Yang Yun stared at the girl in his arm. Then his gaze s.h.i.+fted to her second brother. Only then did he see the resemblance of that man and Mingyue.

"Aren't you going to let her go now?" Xiao Tian asked. His stared at Yang Yun's hand which was at his sister's waist.

Yang Yun slowly loosened his grip around her waist. He stepped forward with the help of the crutch. "I am Yang Yun. I'm sorry I have failed to recognize you earlier." he leaned his body into a bow.

Jiang Xiao Tian laughed. Then, he went to Yang Yun's side to help him straightened up. "It's fine. Seeing you being protective on Mingyue set my heart at ease. Don't worry too much."

"Thank you-" Yang Yun hesitated. He was not sure how he should call the man.

"Just call me second brother like Mingyue did," Jiang Xiao Tian said. He turned to look at Mingyue and smiled. "I'm going first. I still have a few things to settle."

Mingyue only turned to Yang Yun when her brother was out of their sight. She glanced at the crutch supporting his body and frowned. "Why are you here instead of resting?"

"I heard from the others that you and grandfather Han found someone who knew something about the herbs." Yang Yun said. "Is this true?"

Mingyue nodded slowly. "Second brother found them while he was away for some task."

"Did you found some clues?" he asked.

Mingyue led him to sit down on a bench nearby. Then, she told him what the old man had said about the herbs. When she finished, Mingyue found Yang Yun looking at her with a mixed expression. She raised her hand and pressed the crease between his eyebrow. "What are you thinking about?"

Yang Yun raised his head and met her gaze. "Do you think the old man is telling the truth?"

"Maybe some of his words are the truth. But Yang Yun, how can a person just disappeared in thin air?" Mingyue shook her head. "It doesn't make sense."

Yang Yun exhaled a long sigh. His gaze softened as he stared at the girl before him. He reached out to hold both her hand in his. "I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want you to disappear."

"Nothing will happen to me," she rubbed his hand with her thumb and smiled to coax him. "I won't disappear."

His grip on her hand tightened.