On the other end of the line, Zhao Yali's voice maintained that soft yet unyielding tone. She seemed to deliberately slow her pace, every word sounding as though it had been meticulously polished:
"Qingxue, dear, it's so late, why aren't you home yet? A young woman always staying out—what if you fall in with the wrong crowd and pick up bad habits? How am I supposed to explain this to your father? I'm worried about you."
Mu Qingxue clutched her phone, taking a deep breath as she tried her hardest to keep her voice steady, free of any trembling:
"I know, Auntie Zhao. I'm... I'm heading back right now."
After hanging up, the slight flush of color that had just returned to her face after the incident with Auntie Wang instantly drained away, leaving her pale as paper. The nerves that had only just begun to relax suddenly tightened like a bowstring.
Chapter 20