For many nights, Tie Hongchen carried a storm in her heart. She had wanted to resist, to disobey Tai Jian's commands, yet every time she met his cold, unyielding gaze, the words would die on her lips. In the end, she swallowed her sorrow and buried her grief beneath silence.
But silence was a cruel companion.
Unable to leave, she arranged small banquets within her residence—gatherings of music, wine, and laughter that never reached her heart. She also took to evening walks outside the palace, her graceful figure cloaked beneath the moonlight. Tai Jian allowed it, but never from afar.
Whenever she held a banquet, Tai Jian—no matter how busy—would abandon all other matters to attend, seated at her side like a shadow that refused to leave. Whenever she walked outside the palace, he ordered four of his eight most fearsome guards to follow her discreetly. To her, it seemed like protection. In truth, it was jealousy, gnawing and restless, hidden behind the mask of duty.
Unknowingly, Tie Hongchen had become the axis of his world. Every smile, every glance, every sorrow she carried weighed heavily upon him, until her presence alone dictated the rhythm of his heart.
That night, after neutralizing the sealed yin energy within her body, Tai Jian staggered from her chamber. His face was pale, his lips drained of color, and his yang energy rampaged through his veins like an untamed beast. His body trembled as though it would collapse at any moment.
And collapse he did.
The moment he stepped beyond her door, his legs buckled, and darkness swallowed him. His guards, already waiting in the shadows, surged forward to catch him before his body struck the ground.
They had carried him many times before, but this time fate played a cruel jest. The doors of Tie Hongchen's chamber creaked open, and she stepped out in her night robes, her long hair cascading down like ink under moonlight.
Her eyes fell upon Tai Jian's limp figure. Her heart lurched.
"Take him inside and lay him on the bed," she ordered sharply. "I will take care of him."
The guards hesitated. They exchanged uneasy glances. The secret they had guarded for years now hung in the balance.
"What are you waiting for?" A cold voice cut through the hesitation.
Xue Kai stepped from the shadows, his face grim. "Didn't you hear Madam's order? Move!"
The guards bowed and obeyed. They laid Tai Jian upon Tie Hongchen's bed, then withdrew silently, leaving only Xue Kai behind.
The room grew still, save for the ragged sound of Tai Jian's shallow breathing.
Tie Hongchen's gaze lingered on his face. His body trembled with suppressed pain, sweat dampening his hair. Her lips quivered. "For how long has this been happening?"
Xue Kai bowed his head. "Approximately two years, Madam."
Her eyes widened. Two years. The exact time since they had stopped dual cultivating after that fateful incident. "But why… why didn't I notice anything? Why was I blind?"
"Because His Highness was cautious," Xue Kai answered. "He always prepared your meals himself. He laced them with Traceless Night Powder."
Tie Hongchen stiffened. "Poison?"
"A harmless one," Xue Kai explained. "It carries no scent, no taste, no color. It dulls the senses. When taken before sleep, its effect multiplies after two hours, leaving you numb. That is why His Highness could always approach without your knowledge, to suppress the yin energy raging in your body."
Her throat tightened, tears stinging her eyes. "Why? Why would he do all this, yet still treat me as though he despises me?"
"Despise you?" For the first time, a bitter smile curved Xue Kai's lips. He turned to Tai Jian's unconscious figure. "Madam, His Highness does not hate you. He cares for you more than you realize. He… he simply doesn't know how to show it. He has had countless chances to tell you his heart, yet he remained silent. He chose instead to protect you from the shadows, never letting you know."
Her hands trembled as they touched the hem of her robe. "Then what about that day? My father… Why didn't he save him? He could have. I know he could have!" Her voice cracked, anger and sorrow tangled as one.
Xue Kai's eyes darkened. He hesitated, but her gaze was relentless, piercing.
"Is that not the case?" she pressed, tears falling freely now. "Otherwise, why would he lock himself in his chambers for two weeks afterward? Why would he avoid me? Why?"
"The truth of that day," Xue Kai said slowly, "is far more complicated than you think. Forgive me, Madam, but I cannot reveal everything."
Her sorrow sharpened into resolve. She leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with cunning. "Then let me speak plainly. If you refuse, I cannot help him. He lies dying before us, and only I can save him. Choose, Xue Kai. Keep your silence, and let him suffer. Or tell me everything, and give me a chance to save him."
The loyal guard clenched his jaw. He had resisted shadows, assassins, even princes, but against the princess's words—he faltered.
"Fine," he whispered, shoulders heavy. "You win."
Xue Kai's voice deepened as he began to recount the tale.
"That day, His Highness knew the shadows were plotting against the Heaven Battling State. He caught wind of the princes' secret meeting but could not uncover its details. Every spy he sent was slaughtered. He feared that if you learned, you would rush back recklessly. He chose to stop you, even if it meant earning your hatred. But still… the shadows found a way to lure you with false whispers."
He drew a breath before continuing. "When the coup erupted, His Highness departed with ten guards."
Tie Hongchen's brow furrowed. "Ten? But there are only eight!"
Xue Kai's gaze flickered, but he pressed on. "The shadows had laid their traps well. His Highness and the ten guards fought fiercely, carving a bloody path. But two were gravely wounded, left behind. By the time His Highness reached the king's chambers, your father had already been moved elsewhere. Another trap awaited, but they fought through it. In the end, they could only watch as your father and the two abandoned guards were executed—beheaded and hung upon the capital gates."
Her breath caught, her chest tightening with pain.
"His Highness lost himself in fury," Xue Kai continued. "On the way back, he ordered the eight surviving guards to retreat. Alone, he marched into the Shadow Guild's stronghold and clashed with one of their mightiest masters. The battle raged for days. When he returned, he was a ghost of himself—broken, unrecognizable. To conceal the truth, he feigned sickness and locked himself away."
Xue Kai's voice fell to a whisper. "That is the truth of that day, Madam. His Highness never abandoned your father. He fought until he could no longer stand. But some burdens… he chose to bear alone."
Tie Hongchen stared at Tai Jian's pale, unconscious face. Her tears fell silently, tracing down her cheeks. For the first time, the walls of resentment in her heart began to crack.
She whispered, barely audible. "Fool… Why didn't you tell me?"
The night stretched long and heavy. But in the silence of that chamber, the truth—hidden for two years—finally began to surface.