Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 446 Unrecognized Old Friends

Her appearance hasn't changed much from Su Wan's three thousand years later; if you had to say, she's lost some of her gentleness and gained more of her sharpness.

His face was expressionless, his eyes were downcast, and he was so focused that it seemed as if the only thing left in the world was the files in front of him.

Chen Anran stood outside the door, without moving.

He just stared at her, at that familiar profile, at the hand holding the pen, at the long hair falling over her shoulders.

Three thousand years.

No, for him, only three years have passed.

But for the person in front of her, nothing had happened yet. She hadn't met that disciple named Lu Kong, hadn't lived through that long life, and wasn't yet the head disciple of the Cloud Hidden Sect.

She is just Su Changning.

A true disciple of the Celestial Pivot Hall of the Immortal Alliance, with a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, responsible for general affairs within the Great Qian territory.

A stranger.

Chen Anran remained silent for a long time.

Then he reached out and pushed open the half-closed door.

The door creaked slightly.

The person behind the desk looked up.

It was a face exactly like the one Chen Anran remembered. The eyebrows, the bridge of the nose, the lips—everything was identical. Only, those eyes lacked the familiar gentleness and smile; instead, they held a faint sense of detachment.

"I didn't expect you two seniors to be here to see me."

Su Changning possessed the strength of a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, so she was naturally fully aware of what had just happened below. However, she did not get up, but simply stared at him with indifference in her eyes, showing no sign of bowing down because of his strength.

Lu Kong seemed oblivious to the indifference and question in Su Changning's words. He pulled Chen Anran along, walked around the desk with practiced ease, and plopped down on a chair next to it, even pouring himself and Chen Anran a cup of tea.

The tea had long since gone cold, but Lu Kong didn't mind. He picked it up, took a sip, and smacked his lips.

"This tea from Su Zhenchuan is no good," he said. "It's too astringent."

Su Changning glanced at him.

That gaze was indifferent, yet it made Lu Kong's smile freeze for a moment.

"You drank the one from three days ago," Su Changning said.

Lu Kong looked down at the tea in the cup, then at the teapot, chuckled twice, and put the teacup down.

Chen Anran was still standing at the door.

He just watched Su Changning, watching her lower her head and continue writing on the case file, watching her dip the pen in ink, watching her put the completed case file aside and pick up another one to open.

She did these things without looking at them again.

It's as if these two people don't exist.

Lu Kong sat in the chair, looking at his master and then at his uncle, his smile growing wider. He suddenly found the scene extremely amusing, and he felt incredibly pleased.

To be called "senior" by one's master—that was something unthinkable in the past.

At this moment, Su Changning finally couldn't help but ask the two, "May I ask what business you two seniors have with me? You can't have come just to have tea with me."

Chen Anran didn't know how to answer. She couldn't very well say that she had come all this time just to see her.

Su Changning waited for a moment, but received no response, so he lowered his head again and continued to review the files in his hands.

Lu Kong sat in the chair, his gaze shifting between the two men. He looked at his master's indifferent expression, then at his uncle's silent face, and suddenly felt like laughing.

This scene is very similar to how he looked when he first became a disciple.

Back then, her master was the same way, sitting behind his desk, reviewing documents without looking up. He stood beside her for a full hour before she finally spoke her first words—"Standing for so long, aren't you tired?"

He was flattered and quickly said he wasn't tired at all.

His master looked up at him, his gaze carrying a hint of disdain: "Aren't you tired? Then stand for another hour."

Thinking of this, Lu Kong couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The laughter sounded somewhat abrupt in the quiet room.

Su Changning raised her head and glanced at him.

That gaze remained indifferent, yet it brought Lu Kong's laughter to an abrupt halt.

"What are you laughing at, senior?" she asked.

Lu Kong coughed lightly and said seriously, "It's nothing, I just remembered some things from the past."

"Past events?" Su Changning's gaze lingered on his face for a moment. "Senior and I are complete strangers. What past events could we possibly have?"

Lu Kong opened his mouth, but like Chen Anran, he didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Yes, to her, they were complete strangers.

For her, those so-called "past events" were still unrecorded.

Just as the three of them were in silence, footsteps came from outside the door.

The footsteps stopped at the door, followed by a soft knock.

"Su Zhenchuan?"

It was Yunjiu's voice, low and tentative.

Su Changning didn't even look up: "Come in."

The door was pushed open a crack, and Yun Jiu's face peeked in through the gap. His gaze quickly swept around the room, landing on Chen Anran and Lu Kong before quickly looking down.

"Esteemed seniors," he said, pushing open the door and bowing respectfully with a perfectly measured smile on his face, "I have a favor to ask of you."

Lu Kong leaned back in his chair, smiling at him. "Speak."

Yun Jiu coughed lightly and carefully began to speak: "It is a great honor for the two seniors to have traveled so far to grace Tianjing with their presence. I would like to take the liberty of inviting you to the Imperial Palace, where I will prepare a simple feast to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."

Yun Jiu coughed lightly and carefully began to speak: "It is a great honor for the two seniors to have traveled so far to grace Tianjing with their presence. I would like to take the liberty of inviting you to the Imperial Palace, where I will prepare a simple feast to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."

Chen Anran and Lu Kong did not respond, and Su Changning kept his head down and continued to deal with the things he was doing, as if he had not heard anything.

Yun Jiu waited for a while, but received no response, and the smile on his face stiffened slightly. He quickly added, "Please rest assured, seniors, I have made all the arrangements at the palace. Just come to the banquet. The imperial chefs of the Great Qian Dynasty are quite skilled. Although they cannot compare to the delicacies of the immortal abodes, they still have their own unique flavor."

As he spoke, he raised his head, his gaze lingering on Chen Anran's face for a moment before quickly looking down.

His gaze held a mixture of ingratiation and smugness.

Lu Kong understood the smugness in that expression.

It wasn't malicious intent; it was the kind of boastful display of "I have a way of treating the palace like my own backyard." In the eyes of the Immortal Alliance, what was the Great Qian royal family? Just mortals dependent on them. Emperor, princess, prince—they could see them whenever they wanted and use them whenever they wanted.

Lu Kong suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

He looked at Chen Anran.

Chen Anran then turned her gaze away from Su Changning and replied, "Okay, let's settle on that then."

Yun Jiu was stunned.

He didn't expect this senior to agree so readily.

He said those things just now only to test the attitudes of these two.

His willingness to attend the banquet indicated he harbored no hostility towards the Immortal Alliance; his unwillingness was another matter entirely. However, this senior's reply was so casual that he was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Then..." Yun Jiu quickly said, "Shall I go and make the arrangements?"

Chen Anran nodded.

Yun Jiu felt as if he had been granted a pardon, bowed again, and then left the place.