*Chapter 66: Fractured Laughter*
The following day brought a rare study session with her friends — Mei Yan, Shen Wei, and occasionally Han Qiang. Li Xue arrived cautiously, her steps measured. The café was warm, filled with the aroma of coffee and soft chatter. Mei Yan greeted her with a bright smile, teasing lightly about her lateness, while Shen Wei mock-scolded both of them for being careless.
The conversation was lighthearted, occasionally veering into arguments over minor disagreements — a spilled coffee, a miscounted score in a game — but beneath the humor, there was a rhythm of care and support. Li Xue allowed herself to laugh quietly, hiding the silver necklace beneath her sleeve, a small secret tethered to her younger brother's love.
Han Qiang shared minor office stories, his humor masking stress and fatigue. Li Xue noticed the subtle glances exchanged between Mei Yan and Shen Wei — small gestures of intimacy, a shared language she had almost forgotten existed outside the penthouse. She envied them briefly, yet she took comfort in their presence, their laughter acting like a fragile shield against the ever-looming rules and threats.
The study session became a sanctuary of sorts. Equations and books temporarily replaced fear; the warmth of friendship, however fleeting, reminded Li Xue that life could still exist outside the suffocating walls of the penthouse. Even a few hours of lightheartedness gave her a taste of freedom, enough to nurture a fragile ember of hope.
By the time she returned home, the penthouse was quiet. Zhao Liang had not yet appeared, and Li Xue allowed herself one deep, trembling breath, savoring the fragile calm while it lasted.