In Beijing, at the Zhuang Family home, in the living room, Mu Yan could feel the subtle tension the moment she stepped through the door.
The storm she'd imagined never came; instead, everyone's oddly polite silence only made her more worried and on edge.
Her gaze swept over the old man, the old lady, and the couple Zhuang Zeyang and Ruan Xinyu, and she found that all their attention was focused on Jiang Jingheng beside her, their eyes full of scrutiny.
She cleared her throat and said, "Grandpa, Uncle, Jing Heng knows you both love tea, so this time he specially prepared some top-grade pre‑Qingming Longjing for you. Grandma, Aunt, this is the bird's nest Jing Heng bought specially for you two."
The old lady looked elsewhere, her expression cool. "Anything Jing Heng sends is naturally good, but rich people have their way of living and poor people have theirs. Since our family isn't some grand, wealthy household, we won't be putting on airs like rich folks."
