Realizing she was safe, Bai Hanyun patted her chest and exhaled heavily. "Huff... good thing I didn’t turn into a pancake."
Gui Ying smiled faintly at her words and set her gently on her feet. Once she stood steady, he withdrew his hands.
As his gaze lingered on her, Bai Hanyun looked down. Seeing she was standing on a rooftop, she frowned and whispered under her breath, "Hey, damn mirror, can you hear me?"
When no response came, she grew anxious and muttered again in a low voice, "Dead mirror, answer me! Don’t play dead!"
While Bai Hanyun was getting anxious, Gui Ying’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her unfamiliar attire.
Rubbing his chin, he thought with great interest, ’These clothes... they are clearly not from this world. Could she be the one receiving the merits?’
Sensing his gaze, Bai Hanyun turned and looked at Gui Ying. With a smile, she said, "Younger Brother, thank you for saving me just now."
Gui Ying tilted his head slightly at her words, amusement flickering in his eyes. ’This is the first time someone so young has called me ’younger brother.’ This young lady is quite interesting.’
After a brief pause, he smiled and asked, "Young Lady, judging from your clothes, you are not from here, are you?"
Hearing this, Bai Hanyun opened her mouth, intending to make up a lie. However, before she could speak, her eyes landed on the mirror glowing faintly with golden light in Gui Ying’s palm.
Noticing her gaze, Gui Ying asked, "Young Lady, why are you staring at my hand?"
Bai Hanyun’s eyes flickered with confusion at his words. ’His hand? Does he think I can’t see the mirror?’
Deciding it was best to remain silent and find her own way back, Bai Hanyun simply smiled and replied, "Younger Brother, your hand is very beautiful."
Caught off guard by her sudden praise, Gui Ying was stunned for a moment. Then he looked down at his own hand, falling into deep thought.
As he stared at his own hands, Bai Hanyun sniffed the air lightly. Smelling the weird smell, her brows furrow slightly.
’What is that smell? It’s so strange.’
Seeing her sniffing around, Gui Ying asked curiously, "Why are you sniffing the air, Young Lady?"
She turned to him and asked back, "You didn’t smell it, Younger Brother?"
"What smell?" Gui Ying asked with a tilt of his head.
Thinking for a moment, Bai Hanyun answered, "There is a strange scent in the air."
"What kind of strange scent?" Gui Ying asked again.
Bai Hanyun frowned, trying to explain. "Mhm... It’s like a mix of damp soil and fresh mountain air. But there is also a chill to it... and a faint hint of rotting flesh."
Hearing her description, Gui Ying’s eyes flashed with surprise.
After a moment of silence, he chuckled. "That’s quite an unusual scent. Young Lady, how do you feel about it? Do you like it... or dislike it?"
"I don’t like it or dislike it," Bai Hanyun replied calmly. "I just find it strange and strangely familiar."
Her answer only deepened Gui Ying’s interest in her.
As he studied her with a faint smile, Bai Hanyun’s gaze drifted again to the mirror in his palm, which seemed to glow brighter with every passing second.
Just as she struggled with how to bring up the topic of the mirror, Gui Ying suddenly raised the mirror toward her and asked, "You have been glancing at this again and again. Do you like it?"
Startled by his question, Bai Hanyun looked up and met his clear eyes.
Seeing the curiosity and smile in Gui Ying’s eyes, Bai Hanyun chuckled and nervously said, "No, I don’t like the mirror."
The words slipped out before she could stop herself.
One second later, Bai Hanyun froze. Realizing her mistake, she raised her eyes and saw Gui Ying’s smile widen.
A second later, she cursed inwardly. ’Idiot! Why did I say that? He never even mentioned the mirror!’
Sensing her fear and unease, Gui Ying spoke calmly. "Since you can see this mirror, then you must have some connection to my Gui Clan. Don’t be afraid, Young Lady. I won’t harm you."
The mention of the Gui Clan piqued Bai Hanyun’s curiosity. "Younger Brother, what is your name?"
But before he could reply, the familiar suction force pulled at Bai Hanyun from behind. Just a second before she disappeared from there, Gui Ying’s voice echoed in her mind.
"My name is Gui Ying. Young Lady, we will meet again."
When she disappeared from the rooftop, Gui Ying lowered his gaze to the mirror in his palm. Seeing that it could no longer absorb merit, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"So, she isn’t the owner of the merit... but rather someone who helps the owner accumulate it. No wonder the owner sent her here to sever the connection."
Putting away the mirror, Gui Yiing glanced down at the devotees below and sighed. "Let us hope the owner of this merit harbors no ill will toward this world. Otherwise... things could grow troublesome."
As the wind carried his words away, Gui Ying’s figure disappeared from there.
At the same time, Bai Hanyun fell from midair and landed with her butt first on the carpeted floor.
Rubbing her aching butt, Bai Hanyun turned and glared at the antique mirror resting on the bedside table.
Before she could scold it, she noticed that its surface had grown blurry, and the frame’s color looked dull and faded.
Sensing something was wrong with it, Bai Hanyun forgot her pain and scrambled up from the floor.
She rushed to the bedside table, picked up the antique mirror, and asked with concern, "Hey, are you alright? Why do you look uglier than usual?"
Hearing what she said, the antique mirror flickered dimly in protest.
When Bai Hanyun saw its half-dead appearance, Bai Hanyun waved her hand and casually said, "Alright, alright. You are not ugly,"
Sitting on the bed, Bai Hanyun asked again, "Why did you send me to another world just now? Do you know who Gui Ying is?"