The courtyard lanterns flickered softly when Mei'yin finally stepped past the gates of Baoli Zong. Dust clung to her robes, her hair slightly tangled from the days of wandering. The moment her figure appeared, Lingxi nearly rushed forward, relief flashing across her face before it hardened into scolding concern.
"You—! Do you have any idea how many nights you've made us worry?" Lingxi's voice was sharp, though her trembling hands betrayed the fear she had carried.
Feng Xiao stood in silence at first, her expression calm but her eyes sharper than a blade. She didn't shout, didn't even move closer. Instead, she turned away and with a wave of her hand, summoned the shimmering scrolls of ancient texts. Words burned in midair, glowing lines of script filling the training hall with a stern presence.
"You left without permission. You disobeyed every rule we've set for your safety," Xiao said evenly, her tone measured, but carrying the weight of iron. "So here is your punishment."
The glowing characters floated into a spiral, forming a storm of written words. With a swift motion, Xiao unleashed a gust of her controlled blast of air, scattering the glowing words across the hall like a thousand fireflies frozen in place.
"You will memorize all of this." Xiao's gaze locked with Mei'yin's. "Every phrase, every character. Until your recklessness learns the patience of discipline."
Mei'yin's mouth dropped open, her mischievous spark flickering. "T-That's cruel! You can't be serious, Sister Xiao—"
"I am," Xiao interrupted, her voice quiet but immovable. "If you have the energy to wander Moya for days without telling us, then you have the energy to commit this to memory."
Lingxi crossed her arms, clearly agreeing, though the corner of her lips curved as if holding back a laugh at Mei'yin's sulky expression.
Left standing in the storm of glowing words, Mei'yin groaned, dragging her hands down her face. "Memorizing… all of this? This is worse than being tied up."
Xiao didn't answer. She walked out of the hall, her robes fluttering in the breeze of her own blast, leaving Mei'yin surrounded by the unyielding sea of characters.
Lingxi lingered a moment longer, her usual teasing replaced with something quieter, heavier. She stepped closer to her younger sister, her voice low but firm.
"Do you even realize how close you push us to breaking? We were afraid, Mei. Afraid of how we'd face our parents if something bad happened to you."
Her words cut sharper than Xiao's punishment. Lingxi didn't wait for a reply—she simply turned, her back straight but her fists clenched at her sides, and followed after Xiao, leaving Mei'yin standing alone.
For once, Mei'yin found no mischievous escape. Only the glowing reminder of her sister's lesson—discipline forged through patience, and the weight of her family's fear.
Feng Xiao walked ahead with her usual composed grace, while Lingxi trailed beside her, arms crossed, brows still furrowed.
"You were too harsh," Lingxi finally muttered, glancing back at the faint glow of words spilling from the training hall's open door. "Making her memorize all that? She'll cry herself sick before she finishes."
Xiao didn't break her stride. "Better that she cries over words than over a wound she cannot heal." Her tone was calm, but her eyes were faintly shadowed.
Xiao stopped walking then, turning her gaze toward the lantern-lit garden. The flicker of light softened her face, revealing the worry beneath her stern mask. "Do you think I don't know that?" she said quietly. "Every day I see her growing… slipping further from our reach. I punish her because it's the only way I know to keep her safe. If I let go even a little…" She trailed off, her hand curling faintly at her side.
Lingxi's sharpness faded, replaced by a rare seriousness. She stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"We're scared, Xiao. Both of us. I said those words to her earlier because I felt it—really felt it. If something happens to Mei… if we lose her, how do we even face Father and Mother?"
For a long moment, silence lingered between them.
Xiao allowed the corner of her lips to curve ever so slightly. "Then let's hope she listens before she learns the hard way."
Mei'yin sat cross-legged on the floor, her cheeks puffed in frustration. Dozens of glowing characters hovered in the air, floating like stubborn fireflies. Every time she erased one mistake with her blast of air, five more reappeared, as if mocking her.
"Aish! This is torture!" she groaned, flopping backward onto the wooden floor. "Why couldn't Sister Xiao just make me sweep the halls or scrub dishes like a normal punishment? Memorizing words—seriously?!"
The door creaked open. Mei'yin shot up, half-expecting Xiao or Lingxi. But instead, Yuming slipped inside, a mischievous grin plastered across her face.
"Well, well," Yuming drawled, arms folded as she leaned against the doorframe. "Look who finally got caught. The mighty Lady Feng Mei'yin, trapped in a prison of glowing words."
Mei'yin's face turned red. "Shut up! It's not funny!"
"Oh, it's hilarious," Yuming said, strolling in, her grin widening. She tapped one of the floating characters with her finger. It rippled like water before snapping back in place. "I leave for a few days, and this is what happens? You go sneaking off to Moya, leave notes with smiley faces, make your sisters lose sleep—and now you're stuck doing homework punishment."
Mei'yin jumped up, glaring. "I wasn't sneaking off! I was… I was doing something important!"
Yuming arched a brow. "Oh? Important like… chasing trouble? Or was it important like… chasing someone?" She smirked knowingly, her voice dripping with teasing. "Don't tell me—you and Qin Yuxi—"
"Yuming!" Mei'yin clapped her hands over her friend's mouth, her whole face burning. "Not so loud!"
Yuming pulled back, laughing. "So it is something like that."
"It's not!" Mei'yin stomped her foot, though her blush betrayed her. "I was just… observing! Studying! Being useful!"
"Uh-huh. Sure." Yuming's grin softened, though her teasing tone lingered. "Well, you're lucky your sisters didn't lock you in here for good. But honestly…" She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing playfully. "You've got guts, Mei. Running off like that. Even I wouldn't pull something that bold."
Mei'yin puffed out her chest, proud despite her punishment. "See? You admit it—I'm braver than you!"
"Braver?" Yuming smirked, poking her forehead. "Or just stupider?"
They both burst into laughter, the tension breaking like a bubble.
The quiet library smelled faintly of old scrolls and ink, sunlight filtering through the tall windows. Rows of shelves towered above, filled with wisdom from generations past. In the center, Xiao set down a neat pile of scrolls on a low table, her expression calm but firm.
"Mei'yin," she said, her tone brooking no argument, "recite them. Every single word."
Mei'yin slumped into the chair, chin on the table. "Again? Sister Xiao, you're cruel. I'm not a parrot!"
"You're punished," Xiao replied smoothly, seating herself across from her.
Lingxi leaned against one of the shelves, arms crossed, her gaze sharp. "Don't waste time whining, Mei. The longer you delay, the longer you'll be stuck here."
Before Mei'yin could retort, a familiar voice rang from the doorway.
"Ohhh, what's this?" Yuming sauntered in, hands behind her back and a grin tugging at her lips. "Lady Feng Mei'yin, captured in the fearsome prison of… books."
Mei'yin groaned, dropping her head onto the table. "Not you too, Yuming…"
Yuming leaned over the table, peering at her with exaggerated pity. "Tsk, tsk. The great adventurer, reduced to memorizing characters like a child learning her first scroll. Tragic."
Lingxi gave Yuming a stern look. "If you're only here to cause distraction—"
"Distraction?" Yuming interrupted, sitting down beside Mei'yin with a playful grin. "I'm here to motivate her. Watch this. Mei, repeat after me: 'I will never sneak off to Moya without telling anyone again.'"
Mei'yin shot her a glare. "Shut up, Yuming!"
Yuming leaned closer, whispering mockingly, "Or should I write it down for you? With a smiley face at the end?"
Mei'yin's cheeks flushed as she slammed her palm on the table. "Aishhh! I hate you!"
Yuming only chuckled, swinging her legs under the table.
"Well, go on then," Xiao prompted, voice calm yet firm.
Mei'yin yawned dramatically. "Fine, fine…" She sat up lazily, eyes skimming over the characters once. Then, without looking back at the scroll, she began to recite.
Line after line flowed smoothly from her lips—every word, every phrase, spoken with flawless rhythm. Her tone was casual, almost playful, but the precision was undeniable.
Lingxi straightened from where she leaned against the shelf, eyes widening slightly. Xiao's brows lifted, though her expression remained mostly composed.
When Mei'yin finally finished, she leaned back in her chair, stretching like a cat. "There. Happy now?"
Yuming's mouth fell open. She blinked, then burst out laughing. "Wait—what? You actually memorized all of it?!"
Mei'yin smirked, tilting her head. "What do you take me for, a complete fool? I might look lazy, but I'm not dumb."
Xiao placed her hands on the table, studying her sister closely. For just a flicker of a moment, admiration broke through her calm mask. "Hn. Not bad."
Mei'yin leaned closer with a mischievous grin. "You mean… very good?"
"Don't push it," Xiao replied, but the corner of her lips threatened to curve upward.
Yuming shook her head, still laughing. "I swear, Mei, one day your foolish face and clever brain are going to get you into even bigger trouble."
"And out of it too," Mei'yin shot back, winking.
The library rang with laughter, lightening the heavy air that had hung since her punishment began.
The moonlight streamed softly through the lattice windows. Everyone else was asleep, but Mei'yin lay wide awake, staring at the ceiling. Her mind was buzzing—not with the words Xiao made her memorize, but with the movements she'd observed in Moya.
She sat up, biting her lip. "Just one more time… I can't ignore it."
Moving silently, she gathered her small pouch, tucked in a few essentials, and scribbled another quick note:
"Don't worry. I'll be back soon. — Mei (with a big smiley face)"
She giggled to herself, placing it neatly on her desk, then slipped out into the night.
The cold air brushed her cheeks as she crossed the Baoli Zong courtyard, careful not to alert the guards. Once outside the gates, she let out a sigh of relief and whispered, "Back to Moya… back to my mission."
Her "mission" wasn't something assigned—it was hers alone. To watch the Ye clan's men, to follow the spirits' strange gathering patterns, to prove she wasn't just a mischievous girl.
But deep inside, she also carried a spark of thrill. Each secret step made her grin, the danger itself pulling her forward.
Mei'yin wandered through the busy streets of Moya, pulling her cloak tighter to keep from drawing attention. She wasn't expecting to see anyone she knew, but fate had its own ideas.
"...A'yin?"
She froze. That familiar voice—calm, steady. Turning, she found Yuxi standing a few steps away, Qin heir in his usual composed form, his eyes sharp but tinged with surprise.
"Yuxi…" she forced a small laugh, scratching the back of her head. "Fancy meeting you here."
He crossed his arms, gaze narrowing. "You slipped away from Baoli Zong again."
Mei'yin pouted lightly. "You make it sound so bad. I'm not here to play around—I was… investigating."
Before he could retort, a sudden chill brushed through the air. The faint hum of resentful energy crept around them. Both turned toward the darkened forest at the outskirts of Moya.
Spirits. Many of them.
Without another word, Yuxi strode forward. Mei'yin followed, her eyes flickering with focus. She wasn't like Lingxi or Xiao—no blasts, no elemental force—but her senses sharpened in ways others couldn't match.
"They're close," she whispered, her voice losing its usual playful edge. "Two… no, three on the left, hiding in the trees. Another one circling behind."
Yuxi paused, glancing at her. He had been chasing these strange patterns for weeks, but she saw them—felt them—without hesitation.
"You can sense them." His voice carried quiet astonishment.
She smirked faintly, though her eyes stayed sharp on the shadows. "Of course. Just because I don't throw fire or summon storms doesn't mean I'm useless."
With her guidance, Yuxi moved precisely, striking before the spirits could scatter. Each one that burst into dark smoke was because Mei'yin pointed, "There!" or whispered, "Above you!"
At last, silence settled. Only the rustling of leaves remained.
Yuxi exhaled, lowering his stance. He turned to her, studying her with a look she rarely saw from him—something close to admiration.
But deep inside, her heart thudded faster, not from the fight, but from the way Yuxi looked at her—as if she wasn't just a mischievous girl sneaking around, but someone who mattered.
The pattern began to feel like her own secret game.
At Baoli Zong, Mei'yin would spend her days reciting words in the library under Xiao's watchful eye, enduring Lingxi's sighs and Yuming's teasing. She looked like a fool when she joked around, but when she opened her mouth, every word came out perfectly memorized.
Then, at night—or whenever she found the smallest crack in her sisters' attention—she slipped away. Sometimes she left a scribbled note with a smiley face, sometimes nothing at all.
Moya became her playground. She would appear beside Yuxi without warning, grinning like she belonged there.
"You again," he would say, brows drawing together in that familiar frown.
"You sound like you don't want me here," she'd reply, hands behind her back, rocking on her heels. "But if that were true, Qin Yuxi, you would've chased me away the first time."
And so they worked together. She pointed out the flickering movements of spirits in the forest, her strange sense sharp where his eyes could not reach. He handled the dangerous strikes, his blasts cutting through what she revealed. Together, they moved like mismatched pieces that somehow fit.
By dawn, she would return to Baoli Zong. Sometimes Xiao scolded her, sometimes Lingxi worried aloud, but she always laughed it off, feigning innocence. And before long—when the itch of boredom returned—she was gone again, back to Moya.
Day after day, sneak out, return. Sneak out, return.
Until even Yuxi, serious as stone, stopped asking why. He simply accepted it—Mei'yin would come, Mei'yin would leave. And somewhere in between, they no longer felt like strangers.