CHAPTER 172: 166 SIMILAR

"Are you calling out to me?" Guan Kunling gazed at him, her icy eyes betraying no emotion.

Lu Chi nodded emphatically, his eyes glimmering with joy, though tinged with a dreamy haze. He spoke and laughed simultaneously, "You’re alive! You’re really still alive! Jiaqi, don’t be afraid. I’ll take you home."

Guan Kunling thought this man might be a fool, his words reeking of madness.

"I’m not Jiang Jiaqi. I am Guan Kunling. You’ve mistaken me for someone else. Farewell," she said.

Lu Chi seemed unable to hear her words and continued staring at her. "You’ve finally come back. Are you still angry with me? Where have you been hiding all these years? We all thought you were dead. Did you talk to your brother? How did you even..."

"I am Guan Kunling!" Her voice suddenly rose, cold and sharp enough to pierce the eardrums. "Keep calling me the wrong name, and I will kill you."

The name Guan Kunling was bestowed upon her by her lord, and she would never allow anyone to miscall it.

Her threat worked, and the atmosphere instantly became tense...

Ignoring him, Guan Kunling stroked her stomach and entered a nearby restaurant.

She was hungry and too tired to speak further.

Her lord had once taught her that regardless of the situation, she should ensure she ate regularly each day and never let herself go hungry. Hunger would dull the spirit; only after eating could the body and mind be restored.

Lu Chi stood there dumbfounded. She looked so alike... if not Jiaqi, who else could it be? He vividly remembered Jiang Jiaqi’s features. Though over the years, Jiang Jiaqi hadn’t even graced his dreams, he dared not dream of her too freely—the dead are dead. But now, she stood alive and vibrant before his eyes.

Back then, she was just ten years old. She loved to laugh, her brows curved cheerfully. Her hair was unlike others; curly, playful as that of a foreign doll.

But now, she had grown up, her hair dark and straight, cascading over her shoulders, no longer curling; she didn’t love to smile... yet she exuded a womanly allure.

Could it be possible that the world truly held someone so strikingly similar?

"Sir..." The driver lowered his eyelids, obscuring his gaze. "Shall we return, or..."

"Let’s eat." Lu Chi glanced towards the restaurant and replied.

"Shopkeeper." Within the quiet restaurant, a woman’s melodious voice rang out.

The restaurant’s young owner, startled upon being addressed as "shopkeeper," found it amusing and replied, "Yes, dear patron, what may I do for you?"

"What do you serve here?"

"We have it all... noodle dishes: stewed noodles, stir-fried noodles, yangchun noodles, rib noodles; rice dishes, side dishes: braised fish, Huangpu scrambled eggs, shredded pork with peppers..."

"I’ll have a bowl of stewed noodles," Guan Kunling raised her hand and said.

Stewed noodles—what manner of food was this? She had never heard of it before.

"Enjoy, dear patron," said the owner as he placed a steaming bowl of stewed noodles on the table. Privately, he shook his head—this woman was exceedingly beautiful, yet her brain seemed to be lacking.

"I’ll have a bowl of stewed noodles too," Lu Chi stepped into the restaurant.

Guan Kunling frowned faintly; the fool had also come to eat. What were his intentions? If he harbored ill will, she would not show mercy.

She barely cast him a glance before focusing on her meal. Despite her intense hunger, her eating manner was exceptionally elegant—small bites, back straight. Sitting there quietly, her presence exuded an aesthetic charm reminiscent of ancient portraits of graceful ladies. Yet no one dared to approach her lightly, for her demeanor remained cold.

The stewed noodles were truly exceptional, savorily delicious. She had never tasted anything like them. Had her lord ever tried such a dish?

Her lord had once told her to keep moving forward and never look back. She would walk slower now; otherwise, her lord might not catch up.

Finishing her meal, Guan Kunling extended her hand to retrieve silver from her waist pouch. Only then did she recall that her garments had been swapped out by her lord. What was she to do now? She had no spare money with her.

Her gaze fell upon her wrist, which bore an intricately carved rosewood ring—the only decoration she possessed. Her lord had gifted it to her, crafted by Beijing’s finest engraver.

"The bill," she said.

"Certainly," the owner cheerfully replied. "Patron, that’ll be fifty cents for the stewed noodles."

"Fifty cents?" Guan Kunling’s eyes reflected puzzlement. What was a ’cent’?

"Yes, fifty cents," the owner reiterated.

"Could I leave this here as collateral and return in a few days to pay?"

The owner glanced at the wooden ring in her hand and shook his head. "No. Are you trying to skip paying? This ragged ring wouldn’t even fetch fifty cents, much less cover your meal! You’re not just scatterbrained—you’re a scoundrel! Pretty face, but wasted on such behavior."

Guan Kunling’s expression darkened—ragged? He dared insult a gift from her lord. Intolerable... Her fingers clenched tightly, but a man’s hand suddenly stopped her.

"I’ll cover her bill, and mine as well. That’s one yuan total." Lu Chi retrieved the money from his coat and handed it to the owner before pulling Guan Kunling out of the restaurant.

Guan Kunling shook off his hand.

Lu Chi was unbothered and chuckled, "No money, yet still eating a free meal?" Strange—she didn’t look penniless. The air around her was too refined to deceive.

"I have plenty of silver, but it’s back home," Guan Kunling clasped her hands together and momentarily set aside her indignation. "Thank you for your intervention, sir. Kunling is immensely grateful."

"Ha." Lu Chi laughed aloud, "Your flowery, formal speech—have you read yourself silly?"

So, she truly wasn’t Jiaqi. Just similar-looking, yet Jiaqi had never behaved like this.

"I practice martial arts and read occasionally," said Guan Kunling. "Your kindness today will be repaid in time."

"No need. A trivial matter," Lu Chi waved dismissively.

"Since you said repayment isn’t necessary... then I won’t repay. You’re truly kind-hearted. We’ve met by chance; now, I must take my leave and resume my journey."

"Guan Kunling..." Lu Chi shook his head and laughed in defeat as he watched her leave. Muttering to himself, "Thick-skinned... truly thick-skinned..."

The remark was barely audible, but she caught it. Turning back, she said flatly, "I am not thick-skinned." Then, pulling out six apricots from her pouch, she stuffed them into his hands. "Consider this returning the fifty cents owed. We are now even."

"Apri-Apricots?" Lu Chi blinked in disbelief. Such a fortunate coincidence.

Guan Kunling’s face remained composed. "Yes. Apricots—very sweet."

"I was just looking for apricots. You’ve done me a great favor," Lu Chi remarked, gazing at her beautiful face. "Where are you headed? I’ll take you there."

"To faraway places."

"?" Lu Chi was momentarily speechless. "What do you mean by ’faraway places’?"

"Keep moving forward and never look back," Guan Kunling replied softly.

Lu Chi nodded with partial understanding. "Alright, hop in. I’ll tell the driver to go straight ahead, and you can let us know when we’ve arrived."

A flash of movement—a streak of white—passed before his eyes as Guan Kunling landed atop the car’s roof.

"..." Lu Chi wiped his sweat, marveling at her agility. He chuckled, "Get down. We’re going inside the car—not on top of it."

Guan Kunling hesitated for a moment before leaping down. Lu Chi pulled the car door open and gestured for her to enter first.