The restaurant Yang Hanxue had entered had two floors. When we arrived at the entrance, we circled the first floor but couldn't find him.
A waiter approached and asked how many of us there were. Wang Yang replied, "We're meeting someone."
Upon hearing this, the waiter offered a professional smile and left.
When we reached the second floor, there was a long corridor lined with private rooms on both sides.
Looking around, there were at least a dozen private rooms. I glanced at Wang Yang; he tilted his chin, indicating we should search them one by one.
As we reached the first room, Wang Yang pushed the door open a crack and peeked inside. Not seeing Yang Hanxue, we moved on to the next.
We continued this way, opening five private room doors without finding Yang Hanxue.
Instead, we attracted the attention of a waiter.
"Are you looking for someone?"
Wang Yang asked, "Did you happen to see a man with a full beard, wearing a leather jacket, and about this tall..."
The waiter frowned slightly, seeming to recall. "I think I remember. He seemed to go into that room over there."
Following the direction the waiter pointed, just as we were about to move, the door of that room opened, and two people emerged.
Since the room was at the end of the corridor, at least dozens of meters away, and before we could clearly see if it was Yang Hanxue, the two people descended the stairs.
I froze, staring at their retreating figures, and my heart skipped a beat!
A man and a woman!
The man was, of course, Yang Hanxue. As for the woman...
I took a deep breath, glanced at Wang Yang, and without a word, we gave chase.
I never expected Sister Ying to actually appear!
My mouth suddenly felt dry, and my mind began to race with thoughts.
What should I say when I see Sister Ying upstairs?
Does Sister Ying still remember me?
Will she ask me why I'm here?
A jumble of chaotic thoughts tangled in my mind. I couldn't afford to dwell on them; the priority was to catch up.
We reached the end of the corridor, rushed down the stairs, and they had already exited the restaurant.
As soon as they stepped out, they parted ways, one going left, the other right.
When Wang Yang and I reached the entrance, we looked around. We saw Yang Hanxue get into a taxi by the roadside, but Sister Ying had vanished.
Our objective was clear. We ignored Yang Hanxue and immediately pursued the direction Sister Ying had taken.
We soon arrived at a T-junction.
"You go that way, I'll go this way," Wang Yang said.
I nodded and quickened my pace, jogging towards the left.
It was a one-way street. After walking for a short distance, I entered a narrow alley. The roads inside were intricate and complex, with forks everywhere. I couldn't decide which way to go.
As I hesitated, I saw a familiar figure disappear around a corner not far away. My eyes lit up, and I ran towards it.
I don't know how long we'd been weaving through the alleys; I was disoriented, and I could barely remember the way we came.
Following the alley, I reached a dead end.
Staring at the blocked path ahead, I felt a wave of deflation.
After finally seeing Sister Ying, I couldn't even say a single word...
I leaned on my knees, catching my breath for a moment, feeling rather dejected.
Just then, a voice from behind me called out, "Xiao Fei?"
Hearing that familiar voice, I spun around abruptly.
When I saw that familiar face, I gasped.
Sister Ying hadn't changed at all. She was wearing a white shirt and jeans, with her hair tied in a ponytail. Her entire attire made her look like a different person.
At this moment, she resembled a girl next door.
I licked my dry lips, feeling an inexplicable surge of excitement. "Sister Ying!"
She frowned slightly, looked around, and then came closer. "Why are you here?"
"I... I..." I didn't know where to begin.
She grabbed my hand. "Come with me..."
Soon, she led me into a small path beside us.
She seemed to be hiding from something, and I was puzzled. "What's wrong, Sister Ying?"
She frowned and said, "Why did you come here?"
I had no intention of hiding anything from Sister Ying. I quickly recounted the whole story, focusing on the key points.
After listening, she looked somewhat surprised. "So much happened after I left Guangling?"
I nodded.
She looked guilt-ridden. "It's my fault. I never thought things would turn out that way."
"It's okay..." I said with a silly smile.
I knew she must have had an urgent matter to leave Guangling back then.
As for her involvement in counterfeiting, there must have been another hidden reason.
After all, her understanding of antiques wasn't as profound as mine; how could she have been involved in counterfeiting?
Another point was that when Sister Ying left, she probably didn't expect things to escalate like this.
"So, according to you, you were also involved in Yang Hanxue's voyage this time?"
I nodded, glancing at the cloth bag in Sister Ying's hand.
This bag had been in Yang Hanxue's possession just moments ago. Now that she held it, it was obvious that it contained those two ancient books.
"Xiao Fei, I was careless about things in Guangling... I didn't expect them to unfold like this," Sister Ying said with a guilty expression.
I said, "Sister Ying... I want to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"You..." I didn't quite know how to phrase it. I wanted to ask if she could truly live forever, but the words wouldn't come out.
"I know what you want to ask," Sister Ying said. "You want to ask why I abandoned you and left Guangling back then, don't you?"
It seemed she didn't know that I had already learned about her affairs.
I feigned ignorance and nodded.
"Xiao Fei," Sister Ying looked up at me, her eyes filled with a complex emotion. "I don't know how to tell you right now... My current situation is very precarious. I was forced to leave Guangling back then. If you trust me, I will tell you everything when the opportunity arises."
Hearing this, the gloom in my heart cleared. "Sister Ying... If you ever need my help, you can always ask me. No matter what it is, I'll agree."
She smiled slightly. "It's enough that you have this intention. Did you find the secret in the bank card I gave you back then?"
I nodded.
She sighed. "Xiao Fei, some things in this world are hard to explain. I don't want you to get involved... You're a good person. The money I left for you is all legitimate. Take that money and live your life well... As for me..."
She paused here, a hint of melancholy in her eyes. "If possible, just forget me. Let's pretend we never met."
I blinked, not quite processing her words. Sister Ying pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and turned to leave.