Chapter 40: Between Us, the Unspoken
The courtyard was quiet under the fading light of dusk. Mei Xiao sat alone by the koi pond, her bare feet dangling above the surface, ripples dancing around her toes. The lanterns hadn't been lit yet, and for once, the estate seemed still—as if holding its breath.
She sighed. Her fingers played absently with the edge of her sleeve. A thousand thoughts wrestled in her mind, but one screamed louder than the rest.
She was in love with him.
Crap.
Of course she had to fall for the arrogant, brooding, sword-wielding leader of a powerful martial sect. And not just any guy. Murong Jing He. Mr. "I don't smile unless it's to kill you." The man with a stare so intense, it could probably boil water.
"This is not a drama, Mei Xiao," she muttered to herself, flopping backward onto the grass. "This is your real, possibly doomed, definitely messed-up life."
She hadn't told him the truth. Not all of it. How could she?
How do you look someone in the eye and say, "Hey, I'm from the future, accidentally hijacked your bride's body, and now I may or may not be the reincarnation of a fire-winged celestial being?"
She groaned and covered her face with both hands.
"You're talking to yourself again."
She froze.
That voice.
She peeked through her fingers and saw him standing there, arms crossed, watching her with a mix of amusement and something softer—something dangerous to her already crumbling emotional defenses.
"I—uh—was just thinking out loud. Very loud," she stammered, sitting up.
"You've been avoiding me," he said, stepping closer. "Since the incident in the chamber."
She tried to laugh. "Avoiding? Nooo. Just… taking scenic routes. Around you."
He didn't smile.
His silence made her heart beat faster.
"You didn't ask why I brought you here," he finally said.
She blinked. "Here? You mean the koi pond? Or like, existentially?"
He actually chuckled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I meant into my world. Into this marriage."
Her breath caught.
"I thought it was political," she said weakly. "An alliance."
"It was." He crouched beside her, voice low. "But there was another reason."
She looked at him, waiting.
But he didn't say more. Not yet.
The air thickened between them, charged with everything unspoken. She wanted to ask. She wanted to tell him everything. But neither of them moved.
Then, from behind the garden wall, a loud yelp broke the tension.
"AHH! Lady Mei, save me! He's trying to kill me with a radish!"
They both turned as a young man stumbled into the courtyard, dramatically clutching his side. Behind him, a tall man in green robes chased after him holding what appeared to be… a very angry radish?
Murong stood, sighing. "They've found you."
Mei Xiao blinked. "Who—what—why is he holding produce?"
The young man, now sprawled on the ground, grinned up at her. "I'm Xie Lan. His cousin. The charming one."
The radish wielder grunted. "He owes me money."
Mei Xiao burst out laughing, some of the tension evaporating instantly. "Finally! Someone else around here who isn't carved from stone."
Murong looked at her, the edge of a smile tugging at his lips. "Don't let appearances fool you. He's worse than me."
And as the stars began to appear above them, Mei Xiao realized something.
Maybe she didn't have to run yet.
Not tonight.
Not from him.
Not from this strange, wonderful mess.
Not from the feelings that refused to go away.