She looked back at Lin Yueling, her eyes glistening slightly.
"The relationship is entirely innocent," Shuyin said, her voice trembling just enough to sell the sincerity. "But why does it sound like a crime coming from your mouth?"
Lin Yueling's mouth opened, then closed. She looked to her mother for support.
Chen Madam stepped forward, her smile tight and brittle. "Darling, your sister is simply concerned for your reputation. Surely you understand how this might look to others...."
"Others?" Shuyin repeated, her voice rising slightly, as if the word itself confused her. "Who would know? Who would care? We've lost our home, we're exhausted, the children are traumatized, and all I'm asking for is a room large enough for us to rest without being separated. Is that truly so scandalous?"
She turned back to her father, and her expression crumpled just slightly, not into tears, but into something more devastating: quiet, dignified hurt.
