Chapter 30: The Mirror Soul
Mei Xiao hesitated, staring at the door.
Jing He's voice had been calm—too calm. That kind of calm only meant one thing: he was either very angry… or very worried. Possibly both.
"Do you want me to open it?" Yin Luo whispered.
"No." Mei stood and smoothed her messy robes, trying to remember how noble ladies were supposed to look. "I want to appear like I've got everything under control."
She reached for the handle. Took a deep breath. Opened the door.
Murong Jing He stood there, tall and composed, not a single thread out of place—even though the entire estate had just been attacked. His eyes scanned her from head to toe.
"You're bleeding," he said.
She blinked. "What? No, I—" She looked down and spotted a shallow cut on her arm. "Oh. Just a scratch."
He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Yin Luo, sensing the very intense energy, backed out discreetly with a little bow. "I'll, uh… go pray. Somewhere."
Now alone, Mei Xiao tried to keep her distance. She folded her arms and leaned against the table. "So… weird night, huh?"
"Tell me everything she told you," Jing He said.
Straight to business. Of course.
But Mei didn't move. "She said I have part of the Phoenix Queen's seal inside me. And that it's waking up. There are more fragments. And—" Her voice dropped. "She said I need to find my mirror soul. Whatever that means."
A pause.
Then, softly: "I know what it means."
Mei looked up. "You do?"
Murong Jing He walked to the window, his hands clasped behind his back. "The Phoenix Queen was said to have split her power because she feared corruption. But she didn't do it alone. Legend says she bound part of her soul to someone—someone who could remind her who she was if she ever lost herself."
Mei swallowed. "So this 'mirror' is someone who balances me?"
He turned, eyes meeting hers. "Or someone who can destroy you."
Silence.
Mei's breath hitched. "And you think it's you?"
Another pause. Then he said quietly, "I know it's me."
Her heart pounded. "But why? Why did you marry me, really?"
He stepped closer, slowly. "At first, to protect the clans. You were the last descendant of the Mei family. It was strategy."
She laughed bitterly. "Romantic."
"But then you changed," he said. "You stopped acting like a noble lady. You were sarcastic. Impulsive. You challenged me. And… you reminded me of someone I lost a long time ago."
She looked up sharply. "The Phoenix Queen?"
He didn't answer directly. Instead, he said, "The flame inside you—if it consumes you, we'll all burn. But if you can wield it… you'll be unstoppable."
Mei's lips parted, caught between fear and wonder.
"Why tell me this now?" she whispered.
He stepped close enough to feel the warmth of her skin.
"Because," he said, voice low, "the other fragments are moving. And if I don't protect you… I'll lose you again."