Before Qi Gu went into his room to study the Twin Hearts Pendant, he turned on the courtyard lights for Lin Hanzhi, worried that he would have trouble finding things in the dark.
After a moment's thought, he added, "If you're scared to look around alone, you can have Golden Toad keep you company."
Lin Hanzhi said, "I'm not scared. This is your home. What would I have to be scared of in your home?"
Qi Gu's cheeks flushed slightly. Fortunately, the evening clouds were already red, casting their glow over the earth, so his blush was not particularly noticeable.
"See you in a bit." With that, Qi Gu took the Twin Hearts Pendant into his room, almost as though fleeing.
Traces of Qi Gu were not hard to find in Floating Mist Temple. After all, Qi Gu had suggested this game not to make things difficult for Lin Hanzhi, but because he wanted Lin Hanzhi to find them.
Beneath the evening clouds, a tree trunk in the courtyard bore numerous marks at different heights. Though it had withered many years ago, it still stood straight and tall. The marks were clearly records of Qi Gu growing taller.
Lin Hanzhi slowly ran his fingertips over each mark. He could almost see little Qi Gu standing beside this dead tree each time, having Shifu record his height.
Children probably all liked having their height recorded. They all liked growing up, so they would be fairly eager about it.
At one point, Lin Hanzhi, too, had longed desperately to grow up and gain strength.
Qi Gu was clearly no exception. The height marks were particularly dense over one stretch, with a line carved every centimeter or two.
Lin Hanzhi raised his eyes to where Qi Gu's current height would fall on the