The sun had long set beyond the mist-covered peaks, but Jin Xuan Yue remained seated in the meditation chamber, still as stone.
Outside, lanterns flickered softly. Inside, silence thundered in his ears.
He wasn't meditating.
He was listening.
Li Hua's steps echoed faintly down the corridor, light and cautious — yet hauntingly familiar. Each time she passed by, he felt it again.
That strange tug on his soul.
A ghost of something once lost.
He stood abruptly.
He couldn't take it anymore.
With swift, silent strides, he followed the fading sound of her footsteps.
Li Hua walked quietly toward the lotus pavilion, the tray in her hands trembling ever so slightly. The night breeze tugged at her sleeves, and somewhere inside her, the memory of his gaze still burned.
That moment earlier — when he looked at her like that. Like he saw through her.
Like he recognized her.
She shook her head.
Impossible. He doesn't know. He can't know.
She reached the water's edge, setting down the tray with care. Moonlight reflected on the surface, painting her face in silver shadows.
And suddenly—
A reflection beside hers.
She spun.
Jin Xuan Yue stood behind her, silent as a shadow, his expression unreadable.
"Y-Your Highness," she said, bowing quickly. "I didn't expect—"
"Your eyes," he said quietly.
She froze.
He stepped closer. "Have we met before?"
She swallowed hard. Her lips parted, then closed again.
"No, my lord," she said softly. "I… I'm just a servant."
He didn't move. Didn't look away.
"You remind me of someone," he said, his voice lower now. "Someone I lost."
Her throat tightened. Her heart pounded so loudly it was a wonder he couldn't hear it.
"I'm sorry for your loss," she whispered.
He finally turned away.
"No one's truly lost… if they return," he murmured.
And just like that, he was gone.
Hidden in the shadows, someone else had watched.
High above, on the temple roof, Jin Mei perched like a cat, nibbling on a peach and squinting at the scene.
"Well, well," she muttered to herself. "Big Brother finally meets someone who shakes his calm…"
She grinned. "This is going to be fun."