The next morning dawned pale and cold, a thin veil of frost clinging to the stone paths. Servants hurried across the courtyards, breath forming ghosts in the air. The Yuan residence moved with its usual discipline and rhythm.
But Wan Li woke before any of them.
She didn't mean to.
Her body simply… rose, as though something soft and trembling inside her refused to sleep any longer.
Hope.
She smoothed her hair twice.
Then again.
Then again.
Her fingers trembled the entire time.
"Miss," Su Yan murmured sleepily, "it's barely dawn…"
Wan Li flushed.
"I know… but… I…"
She couldn't finish the sentence.
She didn't have the courage to say aloud:
I want to see him again.
--
NEW AWARENESS
Wan Li didn't know where the Third Young Master usually went.
He had only been home for three days.
But in the Yuan residence, important people created ripples.
She noticed them — quietly, instinctively — the way someone raised in the palace absorbed atmosphere without trying.
A corridor suddenly swept twice instead of once.
A maid rushing with ink and fresh parchment.
A footman polishing the brass handles near the main study.
Two junior servants whispering, "Young Master is reviewing documents with Madam today."
The scent of sandalwood lit in a particular room.
She didn't piece it together deliberately.
It simply formed gradually in her mind:
He is often near the eastern study halls.
He walks the south corridor in the mornings.
Servants gather nervously there before he appears.
And so—
When she needed to deliver towels, she walked the long way around.
When she had to carry robes, she took a route that passed a polished corridor.
Not scheming.
Not bold.
Simply… hopeful.
If fate allowed, perhaps he would pass by.
THE FIRST ATTEMPT
After breakfast, Wan Li carried a tray of folded cloths toward the laundry courtyard — intentionally choosing the path that passed near the eastern study.
Her heart beat with every footstep.
Maybe he will come this way… maybe he will see me again…
She slowed as she approached the intersection.
Too nervous.
Too self-conscious.
Su Yan whispered sharply, "Miss… don't loiter. It looks suspicious."
Wan Li nearly dropped the tray in panic and hurried forward—
Just in time to hear footsteps.
Deep.
Steady.
Absolutely sure of themselves.
Her breath caught.
Him.
She turned ever so slightly, keeping her head lowered, back straight, posture perfect from instinct.
He appeared a second later.
Yuan Kezhen.
His dark coat crisp, his steps precise, his expression calm with thought. His aide walked beside him, reading softly from a folded sheet.
He wasn't looking for her.
He wasn't looking at anyone.
But as he passed—
His gaze flicked to her.
Barely half a heartbeat.
A glance.
A quiet, simple acknowledgment.
It lasted just long enough for her world to tilt.
She bowed so deeply she nearly lost balance.
"G-good morning, Young Master…"
But he had already walked past.
He never heard a word.
Still—
Wan Li's lips trembled into the faintest smile.
He had looked at her.
Just a glance.
But it was enough to keep her heart warm all morning.
--
KEZHEN — A MOMENT AND NOTHING MORE
He had noticed her.
Of course he had.
He noticed all movements, all details — it was habit, discipline, survival.
She stood stiffly, tray held too tight, eyes lowered with the rigid obedience of someone trained since birth.
She looks better today, he thought mildly.
Her hair was tidier.
Her posture steady.
No signs of distress.
Good.
His mind moved on immediately to the letter he needed to write to a professor in Shanghai.
In two seconds, he forgot the corridor entirely.
--
THE SECOND ATTEMPT
Late morning.
Wan Li carried a basket of folded towels toward the west wing.
This time, her steps grew slower as she reached a polished hallway.
She stole a glance—
Empty.
Then another.
Still empty.
After her third pass, Su Yan finally hissed:
"Miss—if you wander like this, people will talk!"
Wan Li froze, mortified.
"I—I wasn't wandering…"
Su Yan just stared.
Wan Li wilted, cheeks flushing.
"...Just a little."
She clutched the basket tighter.
"I only wanted… to thank him again…"
Su Yan sighed softly and pressed a hand to her back.
"Miss… gratitude does not need to be repeated."
Wan Li swallowed and nodded.
But she still looked back once as they left the corridor.
--
KEZHEN — TOO BUSY TO WONDER
He spent the late morning in the study, reviewing his admission papers and discussing coursework with Madam Li. She reminded him which professors carried political influence, which student organizations mattered, which social circles were useful.
He absorbed it all calmly.
He never wondered where Wan Li was.
Nor did he care.
Not because he dismissed her, but because she wasn't relevant to the day's priorities.
She was already categorized.
Already decided upon.
Not urgent.
Not emotional.
Just… waiting.
--
THE THIRD ATTEMPT
Afternoon sunlight cast long shadows across the courtyard.
Wan Li carried winter robes toward the storeroom — but her steps slowed instinctively near the east garden path.
Her heart fluttered with foolish hope.
Perhaps this time.
Perhaps—
Empty.
She waited.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Thirty.
Nothing stirred except a breeze.
Her shoulders dropped.
"…He must be busy," she whispered weakly.
Su Yan touched her arm.
"Miss… come. It's late."
Wan Li nodded, but each step away felt reluctant, pulling like a thread unwinding from her heart.
--
KEZHEN — UNKNOWING
At the same time, he was seated with Madam Li, quietly sipping tea while she updated him on extended family matters, business partnerships, and arrangements for his journey to Shanghai.
If Wan Li had passed by the window, he wouldn't have seen.
His attention was elsewhere.
She did not cross his mind once.
--
WAN LI — A HEART TOO SOFT TO PROTECT ITSELF
Night deepened the courtyard into hushed shadows.
Wan Li sat near the window of her small room, watching moonlight spill across the stones.
Her chest felt tight.
Soft.
Achey.
Not painful, just… full.
Her whisper barely reached the air:
"I want to see him again…"
Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she hid her face in her sleeves.
"He's… he's so handsome…"
She curled into herself, embarrassed even alone.
But even so—
She smiled.
Small.
Shy.
Hopeful.
Impossible to extinguish.
She had lived on less before.
She would live on this too.
--
TBC