Han Zhennan was still red, his mind replaying the talk with He Ruying again and again—the way she smiled, the way she hugged him. Even in his shyness, he felt lighter, as if his feelings had finally been dragged from the depths of his heart and placed right before his eyes.
"I guess I should talk to Xue Lian now," he muttered to himself. "But she'll be more of a problem… unlike Ruying, she's been terrorizing Lu Zhenhai to find me."
As if summoned by those very words, a figure appeared in the distance. Han Zhennan squinted, then sighed. "Speak of the devil…"
Lu Zhenhai marched toward him, his forehead veins bulging like snakes. "Finally found you, you bastard!"
Zhennan already knew why his friend was angry. He raised his hands defensively. "Listen, I already talked to He Ruying. I'll talk to Xue Lian next, I swear. And yes, I know she's been annoying you, but aren't you my sworn brother? You'd take a blade for me, so obviously you can endure Xue Lian's nagging for a bit to buy me some time!"
"Yeah, not if she's following me everywhere I go!" Zhenhai snapped. "Since you're already done, how about you go and take care of your wife so you two lovebirds can leave me in peace? And give me that damn book—I've got to return it to my sister. She's been pestering me for it."
Han Zhennan chuckled, slinging an arm around his friend's shoulder as he handed the book back. But before he could say anything else, Zhenhai's lips curled into a sly grin.
"So… what did you two do?"
Zhennan's ears went hot. He turned his head away. "Well… nothing. We just… hugged, I guess."
Zhenhai blinked once, then gave him the most disappointed look imaginable. "That's it? A hug? Tch. I should've known better than to expect anything from a mute like you. Let me guess—you weren't even the one who hugged her. She hugged you, and you just stood there with your mouth open like a fool, didn't you? Hahahahaha!"
Zhennan's face went crimson. "You bastard—!" He locked his arm around Zhenhai's neck in a chokehold.
"Argh—get off me, dammit!" Zhenhai clawed at him as they tumbled to the ground, wrestling and rolling in the dirt like boys again, their laughter and insults echoing through the trees.
After their little brawl ended with both of them out of breath and laughing against the dirt, Han Zhennan finally let go of Lu Zhenhai's neck and sat up. His cheeks were still faintly red, not from the fight but from the memory of He Ruying's embrace. He rubbed the back of his head, hesitating for a moment before saying, "I need one last favor… go call Xue Lian over here. I need to talk to her."
Lu Zhenhai groaned immediately, flopping onto his back. "Oh no, not a chance. I've been running from that girl like a fugitive, and now you want me to deliver myself to her doorstep?"
Han Zhennan gave him a sharp look, his usual coldness breaking through. "Didn't you say we were sworn brothers? If you're willing to take a blade for me, you can at least endure calling her once."
"Not the same thing," Lu Zhenhai muttered, turning his head away.
Han Zhennan leaned in, his voice quieter now but firm. "I'll repay you. Whatever it takes. Just… do this one thing."
For a long moment Lu Zhenhai just stared at him, clearly weighing whether the suffering was worth the promised favor. Finally, he sat up, dusting himself off. "Fine. But you'd better remember this when I come to collect."
Han Zhennan chuckled softly. "I will."
With an exaggerated sigh, Lu Zhenhai trudged off toward the Xue estate. The further he walked, the more annoyed he felt, though underneath that irritation was the smallest flicker of amusement.
When he arrived, the estate servants immediately looked at him with wary eyes. He waved them off lazily. "Tell Xue Lian to come out."
A few minutes later, Xue Lian emerged, her sword strapped to her waist, her brows furrowed in confusion. After all, he had been doing everything in his power to avoid her constant chatter, and now he stood at her doorstep.
"Why are you here?" she asked suspiciously.
Lu Zhenhai crossed his arms, his expression flat. "Your husband wants to meet you at your usual spot. So head over there."
The moment the words left his mouth, he saw it—the faint flush rising to her cheeks, her lips twitching into a smile she tried to suppress. "He's not my husband…" she snapped quickly, but her voice softened into a whisper, barely audible, "…yet."
That tiny smile lingered as she turned her face away.
Lu Zhenhai smirked, tilting his head. "Didn't know you could get shy. Guess there's a first time for everything."
Her eyes widened, and she immediately cursed at him, face burning brighter. But he had already turned away, ignoring her words entirely. With a rare sense of relief, he breathed in the evening air as he walked back down the road, feeling the tension slide off his shoulders.
"At least now I'll get some peace," he muttered, already imagining the quiet he'd enjoy while the lovebirds dealt with each other instead of him.
Xue Lian walked slowly, her steps light but uncertain, one hand clutching the other. Her face carried an unusual mix—excitement, fear, and shyness all tangled together. Normally she would have marched with confidence, ready to bombard Han Zhennan with words until he gave in. But tonight… tonight was different.
As she walked, she played out countless scenarios in her head. How should she greet him? Should she laugh, or should she stay calm? Every time she imagined pouncing on him like before, she shook her head furiously. No, not this time. That's too violent. Too reckless. She wanted to show him something else—a softer side, one he had never seen. If she came at him the same way she always did, he would only grow distant again.
Instead, she decided: she would be gentle. She would slow down. She would let him see the woman who truly loved him, not just the wild, brash girl who never stopped talking. If she could do that, maybe—just maybe—he would love her back.
By the time she reached their usual spot, her heart was pounding so loudly it drowned out the sounds of the evening cicadas.
Han Zhennan was there, leaning against a tree, his arms folded. His expression was unreadable, though his stance looked a bit guarded, as if he were bracing himself to be cursed at or jumped on. But when he saw her only smile softly and greet him with a shy nod, his eyes narrowed in disbelief.
For a moment, he thought someone else had disguised themselves as Xue Lian. There's no way she'd ever act like this.
She lowered herself gracefully to the ground, patting the grass beside her. After a hesitant pause, he followed, still watching her as if she might spring a trap at any moment.
"Why didn't you come see me?" she asked, her voice quieter than he had ever heard it.
Han Zhennan shifted uncomfortably. "I… I was embarrassed. Too late, maybe. But I wanted the awkwardness to fade, so I asked you here."
Her lips curved into a small smile. For once, she wasn't throwing sharp words at him, and the change unsettled him. But still, it was better than the endless teasing and curses, so he took it gratefully.
Their conversation continued, flowing slowly at first but becoming steadier as the silence between them thinned. Even then, Han Zhennan couldn't shake his disbelief. Why is she suddenly so soft? What happened to the fierce, loud Xue Lian? But whatever the reason, it was a relief.
Then, without warning, she asked, "Zhennan… do you… do you like me?"
His body stiffened.
Her voice trembled, though she forced herself to continue. "We've known each other for years, and to be honest… you never noticed, never acknowledged how I felt. I always tried to show you, but you either thought it was a joke or ignored me. Even Lu Zhenhai, that annoying fool, knew I loved you. He Ruying knew. My father, yours, everyone knew—everyone except the one person my feelings were meant for."
Her eyes lowered, and her voice cracked slightly. A shadow of sadness crossed her features, her greatest fear surfacing—that he simply didn't share her feelings, that he had known all along but hadn't cared.
But then Han Zhennan's voice cut through her despair.
"To be honest… I don't know how to explain it. Maybe I was too blind to notice. If so, I'll apologize. But I never ignored you on purpose. You know how my life was, Lian. My father trained me endlessly, and I followed that path without question. I trained so much that maybe I… couldn't let myself feel anything that didn't align with that training. I don't know. I just… don't know how to explain it."
Xue Lian's lips trembled, but this time from a smile. That was enough. She had waited for so long, and now, hearing him admit his blindness, she felt the weight lift. She decided to take the lead.
Slowly, she leaned closer, her hair brushing his shoulder, and rested her head against him. Her voice dropped into a whisper, soft and sure.
"Well, you'd better not return to that state, then. I won't let all my efforts go to waste. Do you know how much I had to do to convince my father to agree with yours? He wanted to marry me off to some other bastard. If I hadn't gotten you, I would've run away or killed the man."
Han Zhennan froze, not at her words, but at the sudden warmth of her body against his, her arm entwining with his. He didn't know where to look, his face stiff with nerves, but he let out a short, awkward laugh. "Haha… yes, I guess."
Xue Lian clung to him, refusing to let go until she had had enough. At last, she rose reluctantly, brushing grass from her clothes. "Come with me," she urged, trying to tug him along.
But Han Zhennan shook his head. "I… need to meet Lu Zhenhai." It was a lie, but he spoke it calmly.
She pouted, clearly begrudging, but after one last glance, she turned and left.
When she was gone, Han Zhennan lay back on the grass, staring up at the sky. A smile crept over his lips, quiet but genuine he now thought that maybe his father was right marriage wouldn't hold him down infact it might support him even more give him more reasons to fight for to get stronger for.