Yue Lao tapped her pursed lips, clearly deep in thought. She opened her mouth, with an excited point of her finger as if she had thought of something, stopped, paused, and finally said, "...of course I do, you are ancient, aren't you? Fierce warrior?" Yue Lao dropped her serious facade as easily as it had been assumed, and winked at Jianyu. "I see that smile trying to break through, Yuyu. I'll get it out of you even if I have to challenge you to fight again...!" Yue was clearly kidding, and she smiled sheepishly, waving her hands to indicate she didn't really mean it.

Yue Lao grew suspicious under his scrutiny. She wrinkled her nose at him and considered sticking her tongue out like a child might, and like she had in the past. Instead, her feet slid into an inadvertantly defensive stance, as if she was trying to physically defend from the scrutiny. She had no idea what Jianyu could be thinking, which bothered her. When it came to Jianyu, for some reason she could never decipher what he might truly be thinking. That was why Yue Lao usually bumbled through everything with such sincerity, when it concerned Jianyu; if she couldn't see the pieces in the game, she couldn't plan her moves. So what she had was just Yue Lao, the actual Yue Lao, without all the smoke and mirrors of her usual persona. That was probably why Jianyu had snuck into her heart so easily, when she had not even realized she had a heart to be snuck into.

In part, he was the reason she had learned to be less selfish. Less wrapped up in her own worries. She had learned to care for friends legitimately, to form bonds. That was new for Yue. But here she was, a Fighter, a new Lunarian; and she was still progressing all the time. Someone like Yue Lao was constantly on the move. She felt her face grow warm as Jianyu stroked her hair gently.

"We'll see! If I win that easily, what will I have to dream about?" Yue replied, shaking her head, her earrings catching the light again. "I'm sure you would enjoy my pain. Sadist," Yue muttered darkly. She looped her arm through his and bowed her head in agreement.

"You lead, I'll follow, dear Captain." Yue slowed them somewhat, bursting into a fit of laughter. "Yuyu... if you want to bring a 'lovely friend' home, I think you've got the wrong Lunarian. There's still time for us to go find them...!" Yue held on a little tighter.

Of course, if he asked her to, she would help him find just about anyone. But for now, she was with him, and that was what made her happy. The time apart had not separated them, only given them a better reason to reunite.