Nothing happened.
Shuyin watched him carefully, then nodded once, accepting this truth.
But her next question came without warning.
"How many illegitimate children do you have out there?"
The room went utterly silent.
Every head turned to stare at her in shock, her brothers' faces reflecting complete surprise, her mother's expression shifting from confusion to dawning hurt.
"You know Father isn't that kind of person!" Long Chen immediately jumped to his father's defense, his voice sharp with indignation.
But Long Tian's next words stopped everyone cold.
"I have two," he said quietly.
The silence that followed was absolute and devastating.
Long Mingyue's face drained of color, her hand rising to press against her chest as if she'd been physically struck.
The brothers stood frozen, their expressions ranging from shock to betrayal to disbelief.
This was news to all of them, a secret their father had apparently kept for centuries.
"Tsk."
