The storage room stayed quiet long after neither of them moved.
But it was no longer the same quiet it had been before.
Before, it had been something accidental, something neither of them had chosen.
Now, it felt acknowledged.
Like both of them had quietly agreed that the silence existed, and neither was in a hurry to break it.
Lan Yue noticed that shift first.
Not because she was especially perceptive in a dramatic way.
But because she was usually the one who filled silence.
With movement.
With excuses.
With small unnecessary tasks that made her feel like she was still in control of herself.
Right now, she had none of those.
Only stillness.
And Zhao Lingxi.
Standing there like she belonged to the stillness more than the room itself.
That thought alone made Lan Yue slightly uncomfortable.
Not in a bad way.
Just unfamiliar.
She shifted her weight deliberately, breaking the moment.
"…We should leave," she said.
Her voice sounded normal.
