The corner of Tang Wulin's mouth twitched.
It first lifted, then abruptly turned down, his whole face scrunching up as though he were swallowing a mouthful of bitter medicine. His fingers curled at his side, his knuckles pressing lightly against his palm, though his nails still dug into his flesh.
Gu Yue's expression darkened even further.
Her brows knitted tightly, her lips pressed into a thin line, and her fair, rosy face took on a heavy gloom, like a piece of cloth soaked in water. Her gaze shifted from Xu Xiaoyan's face to Xie Xie's, then back again, before finally settling on Tang Wulin.
There was little movement in those violet eyes, but what lay suppressed beneath them was more frightening than any ripple.
Still, Tang Wulin restrained himself.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. His fingers relaxed at his side, his knuckles tingling slightly as the blood returned. He drew a deep breath, his chest swelling before slowly sinking again.
"Xie Xie, you..."
He wanted to speak, but could find nothing to say. His mouth opened twice, his tongue moving around inside it without finding a single word. Xie Xie stood before him, his brown-haired head ducked, his dark green eyes blinking up at him like a cat that knew it had caused trouble but had no idea how much.
"sigh."
Tang Wulin let out a sigh. It escaped through his nose, long and heavy, like a hole had been poked in a sack full of sand.
"Xie Xie, you... I certainly don't mind, but Gu Yue's a little girl, right?"
"How old is Gu Yue this year, anyway!?"
As soon as Tang Wulin finished, the corner of his mouth twitched again.
His face froze for a moment. He blinked,