Yueyao opened her mouth to respond, but before any words could form, a soft knock echoed against the wooden frame of the door.
"Master Jin, Young Miss… dinner has been prepared," a servant's voice carried gently into the room, careful not to shatter the tender air that lingered between them.
Jin Shuren's brows lifted faintly, his arm instinctively steadying Yueqin as she twisted toward the sound. "Dinner already?" His voice was calm, but something flickered in his tone, a reminder of the outside world intruding on this delicate moment.
Yueqin clapped her hands together in delight. "Mama, can we eat together?" she asked, her eyes bright, her body half-turning between both parents as though she were a little bridge straining to connect them.
Yueyao's chest tightened. The words should have been simple, but spoken aloud they became heavy, weighted with a yearning she wasn't sure she had the right to claim.
