A heavy silence fell over the room like a thick, suffocating fog. Xia Yuqing, Yan Rouxi, and Rong Xi sat still, their gazes fixed on nothing in particular, each of them lost in a tangle of thoughts too complicated to untangle with words. The air felt heavier with every passing second.
Finally, Rong Xi broke the heavy silence. "What if… what if the Emperor is planning to come here?"
Xia Yuqing's sharp eyes snapped toward her, like a blade unsheathed without warning. "No! Impossible. That can't happen."
"Why not?" Rong Xi asked, unfazed. "I came here. You're here. Why can't he come too?"
"No…" Xia Yuqing interrupted in a whisper, shaking her head slowly. Her voice cracked at the edges, and for a fleeting moment, the carefully constructed mask on her face faltered. A rare flicker of fear passed through her usually emotionless eyes.
She didn't realize she had balled her fists until her nails dug into her palm.
She loved this life.
