Chapter 510: Meeting an Old Acquaintance

Chapter 510: Meeting an Old Acquaintance

Yan Xin returned to the city and, shortly after turning off the street with the pharmacy, a car by the roadside honked.

Bai Shuang remained highly alert.

Sun Mu had specifically instructed Zhang Nanshu and Jing Yuanzhao not to send too many people to follow Yan Xin.

This was "fortune favors the bold."

If the gang took this matter too seriously, failure would only lead to offending them.

It was better to let Yan Xin go alone to try.

Zhang Nanshu disagreed, but Jing Yuanzhao was a bit reckless, encouraging Yan Xin not to fear; Yan Xin herself was not afraid, as she was quite adept in the field of medicine.

"It's not our men tailing us," Bai Shuang said.

Yan Xin: "Pull over to the side."

"Miss..."

"It's fine. This is North City, and the Young Marshal and I are 'guests' of the Zhang family. The Zhang family hasn't fallen, and we won't get into trouble," Yan Xin said.

Bai Shuang complied.

In the car by the roadside sat a young man.

His face was fair and handsome, with a mole between his eyebrows that was strikingly red.

"...This mole is like a bullseye. It's tempting to take a shot at it," Yan Xin suddenly thought.

She collected her thoughts.

The Seventh Prince nodded slightly: "Get in the car, Miss Yan."

Yan Xin: "Why don't you get out of the car?"

The Seventh Prince pondered, then got out of the car.

Yan Xin slightly raised her eyes to look at him, and he also scrutinized Yan Xin.

Their gazes met for a moment, Yan Xin stared at him without blinking, and he was the first to look away.

"Miss Yan, I want you to meet an old acquaintance," the Seventh Prince said.

Yan Xin: "Where is this old acquaintance?"

"Let's grab a bite first. What would Miss Yan like to eat?" he asked.

Yan Xin: "What’s good to eat in North City?"

"There's everything, Miss Yan can choose," the Seventh Prince said.

Yan Xin: "I’m not a fan of Western food, how about some Huaiyang cuisine?"

"Sure, there's a Huaiyang restaurant nearby," the Seventh Prince said.

His car took the lead, Bai Shuang drove following behind; after they set off, two cars followed behind, cutting off Yan Xin's escape route.

Bai Shuang: "There's an ambush."

"He wouldn't dare make a move," Yan Xin said. "Even if he's furious, he wouldn't turn hostile at this moment. I wonder if his Double Eagle Sect headquarters is really in Qingdao."

Bai Shuang: "He's a cunning fox with multiple hideouts, a bit hard to deal with."

Yan Xin smiled: "You're getting worked up again. Take it easy, Bai Shuang. We need to be more composed than our enemies. The political climate in North City is quite volatile right now, and it's not us who should be in a hurry. We need to stay steady."

Bai Shuang agreed.

The two followed the Seventh Prince to a restaurant.

The restaurant imitated the architecture of Jiangnan, and Yan Xin suddenly noticed a scene reminiscent of her hometown in North City, her heart slightly stirred.

She felt a bit homesick and missed the Lady.

Zhang Yi had been observing her and smiled upon seeing this: "Homesick, are we?"

"A little."

"You're quite a sentimental person," he chuckled.

There was an inexplicable hint of sarcasm in his words.

Yan Xin also smiled: "Lord, you seem to hold quite a grudge against me. What, is your Double Eagle Sect headquarters really in Qingdao?"

Zhang Yi glanced at her indifferently: "Perhaps."

"Then I guessed right, lucky me," Yan Xin said.

Zhang Yi: "Miss Yan has always been lucky. Otherwise, how could you have transformed from a small medical girl into the future daughter-in-law of the Jing family?"

A young waiter escorted them to a private dining room.

Bai Shuang, like Zhang Yi's men, stood guard at the door.

Yan Xin ordered a few dishes and also invited Zhang Yi to order.

During this time, the two exchanged a few more verbal jabs, neither gaining the upper hand.

The service was a bit slow, and Yan Xin spoke with layers of meaning, trying to extract information from the Seventh Prince.

But he was very cautious, evasive and half-truthful, revealing nothing useful to Yan Xin.

Once all the dishes were on the table, Yan Xin ate until she was half-full before asking the Seventh Prince: "Didn't you say you wanted me to meet an old acquaintance?"

"Let's eat first."

"I'm full," Yan Xin said. "I'm just a petite woman with a small appetite."

Zhang Yi glanced at her.

He gave an order outside.

A moment later, a young man entered the private dining room.

He had grown much taller but still had the thinness of a youth, with a trace of childishness on his face.

Yan Xin looked at him, and it felt as though something was clashing in her mind, like a sudden impact, the echoes lingering, leaving her dazed for a long time.

"Yun," Ah Song called her.

Yan Xin nodded at him.

She looked at the Seventh Prince: "May I have a moment alone with him to catch up?"

Zhang Yi stood up: "Of course. Take your time, I'll have a couple more dishes added."

Yan Xin thanked him.

Ah Song then sat down next to Yan Xin.

She looked at him, her emotions were inexplicable, fragmented, and incoherent.

This left her feeling particularly conflicted.

"Yun, how is the tall one?" he asked.

Yan Xin: "..."

Why were they all so keen on giving Jing Yuanzhao strange nicknames?

Did Yan Xin and Ah Song refer to Jing Yuanzhao as "the tall one" back in Guangcheng?

Jing Yuanzhao's stature would have stood out in that village in Guangcheng.

The nickname "tall one" was fitting.

"He's doing well, but his legs still aren't moving much," Yan Xin said.

Ah Song: "When I picked him up, he had some moderate to severe injuries, but they were all superficial. The doctors couldn't determine the cause of his unconsciousness.

It must have been a brain injury, invisible externally but internal. His legs are also affected because of the brain injury. Yun, you should take him to see a good Western brain specialist."

Yan Xin: "Thank you. We've been seeking medical help all this time."

She held back her emotions.

Ah Song also gripped his chopsticks tightly, trying to stay calm as he slowly told her these things.

"Ah Song, I..." After a long pause, Yan Xin struggled to speak.

"The tall one mentioned before he left that you don't remember what happened in Guangcheng, that you were badly injured at the time," Ah Song said.

Yan Xin: "But I've dreamed of you."

Ah Song's composure suddenly shattered: "Really?"

"Yes, I've dreamed of you several times," Yan Xin said.

She recounted her dreams.

Ah Song nodded eagerly: "That wasn't a dream, it was real! Back then, it was you, the tall one, and me. Yun, I knew you wouldn't forget me."

Yan Xin saw the sincerity in his eyes, her heart aching deeply.

Ah Song was a spy, his identity was fake; but the moments they shared, the emotions were real.

"I still remember your gestures. We used to use them to communicate, didn't we?" Yan Xin added.

She spoke quickly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"That was the code for hiding poached game," Ah Song chuckled, his voice also soft. "Uncle Four was a hunter, and we’d often swipe some for a feast."

Yan Xin was silent.

"Yun, it's okay if you don’t recall," Ah Song said, his eyes dimming again. "I... I’m not really Ah Song."

Yan Xin quickly reached for his hand.

"It's okay," she said firmly, looking at him, noticing his anxiety, her eyes moist. "In my heart, you’ll always be Ah Song, my dear brother."

Ah Song was overwhelmed with joy, tears welling up in his eyes.

He quickly turned away to wipe his tears.

Yan Xin asked him again, "Lately, have the Seventh Prince’s men been beating you? And your older brother, has he been hitting you?"

"No," Ah Song said. "I’d never admit to anything, so they might as well kill me. They were just trying to push me, to turn me into a spy among you."