Moonlight spilled through the carved lattice windows of Yuan Ai's residence, pouring across the chamber like liquid silver. The world beyond was silent—no cicadas, no wind—only stillness, as if even heaven itself dared not intrude upon what had just transpired.
The silk sheets upon the great bed were in disarray, creased and twisted like waves frozen mid-tide. The air remained warm, heavy with lingering emotion that refused to disperse.
Beneath a single embroidered blanket lay two mature women, breathless and undone.
Golden hair tangled with dark.Rosy cheeks had yet to cool.Their bodies lay close—not in passion now, but in the fragile stillness that followed it.
The storm had passed.Yet the thunder still echoed in their hearts.
Feng Rou lay on her back, one arm resting across her chest, her breath uneven as she struggled to calm the rhythm of her heart. The dignified matriarch of the Feng Clan—once composed, unshakable—now looked no different from a young woman caught in her first reckless mistake.
Her voice emerged soft, almost trembling.
"Yuan Ai… I…"She swallowed."I can't believe we actually… that we truly…"
She could not finish the sentence.
Beside her, Yuan Ai turned her head slowly. Her golden hair spilled across the pillow like molten sunlight, her sharp eyes unfocused, as though she were staring not at the ceiling—but at fate itself.
Her own breathing was far from steady.
"Don't say it," Yuan Ai murmured, lifting an arm to cover her eyes. "If you say it… I'll start thinking about it again."
Feng Rou drew the blanket tighter around her shoulders, as though the thin silk could shield her from her own thoughts.
"But how did it even come to this…?" she whispered."We were only talking… only drinking tea…"
Yuan Ai's throat tightened.
Because we were both exhausted.Because our hearts were already unguarded.Because the same shadow lingered in both our minds…
She bit her lip, frustration flickering across her face.
"…Blame Qin Su," Yuan Ai muttered darkly. "That man is a calamity. Even when he's not present, he throws people into chaos."
At the sound of his name, Feng Rou's heart skipped painfully.
Qin Su…Why does even his shadow disturb me like this?Is this truly love…?Why now? Why him?
Heat rushed to her cheeks once more.
"This is wrong," Feng Rou whispered. "I don't understand myself anymore…"
Yuan Ai glanced at her sidelong.
She meant to scoff.She meant to tease.
Instead, what rose within her chest was something uncomfortably close to sympathy.
And recognition.
She's fallen.Just like I did.
And after tonight…
Yuan Ai exhaled slowly.
"…You're in danger, Feng Rou."
Feng Rou turned, startled.
"Danger…?"
"Yes." Yuan Ai's voice softened, losing its usual sharp edge. "If Qin Su ever truly turns his attention toward you—if he takes you seriously—you won't escape."
She turned her gaze away.
"Just like I didn't."
Feng Rou's breath caught in her throat.
Suddenly, Yuan Ai sat up.
The movement was abrupt, decisive—like a blade drawn from its sheath. She reached for the jade slip resting beside the bed.
Feng Rou's eyes widened in alarm.
"Yuan Ai—what are you doing?!" she exclaimed, instinctively clutching the blanket to her chest.
"I'm sending Qin Su a message," Yuan Ai replied, far too calmly.
Feng Rou nearly combusted.
"WHAT?!""Are you mad? We're in— we just— we—!""How can you summon him now?!"
Yuan Ai froze, jade slip glowing faintly in her hand.
Why am I calling him?To provoke him? To mock him?…Or because some reckless part of me wants him here?
Her fingers tightened.
"…I don't know," she admitted quietly.
And still—
She sent the message.
Come to my residence. Now.
Feng Rou collapsed back onto the pillows, burying her face in her hands.
"I've lost my dignity…" she groaned.
Moments passed.
Then—
Footsteps approached.
Steady. Unhurried.
A soft knock echoed against the door.
Yuan Ai and Feng Rou froze as if struck by a sealing technique.
The door slid open.
Qin Su stepped inside.
"Yuan Ai," he began, brow slightly furrowed. "Your message sounded urgent—"
He stopped.
His pupils contracted.
Two women.In the same bed.Faces flushed.Wrapped beneath a single blanket.Staring at him as though caught in the act of committing a heavenly sin.
His jaw slackened.
"…I came because I thought something was wrong," he said slowly."But now I'm not sure if I've walked into something far more dangerous."
Yuan Ai reacted instantly, pointing at Feng Rou.
"She seduced me."
"WHAT?!" Feng Rou shrieked. "YOU STARTED IT!"
Qin Su blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"…I don't think I should be here."
Both women shouted in unison—
"DON'T LEAVE!"
Silence fell like a thunderclap.
Qin Su stared.Feng Rou panicked.Yuan Ai, for the first time in many years—
Deeply regretted her decisions.
And the threads of fate, once tangled, tightened even further beneath the moonlit sky.