available

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, looking away.

At that moment, Xia Lin appeared.

Her face was streaked with tears, her expression twisted with emotion. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around Hua Jing, holding her tightly.

"My lady…" she choked out, her voice trembling. "You have suffered so much."

Hua Jing let out a breathless laugh, patting Xia Lin's back as if she were the one offering comfort. "It doesn't matter," she said softly. "Everything is over now."

Xia Lin sniffled, nodding furiously, but the mucus on her face was now a mess.

Hua Jing's lips twitched.

The three of them—Hua Jing, Zhao Yan, and Xia Lin —stood in their own small world.

While behind them—

The Hua family burned in its own chaos.

Then, suddenly—

A thought struck Hua Jing.

She lifted her gaze to Zhao Yan, her eyes darkening with realization.

And then—

She spoke.

"It was you."