When Mo Xingxue opened her mouth to speak, the air itself seemed to hold its breath. The surrounding noise of the zoo—distant animal calls, the murmur of visitors, the rustle of leaves—faded into a muted backdrop, as though the world had quieted down just to listen. But after a long moment, she closed her lips again, hesitation flickering across her elegant features like a shadow passing over still water.
Mo Fangyue, who had grown up beside this very sister, recognized the conflict immediately. She waited, jaw tight, but her patience was wearing dangerously thin. The younger woman leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping into something more serious, almost pleading.
