The West Residence courtyard was quiet in the late afternoon, bathed in the soft amber glow of the sinking sun. Crickets chirped faintly in the tall grass at the edges, and the air carried the dry warmth of the day, laced with the faint scent of pine.
XiaoQi moved through her practice with sharp intent. Her fists struck out, each jab slicing the air. Her footwork echoed softly across the flagstones as she kicked, pivoted, and shifted her stance again. Sweat glistened at her temples, strands of hair sticking to her cheeks, but her eyes blazed with determination.
Bai Hu lounged on the steps, tail swishing lazily, though his golden eyes tracked her movements with the scrutiny of a seasoned master.
"Lower your stance," he drawled. "You'll topple over the moment someone sweeps your leg."
"I will not," she shot back, adjusting anyway.
Her body stilled mid-motion when the faintest crunch of gravel reached her ears. She didn't turn immediately, but every sense sharpened. Someone was watching.
"Impressive," a deep voice said at last, smooth and cool as water over stone. "But sloppy on the pivot."
XiaoQi snapped her head around.
DongZe stood at the edge of the courtyard, framed by the light of the setting sun. His arms were folded, his dark robes falling in crisp lines around him. For once, there was no harshness in his expression, only a quiet, calculating gaze that seemed to take in every detail of her posture.
Her breath caught before she masked it with a glare. "What are you doing here? Trying to critique me now?"
He stepped closer, unhurried, his boots silent against the stone. "I've noticed your skill improving." His voice was low, carrying no hint of mockery this time. "Better than most men of your age. Almost enough to make me... reconsider my opinion of you."
"Almost?" she repeated, lifting her chin, her chest still rising with the rhythm of training. "So no matter what I do, it will never be enough for you?"
His lips curved, the faintest suggestion of a smirk. "You misunderstand. I do not doubt your spirit, XiaoQi. I doubt your discipline."
The words pricked, not because they were cruel, but because they struck close to the truth. She clenched her fists and squared her shoulders. "Then teach me."
"Teach you?" DongZe's voice dipped, testing the shape of the words. "You would take me as your instructor?"
XiaoQi's jaw tightened, heat flushing her cheeks. "Don't twist it. I only meant... if you think you know better, prove it. Otherwise, keep your opinions to yourself."
A low chuckle escaped him, startling her. It was rare, deep, and quiet, but it rolled through the courtyard like a ripple over still water.
He stepped closer still, until the amber light painted sharp edges across his cheekbones. "Very well," he murmured. "But do not forget—when you invite a wolf into the ring, you should be prepared to be bitten."
Her pulse skipped, though she masked it with a scoff. "Then I'll make sure my claws are sharper than your teeth."
Bai Hu stretched, yawning, though his whiskers twitched with amusement. "This will be entertaining."
XiaoQi raised her fists again, heart pounding, not from training but from the weight of DongZe's presence so near.
He shed his outer robe in one fluid motion, folding it neatly over a nearby stone bench. His movements were precise, disciplined, almost ritualistic, and she could not help but notice the quiet strength beneath the silk, the way his frame cast long shadows across the courtyard floor.
"Show me," he said at last, his eyes locked on hers. "Everything you've got."
XiaoQi dropped into her stance again, knees bent, fists up, every nerve sparking. The golden light washed over her flushed skin, and for the first time, she felt as though this fight wasn't about proving herself to anyone else—it was about him. About showing DongZe that she wasn't just some inconvenient pawn in his palace.
DongZe stood opposite, steady and grounded. His figure was lean yet unmistakably powerful, a quiet strength carved into every line of his body. He didn't move right away. He simply watched her, as though memorizing her stance, dissecting her before a single strike was thrown.
The silence pressed on her ears until she snapped. "What are you waiting for? Afraid I might bruise that princely pride of yours?"
His lips curved faintly, but he did not rise to her taunt. Instead, he shifted into his own stance, his movements effortless, balanced, utterly controlled.
"Come," he said simply.
Her pulse quickened. She launched forward, her fist cutting through the air toward his chest. He parried smoothly, deflecting her strike with the edge of his hand. The force jolted her wrist, but she recovered quickly, spinning to aim a kick at his side.
He caught her ankle mid-air.
The sudden grip sent a jolt of shock through her. He held her easily, his hand firm but not cruel, his dark eyes gleaming as they locked onto hers. "Too obvious," he murmured.
Her heart hammered, not from fear but from the closeness, the way his breath brushed her skin.
She twisted sharply, yanking free, and retaliated with a punch toward his jaw. This time, his palm shot up and caught her fist an inch before impact. The heat of his skin seared against hers. For a moment they were locked there, strength against strength, neither willing to back down.
"You're strong," he admitted quietly, his voice low, threaded with something that unsettled her. "Stronger than most women I have met."
"Good," she shot back, her breath quickening. "Then remember that the next time you think you can cage me."
He pushed her hand away, forcing her to stumble back a step, and his smirk returned, sharper now. "Caged birds only sing because someone listens. You... are no bird."
Before she could retort, he lunged. His speed was startling. His palm came for her shoulder, but she sidestepped at the last moment, grabbing his wrist and twisting. For a heartbeat she thought she had him.
But then he moved like water, flowing with her momentum. In a flash, he spun, sweeping her legs from beneath her. She gasped as the ground rushed up, but instead of stone, she felt his arm catch her back, breaking her fall.
Her face was inches from his chest, the faint scent of sandalwood wrapping around her. His hand steadied her, splayed against her waist.
The world stilled.
XiaoQi's breath came fast, her body rigid under his touch. She tilted her head up and found his gaze fixed on her, dark and unreadable. The heat in those eyes made her throat go dry.
"Clumsy," he whispered, though the word was softer than usual, almost reluctant.
She bristled, her pride flaring hotter than the flush in her cheeks. "Let me go."
For a moment, he didn't. His hand lingered, thumb brushing against the edge of her sash as if testing his own restraint. Then, with controlled slowness, he released her. She stepped back quickly, heart pounding, her fists curling at her sides.
"That was not a lesson," she snapped, forcing her voice to steady. "That was cheating."
He tilted his head, studying her with that same infuriating calm. "In a real fight, no one fights fair."
She wanted to scream, to throw another punch, to wipe that maddening composure from his face. But beneath her irritation, another feeling churned, one far more dangerous. She could still feel the ghost of his hand at her waist, the heat where his body had steadied hers.
Bai Hu broke the silence with a dramatic sigh. "If this is training, then I pray it never ends. I cannot decide which is more amusing—their fists or their hearts."
XiaoQi's face burned. "Shut up, Bai Hu!"
DongZe's smirk deepened, and he bent to retrieve his robe from the bench. His movements were unhurried, precise, as though nothing in this courtyard had shaken his composure. Yet when his gaze flicked back to her, it lingered a moment too long.
"You are improving," he said finally, his tone unreadable. "But you have a long way to go."
She huffed, lifting her chin. "Then I will keep improving, and one day I will best you."
His eyes glinted, something dangerous and amused stirring in their depths. "I look forward to the attempt."
With that, he turned and left the courtyard, the last rays of sunlight catching on the sharp lines of his profile.
The courtyard was quiet except for the rustle of leaves in the late breeze.
But then—her instincts flared.
She stiffened before she even turned. His presence was unmistakable, the weight of his gaze pressing against her skin. She had grown almost too used to sensing him like this.
When she spun around, DongZe was already behind her, closer than she expected. The air between them seemed to tighten, charged with something dangerous and unfamiliar. His expression wasn't the usual mask of control. There was a shadow in his eyes, lined with frustration... and beneath it, a flicker of something unguarded.
"Crown Prince—" she began, her voice sharp.
In a single breath he closed the distance, his hand brushing her arm as he leaned in. His lips caught hers in a sudden, heated kiss.
Her entire body went rigid. Her eyes widened, her fists clenched tight. The world shrank into the press of his mouth against hers, the heat of his breath, the startling strength of the arm that kept her from stumbling back.
She gasped against him, shoving at his chest. He drew back just enough for her to breathe, but not far enough to release her.
"W-what are you—!" Her voice cracked, her breath unsteady.
His gaze burned into hers, uncharacteristically unsteady. There was colour high on his cheeks, his jaw taut as though he despised his own impulse. His voice came out rough, almost strangled. "I... could not help it."
XiaoQi's heart pounded so hard she thought it might break free from her chest. Anger flared as much to mask her confusion as to defend her pride. She shoved harder, her palms flattening against him. "You cannot just kiss me whenever you like! And here of all places! What if someone had seen us?"
Her voice pitched higher at the thought. Palace corridors, sharp-eyed servants, watchful concubines. Scandal. Gossip. Her ruin.
But DongZe did not step back. His lips curved slightly, betraying a flicker of mischief that seemed to soften the storm in his eyes. "If anyone had seen," he murmured, his tone husky, "they would understand why I cannot stay away from you."
Her face ignited. "Do not say such shameful things!" she hissed, swatting at his chest like she could bat the words out of the air. But the force behind her gesture was weak, betrayed by the tremor in her hand.
His hand rose slowly, deliberately, until his fingers brushed against her cheek. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his touch featherlight. "I should not," he admitted, his voice softer now, threaded with something dangerous and unfamiliar. "It is inappropriate. Reckless. But seeing you like this... so fierce, so unyielding... it drives me to madness."
Her breath caught. His eyes did not waver. They stayed on her, heavy and searching, as though waiting for her to look away first.
XiaoQi crossed her arms suddenly, as if the act could build a wall between them. She stomped a foot against the stone, her voice trembling with outrage she did not entirely feel. "You—you madman! Control yourself, Crown Prince!"
He laughed, low and reluctant, the sound vibrating in his chest. It was not his usual mocking tone but something warmer, rougher at the edges. He leaned just enough to make her feel the heat of his presence, close enough that her pulse skipped.
"Madman?" he repeated, his lips curving into a dangerous smile. "Perhaps. But a madman hopelessly captivated by a certain wildcat."
XiaoQi's throat tightened. Words pressed against her tongue, but none escaped. Her pulse thrummed in her ears, drowning out thought, leaving only the echo of his words and the heat that still lingered on her lips.
DongZe's smirk deepened at her fluster, though his gaze softened again for just a heartbeat before he stepped back and left for real.
XiaoQi stormed into her chambers, slamming the door behind her. The sound echoed, loud enough to rattle the small lanterns lining the walls. She leaned against the door for a moment, pressing a hand to her chest to steady the wild rhythm of her pulse.
Bai Hu perched on the edge of the low table, tail flicking, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "I say, XiaoQi, I have never seen you this flustered. Not even when the Crown Prince chased you through the courtyard like a fool."
XiaoQi whirled, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Shut up, Bai Hu! You are insufferable!"
He tilted his head, the faintest twitch of a grin appearing. "Oh, I am merely observing. It is remarkable how a single kiss can reduce the fiercest woman in the palace to stammering and blushing."
Her cheeks burned hotter at his words. She pressed her palms against them, her breath coming faster as she paced. "I cannot believe him. He—he kissed me! Out of nowhere! Right there! In the open courtyard! What if someone had seen? The scandal..."
Bai Hu yawned dramatically, unbothered by the gravity of her concern. "You are fuming, yet your heart dances. I detect it. Even your claws are quivering."
XiaoQi stomped, nearly tripping over her own feet. "I do not... dance! And it is maddening! He is infuriating and... and unbearable!" Her voice cracked despite her effort. She pressed her hands to her temples, willing herself to think, to breathe. But the memory of his lips, his gaze, the warmth of his body so near, refused to leave her mind.
Meanwhile, in the quiet of the Crown Prince's chambers, DongZe paced the room. His cloak was tossed carelessly over a chair, his boots scuffing the polished floor. He clenched his fists, jaw tight, mind a tempest.
He had kissed her. He had kissed XiaoQi. And instead of the satisfaction he expected, a storm of restlessness had taken its place. The memory of her sharp eyes, the defiance she had wielded like a weapon even while trembling under his lips, haunted him relentlessly.
"I am a fool," he muttered to himself, voice rough, almost inaudible. "A fool for letting her get this... under my skin."
He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the dark strands in frustration. His chest felt tight, every muscle taut with the memory of her heat, the sparkle of anger and fire in her eyes. He had always been in control. He had never been undone by anyone... until now.
"Impossible," he whispered, pacing again. "She is infuriating. Clever. Wild. Untameable... and yet—" His voice faltered, lips pressing into a thin line. "And yet I cannot stop thinking of her. Not for a moment. Not even in the quiet of my own chambers."
He paused at the window, staring out at the courtyard, now bathed in the last golden light of dusk. He clenched his jaw, forcing his mind back to reason. "She is not mine to... to think of this way. I am the Crown Prince. I cannot afford weakness. I cannot..."
The words faltered. He closed his eyes, imagining the curve of her jaw, the flare of her nostrils when she had shouted at him, the way her hair had fallen across her flushed cheeks. His chest tightened again.