Ever since that dinner with its subtle undercurrents, an indescribable tension had settled over the Lu family villa... one only the family themselves could sense.
On the surface, everything carried on as usual: Song Zhilan still tenderly looked after each child's daily needs, Lu Yuan and Lu Xunli worked all day, Lu Shiyan was busy with his schedule, Lu Jiaoyue traveled between the film crew, home, and school, Lu Bochen quietly painted and received counseling from An Tingxue, Lu Yubai went to school amid endless complaints, and Lu Xiaoxiao remained her usual self-sometimes sweet, sometimes lively, and sometimes hilariously unpredictable.
And yet, something had changed.
Those inner monologues that had always chimed in at just the right moment like background audio, sometimes sharp, sometimes snarky... had truly vanished completely!
For the Lu family, who had long grown accustomed to using that "inner voice" as a vital window into Lu Xiaoxiao's true feelings and thoughts, it was like suddenly losing an essential sense. The whole world had become unnervingly quiet.
They could see her and talk to her normally. She spoke, laughed, and responded appropriately, but an invisible glass wall stood between them. Behind it, that vibrant, authentic soul, who so often left them torn between laughter and exasperation while making them feel close to her, seemed to have quietly hidden herself away.
This persistent "loss of contact" plunged the whole family into a private state of anxiety and speculation. They exchanged significantly more glances behind her back.
Meanwhile, Lu Xiaoxiao, at the center of the storm, noticed every bit of their unease and every attempt to probe her.
She understood everything perfectly, but maintained a flawless facade of "normality." She had made up her mind to keep them waiting a while longer and privately wondered who would come to test