The room was wrapped in silence, lit only by the dim flicker of a spirit stone lamp.
Ash lay unconscious on the low bed, his breathing now steady but faint, his skin pale like moonlight on stone.
Lian Rou sat quietly at his side.
She hadn't moved for over an hour.
Not after she'd cleaned the blood from his mouth.
Not after she'd changed the cloth on his forehead twice.
Not even after she caught herself… gently holding his hand.
> "This is reckless," she whispered to herself. "What if someone finds out?"
Suddenly—a knock.
A sharp, precise tap on the wooden door shattered the stillness like a thrown stone in still water.
Lian Rou's heart froze.
> "Lian Rou. Are you inside?"
It was Yan Qing's voice. Calm. Curious. A little concerned.
Lian Rou's breath caught.
She glanced at Ash, still unconscious and unmoving. Panic raced through her chest.
> I can't let her see this.
---
The Game of Deception
She stood, smoothing her robes quickly, wiping emotion from her face like a mask. She walked to the door and opened it just a crack, blocking the room behind her.
"Yan Qing," she said softly, trying to keep her voice calm. "It's late. What's wrong?"
Yan Qing tilted her head. She was dressed in her night robes, her hair loosely tied, a faint frown between her brows.
> "You didn't come back to the courtyard. I thought… maybe something had happened."
Lian Rou gave a tight smile. "I just… needed to think. About the ape. The battle. The arranged marriage nonsense." She added that last part with a bitter note for authenticity.
But Yan Qing didn't budge. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
> "You left your spirit ring behind," she said quietly, holding it up between her fingers. "You never do that."
Lian Rou's stomach twisted. She'd been so frantic when she carried Ash in that she hadn't noticed.
> "Thank you," she said, reaching to take it.
But Yan Qing didn't hand it over. Her eyes slid toward the narrow opening of the door behind Lian Rou.
> "Is someone with you?" she asked.
Silence.
Lian Rou's throat tightened.
"I… no. I just needed to be alone."
Yan Qing didn't look convinced. Her gaze lingered. "Then why does your spiritual energy feel strained? You've been healing someone."
Lian Rou hesitated.
> She's too sharp.
"I don't want to talk about it tonight," Lian Rou finally said, letting a small coldness enter her tone—regal, practiced. "Thank you for bringing my ring. I'll see you in the morning."
Yan Qing's jaw tightened slightly. She handed over the ring and stepped back, her eyes still on the doorframe.
> "Alright. Rest well… Lian Rou."
The moment Yan Qing disappeared around the corner, Lian Rou shut the door and locked it with a flick of spiritual energy.
---
Unspoken Conflict
She slumped against the door, exhaling heavily.
Ash stirred faintly in his sleep, letting out a low groan.
Lian Rou looked at him. "Do you even realize the trouble you're dragging me into?"
But her voice was softer than it should've been. Her heart still thudded from the panic—and something else she didn't want to name.
She crossed the room and sat back down beside him.
The situation was delicate.
If anyone found out Ash had spent the night in her room—injured, unconscious, and protected by her—rumors would explode.
She'd already risked her standing in the sect.
And yet, as she looked at him—this reckless, battle-worn boy who defied beasts and bled for others—she didn't feel regret.
She felt something else.
---
Closing: The Watchful Eyes
Outside in the shadows, Yan Qing stood quietly, watching from around the corner, hidden behind a spirit-flame tree.
Her fingers were clenched. Her eyes slightly narrowed.
> "You're lying, Lian Rou," she whispered to herself. "But why?"
She turned and disappeared into the night, thoughts already racing.
---