The Ancestral Hall — Midnight
The house had settled into that deep quiet old buildings get after midnight. The kind where even small sounds feel deliberate.
The ancestral hall lights were dim. Just two candles placed in front of the old altar tablets. No incense smoke yet.
Qiū Huà Bǐ stood near the doorway with his arms folded.
He still didn't fully understand how he ended up here.
An hour ago he was looking for tea.
Now he was apparently a witness to some kind of ancient ritual.
He looked from Violet… to Yè Yī… back to Violet.
Why am I even here?
Preparing the Ritual
Yè Yī moved with familiarity.
This wasn't something he had done before, but he clearly knew the structure of it. These kinds of rites were simple by design. They weren't meant to be grand.
They were meant to be binding.
He placed three items on the low altar table.
• Two small cups
• A bottle of clear liquor
• A small bowl
Qiū Huà Bǐ leaned closer to look.
"No blood?" he asked.
Yè Yī didn't even turn his head.
"Only if people want to dramatize it."
"Good," Qiū Huà Bǐ muttered. "I didn't sign up for vampire ceremonies."
Violet stepped forward and studied the setup.
"Explain," she said.
Not hesitant. Just wanting clarity.
Yè Yī gestured toward the floor.
"We kneel."
She nodded once.
Then she knelt immediately.
No hesitation.
Qiū Huà Bǐ blinked.
She really just… did it.
Yè Yī knelt beside her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
The ancestral tablets watched from above.
The Witness Qiū Huà Bǐ shifted awkwardly.
"Do I… stand somewhere special?"
"You're the witness," Yè Yī said.
"That means?"
"You confirm the oath happened."
Qiū Huà Bǐ rubbed his face.
"I was literally just looking for tea."
Violet glanced at him.
"You're here now."
That was apparently the end of that discussion.
Qiū Huà Bǐ sighed.
"Fine. I'll witness the hell out of this."
He leaned against a pillar.
Still confused.
Still watching.
The Oath Begins
Yè Yī poured liquor into both cups.
Then he handed one to Violet.
She examined it briefly.
"What do we say?" she asked.
Yè Yī spoke clearly.
"Repeat after me."
She nodded.
He lifted the cup slightly toward the ancestral tablets.
"I, Yè Yī, swear before heaven and earth—"
Violet repeated immediately.
"I, Violet, swear before heaven and earth."
Her tone wasn't ceremonial.
It was direct.
Like signing a contract.
Yè Yī continued.
"From this day forward, we acknowledge each other as sworn siblings."
Violet repeated.
"From this day forward, we acknowledge each other as sworn siblings."
Qiū Huà Bǐ tilted his head.
She doesn't even sound emotional about it.
But something about the way she said the words made them feel… heavy.
Yè Yī kept going.
"In hardship, we stand together."
Violet echoed.
"In hardship, we stand together."
"In conflict, we speak honestly."
"In conflict, we speak honestly."
"In danger, we do not abandon each other."
"In danger, we do not abandon each other."
Then the final line.
"If one falls, the other remembers."
Violet paused for a half second.
Then repeated it.
"If one falls, the other remembers."
Qiū Huà Bǐ felt a weird chill hearing that part.
The Binding
Yè Yī held out his cup.
"Drink."
Violet clinked her cup against his.
The sound was quiet.
But sharp.
They both drank.
The liquor burned.
Violet didn't react. "Blandly bitter"
Yè Yī wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Then they both bowed forward once toward the ancestral tablets.
Three seconds.
Five seconds.
Then they sat back up.
The Witness Speaks
Qiū Huà Bǐ cleared his throat.
"So… is this where I say something?"
Yè Yī looked at him.
"You confirm it."
Qiū Huà Bǐ scratched his head.
"Alright."
He straightened up slightly.
"I, Qiū Huà Bǐ… confirm that whatever this ancient sibling contract thing is… has now happened."
Violet tilted her head slightly.
"That's not traditional."
"Neither am I," he replied.
Yè Yī exhaled through his nose.
Good enough.
The Moment After
Rituals were strange.
People expected something dramatic afterward.
But usually nothing happened.
And this was no different.
No thunder.
No glowing light.
Just silence.
Violet stood first.
She looked down at Yè Yī.
"Alright," she said calmly.
"Brother."
The word landed strangely.
Not awkward.
Just new.
Yè Yī stood as well.
"Sister."
Qiū Huà Bǐ stared at both of them.
"…That was the calmest life-altering event I've ever witnessed."
Violet looked at him.
"You were free to leave."
"You didn't tell me that earlier."
"You didn't ask."
Qiū Huà Bǐ threw his hands up.
"Next time someone says 'come downstairs for tea,' I'm asking more questions."
Yè Yī shook his head slightly.
But inside, something had shifted.
Not loudly.
Just… settled.
For the first time in four years, the word family didn't feel like something buried.
And Violet, standing beside him, looked toward the ancestral tablets again.
Not reverent.
Just thoughtful.
As if she had just placed a stone in a river whose current she already understood.