The moon hung high above Tianshui Academy, silver light spilling over the quiet courtyards and bamboo groves.
Most of the students had already retired, their dormitories dark and peaceful.
At the far edge of the western teaching grounds, nestled among tall trees, stood a small villa. Unlike the uniform buildings where students lived, this residence was elegant and serene, perfectly suited for someone of high standing.
Han Ruyin climbed the steps barefoot, her pale feet as white as jade against the polished wood. The day had been long, filled with duties and lessons, yet her heart beat faster for a reason unrelated to her position as Dean.
Tonight was different. Tonight, she had made a decision.
Yuan Longxuan was already waiting near the gate, about to take his leave when her soft voice stopped him.
"Brother Yuan… would you like to hear my story?"
The question was tentative, almost shy, but beneath her hesitation was a quiet determination.
Yuan Longxuan turned, meeting her gaze. Her expression carried a vulnerability he rarely saw. "I would," he answered simply.
She nodded gently, the corner of her lips lifting. "Then… please, come in."
Inside, the villa was neither extravagant nor plain. The central hall stretched upward with a high ceiling, its design clean and graceful. Dozens of small crystal lamps glimmered from above, like a scattering of stars across a midnight sky.
A blue carpet patterned with delicate motifs stretched across the floor, softening the atmosphere, while matching sofas lined with embroidered pillows brought comfort to the refined space.
Han Ruyin moved with practiced grace, her robes whispering against the floor as she poured tea into two porcelain cups.
She set one before him on the glass table and sat across from him. Without the stern dignity she usually displayed before students and colleagues, her presence felt gentler, tinged with something almost fragile.
"Brother Yuan," she began softly, her voice steady but laced with emotion, "do you know? I envy Sister Erlong."
Yuan Longxuan lifted the teacup but didn't drink, his attention fixed on her. "Why is that?"
She lowered her gaze, the flickering lamplight casting shadows across her long lashes. "Because she has the courage to follow her heart. I… I've always been bound by duty, by family, by expectations. I never truly lived for myself."
For a moment, the silence in the room deepened. The weight of her words seemed to sink into the walls themselves.
Her voice trembled slightly as she continued. "I was born into a family that praised talent above all else. They called me a prodigy, the most gifted of my generation.
But talent only meant chains. When I turned ten, my father arranged a marriage for me. The boy was talented, yes, but…" Her lips curved bitterly. "I never liked him. Still, I hoped he would at least respect me."
Her hands clenched in her lap. "Reality was cruel. He was unfaithful, shamelessly so. I caught him with his cousin.
Later, he was discovered with a prostitute… and he even fathered a child with her. That was the kind of man they bound me to."
Yuan Longxuan's eyes darkened, his hand tightening around the teacup.
He didn't interrupt. He knew this was not a time for advice, but for listening.
Han Ruyin's voice grew quieter. "And my family… they were worse.
To them, a child without spirit power was worthless.
I once saw them kill my six-year-old cousin, simply because she awakened without talent. She was my only friend.
I was seven then. Do you know what it feels like to watch the one person who understands you die so meaninglessly?"
Her words faltered, and for the first time, her composure cracked. Tears shimmered in her eyes, though she fought to keep them from falling.
Time passed unnoticed as she spoke. She told him of her escape from her clan, her struggles, and how she built Tianshui Academy with her own hands.
She spoke of the girls she took in, like Shui Bing'er, who had nowhere else to go. She painted a picture of quiet determination, of a woman who bore scars but refused to be broken.
Through it all, Yuan Longxuan listened in silence, his respect for her deepening with each word.
Eventually, her strength waned. The vulnerability she had hidden behind her position surfaced fully now.
When she finally leaned against him, her head resting lightly on his shoulder, her breathing was soft and steady.
Yuan Longxuan glanced down at her. The iron-willed Dean of Tianshui Academy looked so small, so human, so heartbreakingly gentle in this moment. He exhaled, carrying her upstairs with careful steps.
The second floor was simple yet warm. A wide bed draped in pale-blue sheets stood near the tall windows, where moonlight spilled in, painting the room in silver.
He laid her down gently, brushing a stray lock of hair from her cheek.
Normally, this would be where he left. Despite his reputation for shameless humor, Yuan Longxuan had his own code.
She had bared her scars, cried on his shoulder ....to take advantage of her now would be dishonorable.
But just as he turned to leave, a delicate hand gripped his wrist. Her fingers, soft but insistent, refused to let go.
"Ruyin…" he murmured.
Her face was flushed, her eyes hazy yet filled with clarity. No trace of sleep lingered in them now. Instead, there was a courage he had not seen before.
"Don't call me Dean here," she whispered, her voice trembling but determined. "Call me Ruyin… as a woman, not as a leader."
His heart jolted at the plea.
She sat up slowly, the moonlight spilling over her figure. For once, there was no trace of dignity or restraint, only vulnerability and yearning.
"Longxuan… I've wanted to say this for a long time. I don't want to carry regrets anymore." Her hand tightened around his.
"I want you. Not because I'm lonely, not because of obligation… but because I've chosen you. As a woman, this is my decision."
Her words left no space for misunderstanding. They weren't born from drunkenness, nor from manipulation .... only from a heart that had been wounded yet still dared to reach out.
Yuan Longxuan's breath deepened. His instincts stirred, the man within him responding to her honesty. Yet still, he asked quietly,
"Are you certain? Once I step across this line, there's no turning back."
Han Ruyin smiled faintly, her eyes glistening with both fear and courage. "I've lived too much of my life in chains. For once, let me follow my heart. Let me be selfish."
The silence stretched, filled only by the rhythm of their breathing. Then, slowly, Yuan Longxuan's stern expression softened.
He lifted his hand, brushing her cheek with unexpected tenderness.
"Very well," he whispered. "Tonight, I'll see you not as Dean Han, but as Ruyin .... the woman before me."
Her eyes fluttered shut as his words sank in, and the last of her defenses crumbled.
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