She spoke softly, feigning curiosity. "Aunt Shuang, actually... that day in the Stone Forest, I happened to see you with that imposing male. I thought he was your Beast Husband..."
Shuang Hua's body visibly stiffened. The gentleness on her face faded, replaced by a profound bitterness and self-mockery.
She fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "No, he isn't my Beast Husband. He's the Clan Leader of our Flood Dragon Tribe, Jiao Yuan. And he has a... a Wife whom he loves very, very deeply."
She paused as if mustering her courage, her gaze complex as she looked at Bai Wanwan. "What happened between us... it's complicated. It's been many years, but it's like a heavy stone that's been weighing on my heart. Wanwan... are you sure you want to hear this?"
She needed an outlet, and this young female before her, whom she had come to regard as a cub of her own, seemed to be the only one she could turn to.
