Zhu Zhuyun's hand, suspended in midair, paused for a moment before she withdrew it as if nothing had happened.
Her fingertips gently rubbed together, as though savoring the warmth she had just failed to touch.
The smile on her face did not diminish in the slightest, but a faint trace of disappointment flickered deep in her eyes, so fleeting that no one could catch it.
"Is that so?" She smiled, her tone still gentle.
"Then I must have remembered it wrong. Hurry and try something else. The steamed fish here is very fresh."
As she spoke, she picked up another piece of fish and placed it in Zhu Qing's bowl. Her movements were natural, as though the little interlude just now had never happened.
"If there's nothing on the table that you like, tell your sister. I'll have the kitchen make something else for you."
Zhu Zhuyun's voice was filled with cautious concern. Her gaze remained fixed on Zhu Qing's lowered profile, hoping to receive even the slightest response.
But Zhu Qing merely kept her head lowered, her long eyelashes concealing the emotions in her eyes.
The chopsticks in her hand idly prodded the rice in her bowl, yet she did not say a word.
The heat above the table gradually faded, and a trace of awkwardness spread through the air.
Su Yu glanced at Zhu Qing's tense profile, then at the unwavering determination in Zhu Zhuyun's eyes. He was just about to speak and ease the atmosphere when Zhu Zhuyun moved first.
As though she had not noticed the silence, she picked up the serving chopsticks, took some emerald-green vegetables, and gently placed them beside the rice in Zhu Qing's bowl. Her voice grew even softer:
"This dish is very refreshing. Give it a try? When we were little,