[Yao Manor · East Wing: The Wood Element]
Outside, the wind still carried the scent of ash. Though the city had quieted, the lingering smell of fire had not yet dispersed.
Li Furong sat by the window, silently watching a thin trail of smoke trailing across the horizon. Her fingertips brushed the silk handkerchief in her lap, but her thoughts were miles away.
In the room, several maids from the Li household were busy tending to the wounds of the frightened old butler and attendants. A servant of the Yao Manor reassured them in a low voice, "Please, rest your hearts. Master Sang gave orders before he left—once things are stable, you will all be escorted back to your home."
"Master Sang?" Li Furong looked up. "You mean… Sang Qi?"
The servant nodded. "Yes. Master Sang Qi, the Wood Walker—Assistant Minister of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, and one of the Five Elements."
Silence fell over the room. The maids exchanged stunned glances, their breathing hitching in their throats.
Li Furong remained frozen, the face she knew—the one that always wore a faint, gentle smile—suddenly felt like that of a stranger.
Assistant Minister of the Imperial Academy?
A Walker of the Five Elements?
One of the most exalted guardians of the Yao Realm.
A wave of bitterness washed over her heart, mingled with a sharp sting of resentment.
"He never mentioned it," she whispered, her voice so soft it was barely audible.
A maid glanced at her cautiously. "Miss, perhaps the Master simply didn't want people to know…"
Li Furong gripped her handkerchief tightly, a complex light flickering in her eyes. "Didn't want people to know? Or did he simply not want me to know?"
An anger rose within her. She was angry at his usual indifference toward fame while hiding such a grand identity; she was angry at herself for finding out so late—realizing that the "ordinary friendship" she cherished had never been ordinary at all.
Yet, beneath that resentment, another feeling slowly surfaced: relief.
She remembered her father's words: "A marriage of equal status is the foundation of longevity. A poor couple faces a hundred sorrows. If you follow a lowly medic, a moment of passion won't buy you half a lifetime of security."
At the time, she had listened in silence. She knew those words didn't matter to her. What upset her wasn't his status or his secrecy—it was that he had never given her the chance to stand by his side and face the world together.
A light breeze brushed through the window lattice as night deepened. She reached out, covered the medicinal bowl on the table with a cloth, and told her maid softly, "When he returns, let me know."
The night air carried a hint of rain, washing away the scent of embers. Yao Manor was draped in stillness.
In the East Wing, the lamp remained lit. Li Furong sat by the low couch, still holding a cup of undrunk medicine. The bitter aroma did little to soothe the frustration in her chest.
Footsteps echoed outside. She turned her head instantly—she would never mistake that stride.
The door creaked open, and Sang Qi appeared in the threshold. He was drenched in dampness, his hem stained with blood and soot. Seeing her, he paused in surprise, then offered a slight smile. "You're still awake?"
"Could I possibly sleep?" Li Furong's voice was calm, yet it failed to suppress the turmoil within. She stood up, picked up the basin of medicine, and walked to his side. "Sit."
Her tone was cold enough to chill the air. Startled, Sang Qi obeyed. She gently unfastened his sleeve, revealing an untreated gash, the blood a deep crimson.
As she applied the ointment, her fingers trembled ever so slightly despite her focus.
"Does it hurt?" she asked quietly.
"It doesn't," Sang Qi replied with a faint smile.
"Don't be stubborn." She bit her lip, her movements slowing as she worked.
Finally, as the last layer of ointment was applied, her hand went limp, and she slumped into his embrace. The impact was light, but it sent a jolt through him. Her shoulders began to shake, and a moment later, a warm wetness seeped into his robe—she was crying.
Panic seized him. His hand hovered in the air before gently patting her back. "Don't cry… seeing you like this breaks my heart."
Li Furong sobbed, yet a laugh escaped her lips. "That's good."
"What's good?" He looked down at her. "I'm injured like this, and you think it's good?"
She shot him a teary glare. "Don't talk nonsense. I mean—why did you hide it from me?" Her voice was thick with emotion. "You are a Five Element Walker, an Assistant Minister… why didn't you say anything? My father kept me locked up for days because of this."
Sang Qi blinked and smiled gently. "So, is your father a man who only seeks the powerful?"
"No!" she countered quickly. "He just thinks I've lived too sheltered a life. He feared that if I married into a family poorer than mine, life would be bitter. He said that once the passion fades and we are left struggling for survival, the marriage would only end in mutual resentment."
Sang Qi's smile deepened. "But I don't think you're the type to look down on me."
"Why?"
"Because I learned to make Hibiscus cakes just for you."
Li Furong was stunned for a moment before laughing through her tears. "Then… won't you find my 'young mistress' temper annoying?"
Sang Qi reached up, gently pinching her chin. His voice was soft enough to melt into the rain. "You are wonderful. Brave, direct, loving, and kind. Besides, if you marry me, I may not be as rich as your family, but you'd still be the wife of the Imperial Assistant Minister—a lady of the court."
Li Furong's ears turned hot. "Who said I was marrying you!"
"This 'crying and laughing' look of yours," he teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "isn't it just waiting for me to propose? And remember when you twisted your ankle and asked for a carriage? You were right—though it won't be just any carriage, but a bridal one."
Shame-faced, she tried to push him away, but he caught her hands. In that moment of intertwined fingers, the rain fell softly and the candle flickered. She stopped struggling, her face flushed as she whispered, "You certainly have a way with words…"
Sang Qi laughed, leaning in to whisper against her ear, "Then let me spend the rest of my life saying them to you."
[West Wing · The Gold Element]
The candlelight was dim and yellow, the air filled with a light medicinal scent. Ding Yuxuan was bandaging Lin Lie's wounds, grumbling as she worked with clumsy haste.
"I'm going to invent a suit of armor that's completely impenetrable, so you never get hurt again." She kept her head down, her small hands fumbling with the gauze, her voice carrying a hint of a sob. "Look at this mess… does it hurt?"
Lin Lie watched her silently, his eyes full of warmth. "It's nothing. A minor wound." He reached out and ruffled her hair as if she were a child.
"So much blood and you call it minor?" Her eyes were rimmed with red, her fingers trembling, yet her touch became even more careful.
"I'm really fine," he said softly. "I'll stay safe. I won't let you become a widow at such a young age."
"Pah! Shoo!" She looked up and glared at him, her nose flushed. "Don't talk such rot! Besides, I never said I'd marry you!"
Lin Lie chuckled. With a sudden tug, he pulled her onto his lap. "If you don't marry me, who will it be? Not that Tang Jun, I hope?"
"Nonsense, he and I are just friends…" she stammered. Seeing him frown, she quickly added, "Fine, fine—ordinary friends, okay?"
"I'm not forbidding you from having friends," he said, his tone turning serious. "I just want you to know the proper boundaries."
"Yes, yes, Master Lin. I've heard this more than ten times now. I'll remember." Ding Yuxuan smiled, cupping his face. The tears in her eyes were finally replaced by light.
Lin Lie's gaze darkened with intensity. A moment later, he leaned down, brushed a kiss against her lips, and pulled her into his chest. "I want to belong to you completely… Yuxuan, I will go to your father and propose as soon as possible."
Ding Yuxuan's face turned scarlet. She hammered against his chest with her fists. "What are you saying! I've noticed you've become quite… improper lately!"
"How am I improper?" Lin Lie's smile grew. "It's only natural to want to be close to the one I love. But, there are some things I won't do yet—not until after we are wed."
She blinked. "What things?"
He leaned in, whispering into her ear, "The matter of having children."
Ding Yuxuan turned the color of a sunset. She pushed him away in shock. "Lin Lie! Have you no shame? You used to be so stiff and serious—how can you say such things now!"
"It's perfectly normal," he said with mock gravity. "Isn't that what people do after they marry?"
"You—!" She stamped her foot. "The bandages are done. I'm going back to rest. You should sleep too!"
She turned to flee, but he caught her hand and pulled her back.
"It's still early," he murmured, his eyes dancing with mischief. "Let's discuss it further."
"Discuss my foot!"
Fuming and blushing, she shot him a fierce glare, but ultimately surrendered to his embrace with a smile.