Rong Xinghe managed a faint smile, caught off guard by the gentleness of his question. It was so out of place—so unapologetically tender amidst the wreckage of the day. She shook her head weakly, a quiet breath slipping past her lips.
Why was he like this?
Surrounded by the chaos of two devastated families—voices broken, eyes hollow—the events of the morning still echoed in her ears. The Xi Trio's desperate, heart-wrenching pleas. Xi Fang, kneeling, begging her to end his life if that's what it took to ease her pain… if that's what it took to make her stay.
And yet, her Yuan?
His first instinct wasn't rage. It wasn't fear.
It was to ask if she wanted a... warm, calming cup of tea.
Her throat tightened. "N…no," she whispered, her trembling fingers fisting the fabric of his shirt. "I…I am oka."
