Chapter 13 – A Kiss in the Moonlight
The next morning dawned with a golden haze spilling across the mansion's courtyard. The tension of the previous night seemed to have lifted slightly, replaced by a surreal stillness. Birds chirped softly outside Meilin's window, and the scent of blooming jasmine wafted into the room. But she was already wide awake.
The memory fragment she'd seen—of the little boy in the rain—haunted her.
Could that have been Li Yanzhou?
She remembered the silent pain in his eyes as he spoke last night. "Every day." That answer, those two words, carried an ocean of regret. She had seen that kind of emptiness before—in her own reflection after years of betrayal and loss.
But what kind of childhood had he endured to end up the way he was now?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
It opened a second later to reveal a maid dressed in black and white, bowing respectfully.
"Miss Xue, Young Master Li requests your presence for breakfast in the garden."
Meilin blinked. "Garden?"
"Yes. He's already waiting."
---
The garden was breathtaking.
Ancient stone paths wound through beds of rare flowers, and a koi pond shimmered beneath a weeping willow. A round glass table was set under a vine-covered arch, with two seats and a simple but elegant breakfast laid out—steamed buns, fresh fruit, and warm porridge.
Li Yanzhou stood by the pond, dressed in a crisp white shirt with his sleeves rolled up. He looked nothing like the cold CEO from yesterday. Here, he looked… peaceful. Almost unreachable.
Meilin approached slowly. "Good morning."
He turned to her with a nod. "Sleep well?"
She hesitated, then nodded. "Better than expected."
He gestured for her to sit. "You have questions. Ask them."
She raised an eyebrow, amused by his bluntness. "Alright then. First, who was that little boy I saw in the memory the system gave me?"
Li Yanzhou froze slightly. His gaze sharpened. "You saw a memory?"
"Yes. The system said it was a 'hidden memory fragment.' A boy in the rain, calling for someone who never came."
He was quiet for a long time. Then he sat back and said softly, "That boy was me."
Her breath caught. She had guessed, but hearing it confirmed made her heart ache.
"It was my seventh birthday," he said quietly. "I waited outside my family's estate for hours. My father… promised he'd come. He didn't."
She frowned. "Why?"
Li Yanzhou let out a humorless laugh. "Because I wasn't the heir he wanted. I wasn't born of the main wife, and my existence was inconvenient."
Meilin felt a lump rise in her throat.
"I was sent to the hidden division of the Li family," he continued. "They train those with special… talents. Magic, spiritual sensitivity, martial instincts. I learned early that power was the only thing that could protect me."
She reached across the table and touched his hand gently. "You don't have to tell me everything right now."
His eyes met hers. "But you want to know, don't you?"
"I do," she admitted. "But only when you're ready."
The silence between them was no longer heavy—it was warm. Filled with the kind of understanding that could only grow from shared pain.
Then the system chimed again.
[ System Alert ]
> Favorability with Li Yanzhou has reached 15%.
New System Feature Unlocked: Celestial Bond Threads
> You may now sense emotional threads between you and key romantic interests. Use them to gauge their hidden feelings.
> New Sub-Quest: "Strengthen the Bond"
Spend a day with Li Yanzhou doing something normal.
Reward: +30 Emotional Resonance Points
Bonus: Unlock "Emotional Vision" skill
She blinked and quickly closed the interface before he noticed.
Normal?
Did the system even know who it was talking about?
---
Later that afternoon, to her shock, Li Yanzhou handed her a helmet.
She stared at it, puzzled. "What's this?"
"We're going for a ride."
She tilted her head. "You ride a motorbike?"
He smirked. "You said you wanted to know me. This is part of it."
Before she could object, he revved up a sleek black motorcycle parked outside the garage and motioned for her to climb on.
After a moment's hesitation, Meilin hopped on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. The moment she did, she felt something unexpected—a soft glow between them.
A golden thread.
She gasped. The Celestial Bond Thread. She could feel it now.
Warmth. Trust. Curiosity. And beneath it all… an unfamiliar spark.
---
They sped through the winding mountain roads beyond the city, the wind in her hair and the sun above them. Li Yanzhou didn't say a word, but she could tell—he was smiling. For real this time.
Eventually, they stopped at a quiet cliffside clearing that overlooked the glittering city below.
"It's beautiful," Meilin whispered.
"Not as much as you," he said without hesitation.
Her heart skipped a beat. She turned to him, eyes wide. "You—"
He leaned closer, voice low. "I don't say things I don't mean."
[ System Notification ]
> Emotional Thread has strengthened.
Bond Level: 17%
You have made Li Yanzhou's heart skip a beat.
Meilin looked away, flustered. "Is this a date?"
"Maybe."
The word hung between them like a suspended breath.
He stepped closer, their faces inches apart now.
"Meilin," he said softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't know what you've been through. But I want to protect you. Not because I have to… but because I want to."
She trembled.
In that moment, under the golden sky, she forgot about betrayal, pain, and revenge.
All she saw was him.
And before she could second guess herself, she rose on her toes and kissed him.
It was gentle.
Soft.
The kiss of two broken souls finding light in each other.
When they pulled apart, he didn't say anything. He just held her hand tightly in his and smiled.
The system pinged again.
[ Quest Complete: "Strengthen the Bond" ]
> +30 Emotional Resonance Points
Bonus Skill Unlocked: "Emotional Vision" – See through lies and hidden emotions of those bonded to you.
> Bond Level with Li Yanzhou: 20%
Relationship Stage: Trusted Interest
> Note: You have unlocked Joint Destiny Thread – this bond will affect future storyline paths.
Meilin blinked away the notification, overwhelmed by the emotions swirling within her.
She hadn't expected any of this.
But now that it had started…
There was no turning back.