"What are you looking at, Rong jie?" Chen Yuqi asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of annoyance. She had been chattering away for the past few minutes, sharing the latest gossip from their class, only to realize that her cousin, Xiao Rong, hadn't heard a single word.
Xiao Rong, lost in thought, didn't respond immediately. Her gaze was fixed on a point in the distance.
"Rong jie?" Yuqi tried again, gently nudging her cousin's arm. "Are you okay?"
Startled out of her reverie, Xiao Rong blinked rapidly and turned to Chen Yuqi with a slightly embarrassed smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, Chen Yuqi. I was just... thinking. What were you saying?"
Chen Yuqi frowned, more concerned than annoyed now. "Never mind that. What's got you so distracted?"
Chen Yuqi followed her line of sight, squinting slightly in the bright afternoon sun.
