The rich aroma of sizzling Spirit Chicken filled the air as Liu Hong, midway through stirring, finally looked up.
"You two know each other?" she asked, her gaze shifting between Ace and the beaming Xiao Lin.
Ace remained silent, still processing the unexpected reunion, while Xiao Lin—no, Ruby—was practically glowing with excitement.
"Yes, Aunty! He's my brother! I told you my brother came to this village, remember?" she chirped, clearly delighted.
Liu Hong blinked, her expression thoughtful. "Ah… that. Yeah, I remember. But I never expected you two were actually related."
And who could blame her?
When Xiao Zhi—now Ace—first stumbled into this village, he was a drunkard, an utter mess. The man had quite literally pummeled his own students, when they first came to learn from him.
Sure, she had seen him change, had watched as he slowly shed that past self. But some memories… some memories refused to fade.
