Chapter 4: Beneath the Ice, a Flicker of Fire
The next few days were a blur of etiquette, confusion, and silent stares.
Mei Xiao — now called Mei Lin — had no choice but to pretend she belonged. Every misstep was a potential trap. She had no idea how to walk in embroidered shoes, pour tea with grace, or recite anything about martial cultivation.
And then there was him.
Murong Jing He, the Supreme Leader of the martial world. Cold. Disciplined. Dangerous. A man of few words, but every movement radiated control and power.
They shared a room, but not a bed. Thank heavens for that.
At night, Mei Xiao would lay stiff under the silk canopy, watching the shadows on the wall as he meditated cross-legged, perfectly still. His sword never left his side.
He hadn't asked why she was different. But he watched her — always. As if trying to read her soul.
One night, she finally broke.
"You hate me, don't you?" she asked suddenly.
He opened his eyes slowly. "No."
"Then why do you look at me like I'm a stranger?"
A pause. "Because you are."
His words struck deep, though his voice remained calm. "The woman I married would never forget her sword technique, nor misstep her stance. You carry her face… but your soul is not hers."
Mei Xiao's throat tightened. She couldn't deny it. But something in his eyes — not anger, but sorrow — confused her more than anything.
"But perhaps," he said quietly, "you are not her… because you never truly were."
She sat in stunned silence as he rose and walked away, leaving only the flutter of candlelight and the echo of a truth she didn't yet understand.