Wei stepped out into the crisp morning air, the scent of earth and distant incense lingering as he prepared to assist with the daily affairs outside. His conversation with his sister still echoed in his mind, a mixture of concern and quiet reflection. But just as he was about to move forward, he froze—his mother's voice, hushed yet firm, drifted from within the door.
"…Perhaps it would be wise to find Han a husband," she murmured, her tone measured but resolute. "Madame Chi is relentless, and this would silence her. Besides, Chun is already betrothed Han must learn to love someone else."
Wei's breath hitched. He had never heard his parents speak so plainly about Han's future, about the constraints and expectations pressing in from all sides. He knew that Madame Chi had long whispered about the matter, eager to assert her influence, but hearing his mother entertain the idea was another matter entirely.
His father exhaled heavily. "Han is stubborn," he said, his voice laced with both understanding and weariness. "You think finding her a husband will change that?"
Wei could not see them, only hear the weight of their words, the unspoken considerations threading through the conversation. Arranged marriages were nothing new, but to suggest that Han should simply… move on? While still carrying feelings for someone else? As though love could be redirected so easily, as though hearts could be told to obey reason?
Silence settled for a moment before his mother spoke again. "I only wonder if, in time, she will realize that there are other paths. Those feelings can shift."
Wei clenched his fists. He was not sure if it was anger or sadness that tightened in his chest, but he knew one thing—Han would never accept this. Not easily, not without defiance.
Quietly, he stepped back, retreating before he could be seen. He needed time to think. Han needed to know. And whatever the path ahead, Wei had no doubt—this was only the beginning of another storm brewing within their family.
Wei found Yan in the little farm behind their house, seated by the open window, her long hair cascading over her shoulders as she fed the hungry animals. She always carried an air of quiet contemplation, as if she saw the world with a depth that few others did.
Approaching cautiously, he settled beside her, watching as the morning light painted soft gold across her features. "Yan," he began, his voice steady but laced with hesitation. "Tell me—what do you think of arranged marriages? Their advantages, their flaws?"
Yan didn't respond immediately. She took a measured breath, setting her work aside. Her eyes, sharp yet kind, searched his face, deciphering the deeper meaning behind his question.
"It depends on the circumstances," she said at last. "On the people involved, their willingness, and the intent behind it."
Wei waited, knowing better than to rush her.
Yan folded her hands in her lap, organizing her thoughts before she spoke. "Arranged marriages offer stability, political alliances, and the promise of security. In the best cases, they ensure the prosperity of families, even kingdoms. They provide companionship, even if love is slow to come."
She paused, her gaze darkening slightly. "But they can also be chains. Forced unions, unspoken suffering, years spent longing for something that cannot be. They can break hearts as much as they can unite them."
Wei exhaled, staring at the floor, thoughts racing. "And if someone refuses to love another?" he asked quietly.
Yan's lips pressed together. "Then no arrangement, no reasoning, no persuasion will ever make it right. Love cannot be demanded. It must be allowed to bloom—or wither—on its own."
Wei nodded, absorbing her words. He already knew how Han would feel about this. But now, the weight of it all sat heavier on his shoulders.
Yan studied him for a moment longer. "Is this about Han?" she finally asked.
Wei didn't answer, but he didn't need to. Yan simply sighed, reaching out to squeeze his arm in quiet understanding. "Tread carefully, little brother. Some battles cannot be won with logic alone."
Her words sat with him as he rose, making his way toward the corridors beyond. He knew now—his family was standing at a crossroads. And whatever path lay ahead, it would shape them all.
His hands clenched at his sides, his breath uneven as he tried to contain the storm raging inside him. Yan watched him carefully, her expression calm but firm, waiting for the right moment to speak.
"They're not trying to force her into something painful, Han," she said gently. "They just want her to be happy."
Han stopped in his tracks, turning sharply toward her. "Happy?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "How does binding her to someone she doesn't love bring happiness? How does replacing one heart with another fix anything?"
Yan sighed, unfolding her hands in her lap. "She's struggling. Ever since Chun's engagement, she's been lost. They just think that maybe… if she opens her heart to someone new, she won't hurt as much."
Wei exhaled through his nose, looking away. "It's not that simple," he muttered.
"I know," Yan said softly. "But love isn't only about passion, about longing. Sometimes, it grows from kindness, from companionship. They're not asking her to betray her heart—only to give it a chance to heal."
Wei sat down, running a hand through his hair. He understood what Yan was saying, but it didn't make it easier to accept. Love wasn't something you could assign—his mother told him that. It wasn't like a duty or a task to be fulfilled. It was something wild, uncontrollable, something that burned deeply and refused to be tamed.
Yan leaned forward. "You want to protect her, and I admire that. But think—if she spends her whole life waiting for something that will never come, won't that be its own kind of pain?"
His jaw tightened. He hated this. Hated the way reason clashed with emotion, how reality rarely aligned with what the heart truly wanted.
"She should be the one to decide," he said at last.
Yan nodded. "Yes. And perhaps, in time, she will."
The conversation sat heavy between them, but Yan had planted the thought—the idea that maybe, just maybe, love could come in unexpected ways. Whether Han accepted it or not… that was another matter entirely.