The smile from Nuwa's lips dropped quickly. The teacup in her hands trembled, ripples gripping the tea within it. She was unsure of how to respond and so, her mind felt like a blank slate to her.
"Yuming!" It was when Ruolan spoke that the tension finally snapped apart. "That's not how you speak with your sister…"
Yuming blinked. "What did I say?"
Her confusion looked genuine enough that Ruolan herself faltered.
"I was complimenting Aunt Nuwa. Zhuo Zihan really does love her a lot. Isn't it admirable that he didn't question where she had been all these years? The separation must have been so tough on him…"
Nuwa's fingers tightened around her teacup.
"Yuming…" Ruolan's voice softened this time, carrying more unease than reprimand. "It has been equally difficult for Nuwa as well. She didn't choose these difficult years out of fun. If not for the danger the Hou family posed to her life, Zhuo Syaoran would have never proposed this."
