In the stillness of the night, a gentle breeze carried the faint scent of spring flowers. Bai Tian awoke unintentionally, his eyes drawn to the scattered stars twinkling in the night sky. Without much thought, he stepped outside, crossing the cold stone corridor toward the edge of the Mu family garden.
Beneath the moonlight, he saw the slender figure of a girl sitting with her back turned. Her knees were drawn up, shoulders trembling slightly. Tears shimmered on her cheeks, falling slowly like dew on the tip of a leaf.
Curiosity stirred deeply within Bai Tian's heart. He approached cautiously, as if afraid to disturb the fragile silence. At a certain distance, the moonlight revealed her face.
She looked to be sixteen or seventeen. Her skin was as white as snow, smooth like porcelain. Her lips were softly red, like flower petals newly blossomed at dawn. Her nose was delicate and graceful, while her eyes—clear, deep, and pure like an untouched lake—held a poignant surprise.
Tenderness radiated from every line of her face, captivating anyone who looked upon her. At such a young age, she already possessed a charm that made one afraid to imagine her beauty in adulthood.
Under the moonlight, she was like a white flower growing amid the snow—simple, beautiful, fragile, and untouchable. Yet, what Bai Tian did not know was that this girl was his fiancée.
Staring at her, Bai Tian stepped closer. Unconsciously, two words slipped from his lips,"Miss?"
The beautiful girl turned her head, her eyes expressionless without the slightest change."Oh… Young Master Xiao. Why are you here?"
Bai Tian shook his head gently, his gaze fixed on the star-studded sky."Just looking at the sky. And… what are you doing here?"
She glanced at him briefly, then averted her eyes, as if choosing to ignore his question.
Bai Tian fell silent, then took a slow step forward. He did not sit beside her, but rather a little away—close enough to feel her presence, but not so close as to intrude.
He looked up at the night sky, letting the silence envelop them once more. Moonlight fell softly on his face, reflecting a gentle gleam in his eyes. For some reason, though they did not speak, Bai Tian felt something unfamiliar yet warm.
For a moment, he glanced at the girl. Her small shoulders still trembled slightly, her face hidden behind the faint moonlight.
Bai Tian breathed out quietly, then returned his gaze to the sky. The stars above twinkled as if whispering secrets only the night could understand.
The night's silence crept between them, like a thin blanket wrapping two unfamiliar souls. Only the wind rustled softly through the leaves, carrying a subtle floral fragrance.
In that quiet, time seemed to slow. Each second stretched, as if waiting for someone to break the stillness. Bai Tian bowed his head slightly, feeling the coldness of the garden stones beneath him.
The silence was so fragile, as if a single drop of sound could shatter it.
Amid the quiet, Bai Tian began to notice things previously overlooked—the girl's fingers clenched the edge of her skirt, her breath catching, the gleam of tears unwilling to fall from the corners of her eyes.
He wanted to ask, but feared that words might chase away the delicate peace hanging between them.
Finally, with a voice nearly trembling, the girl asked,"Young Master Xio… do you believe in fate?"
Bai Tian turned."I… don't know," he answered briefly.
She lowered her head for a moment, then spoke again,"If so… what would you do if one day you learned your destiny?"
No answer came. Bai Tian only stared at the sky, now beginning to pale, as if searching for answers in a place that never gave them.
Perhaps that was the answer he sought—or perhaps it was the unspoken denial.
The girl stood. Her steps were slow but resolute, leaving Bai Tian still gazing at the sky.
Not far along, she stopped, glanced back, and let a tear fall. She stood there for a long while, until all her emotions broke free—sorrow, anger, and something unnamed—spilled out uncontrollably.
And beneath the twilight sky, she felt everything was happening exactly as it had been ordained… by a fate that could not be escaped.
Bai Tian remained standing, watching the back of the girl gradually disappear into the evening mist.
After a moment, he drew a long breath—whether to dispel the tightness in his chest or simply to confirm he was still in the real world, he did not know.
Without a word, he walked back to his room.
The next day, he visited his fiancée's residence with his father. The house stood simply, yet the atmosphere inside felt strange.
When his fiancée appeared, her face was covered by a thin veil."Forgive me… we are not yet bound in marriage. According to custom, a woman not yet a lawful wife must maintain certain boundaries," she said calmly, each word measured carefully, reflecting the heritage of propriety she upheld.
Nothing more was said. The conversation was brief, stiff, and filled with hollow politeness.
Finally, Bai Tian and his father decided to return home. On the way back, their steps were heavy—not because of the distance, but because of the thoughts each carried too full to share.
Bai Tian looked at the road ahead, letting the sound of their footsteps mingle with the rustling of leaves stirred by the wind.
"Fate…" he thought. "People say it's something certain. But why does it feel like a thread that slips further away whenever I try to grasp it?"
He recalled the girl's gaze from the night before—eyes filled with tears yet bravely meeting his—and also his fiancée's face hidden behind that thin veil.
"Two girls, two different distances… and I am stuck in the middle, directionless. Well, there's still plenty of time."
The evening sky began to darken. Shadows of trees stretched long along the road they walked, as if trying to swallow them into the darkness.
In Bai Tian's heart, he felt nothing was a coincidence. Perhaps this was what fate meant—not a sweet certainty, but a long road to be walked, even if each step felt hollow.
Not far away, at the end of the quiet street, a girl stood behind the trees. She was the one who asked about fate the night before.
Her eyes followed every step Bai Tian took until his figure disappeared around the corner.
On her face, there was no smile, only a look hard to interpret—a mixture of hope, regret, and something she herself could not explain. Tears welled again, but this time she did not try to hold them back.
"If this is truly fate… why does it feel like a punishment?" she whispered to the wind before turning and walking in the opposite direction.
Back at home, Bai Tian returned to his usual routine. Yet between activities, he often wondered why his father came so suddenly. That curiosity was finally answered when he learned that his fiancée's name was Mu Xingyue.