin Yuan looked at Gu Yi with his beautiful eyes.
Hidden inside his sleeves, Gu Yi's fingers dug hard into his flesh. Calm down, Gu Yi. He doesn't know you! He's never seen you!
"Yes, Young Master Lin." Gu Yi forced a fake smile.
"I just wanted to confirm something with you." With that, Lin Yuan reached out and caught Gu Yi's wrist.
Gu Yi jolted in fright and instinctively struggled. "What are you doing?"
In his agitation, Gu Yi failed to control his volume. His voice was loud enough to be heard throughout the corridor.
Xie Wenyun and Jiang Lingzhou, who were closest, were the first to come out.
The two had returned to their room, but neither had rested, as they wanted to wait until dark to visit the market.
Hearing Gu Yi's voice, both immediately rushed out. Yezi followed, pushing her door open as soon as she heard him.
"Why are you shouting?" No matter how Gu Yi struggled, Lin Yuan did not let go.
His spiritual energy swiftly swept over Gu Yi's body, but there was nothing familiar about him.
Lin Yuan frowned at the woman before him. Her chin and lips were exactly like Gu Yi's in the portrait.
Yet the spiritual energy inside her was not what Gu Yi's had been. They had practiced dual cultivation for a year. If it were him, how could Lin Yuan fail to sense it?
"Let go of my junior sister!" Xie Wenyun struck at Lin Yuan's wrist. Lin Yuan swiftly let go and dodged the attack.
Jiang Lingzhou quickly pulled Gu Yi behind him. "Senior Sister Ye, are you all right?"
Gu Yi rubbed his wrist and shook his head. "I'm fine."
Yezi leaned against the doorway, watching Lin Yuan cling to Gu Yi's wrist with a look of relish.
Was Big Brother Lin interested in Sister Yiyi? Was he just going to snatch her away? As expected of the Qingling Sword Sect's young master. Tsk, tsk, tsk, he really had nerve...
The commotion was so loud that everyone in the rooms on the second floor came out.
As luck would have it, the inn's superior rooms were on the second floor, and there were only four in all.
Hearing the disturbance, Lin Ning and Xiao Cheng came out together to take a look, only to see Xie Wenyun attacking Lin Yuan while Lin Yuan retreated and dodged.
With Lin Ning's temper, there was no way she could stand by while her younger brother was being attacked. She rolled up her sleeves and was about to charge in when Xiao Cheng caught her. "Where are you going?"
"He's hitting my brother! Didn't you see that, Eldest Senior Brother?" Lin Ning struggled hard against his grip.
Xiao Cheng frowned. "Wait a little longer..." If he was not mistaken, that young woman should be Ye Yiyi of the Tianmu Sect.
Looking again at the attacker, he saw that it was none other than Ye Yiyi's senior brother.
"I'm afraid Xiao Yuan was the one who 'made a move' first." He sighed. "This won't be easy to handle..."
"Stop fighting!" Seeing that Xie Wenyun was still attacking Lin Yuan while Lin Yuan kept dodging, Gu Yi spoke up. "Senior Brother, let it go."
Only after hearing Gu Yi did Xie Wenyun stop. He turned and came to Gu Yi's side, taking the wrist that Lin Yuan had gripped red. "Did he do anything to you?"
Gu Yi shook his head. "No."
Xiao Cheng knew that Lin Yuan must have had another "episode." Whenever "Gu Yi" was involved, Lin Yuan would inevitably become like this.
He must have thought Ye Yiyi resembled Gu Yi in the portrait, which was why he had grabbed her to confirm it.
He stepped forward and cupped his hands toward the three of them. "My junior brother was rude just now. I apologize to you all on his behalf."
"You think calling it rude settles it?" Jiang Lingzhou glared at Lin Yuan. "Does being from the Qingling Sword Sect make you so special? You can just touch a young woman's hand as you please? Aren't you afraid of ruining Senior Sister Ye's reputation?"
The corner of Gu Yi's mouth twitched.
Now you remember my reputation? Why didn't you mention ruining it when you kissed me...?
Lin Yuan stared into Gu Yi's eyes and said coldly, "I'm sorry."
Gu Yi wanted to leave as quickly as possible, to get as far away from Lin Yuan as he could. "It's... it's all right..."
"How is it all right? That wasn't sincere at all!" Jiang Lingzhou had suddenly found his nerve.
Gu Yi hurriedly tugged at him. "Stop talking..."
Lin Yuan's expression changed, and he stepped toward Gu Yi, only for Xie Wenyun to block him. Xie Wenyun glared at him, looking ready to fight him to the death if he took another step forward.
"Miss Ye, I mistook you for someone else just now." As he spoke, he took a small box out of his Qiankun Ring. "Please accept this as an apology."
Looking into Lin Yuan's eyes, Gu Yi's heart pounded wildly. Lin Yuan had given him a way out, and he should take it now.
He quickly accepted the wooden box. "Let's pretend this never happened. I hope everyone will keep it secret." With that, he hurried into Xie Wenyun's room.
Yezi was leaning against the door, happily watching the show, when she suddenly felt someone looking at her. She looked up and met Jiang Lingzhou's gaze.
She straightened and stuck out her tongue. "Sister Yiyi let me stay here."
Jiang Lingzhou frowned and looked away. He remembered clearly that Xie Wenyun had said at the entrance that he did not know this young woman.
And this young woman seemed quite familiar with Lin Yuan. If Senior Sister Ye knew her, and she knew Lin Yuan, then, more or less, didn't that mean Senior Sister Ye knew Lin Yuan?
No! No! He had to get to the bottom of this! At that thought, he hurried after Gu Yi into the room and pulled the door shut with a bang.
Lin Yuan gave a long look in the direction Gu Yi had gone, then turned to Yezi. "Miss Ye, I have something to ask you."
Yezi gave him a brilliant smile. "Big Brother Lin, come inside and talk."
Seeing everyone disperse, Lin Ning and Xiao Cheng returned to their own room. As soon as they entered, Lin Ning smiled and said, "Eldest Senior Brother, I think this Miss Ye is even prettier than that Miss Ye."
Xiao Cheng frowned. "Xiao Yuan must have mistaken him for Gu Yi, which was why he grabbed her and wouldn't let go. By now, he should have confirmed that she isn't Gu Yi."
"Eldest Senior Brother, who cares whether she's Gu Yi? If Xiao Yuan likes that sort of face, we can just match them up. Wouldn't a marriage between our Qingling Sword Sect and a disciple of their Tianmu Sect be a match made in heaven? We brought Xiao Yuan here to find a match anyway." Lin Ning grinned mischievously and waggled her eyebrows at Xiao Cheng.
"Little Ning, Miss Yezi only has one protector by her side, but look at this Ye Yiyi. She has two." Xiao Cheng chuckled and lightly patted her head. "You'd better put those wicked little schemes away."
Lin Ning rubbed her head. "Then I'll pursue her myself. I think this Ye Yiyi is very pretty too, and I don't think I'm much worse than those two."
"No!" Hearing that she wanted to pursue Gu Yi herself, Xiao Cheng immediately turned stern.
"Eldest Senior Brother..." Lin Ning pouted. "Why...?"
Xiao Cheng's face darkened. "Ahem... I don't think she's suitable for you..."
Lin Ning said, "Then who is she suitable for...?"
Xiao Cheng said awkwardly, "Xiao Yuan..."
Lin Ning said, "..."
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