This made Gong Ying quite happy; possessing the advantage of the same gender, she moved closer and joined Miss Ruo in playing with the cats and dogs, swapping amusing anecdotes. Miss Ruo graciously responded with frequent laughter.
Xu Huo stood at the back, watching their interaction with no intention to join in. He was like an invisible man; apart from a fleeting glance from the two cats grooming themselves at the edge, none of the animals paid him any attention.
Once they'd had their fill of laughter, and after Miss Ruo gifted the Momentary Flower to Gong Ying, Xu Huo finally suggested he could help her paint a portrait.
"A portrait?" Miss Ruo pondered for a moment. "I don't have any photos of him. It's been so long, I can barely remember what he looked like."
"That's not a problem," Xu Huo said. "I know a bit about psychology. Not remembering doesn't mean forgetting; his image is still stored somewhere in your brain."
