[ With the suddenness of the memories upon them, Jing Yuan isn't surprised by the commentary. As it is, his lips curl up into a slight smile at the observation; unsurprised because it is quite evident that it's true. ]

You would be correct.

Incidentally, I did at least have knowledge of their respective characters, so at the least it was not blind faith.

[ Though it is indeed something borne of a calculative move as well; expectations of certain performance and also to help influence the ultimate interaction between this spirit and themselves to induce an ultimately positive outcome.

The fact that Jing Yuan is, in general, someone who tends towards an optimistic point of view is not something incidental, however. It just is. ]

I was certain, yes. I taught him well, after all. Though he is still young and has much room to grow, Apyra has only spent mere hours compared to the many years that I have.

His skills of manipulations pale in comparison to the powerful bond between myself and Yanqing. However, I did certainly consider the possibility that his regrets would overflow, encouraging the less likely outcome to occur. But, that didn't come to pass.