"Ah—!"
Xiao Zhi's body jerked in panic, water splashing wildly around her. A firm hand clamped over her mouth, making her heart pound like a drum. She froze. Every muscle locked in fear.
"It's me," a low voice whispered quickly near her ear. "It's alright. Don't scream."
Her eyes widened as she blinked through the thick veil of steam. A tall, dark silhouette loomed before her.
"Ruhan?" she whispered, barely daring to believe.
The hand covering her mouth loosened slowly, but did not leave immediately. His sharp eyes cautiously scanned the surroundings. Only when he was sure no one else was around did he let go of his hand completely.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was quiet but tense.
"I—I got lost," she stammered, "I saw the steam and thought it was… I didn't know this place was here."
"You got lost, and you wandered into the Khan's private hot spring?" He raised his eyebrow. Sounding in disbelief rather than anger.
Her face burned. "I didn't know it was private. Or that it was the Khan's. I just… it looked peaceful." Her voice faded at the end.
Then she realised something.
"What about you? If this belongs to the Khan, then what are you doing here?" Now it's her turn to interrogate.
Ruhan hesitated, thinking of a plausible reason. "I came without permission. The Khan is away. I was curious." His tone softened slightly. "You won't tell anyone, right?"
"Only if you won't tell about me." She said with a grin on her face.
For a moment, an awkward stillness settled between them.
Then, reality hit her. Her wet hair was plastered to her shoulders, and her thin undergarment clung uncomfortably to her skin, nearly translucent from the water. She wanted to melt into the pool and disappear.
And as for Ruhan, he was bare from the waist up, water running down his chest and arms, muscles tense, posture rigid. The steam softened the image, but the fact remained.
Xiao Zhi's cheeks flamed red enough to make her feel like her entire head had caught fire. She pressed her arms to her chest, sinking slightly, trying to hide herself behind the natural steam.
Ruhan, seeing her obvious panic, turned away quickly. "I—I'm sorry! I didn't—I mean—" His words stumbled as he spoke.
"I'll leave," he said immediately, stepping toward the edge of the pool.
Then he stopped.
He turned his gaze to the side of the pool, where he put his robe. His Khan's robe. He couldnt let Xiao Zhi see him leaving with those, that would be trouble.
His expression tightened in frustration. "You should go first."
"Yes. Of course," she agreed far too quickly. Every instinct screamed escape, yet every muscle in her body felt glued to the spot. As she climbed out, wrapping her arms around herself, a shiver ran down her spine. She cursed silently at the sudden cold breeze.
"Wait."
Ruhan's voice cut through the steam, making her freeze again. She turned slowly.
His gaze fixed on her arms. The faint scratches, the lingering bruises, all evidence of the past weeks. His jaw clenched tightly.
"…Does it hurt?" he asked softly.
Xiao Zhi hesitated. For a moment, she considered brushing it off, pretending the pain was nothing. But she couldn't lie to him. Not when he literally saw through her.
She nodded.
Ruhan's eyes darkened with something she couldn't quite name. Concern. Anger? Both?
"Stay," he said suddenly.
"What?" She blinked at him, confused.
"The hot spring helps with healing. It eases the pain," he tried to reason. "You shouldn't leave."
His fingers hesitated on the edge of the pool. "I… I mean, I will go." He didn't know how, but he would figure out somehow how to escape without exposing his identity.
She shook his head, "No." She swallowed hard, "…You can stay too."
He froze. She noticed.
"I mean, the pool is big enough," she added quickly, trying to rationalize it. "There's a rock between us. You won't see anything." She pointed at a big rock in the middle of the pool. "And… you look like you need this too."
She didn't say the rest. Didn't say that she had missed him, hadn't realized how painfully lonely the last two weeks had been without him nearby.
After a long pause, he nodded. "…Very well," he gave in.
They settled on opposite sides of the stone divider. The rock acted as a barrier, a shield, and yet also a connection. Slowly, the panic began to fade, replaced with something calmer, safer, and quietly warm.
For the first time in days, Xiao Zhi could just breathe. Not fully relaxed, danger still lurked in every corner of the palace, but Ruhan's quiet presence created a fragile, fleeting bubble of safety.
"How have you been?" she asked softly, finally breaking the silence. "I haven't seen you in days."
"I was sent away on an errand," he replied. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to… serve you."
"Serve?" she asked, raising an eyebrow under the steam. "Aren't we friends?"
Silence. He seemed to wrestle with the words.
"You're a princess," he said carefully. "We can't be friends."
"But I want you to be my friend," she cut him off, "You're the only one I trust."
Her chest tightened. "I know being near me is dangerous," she continued. "Especially with the Khan. Everyone dislikes me. I wouldn't blame you if you stayed away."
"No," he said, far too quickly.
That simple word just betrayed all his resolution for the past few days.
She leaned a little closer to the stone, voice soft. "Then… when no one is around, can you be my friend?"
The words lingered in the air, fragile as the steam curling between them.
"…Yes."
And with that simple affirmation, a weight lifted. She let herself exhale for the first time since arriving at the hidden spring. A gentle warmth remained, not just from the water, but from the knowledge that someone cared. That someone had chosen to stay, even when the world demanded distance.
For now, that was enough.