The girl's words were deeply moving, each one laden with the weight of countless hardships. Yang Chen, with a furrowed brow, tentatively began, "Ye'er, did you ever—"
Before he could finish, Mo Qian'ni interrupted with a gentle slap on his arm. "What are you saying? How can you ask a girl such a question?" she reproached, taking Ye Zi's hand in hers. "Ye'er, if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. Forget I asked."
Ye Zi managed a weak smile, casting a grateful glance at Mo Qian'ni. "Don't be mad at Big Brother Yang. It's okay, they didn't hurt me."
Mo Qian'ni breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared me. If it were true, I'd have helped you fight in court."
But Ye Zi's next words were steeped in sadness. "It was my mother," she whispered.
"What?!" Mo Qian'ni and Yang Chen both expressed shock.
