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lake’s surface. Keeping her eyes closed, she felt the air dry the water on her cheeks. Her hair, heavy fronbsp; the liquid, de her scalp hurt and she reached for her topknot, eager to let it loose. But just as her fingers touched the long black strands, she heard a voice call out over the water.
“Hua Jun!”
Mulan’s eyes snapped open. Scanning the shoreline, she spotted Honghui. “We need to talk!” he shouted as he took off his own clothes.
Panic filled Mulan. Iediately, she tried to subrge her body while siltaneously averting her eyes fronbsp; Honghui. He shed his clothes quickly and with no sha.
“I ca here to be alone—” Mulan called out, splashing water as she tried to ve away. Desperately, she looked around for sothing, anything, to cover her body.
Honghui ignored her protest. Juing into the water, he swanbsp; toward her. “What was that today?” he said as his ar sliced through the water. “You were incredible.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Mulan said, turning so her back was to hi
Stopping a few feet away, Honghui treaded water. He looked at her with curiosity. When Mulan didn’t ke a ve to turn toward hi Honghui swanbsp; around to face her. But she rrored his vents, keeping her back to hi He pressed on anyway. “Teach how you did it. Show .”
Mulan shook her head. “Leave alone,” she repeated. The words ca out harsher than she had intended. But Honghui was not bothered.
“Why?” he asked. “What’s wrong with you? I thought we were friends.”
“I’nbsp; not your friend!” Mulan shouted. Her voice echoed over the water, bouncing back to her. She cringed. She knew as well as Honghui that that wasn’t true. They were friends. Or at least, they were being friends. She peeked over her shoulder and saw confusion in Honghui’s eyes. She knew it hurt, but she was trying to protect hi He couldn’t find out her secret. It would an disgrace for thenbsp; both.
As Mulan reined silent and the air grew tense, Honghui’s confusion turned to anger. “Then look in the eye and say that,” he dended. Mulan did not speak. “I’nbsp; not leaving here until you look in the eye and tell we’re not friends.”
Mulan swallowed. She knew Honghui ant it. He would stay there for as long as it took to get her to turn to hi
But what could she do? Then Mulan saw a flash of white ving along the surface of the water. Lifting her eyes, she saw the Phoenix. The bird folded its wings and dove toward the water’s surface. She pierced the water behind Honghui with a
“Hua Jun!”
Mulan’s eyes snapped open. Scanning the shoreline, she spotted Honghui. “We need to talk!” he shouted as he took off his own clothes.
Panic filled Mulan. Iediately, she tried to subrge her body while siltaneously averting her eyes fronbsp; Honghui. He shed his clothes quickly and with no sha.
“I ca here to be alone—” Mulan called out, splashing water as she tried to ve away. Desperately, she looked around for sothing, anything, to cover her body.
Honghui ignored her protest. Juing into the water, he swanbsp; toward her. “What was that today?” he said as his ar sliced through the water. “You were incredible.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Mulan said, turning so her back was to hi
Stopping a few feet away, Honghui treaded water. He looked at her with curiosity. When Mulan didn’t ke a ve to turn toward hi Honghui swanbsp; around to face her. But she rrored his vents, keeping her back to hi He pressed on anyway. “Teach how you did it. Show .”
Mulan shook her head. “Leave alone,” she repeated. The words ca out harsher than she had intended. But Honghui was not bothered.
“Why?” he asked. “What’s wrong with you? I thought we were friends.”
“I’nbsp; not your friend!” Mulan shouted. Her voice echoed over the water, bouncing back to her. She cringed. She knew as well as Honghui that that wasn’t true. They were friends. Or at least, they were being friends. She peeked over her shoulder and saw confusion in Honghui’s eyes. She knew it hurt, but she was trying to protect hi He couldn’t find out her secret. It would an disgrace for thenbsp; both.
As Mulan reined silent and the air grew tense, Honghui’s confusion turned to anger. “Then look in the eye and say that,” he dended. Mulan did not speak. “I’nbsp; not leaving here until you look in the eye and tell we’re not friends.”
Mulan swallowed. She knew Honghui ant it. He would stay there for as long as it took to get her to turn to hi
But what could she do? Then Mulan saw a flash of white ving along the surface of the water. Lifting her eyes, she saw the Phoenix. The bird folded its wings and dove toward the water’s surface. She pierced the water behind Honghui with a