Chapter 3: The Hunter and the Prey
The moon hung high when they returned to the palace. The night air still carried the sweet scent of peach blossoms, but inside Mei Lian's heart, unease pulsed beneath Prince Rui's warm attention.
**He's dangerous.**
Her assassin instincts screamed it. Yet, when he walked her back to her courtyard, and his fingertips brushed hers as they said goodnight, a strange flutter filled her chest. It was something she hadn't felt in years – or perhaps had never truly felt.
Was this how desire felt? Or was it simply the thrill of playing a dangerous game?
As his figure vanished beyond the stone pathway, she let out a slow breath and turned.
"Miss Mei."
The voice was cold, clipped, and filled with venom.
Lady Jin stood beneath the veranda, partially hidden by the shadows of the hanging lanterns. Her crimson robe gleamed like blood in the moonlight.
Mei Lian stilled. Calm. Composed. The battlefield simply shifted from the banquet hall to here.
"My lady," she greeted with a polite bow, her voice a perfect blend of soft respect.
Lady Jin's lips twisted into a mockery of a smile. "How quickly you've recovered, Miss Mei. I must admit, it's impressive."
"I am fortunate." Mei Lian returned the smile, her eyes steady. "The palace physicians are quite skilled."
"Indeed. Though some might say you've returned a little… too different. Almost like a different person entirely."
The veiled threat was clear.
Mei Lian's fingers itched for a blade that wasn't there. But this was not a place for blood. Not yet.
"I suppose near-death experiences change people," she said sweetly. "Perhaps I've simply learned to appreciate life more fully."
Lady Jin's gaze narrowed. "Be careful how fully you appreciate it. Some flowers thrive too brightly under the sun and attract those who prefer the shadows."
The meaning behind her words struck like a silent dagger.
**Do not overstep.**
But Mei Lian only smiled softly. "I shall keep that in mind."
With a final glare, Lady Jin turned sharply and vanished into the shadows.
That night, sleep evaded her.
Mei Lian sat at the small writing table by the window, staring at the ink brush in her hand. Moonlight silvered everything, casting soft shadows across her chamber.
**She was being watched.**
Not just by the obvious courtiers, but by spies hidden within the palace walls. The shifting glances, the whispered rumors – it had begun the moment Prince Rui publicly favored her.
In her former life, she would've vanished by now. Slip into the night. Leave no trace.
But this time, she couldn't run.
She pressed her palm to her chest, feeling the steady rhythm of her heart – a heart that, for reasons she couldn't explain, seemed to beat differently since Prince Rui looked at her with such quiet intensity.
What game was he playing?
What did he see in her?
And more dangerously – what was she beginning to feel for him?
The next morning, a summons arrived.
**A private audience with Prince Rui.**
Her hand trembled slightly as she unfolded the silk scroll. The seal was unmistakable.
The palace servants fussed around her, dressing her in pale lavender silk embroidered with silver cranes. They arranged her hair meticulously, delicate pins glinting in the morning light.
As she walked through the palace gardens toward his private pavilion, she fought to steady her pulse.
This wasn't a simple conversation. It was an invitation into dangerous territory.
When the guards slid open the heavy doors, she stepped into a room filled with soft light. The walls were lined with scrolls of ancient poetry. A small tea table sat at the center, steam curling from delicate porcelain cups.
And there he was. Seated in relaxed elegance, his robe a deep midnight blue, his hair falling loose over his shoulders. Prince Rui.
He rose as she entered, his gaze never leaving her.
"Miss Mei," he greeted softly. "Thank you for coming."
"I go where Your Highness commands," she replied carefully, lowering herself into a graceful bow.
He studied her for a moment, then gestured toward the seat across from him. "Sit."
As she obeyed, he poured tea for her himself — an act unthinkable for a prince toward a noblewoman of lesser standing.
"You seem tense," he observed, his voice low.
"I am merely cautious, Your Highness," she answered truthfully.
His lips quirked. "Good. You should be."
She blinked.
He leaned forward slightly. "This palace is filled with smiling vipers. They hide behind silk fans and polite words. You've navigated them impressively so far. But you intrigue me, Mei Lian. And that makes you a target."
Her throat tightened. "A target?"
"You must know by now that Lady Jin despises you. Others will follow her lead. They cannot understand why I — who shows interest in no woman — have begun watching you."
His bluntness made her chest constrict. "And why do you, Your Highness?"
His eyes darkened, voice softening. "Because you're not what you pretend to be."
The air between them grew heavy.
Panic flared for a split second. Did he suspect the truth? That she was not truly Mei Lian at all?
She forced her voice to remain calm. "What do you mean, Your Highness?"
He studied her, as though reading every flicker of emotion. "Before your illness, you were like the other sheltered noble girls. Frightened. Obedient. Predictable. But now there is something sharp beneath your softness. Like a blade hidden in silk."
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
He reached out, his fingers brushing a single fallen petal off her sleeve. The brief contact sent a shiver through her.
"I admire sharpness," he whispered. "But sharp blades draw blood if wielded carelessly."
A warning. A test. An invitation.
She met his gaze, refusing to falter. "Then perhaps I should learn to wield mine carefully."
The corners of his lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile, but held a strange warmth. "Good."
The moment stretched. Intense. Breathless.
Finally, he leaned back, voice softer now. "You are not the prey they think you are, are you, Mei Lian?"
Her pulse thundered. No, she wanted to say. I am the hunter.
But instead, she smiled faintly, allowing just a hint of mystery to sparkle in her eyes. "Isn't it more interesting to leave that unanswered, Your Highness?"
His quiet laugh was low and dangerous. "You're becoming quite dangerous yourself."
As she left the pavilion, her mind spun.
This was no longer the simple story she once read. The threads of fate had shifted.
Prince Rui was far more perceptive than she expected. His interest wasn't mere curiosity — it was strategic. Calculated.
And yet…
When he looked at her, she felt something she didn't recognize from her old life of blood and shadows.
Warmth. Hope. Desire.
For a moment, she allowed herself to feel the dangerous pull toward him.
But danger was all she had ever known. And now, it wore the face of a prince.
To be continued.....