After an entire day of traveling on drifting clouds and lonely paths, Li Wei and Leng Yue descended upon an unnamed plateau. The land here stretched wide and open, with only a handful of shrubs and scattered groves to mark its barren expanse. The hush of the night wrapped around them like a silken veil.
When their feet touched the earth, both raised their eyes. Above them hung a canvas of starlight, the night sky draped in immeasurable splendor. Stars shimmered like silver blossoms scattered across dark velvet, and a faint mist of the Milky Way cut through the heavens as if painted by the brush of some divine immortal. Even for those who were accustomed to grand sights, the sheer majesty left them wordless for a time. The plateau, lonely though it was, gave them the illusion that heaven itself had lowered its head to meet them.
Leng Yue broke the silence first, her vermilion robe stirring gently in the cool breeze. Her voice was calm, yet it carried an undercurrent of caution.
"Before we set up camp, it would be wise to tour the vicinity. Pleasant though the scenery may be, beauty hides both blossoms and thorns."
Li Wei lowered his gaze from the constellations, his expression unreadable. He inclined his head in agreement, his tone flat yet resolute.
"True. A patrol will serve us well." He stepped forward, his boots pressing into the dirt with measured subtlety. "We will travel on foot. Let us not invite attention with anything high profile."
His eyes swept the plateau as they began walking. Though the young lord appreciated luxury, tonight he desired obscurity more than comfort. The shadow of Ba Zi loomed over every thought. Li Wei knew that even now, envoys might be dispatched to neighboring towns, their task to watch, to question, to ensnare him. A fugitive's life left no room for recklessness.
Though I fear not Ba Zi himself, the wrath of an empire is another matter. Li Wei's thoughts were calm but sharp, his mind turning as if upon a whetstone. Should he draw upon the Emperor's authority, my choices would dwindle to but two—yield or flee the nation. Neither path is one I intend to tread lightly.
Their steps crunched softly upon the gravel of the plateau road. A cicada droned in the distance, and the whisper of leaves stirred by mountain winds wove a gentle symphony.
As they walked, Li Wei spoke, his voice breaking the quiet.
"I never had the pleasure of speaking with you on equal grounds, Leng Yue. Our exchanges until now were fleeting—professional, brief." He sidestepped a small puddle, the moon's reflection rippling in its surface as he passed.
Leng Yue's eyes remained forward, her stride unhurried, her face calm as a pond.
"In truth, Li Wei, I was not thrilled by the prospect of traveling with you," she said in a tone devoid of jest. "I consented only because the Matriarch demanded my presence. Your past conduct made me wary."
A small grin tugged at Li Wei's lips. He had suspected her discontent, but hearing it so plainly stirred something in him. So my notions were correct after all.
Leng Yue's words flowed without rise or fall, as steady as her steps.
"I was angered that my wishes were disregarded. The idea of being saddled with the duty of watching a wayward young lord was not among the futures I envisioned for myself. Yet fate is a cruel scribe; it pens our paths with ink we do not choose."
She stopped then, turning her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes, luminous in the moonlight, were unwavering.
"If you had remained the same as you were in the past, I would have abandoned you, Li Wei. I would have sought my own road, no matter what ties bound us."
The seriousness of her words rang clear, like a blade drawn in the night. Li Wei held her gaze, the sincerity in her tone sinking deep within him.
"But," she continued, her voice firm, even earnest now, "the change within you is undeniable. You have grown into empathy, compassion, reason, and even self-doubt. These are not the traits of the arrogant lordling I once knew."
Her declaration, spoken beneath the sweep of stars, resonated with Li Wei in a way that silenced the winds around him. For a heartbeat, he felt as though the heavens bore witness to her testimony.
They passed beneath a grove of trees, the leaves whispering above like unseen spirits. As they walked the dirt path, Li Wei reached upward, his fingers closing firmly around a low-hanging fruit. He twisted it free, the stem snapping with a soft crack~.
"I am in amazement myself," he admitted, his voice quieter than before. "When I recall my misdeeds, I see a youth who shamed both family and sect. That I stand here now with you, walking this road… it is a gift I do not deserve. Thank you, Leng Yue, for not leaving."
She paused by one of the trees, her hand lightly brushing its bark. The moonlight touched her face, carving shadows that accentuated her features until she looked almost ethereal. Her lips curved in the faintest smile.
"It is I who must thank you, Li Wei. You did not turn your back on the heritage that raised you, though you might have. That resolve speaks louder than apologies." She lifted her chin slightly, her gaze drifting to the blossoms above. A few petals loosened and fell, carried aloft by the night breeze.
"I believe in your potential. And soon, the world will bear witness to what you shall become."
Her words lingered in the air like incense smoke, wrapping Li Wei in a feeling he could not quite name. The sound of the wind, the soft rustle of leaves, the cold fruit in his palm—all blurred into the background, leaving only her voice and the promise it carried.
For a moment, the young lord simply stood, watching her beneath the pale glow of the moon. A thousand thoughts stirred in him—regrets of the past, doubts of the present, visions of what might yet be. But for once, he let silence answer, content to let her faith speak louder than his own.
The two continued their stroll, side by side, their conversation weaving between pauses of stillness. The plateau stretched around them, vast and quiet, as though it too were listening.
When they finally returned to the spot where their journey had first touched earth, the stars above had shifted in their slow march across the heavens. The world seemed hushed, waiting, as though the plateau itself bore witness to the bond that had begun to deepen between the young lord and the maiden.
Creak… The trees swayed softly. Rustle~ The grass bent under the breath of night.