Only the faint clink of bowls and chopsticks remained in the dining room.
Under the bright lights, steam curled up from the food, but it could not dispel the oppressive atmosphere.
Qin Siyang kept his head down, working through the rice in his bowl.
"Oh, Qin Siyang," Wen Shu's cool voice broke the silence again. "My grandmother said that the time she's spent staying here with you has been the happiest, most carefree time she's had in years."
Qin Siyang slowed his chewing and looked up at her.
The light cast a small shadow beneath her long lashes, but it could not obscure her bright eyes.
Wen Shu lowered her gaze slightly and continued softly, "You're always out early and back late, with so much to do and so little time. Even I have trouble getting a chance to see you... Grandmother might not get the chance to thank you in person."
"So I'm saying it on her behalf. Thank you, Qin Siyang."
Qin Siyang opened his mouth, wanting to say something like "You're welcome" or "It's only right," or to ask about the old woman's condition. In the end, all that came out was a vague "Mm."
He lowered his head and shoveled a large mouthful of rice into his mouth, chewing hard, as if he could crush his frustration along with it and swallow it down.
Though Wen Shu's words were ordinary and matter-of-fact, Qin Siyang kept feeling that there was something behind them he still did not know.
But if Wen Shu would not tell him, asking would be pointless.
He picked up his chopsticks and shoveled in another two mouthfuls of rice without a word.
Wen Shu quietly watched him, a trace of complicated emotion spreading through her eyes.
The meal ended hastily in a heavy