Liu Yuyan sat on the edge of the bed, staring silently at the floor, as if trying to rearrange the events in her mind. The room was quiet, the air warm, yet her heart was still unsettled.
The second princess rushed in, her eyes scanning her sister from head to toe. The moment their gazes met, she hurried forward and wrapped her arms around her tightly.
With a low, anxious voice, the second princess asked,
"Liu Yuyan... are you alright? Did anyone hurt you?"
Yuyan hugged her back with the same strength, replying,
"I'm fine... really, nothing happened to me."
But her voice was weak, as though she was trying to convince herself more than her sister.
They sat on the bed, the second princess still holding her sister's hand.
Her voice softened, yet tension clung to every word:
"Tell me... how did you get out of the palace? Who was with you? Why didn't you tell me?"
After a brief silence, Yuyan replied,
