Yao Shen keeps shifting his gaze from the scene in front of him, to Xin Hulei at his side, crouched down behind the bushes.
His expression doesn't betray his feelings, but the clenched fist on his bent knee does.
Ahead, Yan Shuyi says something in a low voice, and the man in the red robes wraps him in his arms, whispering something fiercely into his ear.
Yan Shuyi tries to step away, but the man holds him fast.
Yao Shen is still confused, but one thing is clear, Xie Huan and Xin Hulei are not the same person, as he has been assuming since he found out the events of the novel were based on reality.
He can't even be sure if the man holding Yan Shuyi is named Xie Huan, but he resembles the description of Xie Huan from the novel and drama.
He's tall and imposing, and there's a decisiveness to the way he holds Yan Shuyi to him.
In hindsight, it's obvious that Xin Hulei couldn't have been him.
