Ara hadn't planned on attending the family gathering. Socializing wasn't exactly high on her list of priorities lately, but Ningning had insisted. "It might take your mind off things," she had said.
So here she was, standing in the middle of her aunt's sprawling house, surrounded by relatives she barely remembered and endless small talk she had no energy for.
She had been scanning the crowded living room, trying to figure out how quickly she could escape, when her stomach dropped.
Renjun was here.
He stood near the fireplace, laughing at something one of their cousins had said, completely at ease.
Ara froze. Of all the places for them to cross paths, she hadn't expected this.
Renjun caught her eye and waved her over, his smile warm and familiar.
"Hey, Ara," he greeted as she reluctantly made her way toward him. "Didn't think I'd see you here."
"Yeah," she replied, forcing a small smile. "I wasn't sure I'd come, but Ningning talked me into it."
The conversation drifted into a lull, the hum of laughter and clinking dishes filling the silence. Ara could barely focus. She hadn't spoken much to Renjun since finding the letters, and standing this close, the weight of the truth pressed down on her chest.
"You know," Renjun said suddenly, his tone light, "it's funny. We both have 'Huang' as our surname. I guess that makes us, what, distant cousins?"
Ara's breath hitched.
He didn't know. He still didn't know.
"Yeah," she mumbled, looking away. "I guess so."
Before she could say anything else, a relative joined them... a talkative older woman whose name Ara barely remembered. She beamed at them, her gaze flicking between their faces.
"Ah, the two of you together!" she exclaimed. "You know, when I look at you both, it's almost uncanny. The resemblance is..."
Renjun tilted his head, intrigued. But before the woman could finish, another relative swooped in, grabbing her arm.
"Auntie! Come help me with the dessert table!"
The woman was whisked away, leaving Ara and Renjun in awkward silence.
Renjun chuckled, shaking his head. "Family gatherings, huh?" He dismissed the comment as nothing more than random chatter.
But Ara couldn't.
Had the woman been about to say something? Had she known? Did other family members know what her parents had done?
Renjun turned back to her, completely unfazed. "Anyway, how's life been? Everything good?"
Ara swallowed hard. "Yeah. Good. Busy, but good."
The lie burned on her tongue.
As the gathering dragged on, Ara couldn't shake the feeling that her world was on the verge of collapsing. Every interaction, every glance from a relative felt heavier, like the truth was lurking just beneath the surface, waiting to be exposed.
And Renjun? He just kept smiling, acting like nothing was wrong.
By the time the night ended, Ara felt emotionally drained. As she prepared to leave, Renjun waved goodbye with the same easygoing demeanor he always had.
And Ara wondered how much longer they could keep pretending.
