Shen Tingyu took out two teacups and filled one for her first. "Have some water to soothe your throat."
Cui Lingyao was indeed thirsty.
She hadn't felt it while talking with Xie Jinbai for so long, but now, with the tea in front of her, her mouth felt dry and parched.
She picked up the teacup and downed it in one go.
Shen Tingyu watched her quietly, then raised his arm to refill her cup. "Are you willing to tell me about it?"
Cui Lingyao gave him a look and mouthed the words, "Could someone be eavesdropping?"
She never forgot that the reason her identity had been exposed was a single, casual remark she'd made to Shen Hanyue in a carriage, which Xie Jinbai had happened to overhear.
Shen Tingyu paused, glanced out the carriage window, and said, "Go ahead and speak freely."
Cui Lingyao trusted him, and his words immediately put her at ease. "He knows my identity," she said. "No matter how I deny it, it's useless. He's certain that I'm..."
She stopped, leaving the rest unsaid.
