dark gaze lifted from the tablet at the faint shift in atmosphere. His sharp eyes flicked towards Zi Xin, reading the subtle changes on his face, the flushed ears, the restless fingers, the quiet way his chest rose and fell faster than usual.
Mu Shen narrowed his gaze slightly, filing away the reaction without comment, before returning to his quiet conversation with Meili about guest seating protocols for the evening dinner.
Outside, their convoy rolled smoothly through narrowing streets, black SUVs and unmarked sedans gliding under muted afternoon light, even as, far behind them, another sleek convoy merged onto the highway ramp, a tall, slim figure seated within, dark eyes lowered calmly as he scrolled through his phone.
The contact name glowing faintly on Gu Tingyi's screen read only: "Xin."
Without hesitation, his thumb moved, opening their message thread. He typed a short text, gaze unreadable but his fingers steady.
["Have you eaten?"]
