"Master is here!" An Yiqing stood up, her smile stretched warmly as she headed out.
"Is it Younger Brother Ye? I’m going to take a look too!" Old Master An said with a grin, patting off the non-existent dust on his clothes, "Old Gu, are you coming with me?" He turned to address Old Master Gu who was seated on the sofa.
"Go? Of course, I’ll go! I haven’t seen Old Ye in so long. Back then, twenty years ago, he just up and disappeared, stayed gone for nearly two decades. Now he’s finally back, but the few times we’ve met, it was always in a hurry. This time I must play a few rounds with him!" Old Master Gu stood up and followed Old Master An out the door.
Seeing the two old masters leave, everyone else naturally wouldn’t stay inside. Specifically, An Zisheng and his wife Kong Shi treated Ye Chenghong with the same reverence as they did to Old Master An. Moreover, as Ye Chenghong was An Yiqing’s master and the Sect Leader of the Medicine Sect, and had personally raised her, for various reasons, it was only fitting for them to go out and welcome him.
"Master, you’re here!" An Yiqing briskly stepped outside the villa’s gate, reaching out her hands to link arms with Ye Chenghong.
"I say, Girl Qing, you only have eyes for your master, didn’t you see me?" a voice called from behind Ye Chenghong. An Yiqing turned her head to look and saw it was Nie Shan, dressed in white.
"Junior Uncle? Weren’t you traveling far and wide before? How come you arrived with Master?" An Yiqing asked, her eyebrows arching in pleasant surprise.
"With your eldest senior brother Ming Yuan looking like that, how could I have the mood to travel around? Indeed, I planned to have a good trip after the New Year, but with so many things happening at the Medicine Sect now, how could I possibly leave it all behind and just go? Tell me, Xiao Qing, do you see your Junior Uncle as someone who just loves to fool around?" Nie Shan feigned anger, narrowing his eyes as he spoke to An Yiqing.
An Yiqing giggled softly and said, "Junior Uncle, you’re suave and dashing, handsome and carefree, naturally different from us. But I’m really happy that you came today."
As they spoke, An Yiqing gently supported Ye Chenghong, who seemed to vanish, as she walked side by side with Nie Shan into the villa.
Meanwhile, Old Master An and Old Master Gu, leading their respective families, all came out.
"Younger Brother Ye, welcome, welcome, please come in and have a seat," Old Master An extended his hand, gently patting Ye Chenghong’s shoulder, pulling him close.
Following at his side, Old Master Gu said, "I say, Old Ye Head, you sure know how to make an entrance! Disappearing for over twenty years, and when you come back you don’t even give a phone call. It’s not easy to meet you, and when we did, we hardly exchanged a few words before you disappeared again. Do you not take us old buddies seriously anymore?" Old Master Gu rolled his eyes and puffed up in feigned indignation.
"Enough, enough, Old Gu, I don’t have the time to mess around with you. Medicine Sect has so much going on lately, if it weren’t for the crucial matter of my precious disciple’s future happiness, I’d be too lazy to meet you!" Ye Chenghong replied dismissively, waving his hand, unhindered by the prospect of Old Master Gu taking offense.
"Brother An, let’s go inside and talk, let’s ignore him." Ye Chenghong pulled Old Master An with him, and amidst the crowd’s enthusiasm, they all entered the villa, leaving Old Master Gu puffing behind.
Everyone took their seats, and the spacious living room was filled with members of the Gu and An Families.
In the main seat on the sofa sat Old Master Gu and Old Master An, Old Lady An, and Ye Chenghong, the four elders. On a nearby duchess chair, Nie Shan elegantly lounged by himself.