Jin Xuan Yue stood atop the West Pavilion, gazing down at the palace grounds below.
From this height, everything looked orderly. Peaceful. As if the chaos and betrayal of a thousand years ago had never happened.
And yet… he could feel it again.
That unrest. That shift in the wind.
And her.
The girl who bore a stranger's name, but the soul… the scent… of someone he could never forget.
He had watched her again this morning, quiet and efficient among the other servants — but her movements were too elegant, too controlled. She was no common girl.
She was hiding something.
And for the first time in centuries, a flicker of something stirred in him that he couldn't name.
Hope? No. That was far too dangerous.
In the secluded training grounds behind the eastern wall, Li Hua stood beneath the moon, surrounded by old straw dummies.
She moved like silk cutting wind. A twist — a kick — a shadowless strike. Her sleeves fluttered like wings.
With each blow, she imagined the Moon Goddess's face.
Then… Jin Xuan Yue's.
She froze.
Why did I see his face?
Angry at herself, she drove her palm into the dummy's chest. The wooden pole snapped in two.
Behind her, someone clapped slowly.
She whirled around.
A man stood at the edge of the trees — tall, lean, with lazy eyes and a devil-may-care grin.
"Well, that was terrifyingly graceful," he said. "Remind me never to offend you in the laundry line."
Li Hua tensed. "Who are you?"
He stepped into the moonlight and bowed theatrically. "Rui Shen. Occasional hero, full-time disaster. You?"
"…Li Hua."
"Ah yes," he said, nodding seriously. "The girl who made His High-and-Mighty stare off into space all week. I should've brought popcorn."
Li Hua narrowed her eyes. "You're close to him?"
Rui Shen shrugged. "We've been through war, death, dumpling competitions… that kind of bond."
She smirked despite herself.
This one's trouble.
"Don't worry," he added, leaning in. "Your secret's safe with me."
She froze. "…What secret?"
He grinned. "That you're not what you pretend to be."
Then, without another word, he turned and vanished back into the trees, whistling.
Li Hua stood in silence, heart pounding.
So someone had noticed.
She would have to move more carefully.
But somewhere… deep down… a whisper stirred.
He searched for me. For a thousand years…
Could it be true?
And if it was… what did that mean for her revenge?