Xiao Zai was so tense that he could feel his molars grind inside his mouth from how tightly he was clenching his jaw.
All kinds of nightmare scenarios had been running through his mind ever since Chu Yun's servant had come to warn him that his father had summoned Chu Yun for a private audience.
A slew of memories of his dam -- beaten and broken after being on the receiving end of his father's attention -- flickered through his mind like a grim shadow puppet show.
Rationally, he knew he wouldn't find Chu Yun in that condition, but he could only let go of the breath trapped inside his ribcage when he walked into the King's private offices and saw Chu Yun, whole and ale in front of him.
The room smelled overwhelmingly of his father's pheromones, which indicated their conversation hadn't been a pleasant one.