"I have a thick skull. I shouldn't have been daydreaming in the middle of a major thoroughfare. Forgive my clumsiness, fellow Daoist."
The man looked at her smile.
His dark eyes flicked over her face, tracking the curve of her lips, the silver flecks in her eyes, and the messy, dark hair escaping her hood.
A strange tightening occurred in his jaw, as if he were forcefully suppressing his emotions.
"There is nothing to forgive," the man replied, his voice dropping an octave, smooth as polished glass. "The streets are crowded. One must be careful not to be... swept away."
He bent down, smoothly picking up a heavy, leather-bound map scroll he had dropped during the collision.
Ji'an glanced at the map as he rolled it up.
Her eyes caught the glowing, magical ink charting the topography.
"You're mapping the Eastern Coastal Wastes?" Ji'an asked, her curiosity piqued.
