The inn wasn't extravagant—just a quiet, discreet place tucked between an alchemy shop and a spirit equipment forge—but its windows opened to a sunlit courtyard and the scent of magnolia trees. Within the largest suite, afternoon light filtered through sheer curtains, bathing the polished floorboards in golden warmth.
Zhu Zhuqing sat near the open balcony, her gaze distant, a cup of tea resting forgotten in her hands.
She could still feel the weight of the Rift behind her—echoes of battles fought in total silence, memories of shadows trying to tear her apart, and the warmth of Li Wei hand pulling her back into light. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it again—the moment his voice cut through the void and steadied her heart.
Behind her, Xiao Wu hummed as she toweled her damp hair, freshly bathed and refreshed, hopping barefoot across the soft carpet. "Rongrong gone to sort out the storage for that crystal, right?"
"Mm," Zhu Zhuqing replied softly.
"She seemed excited," Xiao Wu said, throwing herself onto the cushioned couch with a bounce. "Not just because she won that auction. I think it's because she got to show off a little in front of Li Wei."
Zhu Zhuqing turned slightly, her eyes unreadable. "…She earned that moment."
Xiao Wu tilted her head. "You're not jealous?"
Zhuqing gaze lingered on the tea leaves in her cup. "…No. I'm just… trying to understand where we all go from here."
Xiao Wu sat up straighter, her playful expression softening. "Zhuqing…"
"I wasn't supposed to feel this way," Zhu Zhuqing whispered. "But the Rift… changed things. Made them clear."
She finally looked at Xiao Wu. "You confessed to him too. Didn't you?"
Xiao Wu lips parted, then closed again. Slowly, she nodded.
"And Rongrong?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.
"She did," Xiao Wu said. "After we got out. After you fainted. He didn't run. He just… stood there and took it all in."
Zhu Zhuqing fingers tightened around her cup. "…And he said yes."
"To all of us," Xiao Wu whispered, wonder in her voice. "He didn't choose one. He didn't reject anyone. He accepted… us."
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head. The warmth in her chest was like sunlight through clouds—fragile, unfamiliar, but deeply real.
"I don't know what this future looks like," she said. "But I know I want to walk it with him."
Xiao Wu smiled softly. "Then we'll figure it out. Together."
Just then, the door creaked open.
Li Wei stepped in, his coat removed and sleeves rolled up, the afternoon sun casting gold across his shoulders. He looked at the two girls quietly, his gaze lingering a beat longer on Zhu Zhuqing, then softened.
"They're activating the Harmonization Crystal for testing in two days," he said, setting a small lacquered box down on the table. "Rongrong said we can watch. Or participate."
Zhu Zhuqing rose to her feet. "What does it do, exactly?"
Li Wei tapped the box's lid gently. "Temporarily allows two spirit masters to share their spirit roots. Your powers can synchronize. Techniques may amplify. Even souls may… echo."
Xiao Wu eyes sparkled. "Like fusion?"
"More primitive. Less stable. But yes, it's a step toward that," he said.
Zhu Zhuqing crossed her arms. "And you want to test it with me."
He looked directly into her eyes. "Yes."
A long silence passed between them—charged, but not tense.
"I'm not afraid," she finally said, voice steady.
"I know," he replied.
A knock interrupted them. Rongrong voice called from the other side, breathless. "Guys, come quick. Something happened in the central plaza. You'll want to see it."
_______________
The plaza outside the imperial bank was chaos.
A wide circle had formed around a collapsed wagon—its contents, strange metallic crates glowing faintly, scattered across the marble ground. A sigil of Spirit Hall seal had been hastily covered by cloth, but the faint impression was still visible.
"It's a secret transport," Rongrong whispered. "Spirit Hall was moving something."
Li Wei gaze sharpened. "They were attacked."
Zhu Zhuqing eyes scanned the scene. "No blood."
"Just scorch marks," Xiao Wu added. "And… what's that smell?"
Li Wei stepped forward slowly, kneeling near one of the crates. He brushed a gloved hand across its surface, revealing a rune etched in red crystal—part of an explosive seal, designed for destruction rather than storage.
"This wasn't a robbery," he said. "It was a message."
At that moment, a group of cloaked figures darted through the nearby alley. One turned slightly, his eyes meeting Li Wei for a heartbeat—amber, narrow, with a vertical pupil like a serpent.
Then they vanished into the crowd.
Zhu Zhuqing dropped beside Li Wei, hand ready to deploy her civet claw. "You saw that."
"I did," he said grimly.
"Who was that?" Xiao Wu asked.
Li Wei stood. "Not someone random. He wanted me to see him."
Behind them, Rongrong expression darkened. "And that explosion was too close to the auction house."
"They're making a play," Li Wei murmured. "But for what?"
As guards finally swept in to control the crowd, and the cloaked attackers vanished into the city's veins, the four stood in a loose circle, the winds tugging at their cloaks and hair.
The Rift has been left behind them now.
But the real world?
It had threads of its own. Tangled. Tugging. Waiting.
And as the sun dipped toward the horizon, golden light scattered across Heaven Dou like pieces of a puzzle—one Li Wei knew they were now part of.
For better or worse.