The light around them flared, shaking the air. Yuyan stumbled back, shielding her eyes. The runes around Mei's body spun wildly, the markings crawling from her skin to Leng Yue's hand where they connected.
Then, silence.
Everything went still.
For a long moment, no one dared breathe.
"Leng Yue?" Yuyan whispered.
He didn't move. Mei lay motionless beside him, their fingers intertwined.
Tian Yu's jaw tightened. "He's gone too deep."
Yuyan's heart sank. "No…"
Suddenly, Mei gasped sharply and sat up, her eyes wide and filled with tears.
"Mei!" Yuyan rushed forward, holding her shoulders. "You're back!"
But Mei didn't seem to hear her. Her gaze was fixed on Leng Yue's pale face. "Leng Yue…" she whispered, voice trembling. She touched his cheek, cold. His chest still.
"No," she whispered again, shaking her head. "No, no, no… you promised."
Her voice broke completely as she fell over him, sobbing. "You said you'd bring me home… please, wake up!"
Tian Yu turned away, his throat tightening. Yuyan pressed her lips together, tears forming. The room was so silent that Mei's quiet cries echoed like bells.
She gripped his hands tightly. "Don't leave me again," she whispered. "Don't you dare…"
And then... A faint sound. Followed by a breath.
Mei froze, lifting her head in disbelief. Leng Yue's fingers twitched beneath hers. His chest rose, shallow but steady.
Yuyan gasped. "He's, he's breathing!"
Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. The same silver glow flickered within them, gentle and tired.
He smiled faintly, his voice rough and low. "Seems… I kept my promise."
Mei broke completely then, tears spilling as she threw her arms around him. "You idiot!" she cried into his shoulder. "Don't ever do that again!"
Leng Yue laughed weakly, wrapping his trembling arms around her. "You brought me back, Mei."
Yuyan turned away to hide her tears, while Tian Yu let out a shaky exhale. The air in the room felt different now, lighter, warmer, and alive.
The curse was broken. The illusion gone.
Only their hearts, Warm for each other that remained.
And for the first time in a long, long while,
Mei was truly home.
____
Back to princess Moyin and prince Rong Yuan tale.
The forest path stretched long beneath the moonlight, quiet except for the distant song of crickets. A soft breeze stirred the branches overhead as Princess Moyin and the Rong Yuan she'd hired walked side by side, their shadows swaying gently on the dirt road.
Moyin held the edge of her cloak close, her steps light but quick. Every now and then she glanced at the man beside her, the so-called wanderer who had agreed, after much hesitation, to guide her to Xiyue after been paid.
"You've been quiet," she said after a while, tilting her head. "Do you always walk in silence?"
He gave a faint chuckle. "Only when I travel with someone who keeps secrets."
Her heart skipped, but she forced a smile. "Secrets? I told you everything, my father wants to marry me off to the prince of Yunhai, a man twice my age and have no sense."
He glanced at her, his eyes glinting in the lantern's dim light. "So you ran away."
"Wouldn't you?" she asked. "Everyone knows, that the prince of Yunhai is a fool who beat people " She sighed dramatically. "I can't imagine being bound to a man like that."
The man's smile didn't reach his eyes this time as he said. "Perhaps fools have hearts too."
She looked at him curiously, but his face was hidden beneath his hood again, the flickering light revealing only his jawline — sharp, calm, unreadable.
"I'm going to Xiyue to meet my sister," she continued quickly, wanting to change the topic. "She'll help me hide until everything settles down."
"Your sister," he repeated, his tone unreadable. "Is she expecting you?"
Moyin hesitated, then looked away. "Not exactly. But she will help me. She always does."
The man nodded, saying nothing more. For a long while, they walked in silence again, their footsteps the only sound between them.
When they reached a small clearing by the stream, he stopped and set down the lantern. "We'll rest here for the night," he said.
Moyin looked around uncertainly. "Here? It's… lonely."
"It's safe," he replied simply, crouching near the water to wash his hands. "The roads ahead are less forgiving."
As he spoke, Moyin watched him, the quiet strength in his movements, the steady calm in his voice. Something about him didn't match the image of a poor wanderer. There was grace in him, a kind of discipline that felt… royal.
She quickly shook the thought from her mind and sat on a rock nearby. "You speak like someone who knows danger well," she said lightly.
He looked up at her with the faintest smile. "And you speak like someone who's never feared it."
"Maybe I haven't," she said, lifting her chin. "Not yet."
He chuckled softly. "Then I hope Xiyue doesn't teach you otherwise."
For a brief moment, their gazes met, something unspoken passed between them.
As the night deepened, wrapping the forest in silver mist. Fireflies drifted lazily above the stream, their lights winking like tiny stars fallen to earth. Moyin sat near the water's edge, her cloak drawn tight, watching the Rong Yuan, her hired guide, as he gathered dry branches and built a small fire.
He moved with quiet precision. Every gesture was practiced, efficient, not at all like a poor wanderer. Moyin noticed, but said nothing. Instead, she leaned her cheek against her knees and let the firelight warm her face.
"You're quite skilled," she said softly. "For someone who claims to live by the road."
He smiled faintly, eyes on the flame. "A wanderer learns quickly. The world doesn't wait for the slow."
"Hmm." She tilted her head. "You don't look like someone who's ever gone hungry."
His hand paused briefly, then resumed feeding the fire. "Appearances deceive, prin..., Miss."
She frowned slightly. "You almost said something else."
He gave a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "You imagine things."
For a while, silence returned. The crackle of burning wood filled the air. The smell of pine drifted through the cool night.
Moyin couldn't stop herself from glancing at him again. His profile in the glow of the fire was striking, he looks calm and dignified, almost regal. There was something about the way he looked at the flames, as though he'd seen too many wars and not enough peace.
She broke the silence again. "You know, you don't speak like someone poor. Even your words sound… polished."
"Does that bother you?" he asked mildly.
"No," she said quickly, then frowned. "But it makes me wonder. Why would someone like you choose to live this way?"
He looked at her for a long moment, the corners of his mouth curving faintly. "Sometimes curiousity has a prize ."
She blinked. "That's not an answer."
"It's the only one I have," he murmured.
She sighed and turned away, annoyed yet oddly intrigued. "You really are impossible."
"Perhaps," he said, standing to toss another branch into the fire. "But I'll still get you safely to Xiyue, as promised."
Her expression softened. "I never doubted that."
He gave a quiet smile, one that held more warmth than his words. For a brief moment, under the hush of night, their discussion covered the distance between them.