Recently, a rather novel form of greeting has swept through the martial world: “Hey! Did so-and-so come back to life today?”

These days, if someone tells you that some renowned figure has died, don’t believe it too readily, because within a few months, they might suddenly “rise from the dead” and wander about as if nothing happened—like the former Eastern Marquis He, He Yu, who was recently enfeoffed as the Western Lin Prince by the Western Xia Emperor. Of course, even if someone has been dead for eight or ten years, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re truly gone—like those two brothers… sisters of the Yue Family. That’s right, some people not only become younger when they come back to life, they might even change their gender.

Usually, only the most extraordinary individuals can experience such fortune—not the sort of thing ordinary people can comprehend.

First and foremost is the eldest young master Yue who refused to become emperor.

Back then, everyone in the realm knew what Wei Xingyun was preparing for with his aggressive posturing, and Emperor Yuan Jue of Western Xia was also ready to fight to the death. Yet just as both sides were about to clash, the eldest young master Yue somehow managed to turn swords into jade overnight. Within two months, a new estate called Youran Manor appeared in the martial world, with its manor lord being none other than the eldest young master, Yue Changsheng. The phrase “leisurely gazing at the southern mountains” made his intent to retire crystal clear, and the rumors of usurpation and succession naturally collapsed on their own.

Next came the young Marquis He who refused to become crown prince.

This Marquis He was “received” by the Western Xia court on his way to Youran Manor and brought back to Chang’an. The Western Xia Emperor first announced the identity of this long-lost son, then forcibly bestowed upon him the title of Western Lin Prince regardless of whether he was willing. Just as Yuan Jue was about to further establish him as crown prince… the man fled. According to palace insiders, the young marquis—or rather, the young prince—personally prepared a pot of soup and left a letter before departing. After finishing the soup and reading the letter, the old emperor sat in silence for quite a while before finally setting aside the matter of establishing an heir.

With these two setting the precedent, the rest… like the Martial Alliance Leader Xu Laifeng who routinely fled, and the new Eastern Xia Chancellor Fu Yanyang who routinely skipped court—these didn’t even count as interesting news anymore, and even storytellers couldn’t be bothered to elaborate on them.

“These matters concerning the court and the great figures of the martial world sound quite thrilling indeed.”

Inside a small tavern at the foot of Nanshan, a child on stage was playing a stringed instrument. The storyteller had just finished recounting a freshly minted tale from the martial world, and the customers below began chattering with various opinions. An elderly man sighed despondently after listening: “It’s just that if they stir up trouble like this and end up causing war, the ones who’ll suffer in the end are still us common folk.”

“Exactly! As long as it doesn’t affect our livelihood, who cares who becomes emperor?” Another middle-aged man drained his cup in one gulp. “If you ask me, this eldest young master Yue is truly formidable. Youran Manor has only been established for how long, yet so many people are already breaking down the doors to join. Not to mention the Three Heroes of Maoshan—the monk Fei Sha with the Flower Kasaya and Master Meng Yu the Divine Constable are renowned figures in the martial world. Even the emperor couldn’t move them, yet they’ve packed up their families and moved to the manor. Tsk tsk…”

“Why else would he be called the eldest young master Yue? If this were ten years ago, the area below Youran Mountain would be ten times more lively than today…”

“Although this eldest young master Yue claims to have retired, he’s set up his own operation in the martial world. Can the emperor really sit still?”

Hearing the heated discussion below, the storyteller couldn’t help but show off his “inside information,” saying mysteriously: “You don’t know about this, do you? The Western Lin Prince will soon become a son-in-law of the Yue Family. Once they become in-laws, why would the emperor need to tear down tiles and beams on his own family’s territory?”

At this point, a young man sitting in a corner on the second floor was choked by a mouthful of soup and coughed for quite a while. Finally catching his breath, he muttered quietly: “To think that before I’ve even had a chance to visit my elder brother at the manor, the news of the upcoming joyous event has already spread far and wide…”

The woman sitting across from him said expressionlessly: “You’re currently penniless, owing a pile of favors, and I can’t even guarantee you’ll pass my brother’s scrutiny. Yet you’re so confident.”

“Ho, what kind of person are you making my brother-in-law out to be?” Ye Qi shook his head smugly. “To seek marriage requires sincerity and genuine affection—these most precious qualities of being a husband and son-in-law, I lack none. Not to mention my overflowing talent and appearance rivaling Pan An… Elder Brother will surely hit it off with me immediately, like old friends meeting for the first time…”

Changling silently glanced at the self-satisfied individual. “My elder brother and I have been reunited after a long separation. He probably won’t want me to marry and leave him too soon…”

“Mm.” Ye Qi picked up his chopsticks and dipped a slice of meat into the mandarin duck hotpot. “A free man, wife following husband—none other than me.”

Changling: “…”

However, Young Master Ye didn’t even get a chance to meet Manor Lord Yue face-to-face before being firmly blocked at the gates of Youran Manor.

“My brother really said that?” Changling was also surprised, asking repeatedly: “He can’t enter?”

The two young men guarding the manor gate had both witnessed grand occasions at the martial arts assembly and naturally recognized Changling and Ye Qi: “These are the manor lord’s own words. If the Second Young Master returns to the manor, the Second Young Master may enter, but Young Master Ye… Alas, we can only apologize.”

Ye Qi said incredulously: “The Eldest Young Master recruits heroes from across the land—why single me out to be barred from the gate?”

Changling suddenly thought of something and could only comfort Ye Qi to rest under a tree while she entered the manor first to see her elder brother.

After meeting his sister, Changsheng revealed the truth: “It’s not my intention, but Aunt insists on not allowing Young Master Ye to enter the manor. Since she is an elder of our Yue Family, if we defy her wishes now, it will be even more difficult for Young Master Ye to gain her approval in the future.”

As expected, it was because of the grudge of that palm strike against He Kangwen and the resentment of being imprisoned by the He Family. Even knowing that Ye Qi wasn’t the He Family’s biological son, in Yue Qingyi’s eyes, there wasn’t much difference between one raised by hand and one born of blood.

“Unless he’s willing to announce to the world that he’s severing his relationship with the He Family.” Upon hearing that Ye Qi was waiting outside, Yue Qingyi immediately showed displeasure: “In any case, I won’t agree to you two being together.”

Changling didn’t know where to begin persuading her, saying: “He has, after all, received so many years of nurturing grace from the He Family. With that bond of affection, the relationship naturally cannot be severed… Aunt, regardless of the grievances of the previous generation, Ye Qi truly knew nothing about it.”

Yue Qingyi snorted coldly. “You have short memories, and now the unreasonable one has become me? Fine, since you’re in love with each other, why bother asking me? Just know that if you want me to give him a friendly face in the future, you’ll have to forgive my lack of magnanimity.”

Changling cast a pleading look at Changsheng, who smiled faintly: “You jest, Aunt. You are the last family member my sister and I have in this world. Marriage is no trifling matter—how could we proceed without your approval? However, Young Master Ye has saved both my sister and me several times, and he devoted considerable effort to our reunion. Regardless of marriage, if we refuse Young Master Ye at the gate tonight, wouldn’t the world criticize Youran Manor for crossing the river and then destroying the bridge?”

Hearing her nephew and niece repeatedly defend the He Family’s son, Yue Qingyi felt both angry and aggrieved: “I don’t want the son of my enemy to become the Yue Family’s son-in-law—when did I say I wouldn’t let him enter the manor?” She paused. “Even if this boy is innocent, his great-grandfather imprisoned me for eighteen years and hasn’t offered even a word of apology to this day. Do you expect me to address that wretched old man as ‘in-law’ at the wedding banquet?”

The siblings naturally understood Yue Qingyi’s feelings.

Precisely because of this, they dared not force the issue. Changling worried that Ye Qi would freeze if he stayed outside too long and his health might suffer, so she said: “In that case, once Aunt’s anger subsides in a while, I’ll bring him back.”

Seeing his sister finally find happiness yet unable to bring her beloved through the family door, Changsheng felt heartbroken. He wanted to meet Ye Qi first, but after reconsidering, he said: “Aunt just mentioned Old Master He’s apology, which shows she’s not an unreasonable person. She was merely imprisoned by the He Family for many years—to let it pass without acknowledgment would leave her aggrieved…”

“Elder Brother means… have the old master of the He Family apologize to Aunt? But I’ve heard that Old Master He is extremely stubborn. He’s convinced that He Kangwen’s death by illness was connected to Aunt’s assassination attempt—how could he possibly apologize?”

Changsheng smiled faintly. “What Aunt described about that year is merely what she witnessed alone. You’ve never asked—how would you know the full picture? Old Master He would rather imprison an assassin who stabbed his child for eighteen years than execute her—there may well be other circumstances involved… Tell Young Master Ye this: while being timid about approaching one’s hometown is understandable, what happened in the past won’t be diminished by later generations glossing over it. If he doesn’t even dare face it himself, how can he help those involved find peace?”

Changling was slightly stunned.

“Regardless of the outcome,” Changsheng stepped forward and patted her shoulder, “when you return, bring him straight through the family door.”

After hearing Changling’s abbreviated retelling, Ye Qi fell into deep thought, then repeatedly muttered that phrase “never asked, how would you know the full picture” all along the journey. If he’d had a brush in hand, he would likely have transcribed it and hung it on his horse’s head for contemplation.

Changling asked: “What’s your plan now?”

“Elder Brother’s words have hidden meaning—perhaps he knows something.” Ye Qi smiled as if having an epiphany. “It seems that to marry, I really must return to my hometown and see my great-grandfather.”

Old Master He had lived to that age where one is always prepared to ascend to paradise at any moment. He spent most of his time in the old residence’s Buddhist hall, flipping through scriptures and counting prayer beads. Seeing his grandson, who had supposedly died without an intact corpse, return whole and complete, his expression showed little reaction. He merely routinely had the visitor bow before the Buddha statue.

Changling had seen many households that worshiped Buddha at their entrance, but this was her first time seeing one that enshrined Maitreya Buddha. A couplet hung beside it: “A big belly can tolerate the intolerable matters of the world; an open smile can laugh at the laughable people of the world.”

“If you want to ask about Yue Qingyi…” Old Master He gathered his wide sleeves and shuffled forward: “Your great-grandfather can only say that imprisoning her for those eighteen years truly didn’t wrong her.”

Ye Qi squeezed Changling’s palm and asked Old Master He: “We don’t know the details of that old matter. Please tell us about it, Great-Grandfather.”

“Since you’ve set your heart on her…” Old Master He walked to a plain candle, lit it, and squinted at Changling. “Then I’ll tell you. This matter probably has to start with Wu Run. The world believes he only took two disciples in his lifetime, but in fact, this venerable master originally had another disciple…”

Both Changling and Ye Qi were shocked.

Old Master He slowly walked to a bookcase, gradually pulled out an ancient scroll, and hung it on an iron nail on the cabinet, unfurling it. An ancient painting depicting a battle between masters appeared before their eyes.

“This is from the Yuankang period of the Great Liang Dynasty—a picture of Wu Run fighting ten grandmasters. The one who created this painting was just a young man at the time and is probably long gone from this world.” Old Master He’s wrinkled hand pointed to a corner of the painting. “Look for yourselves—are there not three disciples here?”

Changling approached for a closer look. Just as the old master said, the painting showed Wu Run holding a sword in one hand, with several masters attacking him from the front and above—the scene was clearly heart-stopping. Behind him stood three youths dressed as book boys, depicted with just a few strokes, their images blurry and difficult to distinguish clearly.

“Your third grand-uncle studied martial arts under Old Master Wu back then and gradually had less contact with our He Family. Later, that branch of the family moved away from Jiangling entirely, creating quite a bit of friction with your grandfather.” Old Master He slowly shuffled to the desk, picked up a purple clay teapot, and poured a cup of tea. “One day, your father found a letter from Yan Zhen requesting help. Judging by the date, it had been sitting there for a year or two. He sent people to Yanling Town but found nothing… However, from the letter, your father learned the secret of the folding fan. Thinking this might not only save your life but also restore the He Family’s prestige, he made a special trip to visit the Yue Family.”

Hearing this, Changling exchanged a glance with Ye Qi, then heard Old Master He continue: “Yue Rugou wouldn’t agree to lend the fan. Kangwen begged many times, all to no avail… When someone won’t agree, you can’t very well force them. Seeing him so dejected, I pulled out this old painting. He tracked down the artist and learned the identity of the third disciple. He asked that person to appeal to Yue Rugou, thinking… a fellow disciple asking for a favor would be more effective than him as an outsider… Who could have known…”

Old Master He shook his head helplessly. “That person actually attacked women and children without any discussion.”

Ye Qi couldn’t help but step forward. “Great-Grandfather, are you saying that the one who secretly tried to kill Changling back then was that third disciple?”

“Correct,” Old Master He said. “He was expelled from the school for some reason in his early years. To force Yue Rugou to hand over the folding fan, he resorted to this despicable tactic. After striking, he vanished without a trace. Kangwen saw it clearly and in his urgency donned a mask and leaped into the courtyard to attempt a rescue. Unexpectedly, he was injured by Yue Qingyi, and later this became evidence that he had harmed the Yue Family…”

Changling said: “If that’s the case, why not tell my aunt the truth?”

“Whether I told her or not, what difference would it make?” Old Master He said. “This matter was still connected to the He Family after all. If we let her spread it around, Yue Rugou would certainly point the finger directly at the He Family. What benefit would that bring to the He Family?”

“So you imprisoned my aunt for eighteen years?”

“Jiangling Commandery has its own laws. She assassinated the commandery prince—by law, she should be executed. What’s improper about imprisoning her for eighteen years?” Old Master He looked at Changling. “Kangwen nearly died at your aunt’s hands. If Kangwen hadn’t insisted, Yue Qingyi wouldn’t have survived to this day.”

Changling was momentarily speechless—official rhetoric aside, even by martial world rules, where wrongs have perpetrators and debts have debtors, if Aunt killed the wrong enemy, the He Family had no reason to let it slide easily.

“Ultimately, the real culprit is still that third disciple.” Ye Qi frowned slightly. “I wonder if this person is still alive?”

Old Master He sighed with emotion: “He died long ago. His family’s descendants have always had short lives, related to secretly practicing forbidden techniques. Later, your great-grandfather never mentioned Wu Run’s affairs to anyone… I never imagined that through a twist of fate, you would be the one to master Wu Run’s secret manual. This truly is destiny.”

Ye Qi keenly sniffed out something and couldn’t help asking: “Short lives… Great-Grandfather, could this third disciple’s surname be Fu?”

Old Master He: “After all I’ve said, you only just thought of that?”

Seeing the two youngsters’ faces full of astonishment, the old man finally showed a somewhat mischievous smile: “Alright, that’s enough about the past. It’s rare for you to come home—stay for a simple meal. As for the betrothal gifts and wedding arrangements, I’ll have He Song handle them.”

“Great-Grandfather, these things aren’t really important…”

“How are they not important?” Old Master He glared at Ye Qi. “If you go to the Yue Family to propose marriage empty-handed, wouldn’t that make our He Family lose face? Or are you planning to have Yuan Jue organize your wedding?”

Ye Qi readily bowed in salute: “I’ll follow Great-Grandfather’s arrangements completely.”

When they arrived, they each rode one horse. On the return journey, a long procession of betrothal gifts followed behind them. This spectacle would be fitting even for a prince’s wedding—though of course, with the combined status of Eastern Marquis and Western Lin Prince, few princes these days had as substantial an identity as he did.

“I finally understand now—no wonder our elder brother kept instructing me repeatedly to give that folding fan and jade ring to Fu Liujing, emphasizing that only he could save you.” Ye Qi clapped his hands. “Fu Liujing must have hinted or explicitly stated that he was a descendant of Wu Run’s disciple. Our elder brother thought he held the other half of the folding fan, which is why he trusted him so much… This would also explain why he was so obsessed with finding Wu Run’s folding fan and was able to use your aunt to sow discord…”

Seeing Changling rolling up her sleeves, Ye Qi raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”

“I thought only Fu Yangui was a scourge. I didn’t realize three generations of his family are all scourges.”

“You can’t say that. Fu Number Two is pretty decent—loyal, righteous, and intelligent.” Ye Qi moved closer to her side. “Besides, if Fu Yangui’s conscience hadn’t awakened that day, the fish at the bottom of the Jiulong River would have long since gnawed my bones to nothing…”

Changling glanced at him sideways. “Are you certain it was his people who sent you to Hongshi Beach?”

“Other than him, no one else would have known the location even if they wanted to send me.” Ye Qi pointed to his arm. “Plus, the holes pierced in my body were all treated with Eastern Xia’s imperial golden wound medicine—clearly his handiwork. No doubt about it.”

“If he wanted to kill you, why save you?” Changling said. “Moreover, he couldn’t even master the technique himself—how could he be certain that sending you there would work?”

“Perhaps it was… treating a dead horse like a living one, a lucky accident?” Ye Qi waved his hand. “Forget it, I won’t think about it. If we get a chance to meet him another day, I’ll just ask then… Right now, the urgent matter is figuring out how to get past your aunt’s test…”

Changling looked confused. “You’re not planning to tell the truth?”

“I always feel that making an issue out of her stabbing the wrong person isn’t quite appropriate.” Ye Qi crossed his arms over his chest. “Let me think about it more—better to have it clear in my mind…”

Whether it was Changsheng’s prior instructions or Ye Qi’s impressive procession, this time the gate guards no longer blocked them, and Changling brought Ye Qi straight through the family door.

Ye Qi had already changed into new clothes on the way to the manor. Before stepping into the hall, he adjusted his ceremonial cap. Upon seeing Yue Changsheng and Yue Qingyi seated in the positions of honor, he first performed a courteous bow, then earnestly recited the self-introduction and heartfelt declaration he’d drafted several times in his mind.

He didn’t mention that Yue Qingyi had stabbed the wrong person. Instead, he wholeheartedly expressed the He Family’s apology. At this point, he had people carry in several large chests of rare treasures, saying: “This is my great-grandfather’s token of goodwill. I hope Aunt Yue can set aside past grievances, and from now on our two families can turn swords into jade. I will certainly be doubly filial to Aunt and respectful to Elder Brother.”

He separated out the “betrothal gifts” and presented them as borrowed flowers, emphasizing these were from Old Master He… Changsheng smiled imperceptibly from the side—this boy was quite clever. This way, the “apology” Yue Qingyi wanted could be considered delivered.

Yue Qingyi was half-convinced. “Your great-grandfather truly gave these?”

Ye Qi put on an honest expression: “Absolutely true.”

Yue Qingyi’s expression improved slightly, but she certainly couldn’t let these so-called gifts settle everything with one stroke. Just as she was about to speak and give him more difficulty, she suddenly heard Changsheng say: “I don’t agree.”

All three turned to look at him.

Ye Qi: “Why?”

Changsheng stood and stepped forward a few paces. “You speak nothing but lies, your love for my younger sister is insincere, and you’ve committed three great wrongs. How can my Yue Family accept someone like you as a son-in-law?”

“Elder Brother, when did I…”

“Who’s your elder brother?” Changsheng quickly cut off his words. “Let me ask you—that day in Xiaoyao Valley, did you not, without asking my sister, take the Purple Gold Pill that would save your life and give it to me?”

“That was because…”

Changsheng said sternly: “Could you guarantee at the time that the Purple Gold Pill would save my life? What if it couldn’t save me and I died—you would have thrown away your life for nothing. Could you bear to watch my younger sister suffer alone in this world?”

Yue Qingyi had never heard of this matter and was shocked. Changling also didn’t know how her elder brother found out. Then she heard Changsheng continue: “Second, you were clearly alive, yet you had Wei Xingyun come fetch us to Western Xia and left a letter that didn’t explain any of your affairs, making my younger sister shed so many tears in vain…”

“No, Elder Brother… Young Master, you misunderstand. It’s mainly that where I was staying was in the middle of nowhere…”

Changsheng walked up to Ye Qi and, with his back to Yue Qingyi, lightly coughed at him. Ye Qi, quite perceptive, caught on and picked up the thread without any trace of acting: “…I was wrong. Since I had regained consciousness, I should have crawled out of the valley at the first opportunity…”

Changsheng wanted to quit while ahead, but then heard Changling ask: “Elder Brother said he committed three wrongs. What’s the third?”

“The third…” Not having thought of a third item at all—just habitually listing things as one, two, three—Changsheng paused and made up a reason: “Third, I’m not yet married, and my sister is my closest person. Of course she should stay by my side longer. How can she marry and become another’s wife so early?”

Before Ye Qi could respond, the eldest young master, afraid of being exposed, swept his sleeve and strode away. This left Yue Qingyi standing there, unable to mediate for reconciliation or separation, having completely forgotten what she had wanted to say earlier.

Using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds, going against the grain leads to smooth sailing all the way.

After this performance, Brother-in-law had clearly become the person Young Prince Ye most admired.

To act out the full play, Changsheng pretended to stay behind closed doors, while Ye Qi had to pull Changling along to “keep vigil” outside the door, continuing to win Yue Qingyi’s sympathy.

What no one expected was that Yue Qingyi pondered until evening, then earnestly came to tell them: “I thought about what Changsheng said this afternoon and realized he may not truly be angry with you. Young Master Ye’s kindness to him—he knows it. Alas, but we people from Jiangdong do indeed have the custom that younger siblings cannot marry before the eldest brother is wed…”

Ye Qi: “…”

Yue Qingyi continued: “For now, we must first find Changsheng a good woman of proper character and appearance. After he’s married, he should naturally agree to your marriage.”

Changling: “…”

Ye Qi felt things were beginning to develop in a strange direction and hastily spoke to stop it: “Marriage matters require mutual affection and the arrival of fate. The Eldest Young Master’s marriage prospects… how can we interfere?”

Yue Qingyi’s face immediately fell. “How is this interference? My eldest nephew has suffered so much, and now he doesn’t even have someone by his side who knows when he’s cold or warm. If he can’t bring himself to speak up, how can you only care about your own romantic feelings and not consider his difficulties? Don’t say another word. After dawn tomorrow, you will immediately find a way to identify women who could match him. I’ll prepare the matchmaking arrangements.”

The river water flows east.

A black-canopied boat slowly moved along. Seeing Young Master Ye lying leisurely flat on the boat deck, Changling simply stopped poling. She set the long oar aside, sat cross-legged by the low table, and poured herself a cup of wine: “You really do go with the flow and find your own joy.”

“I’m not joyful at all, really. My beloved is right before my eyes, but I can neither marry her nor touch her. Now I’m feeling panicked, short of breath, dizzy, and faint…” Ye Qi closed his eyes in despair. “Am I going to die tomorrow?”

Changling: “Mm.”

“Ah! What a pity—I haven’t yet had my fill of seeing all the wonders of heaven and earth…” Ye Qi opened his eyes. “Hey, look over here.”

Changling maintained her posture holding the cup and glanced at him sideways. “Look at what?”

Ye Qi propped himself up halfway and suddenly reached out, pulling her into his embrace, letting her rest against his chest. He smiled broadly: “Look at your eyes—they hold summer sun, winter snow, clear skies and rain, plants and trees. If I look once, doesn’t that mean I live another year?”

The wine from her cup spilled onto his shoulder. Changling silently reached out to brush away the liquid. “I can see you’re asking for a beating again.”

Ye Qi leaned in, rubbing his nose tip against hers. “Don’t—I’m about to die. Can you bear to hit me?”

His wheedling had considerable skill, making even the dignified Second Young Master Yue unable to suppress a smile. She leaned toward his lips and gently kissed him once: “As long as I’m here for a day, you live for a day.”

She could always so easily kiss him into blooming joy. Just as Ye Qi was about to return the favor with some intimate nuzzling, Changling lightly and deftly turned over. “Alright, if we don’t row now, we won’t reach shore even after dark.”

Ye Qi also stood up and took the oar, asking: “You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

“Lianxi Temple.”

“Lianxi?” Ye Qi said curiously. “Isn’t that a place for women who’ve become nuns?”

“Mm.”

“But aren’t we supposed to be finding a match for your elder brother?”

“Correct.”

“Wait, don’t tell me… your elder brother’s beloved is a nun at Lianxi Temple?”

Changling squinted at the distant mountains. “I’m not certain if she’s still there…”

Ye Qi’s spirits immediately lifted. “I knew it! The Eldest Young Master is a dragon among men—how could he not have some romantic stories in his passionate youth? Come, come, tell me about it.”

“There’s nothing much to tell.”

“Tell me…”

“Won’t you know when you see her?”

“Tell me…”

“Are you going to row or not?”

Author’s Notes: (I listened to Assen Jie’s “Asking the Boat on the Blue Sea” while writing this extra chapter—I found it quite atmospheric)

Some of the content in this extra chapter was originally planned for the main text, but at the time I thought it would disrupt the rhythm of the main storyline, so I moved it to the extras. However, the overall style of this extra is quite casual—I didn’t deliberately connect it to the main text, just hoping to entertain you.