The palace had finally calmed after the royal mayhem of the day.
Servants were clearing dishes, guards were yawning at their posts, and Grandma Wen was snoring contentedly in her chair, mumbling,
"No more spicy dumplings…"
But while everyone slept, two people wandered through the moonlit garden — Xiangyun and Lianhua.
The cool night air shimmered with the scent of blooming jasmine. Fireflies glowed like tiny lanterns, and the reflection of the moon danced softly on the palace pond.
---
Lianhua (smiling, walking beside him): "I didn't think today could get any more awkward."
Xiangyun (laughing): "It could have. If my mother decided to test your cooking skills."
Lianhua: "Then I would have fainted before she even asked."
They both chuckled, the sound quiet but bright in the calm night.
For a moment, they just walked — their hands brushing slightly but neither pulling away.
---
After a pause, Lianhua looked at him curiously.
Lianhua: "Prince Xiangyun… may I ask you something?"
Xiangyun: "Only if you stop calling me 'Prince.'"
Lianhua: (raising a brow) "Then what should I call you?"
Xiangyun: "Just Xiangyun. The title sounds heavy tonight."
Lianhua: "Alright then… Xiangyun." (her voice softens as she says his name for the first time)
Lianhua: "How does it feel—seeing your parents again after so long?"
Xiangyun: (smiling faintly) "A relief… and a headache."
Lianhua: (laughs) "That sounds familiar."
Xiangyun: "They mean well. But they still see Xiaoxi as a little girl… and me as the one cleaning up after her mistakes."
He glanced toward the balcony where Xiaoxi and Haoran were whispering to each other, clearly lost in their own little world.
Lianhua: "They do seem… close."
Xiangyun: (tilting his head) "Close enough to make me suspicious."
Lianhua: (grinning teasingly) "You sound like a very protective brother."
Xiangyun: "You'd understand if you had a sister like her."
Lianhua: "Maybe I do understand. Because I've been watching the same thing."
Their eyes met — the teasing turned into something quiet, deeper. The kind of silence where words were unnecessary.
---
Just then, a soft breeze made Lianhua's hair fall over her face. Without thinking, Xiangyun gently tucked it behind her ear.
Lianhua froze, her heartbeat skipping a little.
Xiangyun (softly): "You should keep it tied at night. The wind might take it away."
Lianhua: (smiling shyly) "Or maybe the wind just wanted to tease me."
Xiangyun: "Then it's a jealous wind."
Their laughter echoed softly — until—
Xiaoxi's voice suddenly shouted from the balcony above:
"Aha! What's this? My brother flirting under the moon?!"
Lianhua turned redder than a cherry, and Xiangyun looked up sharply.
Xiangyun: "Xiaoxi!"
Xiaoxi: (giggling) "Caught you~!"
Haoran: (trying not to laugh) "We were just… enjoying the view."
Xiangyun: "Then enjoy it silently!"
He glared at them, but it only made Xiaoxi and Haoran laugh harder.
---
After they disappeared, Lianhua finally looked at Xiangyun again — both embarrassed yet smiling.
Lianhua: "You're not as princely when you yell like that."
Xiangyun: "Good. I'd rather not be."
They stood together quietly for a while longer, the moonlight wrapping around them like silver silk — two hearts slowly finding their rhythm amid royal chaos.