He took a sip of tea, the warm liquid doing little to ease the cold dread in his chest. His eyes flicked to the Su brothers, who sat quietly, their faces betraying nothing.
"Please, have some tea," Mer Chu said, his voice measured and polite. He watched as they each took a cup, their movements synchronized and precise.
The tension in the pavilion was palpable. The Su brothers, with their expressionless faces, seemed like statues, unmoved by the delicate setting. Mer Chu, though outwardly composed, felt his heart pounding in his chest. He forced himself to maintain the charade of normalcy, each sip of tea a small act of defiance against the chaos threatening to overwhelm him.
