The festival had ended, and the night was now settling into a peaceful, quiet rhythm. The streets were emptying, the lights dimming as the town took its final breaths of the evening. Ye Mei, exhausted from the excitement of the night, had long since fallen asleep in his arms. Yixuan could feel the weight of her small, delicate body as he carried her through the winding path back to the family home.
The night air was crisp, the cool breeze ruffling his hair as he walked through the grand iron gates. He didn't mind the quiet, didn't mind the stillness of the night. With Ye Mei in his arms, everything felt right. Her head rested gently against his chest, her breathing soft and steady, and Yixuan found himself allowing himself a rare moment of peace.
She had always been so full of life, so radiant, and it was a strange feeling to know that she was asleep in his arms, trusting him so completely. He couldn't recall the last time he'd felt so... connected. The world, which usually seemed so cold and indifferent, had softened when she had come into his life. It was as if, for the first time, he wasn't alone, and in her presence, he could finally breathe a little easier.
As he reached the door of their family home, he carefully pushed it open with his foot, making his way up the grand staircase. The marble floors felt cold beneath his feet, but Yixuan didn't notice. His entire focus was on her—the way her soft hair tumbled against her neck, the way her lips were slightly parted as she slept. She looked so peaceful, so unburdened by the world around them.
When they reached their room, he gently laid her down on the bed, pulling the covers over her, making sure she was comfortable. She stirred briefly, but didn't wake, her face serene as she continued to sleep. Yixuan stood over her for a moment, just taking in the sight of her.
He reached out, his fingers brushing through her hair, feeling the silky strands slip between his fingers. His heart tugged with an unfamiliar tenderness, something he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years. But with her, everything seemed different. Her presence filled the emptiness he had lived with for so long, and in her, he found solace. In a way, she was his light, guiding him through the darkness he had come from.
With a sigh, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. His lips lingered for a moment longer than necessary, and as he pulled back, he couldn't help but smile—a quiet, wistful smile that he hadn't allowed himself to show in years. She had come into his life as an unexpected force, and now, she was everything to him.
As he straightened up, he noticed how serene she looked, almost angelic. The thought struck him that, in this moment, she seemed to be the one who was healing him, not the other way around. The weight of his past, the burden of his responsibilities, all of it seemed to melt away when she was around. And though he couldn't say it aloud, he knew he was falling for her—faster than he had ever expected.
But before he could let his thoughts wander too far, he stepped away from the bed, moving toward the door. He needed to call one of the maids to change her clothes; Ye Mei wouldn't want to wake up in her festival attire, and Yixuan couldn't let her sleep in those clothes for too long. As he reached for the door, a voice from behind him made him pause.
"Yixuan."
He froze. The voice was deep, authoritative, and unmistakably familiar. It was his grandfather, the head of the family, the one who had been the pillar of their lineage for as long as Yixuan could remember.
Turning, Yixuan saw his grandfather standing in the doorway. His hair was completely white, but his posture was as straight as ever, his eyes sharp and wise, as though time had never touched him. The old man had always been a presence, a force in the family, and even now, his gaze carried the weight of generations.
Yixuan didn't immediately respond. He knew that his grandfather wasn't one to speak unless there was something important to say, but the moment his grandfather spoke again, his words cut through the silence like a knife.
"I never expected you to fall in love this quickly, brat," his grandfather said, his voice filled with an almost amused gruffness. "I thought you'd be cold toward her, given how I forced you into this marriage. After all, her mother saved my life, so it was the least I could do for her."
Yixuan stood still for a moment, the weight of his grandfather's words sinking in. He had known, of course, that the marriage between him and Ye Mei had been arranged, that it was a contract of sorts. But hearing it so bluntly from his grandfather, hearing the truth laid bare, made something inside of him tighten.
His grandfather was right, in a way. His marriage to Ye Mei hadn't been born out of love, at least not at first. It had been a political move, a way to repay her mother for saving his life. It had been a promise, a duty. He had always thought of Ye Mei as someone to protect, someone he owed a debt to, not someone he could actually fall for.
And yet, standing there, watching her sleep so peacefully, something inside him told him that everything had changed. He wasn't sure when it had happened—when he had crossed that line from duty to something more—but he knew that he had.
He turned to face his grandfather, his expression neutral, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something his grandfather didn't miss.
"I never thought I'd fall for her either," Yixuan admitted, his voice low, as though speaking the words aloud made them feel more real. "But it's not something I can control. It just happened."
His grandfather chuckled, the sound low and deep. "I've known you long enough, Yixuan. You may act cold, you may pretend to be detached, but deep down, you're just like your father. You fall hard, and you fall fast. But be careful. Love is not something you can take lightly. You can't have one foot in the past and the other in the present. Sooner or later, that split will tear you apart."
Yixuan swallowed, his throat tight. His grandfather's words were a warning, one that he couldn't ignore. But at the same time, there was a part of him that didn't want to let go of what he felt for Ye Mei. She had become so much more than just a wife he had to protect—she had become the one person he trusted, the one person who made him feel like he wasn't alone.
But could he really let go of his past? Could he fully open his heart to her without being pulled back into the world that had shaped him? The world of duty, of loyalty, of family obligations? The world that had once promised him everything but left him with nothing?
He couldn't answer that just yet. He wasn't ready.
His grandfather seemed to sense his inner conflict, and with a soft sigh, he placed a hand on Yixuan's shoulder. "Take your time, but don't wait too long. There's a storm coming, and when it does, you'll have to make a choice. And remember, sometimes the past is more dangerous than the future."
Yixuan nodded, though his mind was still clouded with uncertainty. "I know."
With that, his grandfather turned and walked out of the room, leaving Yixuan alone with his thoughts—and with Ye Mei, who slept unaware of the turmoil brewing inside him.
Yixuan stood there for a moment, his gaze fixed on her as she lay in bed, her expression serene, completely at peace. He wished he could say the same for himself.
But as he looked at her, a strange sense of clarity washed over him. No matter what the future held, no matter the danger or the choices he had to make, one thing was certain—Ye Mei had already captured his heart, and no matter what his grandfather said, he wasn't going to let her go.
For the first time in his life, he didn't want to be alone.