Later, she never got the chance to know that he had long known about her making the thousand paper cranes for him, but he had never mentioned it—just to see the playful joy on her face when she thought she was keeping it a secret.
Old Master Li's hardened pupils suddenly softened.
It was as if the ice within him had unexpectedly shattered, and he was pulled from his memories in an instant. At that moment, his face, usually so dignified it bordered on cold, showed an overwhelming sense of regret and exhaustion that only an ordinary person might reveal.
When he looked at Chi Enen again, the coldness from when he first entered had vanished, replaced with a complicated gaze.
He didn't disturb her at all. She hadn't noticed his presence, still focused on folding the thousand paper cranes. In his eyes, there was nostalgia, affection, and… regret.
He stood there quietly for more than ten minutes, then suddenly pressed his lips together and turned to leave.
