For a fleeting moment, a few people almost wondered if the place had been bombed.
Walking a few steps further, they heard voices and a faint fragrance wafted to their noses, prompting Gu Zhiqi to quicken her pace without a word.
As the four of them stepped into the living room, they saw six people seated.
Aside from the woman wearing a hair bun and grey clothes whom Gu Zhiqi hadn’t seen before, she recognized everyone else.
Fu Xiyan, Yun Sen, and one of Fu Xiyan’s men—she didn’t know his name, it seemed to be either Fu Yu or Fu Zhou.
Besides them, there were also Mo Canglan and Gu Huaijin.
The six people were gathered around a round table with a hot pot in the middle, surrounded by dishes of food, and next to it stood another table without anyone seated at it, with just as steaming a hot pot and various dishes beside it.
As soon as Gu Zhiqi and her companions reached the doorway, the people inside noticed their presence.
"Miss Gu (Qiqi)!" Yun Sen and Gu Huaijin called out simultaneously, greeting Gu Zhiqi.
"Yue Girl!" At the same time as Yun Sen and Gu Huaijin spoke, Mo Canglan also called out to Gu Xiyue.
Gu Zhiqi and Gu Xiyue nodded in response, and then Gu Xiyue led the three to the empty table. Gu Xiyue pulled out a chair and waved towards Gu Zhiqi, "Little girl, sit here."
Gu Zhiqi: Huh? Little girl?
Was this underage girl really calling her, a few hundred years old, ’little girl’? Preposterous!
"Thank you," Gu Zhiqi first expressed her gratitude, then when she approached Gu Xiyue, she suddenly whispered in Gu Xiyue’s ear, "I’m your Great-Grandmaster, and you’re not allowed to call me little girl anymore."
Her voice was cold and lazy, and there was a carefree tone to it, but to Gu Xiyue, it seemed to carry a hint of playful threat.
Unexpectedly feeling charmed, Gu Xiyue paused for a moment, looked at Gu Zhiqi with a hint of a smile in her cool, snow-like eyes, "Sit down, little girl."
Gu Zhiqi: "...Thank you, Little Apprentice."
The last three words were spoken in a hushed tone, audible only to Gu Xiyue.
Indeed, Gu Xiyue heard them, her lips curving slightly, but she pretended not to have heard as she took her seat next to Gu Zhiqi, turning to Gu Ying and Gu Min, "You two should sit down as well."
"Okay," Gu Ying and Gu Min responded and found their own seats.
The woman in grey seated at the other table was Ling Yuxuan. As soon as Gu Xiyue took her seat, Ling Yuxuan’s gaze landed on Gu Zhiqi, with a curious look in her eyes, she asked Gu Xiyue, "Yue Girl, is this young lady the one who saved you?"
Gu Xiyue nodded towards Ling Yuxuan, "My sister, Gu Zhiqi." After speaking, she glanced at Gu Zhiqi, "This is Ling Yuxuan, the Alliance Hierarch of the Divine Doctors Alliance."
Since when did she become your sister?
I am your Great-Grandmaster!
Slightly nodding to Ling Yuxuan as a form of greeting.
Ling Yuxuan returned the nod with a warm smile but then scrutinized Gu Zhiqi for a while before saying, "Girl, you look very familiar. Have we met before?"
Gu Zhiqi shook her head: "I don’t think we’ve met."
As for whether she had seen her before the amnesia, she had no idea.
"Indeed," Ling Yuxuan thought for a moment. She had been living in the Medical Alliance for more than twenty years, seldom interacting with outsiders, so it was unlikely that she had seen this young lady.
Listening to the conversation between Ling Yuxuan and Gu Zhiqi, Mo Canglan chimed in, "You know, when I first saw her, I also thought she looked familiar."
Suddenly, Fu Xiyan also said, "It’s strange, but when I first saw Xiao Qi, I felt like I recognized her too."