Li Yueran arranged for a brief break at the site. She brought a small tea set, a gesture she knew would intrigue Aiden. He watched silently as she poured the tea, her movements delicate and precise.
"Tea," she offered, placing a cup near him, not touching him but close enough for him to reach.
He looked at her, puzzled, then at the cup. "Why?"
"Because," she said softly, "even the strongest deserve warmth."
He hesitated, then took the cup. The warmth seeped through his fingers. He frowned, conflicted by the odd comfort she offered. That day, he found himself laughing quietly at a joke she made—small, restrained, but genuine.
Meilin observed silently, heart pounding. She realized the gentle influence her mother had on him was profound—slowly softening the hard edges of years of neglect and resentment.