Lu Cheng stared at her, his mind visibly struggling to process multiple competing priorities, his shock at seeing what looked like his niece healthy and whole, his anger at this woman who'd just systematically destroyed his board's authority, his confusion about why Yuyan would be here instead of with family or in medical care.
"That's Yuyan," he said, and it wasn't quite a question but wasn't quite a statement either. "That's my niece. Lu Yuyan. My brother's daughter."
His voice carried certainty mixed with a desperate need for confirmation, as if speaking the words would somehow make the impossible situation more comprehensible.
"Is it?" Shuyin replied with deliberate ambiguity, her head tilting slightly as if considering the question from multiple angles. Her jade eyes held Lu Cheng's gaze with unwavering calm. "How interesting that you'd think so, Chief Lu. Tell me, when was the last time you actually saw your niece? Months ago? A year? Longer?"
