"As for you, dear sister," Shuyin said, her voice dripping with false sweetness, "I think you should probably leave. This is business territory now, and you look a bit... uncomfortable. All that standing can't be good for the baby. And if something happens, you would blame me for harassing you..."
Lin Yueling's face flushed with humiliation, her eyes darting to Lu Zeyan for support.
But Lu Zeyan was already reaching for his phone, his jaw tight, clearly calculating how much damage control he'd need to implement immediately.
"Yueling," he said quietly, not quite looking at her, "perhaps you should go home. Rest. I'll call you later."
The dismissal was gentle but absolute.
Lin Yueling's eyes widened with hurt and disbelief but she had no say in this. "But...."
"Please," Lu Zeyan said, and there was something almost desperate in his voice. "I need to handle this. Alone."
