A Tenuous Invitation

Madam Tang sat looking at the two people before her, her posture rigid and her gaze watchful. The air in the room was thick with tension, unspoken words hanging heavy between them.

Yang Mei broke the silence, her voice carrying a forced sweetness that grated on Madam Tang's nerves. "Madam Tang, we are here to see Ziyi."

Madam Tang's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. "Weren't you here just yesterday?"

"Well, I have to spend time with my son," Yang Mei replied, a hint of defensiveness creeping into her tone.

Madam Tang felt a pang of jealousy in her heart, which she quickly tried to conceal. The woman before her may have given birth to Ziyi, but she had been the one to raise him, to nurture him, to love him unconditionally for all these years. Pushing aside her tumultuous emotions, she schooled her features into a mask of indifference.

"Ziyi went to the Sun villa," she informed them, her tone clipped and formal.