Fang Yuan blinked, clearly startled.
"Do I… know you?"
His eyes narrowed slightly as he took a measured step back, posture shifting subtly into a guarded stance.
She didn't seem hostile but that meant nothing.
Her cultivation was high and her movements were swift. She could always attack anytime she feels like it.
Still… that face? That voice?
He had remember if he ever encountered before.
The girl giggled, a soft, melodic sound that fluttered in the air like petals on a breeze.
"You're joking, right?" she said brightly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"It's me~!"
She tucked the hairpin delicately into her bun beside the flower, then dashed forward with open arms.
Fang Yuan's eyes widened.
Instinctively, he shifted his weight, one hand moving just slightly toward his sleeve.
But the moment she closed the gap and wrapped her arms around him, he stilled.
There was no malice nor any hint of killing intent. It was just warmth.
