She felt a little guilty when she met Qiao Zhi's gaze.
"Yangjin, good morning." Qiao Zhi greeted her with a gentle smile, as if the awkwardness and unspoken tension from last night had completely evaporated. Her voice carried a warmth that made it hard to tell whether she was pretending or truly unbothered. "It seems that the leader and mother haven't arrived yet. Do you want to go for a walk outside and have some breakfast first?"
Gu Yangjin nodded. After hesitating for a brief moment, she reached out and took Qiao Zhi's hand, her fingers slowly sliding between Qiao Zhi's until they interlocked. The warmth of that simple gesture seemed to smooth away the lingering unease in her heart.
As soon as they stepped through the gate, they saw a half-grown boy standing on tiptoe, carefully wiping the stone lion at the entrance. The morning sunlight shone on his slightly dusty face, and his movements were both clumsy and earnest.
