From Bai Xuan Hua's Perspective
No matter how patient she tried to be, Bai Xuan Hua simply couldn't understand what was going through her fiancé's mind.
Zhuge Su Yeon had always been a man of composure — almost unbearably calm.
The kind of cultivator whose mere presence could freeze an entire room.
He was predictable in his self-control, cold in his words, methodical in every gesture.
But lately, something had changed in him — something that defied any attempt at logic.
First, he had insisted — negotiated with almost alarming fervor — to keep her within the imperial castle for at least two more weeks.
She would even say he seemed...
excessively enthusiastic.
During that conversation, Yeon hadn't bothered to hide the looks he threw her way — glances that pierced through any façade of imperial restraint.
It was as if, each time she crossed the hall, his eyes followed her, studying every movement, every gesture, every breath — and at times, she swore he was actually trying to memorize the way she breathed.
Those looks left her confused.
And a little frightened.
Not because she feared the man himself — Zhuge Su Yeon had always been polite, respectful, the perfect portrait of imperial serenity —
but because there was something different about him since the battle against the Shu Clan.
Something more intense, more alive… and at the same time, more indecipherable.
Perhaps it was when she approached him that morning — that cursed morning — when his golden eyes reflected the light of the lanterns, his faint smile looking entirely unlike him.
At that moment, she was certain that some invisible line had been crossed.
The kiss — or perhaps just the touch, or even that breath they had shared — was enough to make her lose the ground beneath her feet.
For an instant, she thought she knew him.
But standing there, before that silent, hungry gaze, Bai Xuan Hua saw something that didn't belong to the man she thought she understood.
And that terrified her.
In both good and bad ways.
That night, when she returned to her chambers, she swore she needed to prepare herself — physically, mentally, and spiritually.
To be ready for whatever that man might do next.
Which was why, the following day, she didn't leave her courtyard.
She refused visits, ignored invitations, dismissed the servants who called her to tea gatherings, and even canceled her morning practices in the inner gardens.
She spent the entire day in silence, trying to understand what exactly had awakened inside him — and perhaps, inside her.
Her heart, once calm at the sight of him, now reacted as if it sensed danger.
And she, proud as she was, could not stand the idea of being at the mercy of emotions she could no longer control.
But time passed — and nothing happened.
On the second day, she began to wonder if he was simply waiting for the right moment to surprise her — the kind of boldness Yeon had never shown before but now… might be capable of.
She even discreetly ordered two of her servants to keep watch in the corridors at night, "just in case," pretending it was a precaution while secretly fearing that he might emerge from the shadows with that look in his eyes.
But on the third day, reality shattered all her theories.
When she finally decided to resume her routine — reluctantly, of course — Bai Xuan Hua left her chambers, crossed the central courtyard, and was greeted by Yeon's younger sister, who welcomed her with her usual serenity.
And during that brief, casual encounter, she discovered — with no ceremony whatsoever — that her fiancé had decided to enter isolation.
"Isolation?" she repeated, incredulous, her fan frozen midair.
The girl simply nodded, calm as ever.
She explained that the emperor had withdrawn to a cultivation chamber, where he would remain for at least a week, in order to "fully digest the spiritual lessons obtained in the battle against the Shu Clan."
Bai Xuan Hua blinked slowly, unable to believe what she was hearing.
For a moment, she thought it was a joke.
But the younger girl's serene expression said otherwise.
So that was it.
He had fought so hard — so insistently — to keep her here for two extra weeks, only to then disappear for half that time?
What kind of logic was that?
She excused herself politely, smiling with flawless courtesy as etiquette demanded.
But once alone, she let the fan fall onto the table and sighed deeply, eyes half-closed in pure frustration.
Men.
Or rather — Zhuge Su Yeon.
That man was the definition of contradiction and mystery.
First, he made her feel like she was about to lose the ground beneath her feet; then, he vanished as if nothing had happened.
She still had no idea what he wanted, nor what he was planning, but she was absolutely certain of one thing:
she would ignore him.
Completely.
If he thought he could play with Bai Xuan Hua's mind and heart, he was mistaken.
When he finally emerged from isolation — and inevitably came to seek her out, as he always did — she would be ready.
And this time, she wouldn't be the one feeling vulnerable.
She would be the mirror — cold and distant — forcing him to see himself for what he truly was.
And if he wished to rekindle the fire that had started with that kiss…
then he would have to burn alone.
But even with all her carefully rehearsed resolve, curiosity was a difficult enemy to defeat.
No matter how much she had promised to ignore him, Bai Xuan Hua found herself — every morning — watching the imperial dining hall through the silk curtains of her courtyard, feigning indifference while her eyes, traitorous as ever, stayed fixed on that empty space.
It was there that he usually took his morning meal, precisely, before beginning his meetings or his endless cultivation sessions.
Now, the hall remained empty.
The servants arranged the table with the same discipline as always, exchanging quiet glances, while the faint clatter of porcelain against marble mixed with the cold whisper of wind entering through the open windows.
She waited — not because she wanted to see him, but because she needed to.
She needed to understand how he would return after isolating himself for so many days.
And then, one cold morning, he finally appeared.
But he looked nothing like what she had expected.