Prince Lianyi tossed restlessly on his bed. He shut his eyes, turned onto his side, then onto his back—but sleep refused to come. All he could see were Mimi's eyes, red from holding back tears, and her trembling lips. The pain etched into every corner of her face. The memory gnawed at him, again and again, until it drove him mad.
With a low growl of frustration, he threw off the covers, pulled on a robe, and stormed out of his chamber, unable to take it any longer.
Elsewhere in the palace, in Mimi's chambers, Mimi sat quietly on the edge of her bed. Tears streamed down her face as sobs escaped in quiet waves.
"Fleet... desperate..." Those words haunted her like a curse spoken by the one man she had loved with her whole heart. She tried to shut them out, but they echoed louder and louder, until they felt like they were eating her alive.
Then, there was a sound.
A soft tap and then a faint rustling near her window. Her heart stopped and her mind jumped, alerted.
She jumped to her feet, startled. "Who's there?" She said with her voice trembling.
A shadow moved, and in the next second, someone slipped through the open window. She gasped and tried to scream, but a warm hand pressed gently over her mouth.
"It's me," came the low whisper. "Lianyi."
The sound of his voice sent a chill down her spine. She turned quickly, eyes wide and heart pounding. She was about to ask what he was doing there when—
Knock knock.
"Lady Mimi? Are you alright?" a guard called from outside the door.
She stiffened. "I-I'm fine!" she stammered. "Just… a bug. It startled me."
Only when she heard the footsteps fade did she finally exhale. She crossed her arms and turned to face him, her eyes cold and wounded.
"What do you want?" she asked sharply. "Haven't you done enough? Or are you here to make sure the whole palace hears you call me names again? To ruin what's left of me?"
The words hit him like a slap. "I'm sorry, Mimi," he whispered.
She laughed bitterly. "Sorry? You called me cheap indirectly. Said I throw myself at every man I see. And now you sneak into my room in the middle of the night like nothing happened? Do you even hear yourself?"
He took a breath with his voice low. "I wasn't thinking clearly. I… I got jealous and i allowed it get the best of me."
Her brows furrowed. "Jealous?" she echoed, confused. "You don't love me, Lianyi. But you won't let anyone else come near me either. Why? You already have Yue Rong. What else do you want?"
He blinked, stunned. "Yue Rong? What about her? I don't have feelings for her. I never did."
Her voice cracked as she spoke. "What about me? What about my happiness?"
She looked straight into his eyes, searching for something—anything real. "Do you even understand what you've done to me?" she whispered. "I gave you my heart."
The tears came fast now. "And you tore it apart. I confessed my feelings to you, and you humiliated me in front of everyone. What more do you want, Lianyi?"
"I… I want you, Mimi," he said, voice trembling. "I want you for myself."
Her expression froze. "For yourself?" she repeated with a flat tone. Then she let out a hollow laugh. "So that's all I am to you? Something to claim? To own?"
She shook her head, heartbroken all over again. "Is that what I am to you? A woman so starved for love that she'd settle for scraps? That she'd let the man who hides her away like some shameful secret touch her when he pleases?"
She quickly stepped close to the door with her hand reaching for the door. "So that's it. You want me as your little pleasure toy. Please, Lianyi. Just leave."
"Mimi, please…" he begged, stepping forward. "I know I've hurt you over and over. But I love you. I swear I do. I don't even know when it started, or how—but my heart… it beats for you."
He took her hand and placed it gently against his chest.
Her breath caught in her throat.
"I love you so much," he whispered again, drawing her closer. "I don't want Yue Rong. I don't want anyone else. Just you."
Before she could speak, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her—fiercely and desperately, like a man drowning, clinging to the only thing that could save him.
Caught completely off guard, she stood frozen for a moment before slowly giving in, her hands curling into the fabric of his robe.
But just as the kiss deepened, a soft gasp cut through the air.
They sprang apart.
At the doorway stood a young maid, eyes wide with shock, a tray of folded linens trembling in her hands.
" I-I'm sorry, my lady!" the maid stammered, dropping into a hasty bow. "I didn't know… I was just bringing the sheet you asked for earlier today."
Mimi's face turned pale and prince Lianyi's expression darkened.
The maid backed away, nearly tripping over herself, then fled down the hallway.
Mimi clutched her chest, breathing hard. "She saw us, didn't she?."
Lianyi turned toward the window, with a smile on his face "Don't worry. See you tomorrow." He kissed her forehead and left the room with a smile playing on his lips.