The dinner table was laid out neatly, the dishes steaming with warmth. Yichen pulled out a chair, but as his eyes swept over the seats, he realized—there was none for Zhaoyan.
From behind, Zhaoyan's cold arms slipped around his waist, his voice low and calm.
"Don't worry. I'm not human."
Yichen didn't dare react. He sat down quietly, directly across from his mother, whose sharp eyes seemed to follow his every move.
Yuei sat beside him, her shy smile never fading as she tried to inch closer, her sleeve brushing against his. Yichen shifted slightly away, but she leaned in again, her nervous laughter filling the silence. His mother noticed, and her face lit up with satisfaction.
Across the table, she and her guest friend chatted happily, occasionally glancing at Yichen and Yuei with approving eyes.
"They look good together, don't they?" his mother said warmly.
