The dining room was warm, filled with the soft clinking of utensils against porcelain and the low hum of conversation. The Lunar New Year decorations still adorned the walls, casting a festive glow over the long table where the Mu family and their guests sat.
The air was lighter than it had been earlier that day, though a faint undercurrent of tension remained.
Jiu Hian'er sat beside Mu Yichen, her movements poised yet subdued as she placed a piece of braised fish onto her plate. Across from her sat Liu Duoduo, who had been quiet for most of the evening, her usual cheerful demeanor somewhat restrained.
She wasn't cold, but there was a slight distance in her eyes, one that Jiu Hian'er couldn't ignore.
After a long pause, Jiu Hian'er finally set her chopsticks down.
"Duoduo," she said gently.
Duoduo looked up, her eyes unreadable. "Yes, Auntie?"
