As Mo Xingxue continued to rest her full weight against Su Wanyan, the two of them spoke quietly to each other. A gentle breeze stirred the canopy, carrying the faint scent of earth and sun-warmed bark, and the quiet rustle of the forest wrapped around their small, private circle.
Little by little the others finally snapped out of the daze caused by Lin Xuanyu's melodramatic performance. The earlier tension under the trees began to loosen, though it did not fully disappear.
Zhao Yichen and Qin Yuran stood and walked over to where the rest of the group sat. The soft grass pressed under their feet as they moved.
As expected, Zhao Yichen settled beside Han Jiho without hesitation, the familiar closeness easy and unspoken. Qin Yuran, however, found her path blocked—Lin Xuanyu was standing directly in the way of the spot next to Song Meiyu.
Meanwhile, Lin Xuanyu was still lost in his own thoughts.
