I stood in front of them without speaking at once, my gaze resting steadily on the two of them as they struggled to hold themselves together, their earlier confidence already shaken, but before I could say anything further, Lan Yue suddenly lifted her head as if she had found something to rely on.
"That is not true," she said quickly, her voice rising as she looked around at the villagers as if seeking support. "We did not do anything. We have been at the camp the whole time."
Lan Xin stepped forward immediately to support her, her expression tense but determined as she spoke.
"Yes, we never left," she said. "Why would we even do such a thing?"
Their words spread through the group almost at once, and the villagers began to murmur among themselves as uncertainty returned to their faces, because although some had noticed their movements earlier, not everyone had been paying attention closely enough to be sure.
"I thought I saw them earlier…"
"I am not certain…"
