The streets of Zhang's capital glimmered under the midday sun.
A young man walked lazily through the crowd, hands tucked behind his back, lips curved in a mischievous grin.
Girls turned at once.
"Who is he…?""So handsome…!"
Their hearts skipped a beat — ba-dump! — as his charm rippled like invisible Qi.
Sheng smiled wider. So predictable.
But then his steps slowed.Something… pulled at him.
A faint thread of familiar energy coiled in the air.
"This Qi… it's the same as when I met Prince Jian Zi."
He turned toward the source, eyes glinting.
Among the bustling market crowd stood a young woman — graceful, calm, her aura faint but strangely resonant.
"The daughter of General Jiang Youen…" he murmured."So it's her. The one fated to be the future empress."
His smirk deepened. "But last week's announcement never happened because of Prince Jian Zi. Heh. This is getting interesting."
He turned on his heel and vanished into the alley shadows.
Inside his chamber, Sheng leaned against the window, laughing softly.
"This is going to be fun."
"Stop laughing like a ghost. It's creepy."
Sheng glanced back. A young man in royal robes stepped through the doorway — his presence sharp and radiant.
Prince Tian Zi. The future Emperor.
Sheng tilted his head. "Your Highness, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Tian Zi folded his arms. "I have a feeling, Sheng. A strange one. Ever since I met you… and again, just now."
Sheng's eyes flickered. "Oh? A feeling?"
"That another returner walks among us."
For a moment, silence. Then Sheng chuckled.
"Well, that's quite the intriguing opinion, Your Highness. You're not wrong. I met someone today with an aura like ours."
"You found them?"
"I… lost the trail." His lips curved again. "But the fun's only begun."
When Tian Zi left, Sheng whispered to the empty room:
"Even if I knew who it was, I wouldn't tell you. What's the point of the game if you spoil it?"
He sat back down before his easel, ink brush swirling in the water.The unfinished painting before him was dark and elegant — a phoenix bleeding into a storm of petals.
"Prince Tian Zi and Prince Jian Zi… both returners. And now the supposed future empress might be one too.""What will you do, Lady Xi Youran? Revenge… or retreat?"
His brush swept across the paper, the ink pulsing with faint spiritual light.
Meanwhile, in the Jiang household—
I nearly fell off the bench when the old man's voice echoed in my head.
"Did you feel that just now?"
"Don't sneak up on me like that, old man!" I hissed.
He only laughed.
"You should remember that sensation. It means another returner is nearby."
My heart dropped. "You mean… that thing I felt earlier wasn't just imagination?"
"No. I know it too well. I was a returner once."
I froze mid-breath. "…You what?"
"A long time ago. I've forgotten who I was, but that feeling never fades."
I closed the book on my lap and stared into the courtyard pond. "So my suspicion was right. Another returner really exists."
A sharp thunk! — an arrow embedded itself into the wooden table beside me.
"WHAT THE—!"
A piece of paper fluttered from the shaft. My fingers trembled as I unfolded it.
Then froze.
Tore it into shreds.
We know what you are.
I paced the garden, my heartbeat pounding. "Who are you? Who knows?"
The letter was a warning — and a threat. Someone in the palace knew I wasn't who I appeared to be.
"I can't let Tian Zi find out. Not him. Not again."
Before I could think further, a maid appeared."Lady Xi Youran, the headmaster requests you in the main hall."
"Grandfather?" I muttered. "What now? Don't tell me he's hungry again."
But the moment I entered the hall, the air shifted.My instincts screamed—
"Xi Youran, you've come." Grandfather's deep voice echoed warmly.Beside him stood a tall man in elegant robes, a paper fan half-hiding his face.
His smile—too calm. Too knowing.
"I want you to meet my friend's disciple," Grandfather said. "He's an Imperial Painter. Sheng, this is my granddaughter, Xi Youran."
"Pleasure to meet you, Lady Xi Youran."
That voice. That aura.
My breath caught.
He's one of them.
I forced a smile. "Ah… likewise. I'm honored."
But when I turned to leave—
Sheng stepped closer, his fan brushing against my hair as he whispered, his breath warm against my ear:
"I wonder what you'll do… now that you know we're not alone."
My legs gave way. Sheng caught me effortlessly, his smirk still in place.
"Oh my," he said loudly, "the lady seems embarrassed!"
Grandfather raised a brow. "…Hmph. Young people."
I ran the moment I could, my heart pounding, tears threatening to spill.
Emperor Zhang Tian Zi is a returner.
The words echoed in my head, over and over, until I couldn't tell if it was fear or fury that made me shake.