Her breath hitched, her chest tightening.
She had expected anger, accusations, maybe even Jiang Yue shoving her away like she was nothing. But this—this calm, deliberate judgment—was so much worse.
"Why?" she whispered, her voice almost shaking. She barely recognized it as her own.
Jiang Yue didn't blink.
"Because Jiang Xiu has enough to deal with already." Her voice was steady, controlled, but there was a quiet storm beneath it.
"Her life is in danger. Someone just harmed her. She barely made it here in time. If she finds out that a friend—someone she trusts—drugged her, even if it wasn't meant to kill her…"
Jiang Yue exhaled sharply, her fingers curling into her palms. "That would break her."
Yan Meixiu felt something twist inside her, an ache she couldn't ignore.
Jiang Yue took a slow step forward, and though she wasn't raising her voice, every word was heavy, pressing down on Yan Meixiu like an iron weight.
"You think the betrayal of an enemy is painful?"
