After a moment, the confusion on Li Zhi's face froze. Then, like a sudden Siberian cold front, the temperature in the room plummeted.
The eyes that had held a hint of confusion just moments ago now slowly lost all their warmth.
Her slender eyebrows lowered slightly, her lips pressed into a displeased line, and her delicate chin tensed.
She walked silently into the living room, her gaze locked firmly on her own father. Her stare was calm, yet it carried a silent interrogation, as if to say, 'Care to explain?'
Caught in his daughter's death stare, the smile that had just appeared on Old Li's face when he saw her froze solid.
He flinched, almost as a reflex, and instantly plastered a guilty smile on his face. He rubbed his hands together and chuckled sheepishly.
"Um... Zhizhi, you're done with your exams? Ahem... you're back early... Did you get caught in the rain? The exams... did they go okay?"
Every word screamed with a desperate "I was wrong" survival instinct.
