Alister paused, then gazed at Yanzi with an indifference that bordered on coldness. Gone was the flustered boy of the past; in his place stood someone who seemed to have aged years in a matter of moments.
"You're mistaken, Yanzi."
Yanzi, clearly taken by surprise by his icy demeanor, scoffed.
"Mistaken? About what? Are you so shy you can't even admit it?"
"Yanzi, what are you doing?"
Kai's voice cut through the air, breaking the silence.
Yanzi whipped around, a forced smile on her face.
"Just having a chat with an old classmate, Kai. We used to be in the same academy."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Well, I'll be waiting for you over there."
He pointed towards a group of people gathered near the entrance.
Yanzi waved dismissively. "Okay, darling. Just a minute."
As Kai disappeared into the crowd, Alister couldn't help but ask, "Is that your boyfriend, Yanzi?"
