The night had been long and unkind.
DongZe had tossed and turned on his silk-strewn bed, the moonlight spilling across the chamber in silvery streams that painted shadows over the polished floor. No matter how he shifted, no matter how he focused on strategy, court affairs, or the endless scroll of petitions, her image haunted him.
Her sharp glare as she had shoved him away. The flush of her cheeks had matched the heat of the afternoon sun. The way her voice had cracked, just slightly, in the middle of a scolding. And the kiss. The kiss lingered most vividly, a spark that refused to be smothered by logic or decorum.
He groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes. "Why can I not stop thinking about her? Why does she wound me and unsettle me and ignite me all at once?"
Resignation finally settled over him like a cloak. If he could not command his thoughts, he could at least act. If he could not master his feelings, he could express them, even subtly.
The morning sunlight filtered through the high windows, gilding the chamber in a warm glow. He rose and straightened his dark robes, his movements precise but unusually hurried. Summoning his attendant, he gave orders that were uncharacteristic in both their specificity and their audacity.
"Prepare the finest silks in my collection," he said, voice low but commanding, each word deliberate. "Include the crimson and gold threads, the ones embroidered with the phoenix motif. Then bring those sweet plum candies from the southern province—the ones Lady Chen favours. Deliver them personally to her residence. And make certain to tell her they come from her future husband."
The attendant froze, a spoonful of awe caught in his throat. "Your Highness... future... future husband?"
DongZe rose to his feet, the golden hem of his robe catching the morning light. His expression was unreadable, his voice cool and absolute. "Did I stutter?"
"N-no, Your Highness!" The man bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched the floor.
As the servant scurried away, DongZe exhaled slowly, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose. What was he doing? Offering gifts, of all things? He was not some lovesick youth trying to win a maiden's favour. He was Crown Prince. He did not court. He commanded.
And yet... the thought of her receiving those silks, those candies, stirred something dangerously warm in his chest.
He imagined her reaction—how her lips might purse in suspicion, how she might accuse him of trying to bribe her, how her fox spirit would probably mock him openly. But beneath that, perhaps she would smile. Perhaps, if only for a fleeting moment, she would think of him not as her captor, not as the Crown Prince who had forced this betrothal, but as a man trying—foolishly, awkwardly—to reach her.
DongZe's hand tightened over the sleeve of his robe. The realization struck like a blade cutting through fog.
It was too late to retreat. He wanted her. Not as duty, not as a pawn, not even as a challenge. He wanted her, fiercely and wholly, and the thought of her belonging to anyone else filled him with a cold, consuming rage.
For once in his life, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Kingdom was powerless against a single woman's hold on his heart.
The morning sunlight filtered through the crooked beams of the West Residence, painting pale gold across the cracked floor tiles. XiaoQi was just finishing her training when the sound of hurried footsteps disturbed the stillness.
Bai Hu lifted his head from where he lounged on the wall. His ears twitched, and his tail flicked with mild annoyance. "Visitors. And not the kind you will enjoy."
XiaoQi wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve, muttering, "If it's another nosy servant, I'll throw them out."
The rustle of silk robes and the soft grunt of men struggling with heavy chests confirmed that this was no ordinary visit. She turned, frowning, as a group of attendants stepped into her courtyard. They bowed low, placing lacquered boxes before her.
The leading servant, red-faced from the weight of protocol, announced, "By order of His Highness, the Crown Prince... gifts are to be delivered to Lady Chen."
XiaoQi blinked. "Gifts?"
He gestured, and the lids of the boxes were lifted. Inside, bolts of shimmering silk gleamed in shades of jade, ivory, and crimson. Another chest revealed neatly arranged candies wrapped in delicate gold paper, their sweet aroma drifting out at once.
Her jaw nearly dropped. She quickly caught herself, folding her arms as suspicion hardened her expression. "And why would the Crown Prince send me such things?"
The servant hesitated, then swallowed hard. "His Highness commands that these be presented to Lady Chen... from her future husband."
The courtyard went still.
XiaoQi's face turned crimson as Bai Hu gave a loud snort, rolling onto his back with laughter. "Future husband? Oh, this is rich. The great Crown Prince sending silks and sweets like a lovestruck boy. I should have brought popcorn."
"Shut up," XiaoQi hissed at her spirit companion, then spun back to the attendants. Her pulse was hammering in her ears, her face hot, but she forced her voice to remain sharp. "You may return to His Highness with my thanks, but tell him this—" She jabbed a finger toward the chests. "—I am no delicate lady who swoons for silk and sugar."
The attendants exchanged nervous glances, clearly torn between duty and fear of relaying her words. The leading servant stammered, "L-Lady Chen... His Highness will... expect you to accept..."
"I said take them back," she snapped, though the candy's scent was already tempting her traitorous stomach.
Bai Hu chuckled again, his golden eyes gleaming. "Admit it, XiaoQi. You want to taste one."
Her cheeks burned hotter. She crouched, snatched one of the candies, and unwrapped it with fierce determination. She bit into it, refusing to show hesitation. The taste burst across her tongue—sweet, tart, and far too delicious.
She froze, cursing under her breath.
The servant tried to hide a smile. "Shall I inform His Highness... that you enjoyed it?"
Her eyes flashed. "Inform His Highness... that if he continues sending such nonsense, I will personally march to his palace and throw it back in his face!"
The attendants bowed quickly, murmuring assent before retreating with hasty steps.
Only when the courtyard was quiet again did XiaoQi slump onto the nearest stone bench, groaning and burying her face in her hands. "What is he thinking? Calling himself my future husband, sending gifts like this..."
Bai Hu flicked his tail lazily. "He is thinking that he has fallen headfirst into a pit he cannot climb out of. And you are the one who pushed him."
XiaoQi shot him a glare, cheeks still flushed. "Don't be ridiculous."
But the warmth spreading through her chest betrayed her denial.
The palace corridors were alive with whispers by the time the attendants returned to DongZe's chambers. They carried the unopened chests back in silence, as if the silks and sweets themselves carried shame.
DongZe glanced up from the scroll he had been pretending to read. His sharp eyes caught at once the weight in their steps, the way they bowed lower than usual, their lips pressed tight as though fearful of their own tongues.
"Well?" His voice was calm, but the undercurrent of steel made one servant tremble.
The leader of the attendants stepped forward and knelt. "Your Highness... Lady Chen refused the gifts."
DongZe stilled. "Refused?"
The servant swallowed. "She insisted she was no delicate lady to be swayed by silks and sweets. She... she instructed us to tell you... if you continue sending such things, she will march into the palace herself and throw them back in your face."
For a moment, the chamber was silent. The attendants held their breath, expecting the storm.
Then DongZe's lips curved, not into anger, but into something far more unsettling: amusement.
"She said that?" His tone was low, almost thoughtful.
The servant dared to nod. "Y-yes, Your Highness."
DongZe leaned back in his chair, one hand resting against his chin. The faintest gleam lit his eyes, the kind of gleam that made ministers flinch and rivals curse. "Good," he murmured. "Let her throw them. I will give her more, until her arms are too full to lift anything at me."
The attendants blinked in shock. This was not the fury they had braced for.
DongZe tapped the scroll on his desk, though his mind was far from it now. He could see her in his thoughts—her flushed cheeks, the spark in her eyes, the sharp tilt of her chin when she defied him. Stubborn little wildcat. She thought she had won by refusing. Yet even now, the servant's awkward glance betrayed something.
"You are hiding something," DongZe said suddenly, his voice a blade.
The leader of the attendants froze. "N-no, Your Highness."
DongZe's gaze sharpened. "Speak."
The man collapsed to his knees fully. "Forgive me, Your Highness. Lady Chen... she did eat one of the candies. She declared she would return the rest, but..." He hesitated, then blurted, "...she seemed to enjoy it greatly."
Silence.
Then, to their utter confusion, the Crown Prince laughed.
It was not his usual cold chuckle or mocking smirk. This was quiet, low, a laugh that carried weight and warmth at once. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, the smile refusing to leave his face.
"She ate one," he repeated softly, as if savouring the words. "So, her tongue is more honest than her mouth."
The attendants lowered their heads further, unsure whether to fear or relax.
DongZe waved them off with a flick of his hand. "Leave the silks. As for the candies..." He paused, considering, then his smile deepened. "Bring twice as many tomorrow. And tell her they are from her future husband again. If she dares march into the palace... I will be waiting."
The servants scurried away, eager to escape the weight of his presence.
When the chamber was empty, DongZe let out a slow breath and leaned back once more. His heart, traitorous as it was, had not calmed since the report. The image of her biting into the sweet, stubbornly refusing to admit she liked it, was branded in his mind.
He closed his eyes briefly. Why does everything about her draw me closer, even her defiance?
And though he told himself he should stop, that indulging this fire was dangerous, his lips curved again.
"XiaoQi," he murmured into the silence, "you will learn soon enough. You may resist with your lips, but your heart... will betray you."
***
The following morning, XiaoQi was stretching in the courtyard of the West Residence when a sharp knock echoed from the gates.
She frowned. No one visited her unless it was another errand meant to remind her of her exile.
Bai Hu's ears flicked. "I smell trouble. And sugar."
XiaoQi scowled and marched to the gates. The moment she swung them open, her eyes widened.
Two attendants bowed low, struggling to balance not one, but three lacquered chests between them. A fourth carried a basket brimming with plum candies wrapped in delicate golden paper.
"Lady XiaoQi," one attendant said nervously. "His Highness, the Crown Prince, sends these... with his regards."
XiaoQi's jaw dropped. "Again?!"
The attendants flinched at her raised voice. "H-his Highness instructed us to tell you these gifts are from... your future husband."
Her face turned scarlet, rage bubbling so violently she nearly slammed the gates shut on the spot. "Future—what?!"
Bai Hu snickered behind her. "Oh, this is good. I approve of the Crown Prince's sense of humour."
XiaoQi whirled on him. "You are supposed to be on my side!"
"I am," Bai Hu replied, tail curling smugly. "That's why I'm enjoying this."
She turned back to the attendants, hands planted on her hips. "Tell your master that if he insists on sending these absurd gifts, I will return them to him personally. In front of the entire court. Let us see how amusing he finds that."
The attendants exchanged nervous glances, sweat beading at their temples. "Lady Chen... forgive us, but His Highness anticipated such a response. He instructed us to say... that he would be waiting."
XiaoQi's cheeks burned hotter. "That arrogant, insufferable—!"
Before she could continue her tirade, Bai Hu leapt gracefully onto one of the chests, sniffing curiously at the basket of candies. With a flick of his paw, he knocked one wrapped sweet to the ground.
XiaoQi bent down instinctively, snatched it up, and glared at him. "Do not even think about it."
Bai Hu's whiskers twitched. "You're drooling."
"I am not!" she snapped, though her fingers lingered on the smooth golden wrapper. She could still taste the one she had eaten yesterday, the burst of sweet plum melting against her tongue.
Her stomach betrayed her with a faint growl.
Bai Hu chuckled. "Your resolve is strong, but your stomach is louder."
XiaoQi carefully lifted the lid, revealing the neatly wrapped candies, identical to the ones from the previous day. Her fingers brushed against the wrappers, and she felt a flutter she refused to name. For a long moment, she considered returning them, staging a dramatic protest. But her resolve cracked under the temptation.
A small, guilty smile tugged at her lips. She tucked the candies into a hidden pocket of her sash. "He will not know. Let him think I rejected them."
XiaoQi tore the wrapper open in a sudden, violent motion, as if punishing the candy itself. She popped it into her mouth, glaring furiously at the attendants. "Fine. I will eat one. Just one. But the rest—you can drag them back to your master and tell him I am not some silly girl to be bought with silk and sugar."
Her words were sharp, but her voice wavered slightly around the candy as the sweetness spread across her tongue. She closed her eyes despite herself, the taste dangerously comforting.
The attendants bowed deeply, hiding their smiles. "As you command, Lady Chen."
When they finally retreated with the heavy chests, XiaoQi spun and stomped back into the courtyard, cheeks still flushed. She spat out her words like arrows.
"He thinks he can wear me down with silks and sweets? Ha! Let him try! I will never yield to his schemes!"
Bai Hu stretched lazily on the stone steps, his tail curling like smoke. "You say that now, but every war is lost when the enemy learns your weakness."
XiaoQi crossed her arms, pacing furiously. "I do not have a weakness."
Bai Hu's grin was wicked. "You do. And apparently, it tastes like plums."
XiaoQi's hands flew up to cover her burning face. "You—! Argh!" She spun and kicked at the air, her robe flaring with the force of her frustration.