Heavy and steady footsteps echoed from behind the door just as Mei Lin was about to take a second spoonful of her soup. The chamber door opened again.
His Majesty entered once more, still clad in a long black robe embroidered with golden dragons on the sleeves and chest. His hair had been neatly tied up by the hands of the palace attendants, but his gaze suggested he had not yet found peace to close his eyes.
"You haven't eaten?" he asked flatly, yet walked directly to the chair by the bedside.
Mei Lin bowed respectfully. "I was just about to, Your Majesty."
She turned toward the food, but her hand was suddenly held back. The Emperor's fingers wrapped around her wrist—warm and firm."I don't like it when you wake up before me without holding me like earlier," he murmured—too honest, too intimate for someone of his rank.
Mei Lin swallowed hard. A part of her wanted to pull her hand away. But another part… felt the unwanted pounding in her chest.
"I thought Your Majesty would have more important matters this morning," she replied softly.
Emperor Li Xuan gave a crooked smile. "Even a dragon longs to return to its nest when it's tired of itself. And this morning, I returned to you."
Mei Lin let out a faint, bitter laugh masked in a gentle smile. "You speak as if I were your home, but I'm merely a guest who will soon be cast out of this palace." She hadn't meant to sound sad, but the silence that followed betrayed the truth.
Li Xuan stared at her, deep and long. "A guest, I wouldn't hold all night," he finally said. "And I wouldn't let a guest sleep in my bed without guards posted at the door day and night."
Mei Lin restrained herself from falling into the tenderness she felt. This was what she feared—that the Emperor's kindness could be the sweetest trap in the palace.
"I came here with a clear purpose, Your Majesty," she said firmly. "Not to fall in love. Not to seek your attention."
Li Xuan gripped her fingers tighter. "But your body betrayed you last night."
Mei Lin froze. The Emperor's breath was near and hot. "You can pretend to be cold. But your body calls to me. I know it, my concubine."
Mei Lin slowly raised her chin, her gaze unwavering. "The body may be coaxed, Your Majesty. But the heart... cannot."
A fraction of silence passed between them. Mei Lin didn't flinch when Emperor Li Xuan leaned in, his breath warming the morning air that had yet to shake off the chill. His hand still held her wrist, and slowly, he traced his fingers up her arm to her shoulder.
"You may control your body. But look into your eyes, Mei Lin," he whispered, his gaze locked on her face. "They don't lie."
Mei Lin wanted to respond with a sharp remark, but her lips were silenced when the Emperor's fingers lifted her chin—gentle, yet full of authority. He tilted her face upward, and in the next moment, their lips met.
The kiss wasn't rushed. It was deep, probing, as though searching for something hidden behind the walls of her heart that he suspected were tightly shut. Mei Lin had the urge to pull away, but the Emperor's fingers had already slipped behind her nape, drawing her closer still.
Her body was trapped in his embrace, and as his hand trailed slowly down her arm, her breath caught. Even as her mind screamed to pull away, her body melted into a foreign warmth. The kiss broke when Emperor Li Xuan lowered his forehead to hers, their breaths exchanged in rapid, heavy rhythm.
"Don't make me read you, Mei Lin. You're not a book I wish to close."
Mei Lin swallowed, trying to gather her scattered breath. "You're too kind to someone who has no intention of staying, Your Majesty."
Li Xuan gave a lopsided smile at that. "Then my task is to make you not want to leave."
He brushed a strand of hair from her face, then traced her jawline with his thumb—a tender gesture that clashed with his cold reputation.
"No need to rush into love," he whispered. "But don't be so sure you can run."
He kissed her again, shorter this time—just a fleeting touch at the corner of her parted lips. A soft knock on the tall, carved wooden door startled them both, prompting the Emperor to pull away.
"Your Majesty," a clear, respectful voice called from outside. "May I enter? I am Miss Mei Lin's assigned personal maid."
Mei Lin quickly turned her head, still caught in the Emperor's embrace, which he had yet to release.
"Enter," Li Xuan said curtly, still regal in tone. He made no move to hide how closely he was pressed to Mei Lin, as though there was nothing improper in it.
The door opened slowly. A young girl with a sweet face stepped in, walking neatly and respectfully. Her hair was pinned with a small jade ornament on the right side, and her pale blue uniform marked her as a ranked palace attendant.
"My name is Xiu Zhen," she said with a deep bow. "Starting today, I will serve Miss Mei Lin in all her needs within the palace—clothing, meals, communication with the main kitchen, or anything else. Please give your orders directly to me."
Her eyes briefly flicked toward the bed, then lowered again with no trace of emotion. Professional. She seemed well-accustomed to scenes like this.
Mei Lin nodded stiffly, a little surprised she'd been assigned a personal maid. "Thank you, Xiu Zhen," she said quietly, trying to sound calm though her heart was still racing from earlier.
Li Xuan offered a thin smile, then rose from the bed and reached for his silk robe. "My only command to you, Xiu Zhen, is this," he said to the maid. "Protect and serve Mei Lin as you would serve me. If any mistake occurs, I will hold you personally accountable."
Xiu Zhen bowed deeply again. "Understood, Your Majesty."
After the Emperor departed, Xiu Zhen approached Mei Lin and said softly, "Allow me to assist you in getting ready." Her face was calm, her voice gentle—so different from the scornful palace maids who had regarded Mei Lin with silent contempt since her arrival.
Mei Lin sat before a large mirror with an intricately carved golden frame, letting Xiu Zhen comb her hair with care. For a while, neither of them spoke—only the soft sound of the comb gliding through her long strands could be heard.
Eventually, Xiu Zhen broke the silence. "Your hair is beautiful, Miss. Smooth, soft, and black like a peacock's wing."
Mei Lin looked at her reflection in the mirror. The girl sounded sincere. "You're good at compliments," Mei Lin replied lightly, though a faint smile crept onto her lips.
"I wasn't complimenting," Xiu Zhen replied in a neutral, but not cold tone. "I was being honest. You're different from the other women in the palace. Your face holds no ill intent... at least, not yet."
Mei Lin frowned slightly and slowly turned. "Have you been in the palace long?"
"Since I was ten," Xiu Zhen answered. "I was trained to see things beyond the surface. Including a person's intentions."
Mei Lin studied Xiu Zhen for a moment, then asked softly, "What do you see in me?"
Xiu Zhen lowered her eyes briefly, then answered honestly, "I see someone trying to appear strong, but unsure of who to trust. A girl who entered the dragon's lair with a heart she wants to keep whole… yet knows it could burn at any moment."
Mei Lin fell silent. Strangely, those words stung more than the sneers of the other maids—because this time, they rang true. She took a slow breath. "I didn't plan to involve feelings here."
Xiu Zhen added in a whisper, "But feelings don't always ask permission, Miss. Sometimes, they come even when our hearts have shut every door."
Mei Lin closed her eyes briefly. Quiet. Heavy. But a small sense of relief bloomed in her chest. Finally, she murmured, "Don't call me 'Miss' when it's just us. My name is Mei Lin."
Xiu Zhen smiled faintly. "Very well... Mei Lin."