Read Novel Full Chapter 572: Old Memories
Chapter 572: Old Memories
The silence remained between them for a few moments, stretching like an invisible thread that connected them in a web of mutual understanding.
It was not an uncomfortable silence, the kind that weighs upon one’s shoulders and demands to be filled with empty words.
On the contrary. It was light, peaceful, like the pause between two notes of a pleasant melody, a space where the music breathed before continuing its journey.
Through the enormous crystal window of the Sky Family’s private room, the lights of the grand auction hall shimmered below them like a sea of earthly stars.
The constant movement of the crowd, the vibrant colors of the cultivators’ robes, the gleam of the treasures being displayed, everything seemed distant, separated from that small sanctuary above.
Distant voices echoed as new lots were presented, but up there, everything seemed to belong to another world, another reality.
Gao Ziyue slowly twirled the wine glass between her delicate fingers, the movement both hypnotic and soothing. The golden Celestial Lirium wine reflected the light of the jade lanterns hanging from the ceiling, creating tiny liquid glimmers that danced across its surface like stars captured within an amber sky.
Each movement of the glass created a new pattern of light, a microscopic spectacle that only she could appreciate.
She observed Kyrian discreetly, her eyes tracing his profile with a curiosity she could not fully explain.
It was strange. Very strange. Over the past few years, nearly every conversation she had experienced had followed the same predictable pattern, flattery, calculated interest, respectful fear, or careful attempts to please her because of her position as the young lady of the Sky Family.
Every word was weighed, every gesture measured, every smile a carefully crafted mask.
Kyrian was completely different. From the moment he had entered that room, he had never seemed concerned about her identity, her power, what she could offer, or what she could do for him.
He spoke to her the same way he would speak to anyone else, without exaggeration, without excessive reverence, and without any apparent ulterior motives.
It was as though he saw her not as the Heir of the Sky, but simply as a person, someone with whom he could share thoughts and feelings without the burden of titles and expectations.
That was… refreshing. Like a breath of fresh air in a room that had been sealed for far too long, like pure water after years of drinking something bitter.
She realized she had been staring at him for too long and lowered her gaze to the wine glass, feeling a faint warmth rise to her cheeks.
It was not exactly embarrassment, but something subtler, an awareness that she had been caught in a moment of contemplation she had never intended to share.
“It’s been… a very long time since I’ve sat like this with someone.” Her voice came out softly, almost like a thought escaping without permission, a secret that had slipped through the cracks in her defenses.
Kyrian turned his attention toward her, his violet eyes settling on her face with the calmness that seemed so characteristic of him.
She smiled faintly, a smile meant more for herself than for him.
“Just to have a normal conversation.” She paused briefly before continuing, organizing her thoughts.
“Without having to think about politics, cultivation, responsibilities, or the future of the family. Without calculating every word, measuring every gesture, or worrying about what other people will think or how my words might be interpreted.”
Her fingers continued to slowly rotate the wine glass, the rhythmic motion serving as an anchor to the present moment.
“I don’t think I even remember what that felt like anymore.” A genuine smile appeared on her lips, small yet completely sincere, not the polite smile she wore at banquets, nor the courteous smile she offered to strangers, but something more genuine, more vulnerable.
“I’m happy about that.”
Kyrian watched her for a few seconds, his eyes studying her face with attention that was more understanding than evaluative. Then he smiled as well. It was a quiet, calm smile, like almost everything about him, a gesture that asked for nothing in return, that simply existed.
“I don’t usually do this either.” His reply came naturally, without any attempt to sound profound or meaningful.
“I spent most of the past few years cultivating or traveling. I was usually more focused on becoming stronger than on building relationships with other people.”
He leaned back in his chair, a gesture that relaxed his posture.
“But I found it interesting.” He looked directly at Gao Ziyue, his violet eyes meeting hers with disarming honesty.
“And talking to you has been enjoyable.”
She blinked several times, surprised by the direction of his response. She had not expected an answer that direct, nor one that honest.
Most people would have made some generic comment about the pleasant company or the enjoyable evening, something polite but empty. He, however, had simply said exactly what he thought, without embellishment or pretense.
For some reason, she felt her face grow slightly warm, a heat that spread from her cheeks to her ears. She lowered her eyes to hide the small smile that insisted on appearing, a smile she could not control.
“Thank you…” she murmured almost without realizing it, her voice so soft that it was nearly a whisper.
The two of them fell silent once again. But this time, the silence felt even more comfortable, like a blanket settling over one’s shoulders after a long day.
The distance between them, which had once been merely physical, seemed to have diminished in some intangible way.
Kyrian raised the wine glass to his lips, allowing the warm liquid to slide down his throat. The wine truly was exceptional. It carried a smooth flavor at first, almost shy, followed by a gentle sweetness that spread across the palate, and then a pleasant warmth that lingered in his throat for several seconds, like a memory that refused to fade away.
It was not difficult to understand why it cost so much, why it was considered a treasure among treasures.
As he watched the movement of the auction through the window, the people bustling about like ants in an anthill, a question naturally surfaced in his mind.
He turned his head toward Gao Ziyue once more, his eyes meeting hers with a question he did not need to rehearse.
“What’s daily life like in the Sky Tower?”
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