Ming Ye's gaze lingered on the spine of the book for several seconds.
"The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos," he read aloud slowly, his voice calm and low as he rested his knife and fork down beside his plate. "You read things like this for fun?"
Zi Han, who had been happily eating only moments ago, nearly choked on the steak. She quickly grabbed her cup of water and swallowed before glancing toward the bookshelf with slight embarrassment.
"It's not that strange," she muttered. "Scientists read weird things all the time."
Ming Ye leaned back slightly in his chair, his grey eyes still fixed on the book. "Parallel universes," he repeated quietly, almost thoughtfully. "You believe in that sort of thing?"
The question made Zi Han pause.
